After years of trial and error, I have settled on five pieces of gear. Shoes, headphones, nutrition, hydration, and a belt. None of it is exotic and none of it is sponsored. This is just what has survived a lot of long runs and a handful of Marathon Sundays.
Sneakers
I have worn Saucony for years with success, with inserts to help with pronation. Game changer. I have tried a couple of different brands over the years, but I keep going back to Saucony. Final answer.
Editor's note: go to a local running store and ask for a fitting. They usually have machines to analyze your particular physiology, plus the expertise to recommend options that suit you. What works for Jon may not work for your feet.
Headphones
I was introduced to Shokz a few years ago and I really like them. They are super lightweight, and the technology behind them is that you hear sound through vibrations into your bones and then into your inner ear. Super clear. I find it fascinating.
They do not slip out from sweat like AirPods, and even after long runs they do not give me headaches or ear aches the way traditional earbuds can. Because they do not go into your ear canal, you can still hear outside sounds, alerts, voices, or emergency sirens. I do wear them on Marathon Sunday, but I listen to music only when I feel like I need to separate myself from the crowds or get into the zone.
Nutrition
My go-to is Gu. I like the newer Roctane version, which has higher levels of sodium and, in some cases, caffeine. With the humidity in Florida, these have been lifesavers.
I take one packet every 45 minutes of training and that seems to work well for me. They have a decent number of flavors and my stomach seems to tolerate it fine. It is still a weird concept to me, but it works. I usually carry about six packets on Marathon Day.
Your mileage will vary. Forty-five minutes is my number, not a rule, and gut tolerance is something you train the same way you train your legs. Work it out on your long runs. Nothing new on race day.
Water bottles
I do not like running with bottles of liquid, so I plan my runs around the city of St. Petersburg's water fountains. If I stray off the public walkway, I ask friends and family to leave a cooler of water or Gatorade on their porch for me. The NYC Marathon is well equipped with hydration stations, so I never worry about carrying anything with me on race day.
Running belt
In my opinion this is one of the most important pieces of equipment I own, both for long runs and on Marathon Sunday. I use a Nathan belt, and it has a few good features. It is stretchable polyester with two zippered pockets, and the whole thing folds over on itself, which I discovered by accident. That fold holds a lot: my phone, extra gels, salt tablets, whatever I need.
It is crazy lightweight, and the best part is that there is no buckle or clasp to irritate or chafe. If you are in the market for a running belt, I would highly recommend looking at the Nathan products.
Figure yours out early
The point of all of this is not that you should buy what I bought. It is that you should know what you are wearing and eating well before the first Sunday in November, because race day is the worst possible time to test something. Sort it out on your long runs. If you want a plan to build those runs around, start with our training resources, and if you are still thinking about whether to run with us at all, come join the team.
