Holiday Wish List

It's that time of year again. It's the season when people ask you what you want for Christmas. I find this to be a really difficult question to answer. Part of that is because I don't want to ask for practical things like a new carafe for coffee. The other reason it's kind of difficult is that I don't have extravagant wants, so I tend to buy things for myself when I want them. I now understand why shopping for my dad for the holidays was so difficult; if we saw he could use something, he would go buy it for himself.

I finally took some time today and created a wish list on Amazon. Every item on the list is fitness related. I tried to come up with non-fitness items, but nothing came to mind. That's not totally accurate, I did ask for comfortable shoes that are ok to wear for work. I only need those because I stand at my desk and need shoes that aren't running shoes or heels. If I sat at my desk, I wouldn't need or want new shoes. So, that's tangentially a fitness item.

Here, for you to view are the items on my wish list:

"Duel in the Sun: The Story of Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley, and America's Greatest Marathon".  I also asked for Alberto Salazar's book "14 Minutes: A Running Legend's Life and Death and Life".  I've already read Dick Beardsley's autobiography "Staying the Course: A Runner's Toughest Race" and I've watched the video of the marathon, so I thought it was time to read the book about that race. Here's the video of an amazing marathon finish.



In addition to two books about running and runners, I also asked for items to help me be fitter. I asked for the FitBit. It's a pedometer, accelerometer and altimeter. It measures all activity, including sleep. I am hoping this will give me the push I need to shed the remaining weight that I don't like and get the flat belly I want.

I also asked for push-up bars to help me get more range of motion on push-ups, and a wobble/balance board for some added core work. I didn't ask for more microfiber socks, but I could always use those. I'm sure I could find many, many more fitness items that I would be happy to receive. That's the other reason coming up with a list is difficult; I'm happy that people just think of me, so any gifts are good gifts.

Day 43C--Accoutrements

I always kind of thought that running was a great activity because it didn't need much equipment. That may be true if you're young and/or not running very far. Training for the marathon has caused me to get many items to help me get through the training and the actual marathon.

Body Glide. It's like a very, very soft candle in a deodorant tube. It helps avoid chafing. I use it by my bra.







My sports bra. It's something that Jane Russel and Howard Hughes would approve. I did a lot of research to find one that would really work and after seeing other women running on the path, I'm glad I made the investment. Very often I see other women running and I just want to cross my arms over my chest in sympathy pain. No, I'm not going to show a picture of my bra, just thought I'd share a younger, less fundamentalist Jane Russell.







My new foam roller. It's designed to massage muscles in the legs and back that are hard to massage on your own. I've had tight/sore calf muscles since early last week. They feel better after I start running, but stiffen up the minute I stop running, so the first steps really hurt. I tried my roller yesterday and it worked wonders on my calves. The roller can also be used for strengthening and I will try that out tonight with my cross training.


Interval Watch. Because we do 5 minutes run:1 minute walk intervals, I needed a watch that had intervals, something I didn't have. I ended up buying a men's Timex Ironman watch because it has memory for enough laps. It's really nice when I'm out running to have the watch tell me when to start walking and when to get running again.



This doesn't count the non-cotton socks, shorts & shirts that are needed. I had the shirts, but have purchased many socks in the last few weeks. I'm sure there will be additional products being purchased before the marathon in November, including a new pair of running shoes, but these are the only items that were needed and not all were expected.