3 running must-haves

I made a last-minute trip home to Davis this past weekend and returned to San Francisco with some new running toys :) One trip to the local Fleet Feet and $250 later and I'm now the happy owner of a Garmin Forerunner 210 (https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=83280&ra=true) and a pair of CEP compression socks (http://www.cepsocks.com/cep-running-progressive-compression-socks.html)! Many thanks to Mom and Dad for the belated birthday gifts :)


Running is a pretty low-maintenance sport compared to cycling or skiing, where you need a ton of expensive equipment. Runners really just need a good pair of trainers and a watch. But there are a couple other gadgets you can invest in to aid in your training -- here are my 3 running must-haves:


1) A Garmin GPS Watch

 I've been meaning to get a Garmin for a while now. Being a slave to splits, I hate doing workouts based on feel -- I much prefer knowing my pace and how fast I'm going. While in school at Davis a majority of the routes we ran had measured miles, so most of our workouts were done with specific pace targets and mile splits. However, here in SF I don't have that luxury. There's a great mile loop at Crissy Field (with great views of the Golden Gate and the SF skyline!) and there's a 1200 meter dirt loop around the Polo Fields in Golden Gate Park, but these routes don't work as well for longer tempo efforts. I once tried to do a 6 mile tempo around the 1200 meter Polo Fields and just about went crazy doing so many 1200 meter loops... so Coach (aka Dad) and I decided that getting a Garmin was a very important training tool. After a lot of research, I settled on the Forerunner 210. Small in size and with an easy-to-use interface, I think it'll be the perfect GPS watch for me! Can't wait to try it out on my 6 mile tempo on Friday!


2) Compression Socks
I jumped on the compression sock bandwagon and what can I say -- they're amazing! Here's the basics on compression socks: they're super tight-fitting and come all the way up to your knees (fashionable? the jury is still out...). According to some research, the socks help minimize muscle fatigue and hasten recovery time. Whether the socks truly work or whether it's just the placebo effect that makes me think they work, I don't care - because I wore the socks on a 15 miler and my legs have never felt so good on a long run!  I truly felt great even in the final miles, when I'm usually feeling achy and sore and running like an old lady. My friend Natasha (a McMillan Elite athlete and Olympic Trials qualifier!) wears them a lot so I decided to give them a try... and lo and behold, they're wonderful! Now I'm converted!


3) Running Rain Gear
We've had some beautiful spring-like weather in SF the past few weeks, but all good things must come to an end... the forecast now shows rain for the next 4 days :( Last weekend it rained a lot too and I ended up doing mile repeats in a downpour (the middle of my mile loop featured a 20 meter stretch of standing water -- maybe the steeplechase is in my future?). Running in the rain is no picnic -- you're wet and cold and if you're alone, it can be pretty miserable. Some good running rain gear can make the workout a bit more bearable. I wear a mesh baseball cap in the rain to shield my face from the onslaught of raindrops and also wear a lightweight water-resistant jacket to keep my other layers dry. I might look a little ridiculous in all that gear, but hey, I'm dry!


Hope you enjoy my running must-haves -- happy running!

See ya, self-doubt! Always bet on yourself

Words to live by: Always bet on yourself.


If you're not willing to place the bet on yourself, why even go to the starting line? You may as well place your money on someone else and not even show up. If you're going to the starting line, be in it to win it.


I came across this phrase recently and it has become my running mantra. (For more on mantras, check out Runner's World's recent article, "The Magic of Running Mantras" -- great read! http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-244--13819-1-1-2,00.html) I've been working a lot on positive self-talk and this phrase has become my go-to in the middle of tough workouts or when I'm slogging through my second run of the day. Being an emerging elite runner and pursuing my athletic goals isn't easy -- there's many a day when I'd rather watch tv than do my second run, or stay in bed for an extra hour instead of heading out for a hard session. But in order to believe in myself and to have full confidence in my abilities when I step on the starting line, I turn off the Netflix, stop hitting the snooze, and lace up my shoes. I'm doing everything I can so that I can feel good about betting on myself.


But training hard and doing all the little things -- eating right, getting enough sleep, icing etc -- doesn't always guarantee a successful race. You can prepare all you want, but without a clear head on your shoulders, your race is likely doomed from the start. And as of late, my head has been far from clear... I've let my doubts and insecurities foil many a workout and ruin many a race. Knowing the negative thoughts going through my head, there's NO WAY I'd bet on myself for a successful race. And what kind of attitude is that? Well, a crappy one.


After my less-than-stellar performance at USA XC back on February 5th, where I ran great for 3k and then had a pity party for the last 5k, I had a bit of a wake-up call. I realized that if I'm really gonna do this professional running thing, I've got to be all in. I've been 100% committed in many aspects of my life - but in terms of believing in myself, let's just say I haven't been my own biggest fan. This is something I've battled for a while -- over the years I've had many a coach believe in me faaaar more than I've believed in myself. Someway, somehow, I always find a way to doubt myself. At USA's, the doubt won big-time, and it took all I had to just finish the race and not drop out.

But if I'm going to move forward as a runner, I have to leave all that self-doubt in the past. No more feeling sorry for myself, no more negative self talk, no more giving up. I've got to believe in myself, have faith in my training, push through it when my mental toughness wears thin, and run with confidence. As I said, USA's was a wake-up call for me, so in the 2 weeks since the race, I've been working on my attitude and trying to be positive positive positive. 


Toward that aim, I'm making strides -- this week I had an awesome fartlek workout and solid mile repeats. The workouts themselves were great -- an 11 mile day, with 6 X 3 minutes on, 90 second active recovery built in the middle of the run; and 5 X mile repeats with 3 minutes rest. Both days were quality efforts and indicate that I'm much fitter than I was a year ago. But what I'm most pleased with is my mental approach to both workouts. I stayed mentally strong through the very last repeat, maintaining composure and not letting any nagging doubts creep in. I won't go as far as to say that I ran aggressively -- I didn't run like I was going for the win. But I did run with determination, like I wasn't going to let anyone pass me in the final straightaway... and that's a start. 


So for this week at least: Kaitlin - 1, Paralyzing self-doubt - 0. As my brother Brendan would say, "See ya, self-doubt!"