Yes, I'm Taking the Biggest Suitcase

My husband and I travel more than the average bears, and I've got packing (particularly running gear) down to a science. This weekend/early next week I'm heading to northern Michigan for a work trip, and I've already packed my must have running travel gear. It takes up a lot of room, but it's totally worth it.

A lot of runners live and die by a running watch. I wear one during long races, but I don't really use it to time myself. It's not a fancy watch but rather a Timex Ironman from Target. It keeps me on a general schedule. Every time I use my watch to try to get a PR I become obsessed with that goal instead of just enjoying the run. My watch's main goal is to let me know how much time is left before the race starts. I try to ignore it once I get started in a race. I take it with me when I travel, because I often prefer to run a number of minutes instead of specific miles so I can enjoy a new town.

Lots of runners use different fuel - Gu, Clif Bloks, etc. I am a huge fan of the Jelly Belly sports beans. Not only are they delicious, but they give me the perfect amount of fuel before a race. I used to eat Clif Blocks, but I found the gummy to become a little too chewy before or during a race. Jelly Belly are the best for me. On our last trip to DC I discovered the best thing - caffeinated Jelly Belly sports beans. Genius. Pure genius. There are already a few packs in my suitcase for my long run on Saturday.

Traveling in the winter in Michigan means lots of cold weather running gear. Tights, jackets, Smart Wool socks, hats, gloves. It's a lot of stuff. My husband was laughing at the large suitcase I'm taking for just five nights, but I swear it's mostly filled with running gear. That includes my travel foam roller which I have found to be amazingly helpful and compact. I don't leave home without it.

Modeling my new winter jacket I got for Christmas. It's so warm, but it takes up a lot of room in the suitcase.

Due to our extra snowy winter I also invested in a pair of Ice Trekkers for my running shoes. I'll be in Marquette, Michigan (as close to as far north as I can get in Michigan...on Lake Superior), and it will be snowy. I'm excited to try out my Trekkers before the Groundhog Half Marathon in a few weeks. I haven't used them yet, so this should be interesting.

It's hard to beat the winter blues, but even if it means I have to take the biggest suitcase I own, the running gear is coming along.  Space has limited me to one pair of heels for this trip. Oh the sacrifices this girl makes for running.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tell me About Your Third Nipple

Image
Last summer I had a friend describe me to a new acquaintance as such: he referenced a James Bond movie where Bond is impersonating someone who has a third nipple. Everyone who knew this person well knew about the third nipple, so he had to wear a prosthesis and pull it off. He finished the analogy by saying, "Samantha knows everybody's third nipple." It was one of the best compliments I've received in a while. Maybe ever. My entire life I've prided myself on sincere and purposeful interactions and relationships both in my personal and professional life. Have I always gotten it right? Absolutely not. But I put a lot of work into how I interact with humans. It's the reason I have solid groups of friends and acquaintances. It's the reason I've been able to build a successful consulting business. I put a lot of time and intention into people, and it matters. How do I do it...and why? If you know me you know I don't have a third nipple or  a colon. You
Read more

Can we Stop with the Negative Mom Culture?

Image
  A few months ago someone brought beverages to my house called "Mom Water". I'd never heard of it, and after looking it up (because you know I did not and would not drink it) found out it is fruit infused vodka water. It sounds disgusting.  On the Mom Water website they say they're trying to celebrate moms b ut I immediately jumped to the premise that being a mom is so terrible that we have to create a gross new wine cooler in order to cope. It made me realize I'm really over the negative mom culture.  I get it: being a mom is hard work. I've had late nights and early mornings. I haven't slept through the night in years. I've been thrown up on and given every virus known to humankind (except COVID surprisingly). My son was home for 15 months without childcare during the height of the pandemic. There were some very long days, and you bet I lost my patience. Sometimes I still do.  But it feels like we're in this place where it's trendy to compla
Read more

The COVID Destruction of Habits

Image
I love habits. Habits are my jam. With just a little research one can find tons of books and articles about the importance of habits for success. In February of 2020 my habits were down to a science. I woke up early to work out. I dropped my son off at daycare by 7:30 each morning and was at city hall by 7:45. I worked a full day of meetings before picking my son up (most days) by 5:30 pm. On Mondays I had city council meetings nearly every week. My habits were set in stone because my schedule was so busy. If anything shifted out of place my entire day could be shifted. That was not my jam. By mid-March 2020, when the world shut down, all my habits went out the door. In an instant habits no longer existed. There was no child care. There were no office hours. We were all home together for an extended period for the first time as a family. My husband and I had work to do, but it felt like summer camp. I would go for walks with the dog and my son between meetings. We would ride bikes, and
Read more