New Excuse

In my quest to become a 'real' runner, that is, someone who can finish a marathon, I have discovered that preparation for such an event actually requires a major equipment overhaul. Now, earlier in the year, and last year too, I told you guys about how I have to stop spending money and cut WAY back on the shopping.... and I've done fairly mediocre with that task.
What I have realized though, that in order to make sure I complete the marathon injury free and without major damage to my insides, it is necessary for me to
SHOP!!!!!!

That's right, all out shopping spree. I get to purchase a whole lot of new stuff, including:

New Workout Wardrobe:
Why? Because if you run in plain ole cotton, the moisture will weigh you down, and possibly get you sick. Furthermore, you'll chafe, which is a major b#$%^. Thus, you need workout clothes made from TECHNICAL fabrics, that wick moisture away from the skin to keep you drier.

New Running Shoes- 2 pairs:
There are 3 foot types, (Flat, medium and hi arch), and all sorts of foot behavior (pronate, supinate, etc..) that cause the need for different types of shoes that offer different types of support. My feet, apparently, require me to purchase shoes in the "Neutral Plus" category, for people with high arches and a large build (Now, anything over 150 is large; I think that's crap but whatever...) Running in shoes with inadequate cushioning for your frame, or an inappropriate level of support/construction for your foot behavior, will cause all sorts of nasty problems. These problems include blisters, shin splints and heel spurs, and (heavens!) toenails turning black and falling off repeatedly. Now, the blisters, heel spurs, and shin splints I can deal with. But BLACK TOENAILS? Hell naw. My feet are gorgeous, and I will NOT have my toenails falling off if I can help it. Where are they going to paint the flower during my pedicure?

Furthermore, for all of the functions of your shoe to work properly, you must give them time off. This means you must rotate your shoes to keep them from wearing out too quickly.

Special Socks:
Lets see; these socks will provide moisture wicking so your feet don't overheat and start acting badly, they have seamless construction (and double layering) to prevent blisters. And, I must have the no show kind because a sock tan is horrible.

Hydration System:
This one is my personal favorite; you get to purchase what is essentially a water backpack. This
is the one I purchased. Yes, it's pink. It's got a tube that hangs over your shoulder and you grab, bite, drink, and let it go. Thus, you take care of your long term hydration needs, and (and this is a major plus for me!) you can avoid the gatorade shower type incident that arises when you attempt to unscrew a bottle of gatorade when you're running. This thing requires absolutely NO coordination.


Interval watch:
I figured out that the most efficient way (for me anyway) to actually consider COMPLETING a marthon is to do it in run/walk intervals. A watch exists that you can set to go off at different intervals, and you run or walk depending on which interval it is. I'm looking for my perfect time split; currently, I think i'll probably do 4 minutes running/1 minute walking....


And so on and so forth. Thus, if you REALLY want to have an excuse to do a whole bunch of necessary shopping, the trick is this: Take up a new sport.

Oh, and by the way; please help me out in my quest to cure Leukemia/Lymphoma... go donate at my page: http://www.active.com/donate/tntgla/tntglaSBender