Summer break has come to an end. Katie and the boys are back at school. And with the start of each new school year comes a new list of supplies. Growing up, one of my favorite parts of going back to school was supply shopping. Heading to the nearest Wal-Mart, supply list in hand, ready to check each item off the list. I can still smell the fresh scent of loose leaf straight out of the wrapper, the strong chemical odor of a brand new eraser. The taste of fresh glue...wait. Imagine my surprise when I found out you can now order all the supplies through a company and have them delivered straight to your desk for the first day. Now what's the fun in that?
And as the school buses begin running their routes, runners begin new training plans. Fall races are within reach. Summer base building soon transitions into autumn long runs. No matter your distance, the start of the school year signals it is time to get serious. While children have the supplies they need for their academics, runners also have to begin stacking up their supplies to get them to the start line. So before we head off to class, let's take a look at the runner's back-to-school supply list.
Ticonderoga #2, mechanical, multi-ink, Jelly Roll. These writing utensils were it when it came to school supplies. I broke more than my fair share of multi-ink pens trying to use all the colors at once. Anyone ever take their spring-loaded pen apart? Or that awkward moment when you stop playing with your mechanical pencil eraser just long enough to have all the lead fall out onto the floor? Pencils and pens were key to making it through the school year, just as fuel, primarily gels, are needed to get through longer efforts.
Like pens and pencils, there are a plethora of choices when it comes to gels. Everything from the more economical, traditional GU all the way to the pricey but well-loved Maurten. And like writing utensils, it comes down to your personal preference and what works for you. Think of all your different colored pens as the different flavors of gels. Some people stick with the same one for years while others are always looking for something new.
Left-handed? Then you may not want gel ink that will smear across the page. Weak stomach? Better try out a few different gels to see what works best. Just like that one pen that always seemed to leak in your backpack, sometimes you find a gel that you absolutely cannot stomach. The important thing is finding what works for you before race day.
Let's continue this journey down memory lane. In middle school, it was the LL Bean bookbag with your initials embroidered. Hanging as low as possible on the back. For all of those reaching middle age, this is why your back hurts now. High school brought The North Face bookbag. I never got one of those. Backpacks carried all the essentials from class to class. Your trusty companion along the way, keeping your homework safe from the dog.
A running vest serves that same purpose on the trails or out in the streets. Water, gels, phone, toilet paper. Whatever you need, it can carry. Unlike the backpack you wore in middle school, a running vest sits high and close to your body, keeping everything secure while you move. No books bouncing around with every step, although depending on the length of your run, you may have enough gels in there to feel like you are carrying a full backpack anyway.
Salomon has traditionally dominated the vest space, but new brands have started taking their piece of the pie. There are vests for long trail runs, vests for road races, and vests with enough pockets that you can carry everything you could possibly need for a day in the woods. If you want to be hands-free and would rather not wear a belt, look into a running vest.
I love organization. Some may think I do a little too much. I think that started in school. I had a different colored folder for each class. The subject was neatly handwritten on the cover. In all the chaos of class schedules, crowded halls, and ringing bells, things felt simple when I could separate and organize my thoughts in each folder.
My biggest advice for anyone wanting to run a race, any distance, is to have a plan. Motivation comes and goes, but discipline is what will get you out each day. Having that in writing helps set that discipline. Your training plan keeps you organized and on track. It tells you what you need to do today while keeping an eye on where you are trying to go weeks or months down the road.
When things get loud, work gets busy, and life gets tough, your training plan is a constant. Always there, leading you toward your final destination. It may not always go exactly as planned. Runs get moved around, workouts get missed. But having the plan gives you something to come back to and a place to start again.
Much like those folders from school, it helps keep all the chaos from becoming one giant mess.
Anyone else grow up with a plastic lunchbox with a matching thermos? Typically themed after a character or TV show. One I can vividly remember is my Dinosaurs-themed lunchbox. "Not the momma," anyone? Though most of my lunches were the same, some days it was still a mystery what was packed. I was typically a bologna with mayo sandwich, a bag of chips, and a Little Debbie brownie. My middle brother was a straight cheese and mayo sandwich. We all have our flaws.
And while the cafeteria may have been more of an aid station during the school day, the lunchbox ties in nicely with one of my favorite after-run supplies, the cooler. After a run, there is nothing quite like an ice-cold beverage. Most of my runs are from the house, so to the fridge I go, but on those days I am away for a run, I try to bring my cooler with something cold. Something to look forward to and push me through my run. There is something about knowing exactly what is waiting for you at the end of a long run that can make those last few miles a little more manageable.
I will admit I am often guilty of forgetting a cooler. Like forgetting your lunchbox and hoping it is stop-sign pizza day in the cafeteria. A cold beer, Gatorade, water, even a wet towel. The cooler brings you that much-needed refreshment after a run. It may not be the most important piece of running equipment, but when you are hot, tired, and ready to be done, it can feel like the most important thing you own.
I had to save the best for last. By far the best part of going back to school, and one supply you cannot preorder in a bundle, is the new shoes. Today, schools seem much more lenient on what shoes you can wear. Growing up, I always had to have some sort of dress shoe. I preferred penny loafers, but man, did I struggle to find the right pair. I can be very particular about how things look, feel, and my school shoes were one of them. My poor mother, truly a saint for having to deal with me and my school shoes.
And finding the right pair was only the first step. Each morning was a battle to get my socks just right once the shoe was on. A fresh pair of shoes was a catalyst for starting the year off right. They instilled confidence going into that first day, helping decrease the nerves that came with walking into a new school year.
Running shoes are no different. Starting a new training plan can look daunting. You don't know how you're going to make it through all the miles, workouts, and long runs. A new pair of shoes can help with that motivation and with your confidence. And with the way the prices are trending these days, an investment you feel you need to get all you can out of.
No, a new pair of shoes is not necessary for the start of each plan. Multiple shoes may not be necessary either. Did I really just write that? But there is something about getting a new pair that brings excitement to your training. The smell when you first open that box, the feel the first time you lace them up. That first run when everything feels fresh, and you are convinced this shoe is going to change everything.
A new school year brings new clothes, new supplies, and new shoes. A new training cycle can bring the same thing. A new plan, new goals, new gels, and, if you're lucky, a new pair of shoes. You will not get far running without your shoes.