Marathon Color Themes: Orange You Glad?

IllumiNITE Jammer Mid-length Short

Spring has passed by in a blur, and time still feels like a concept. I honestly don't know how April turned into the end of June, and so many things seem up in the air. But one thing is for certain: we're in the thick of marathon training! With just 65 days until our New England Green River Marathon, I'm suddenly feeling ill-prepared. Mike on the other hand, is running circles around me—he's a speed demon, and I swear he's a robot sent to me from the tech gurus of Silicon Valley as an experiment of love between humans and AIs. But that's a story for another time.

I've had a few setbacks this year—a rotator cuff injury and stiff muscles that are still angry at me for not running any marathons last year. But I'm practicing self-care by stretching every day, using my Roll Recovery R8 every day (ouch!), and making sure that I push through the muscle aches but stopping at the pain. One of the best pieces of advice I received from my physical therapist is if it's sore keep going but if you experience sharp, sudden, jolting pain, stop. We should have been up to 15 miles as of last Sunday, but I've only managed 11 miles for my longest run. I know my body will slowly catch up. I just need to keep at it, slow and steady, and remind my body that it really does love running long distances. 

To help me stay injury-free, I bought myself a new pair of running sneakers. I buy a new pair every year because the life of a running sneaker is about 400 miles. Since I also own a pair of trail running sneakers, my road shoes usually last the full year, even when training for a marathon because I split the mileage between the two pairs. My trusty Garmin keeps track of mileage for me. But I digress. I always go with the same brand—Mizuno Wave Inspire. I usually choose the men's style because the toe box is slightly wider than the women's, and I really like the bright vibrant colors. 

This time, as I was scrolling through the different options on the Mizuno site, I told Mike I didn't know which color I liked best. He said, "Just pick the one that's cheapest." I looked at him in horror. He ignored my dramatics and pointed at my computer screen. "Look, the blue one is on sale."

"I can't buy the blue ones!" I threw my hands up! "I wore the blue ones the year Indigo turned 21!" Mike blinked at me in pure confusion.

That's when it hit me: The color of the sneakers I've chosen each year always have some significance. It all started when I purchased: Purple Mizunos the year Prince died. Prince shared a birthday with me, and it felt right to honor him while I ran, especially since music is a major part of my running experience. Then:

IllumiNITE
Vigor Singlet
Shortie

 Blue—to honor my son's 21st birthday

Silver with blue—I wasn't feeling my best, and I needed to be reminded that I could shine nonetheless. That color theme came from the song "For My Brother" by Blue October. I highly recommend listening. All the feels...

The lyric that sticks with me to this day is "Believe you can shine when you're silver, and I promise you gold." Justin Furstenfeld is such an inspirational poet.

IllumiNITE Vigor Singlet
Shortie

Grey (aqua tint) with aqua and pink stripes inside—They reminded me of the Mediterranean Sea and were the perfect motivation for our marathon in Greece.

IllumiNITE
Satellite Tight

Black with gold—At the beginning of 2020, I felt at the top of my game. That gold feeling I had been praying for, finally settled in! Litle did I know the pandemic was about to hit...that "gold" reminded me that even when I felt more silver than gold, brighter days would come back again.

And before I knew it 2021 was upon us. Here I was coming out of a pandemic year, not having run one single marathon in over a year and a half. I needed a new pair of sneakers. Again, I wondered: What color signifies this year? It felt like the most important running decision of my life. This past year has been so challenging, so difficult, but we had survived it. 

And then I saw them:

IllumiNITE
Jammer Mid-length Short

Salmon buff black—The brightest, happiest color I've seen in a long while. Mike's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Well, we can't miss seeing you in those!" 

"They match my favorite shorts! And my running vest! They're perfect!" I exclaimed, and I didn't care that they cost $10 more than the blue ones. Because they go with this year's marathon training theme: 

ORANGE YOU GLAD?

IllumiNITE Reflective Tee and Jammer Mid-length Short

Orange you glad millions of people are getting vaccinated?

Orange you glad the pandemic is winding down?

Orange you glad the world is opening back up?

Orange you glad we can start traveling again?

Orange you glad we made it through this difficult year?

Orange you glad we can hug our family members again?

Orange you glad we can visit with friends again?

Orange you glad marathons are happening again?

Orange you glad we're running partners?

Orange you glad, Orange You Glad? ORANGE YOU GLAD?!

I am!

And now, my marathon accessories are complete! I can run as happy as a summer day's sunrise and sunset and shine bright day and night!

What's your color theme? Are you a bright and bold apparel runner? Or a dark and stealthy runner? Leave your comment (or picture!) below.

IllumiNITE Colorado Waterproof Jacket

IllumiNITE has something for everyone—for the most flashiest or most incognito running personalities, they've got you covered literally. And no matter what color theme you prefer, IllumiNITE keeps you shining bright when it matters most—at night, early morning, and in cloudy, rainy weather. 

Check out their latest styles at IllumiNITE.com, and use my discount code RunBrightly15 for 15% off your order.

Spring MarathonTraining: In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb

Foggy, rainy morning for our run; but we stayed bright 
and dry in IllumiNITE's Colorado Jacket and Squall Jacket

Marathon Training has commenced, and it has been rough, rough, rough. I'm at that beginning all over again where running just two miles feels like a death sentence. I'm at the stage where I wonder how on earth did I manage to run for three, four, five hours on end and then jump into a social activity afterwards without any issues. But that's the beauty of running. Am I rusty from taking off most of the winter because my couch was too cozy to leave? Yes! But....will my body remember that it can handle a marathon? Also, Yes! Eventually.

I equate my spring marathon training to the children's analogy for the month of March: It comes in like a lion—with everything muscle in my body roaring like a lion and my lungs heaving. But this rough start also means that it will go out like a lamb—with every muscle bounding through the air without a care in the world. If it wasn't difficult to get back into it, running wouldn't feel so rewarding when I hit my goals.

I love our coordinating pullovers: Inspire and Early Riser;
even their names fit our personalities! And, our Headband
and Multi-Wrap keep the wind out of our ears!

It doesn't help that I have a rotator cuff injury, or that my back has been spasming, and my knee decided to shift out of place for a week. Getting old is no fun at all. Wait! I'm not getting old! I'm just out of practice. Okay, phew! I've been consistently doing my stretches and exercises to heal my shoulder and strengthen my back, as I mentioned in my last blog post. And since Mike and I really are out of practice, I started us off slowly with Hal Higdon's 15k Novice Training plan because it really starts with the basics: just two miles to start, gradually adding miles each week until we hit our 15k—that's 9.32 miles! Miraculously, this training transitions perfectly into Hal Higdon's Novice Marathon Training plan (with a minor adjustment) to meet our marathon goal at the end of August. New England Green River Marathon—here we come! I'm surprised Mike is willing to run another marathon with me after running his first and only marathon—The Athens Authentic Marathon, with a whopping 20 miles of hills! Due to the pandemic, Green River was postponed from last year to this year. I hope that Mike falls in love with running marathons this time—Green River has a 1,450 feet elevation drop—it's the least I could do to redeem myself. Athens was so difficult (but rewarding)!

Repping our love for mountains with
IllumiNITE's Love Tee and Vision Pullover

Once we're back in shape, we'll be double-downing on our long runs, adding in the half-mileage the day before or after (for example, if we run 18 miles on Saturday, we run or hike 9 miles on Sunday) to prepare us for Ghost Train Ultramarathon in the fall. I really want to do 45 miles before my 45th birthday, over the course of two days. Mike is a trooper and agreed to run 30 of those miles with me. It's all very exciting...in theory. Right now, I'm really wishing this lion would get off my back so I can feel as free as that cute little lamb frolicking in the fields.

I'm obsessed with my playlist that has only songs related
to jets and flying...and with my phone secured in
my shorts side pocket...it really keeps me moving!

How do I keep myself motivated when running feels so laborious? I've created some pump-me-up Spotify playlists to listen to as I run, and I take advantage of all my fun Illuminite* clothing and accessories that are perfect for New England's unpredictable spring weather. Every running day, I check the weather. Do I need my lightweight, waterproof rain jacket? My short sleeve shirt with my separate sleeves? My jammer shorts with the deep side pocket for my phone? Or my performance fleece and Velocity Gloves to keep me warm? Anything goes in these early spring months. But that just adds to the fun of it all.

So, yes. It's normal for legs to feel like lead with every step, and lungs to feel like deflated balloons, and the throat to feel on fire from breathing heavy. It's normal for two miles to feel like 100 miles and for clothes to not quite fit the same and for the brain to feel all foggy. Soon, the groove will come back and 15 miles will fly by in a blink, and it will be summer and warm and all will be right in the world again. 

IllumiNITE's Velocity Mittens are lightweight and warm,
and their bright color makes them so fun to wear!

The most important thing to remember: just like March, spring marathon training may feel like the beast of the lion, but soon you WILL find that peaceful bliss of the lamb.

What races are you signed up for? 

What are your tricks and tips to get you moving again now that it's spring? 

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment below!

*Get 15% off your order at IllumiNITE.com with my discount code RunBrightly15.

Train, Hike, Race, Repeat: An IllumiNITEd Agenda

IllumiNITE Savannah Shirt

January and February are always my lowest miles months. The cold, short days really zap my enthusiasm, but I figure if there is any time to rest and recover, winter is the perfect excuse to kick off my running shoes and catch up on my shows. Remember, 2020 is all about finding balance.

So far, I'm finding my groove. I've settled into my new 5:00 am writing routine before going into my day job.

I've been working out at the gym with my sister on our lunch hour, adding in strength training and speedwork on the treadmill.

Sera: IllumiNITE Dovetail Tee
and Women's Shortie

And I've officially planned out my hikes and races for the year!

Yes! As part of goals for living a balanced life, I'm incorporating more mountains back into my athletic activities. Why? Two reasons:

1) I promised my life partner that I'd hike more if he ran a marathon (his first) with me (he did! and he signed up for two more!).

2) In 2018, I ran my fastest marathon and was in the greatest shape of my life. I truly believe it's because I incorporated mountain training/races into my running routine that year.


So what's on my IllumiNITEd agenda this year? I thought you'd never ask!

THE BOSS

IlumiNITE Eclipse Headband, Vigor Singlet,
and Women's Shortie

First up is Loon Mountain Race in Lincoln, New Hampshire, in July. This race is 6.6 miles straight up a mountain—with the last kilometer on a black diamond ski slope—a 45-degree angle!

Check out the Upper Walking Boss video to see for yourself. Hang onto your couch...you'll get vertigo just watching!


It's brutal; it's dizzying; it's So. Much. Fun!

Instead of taking the gondola ride that's included in the race fee, I always run back down the mountain afterwards. And then I cool off in the river!

IlumiNITE Eclipse Headband, Vigor Singlet,
and Women's Shortie

Ahh, best mini-vacation ever! Since we're there, we'll hike up Franconia Ridge a few days before the race as well. That weekend is a 16-miler training weekend for us (for our marathon), so the hike and race will fulfill that requirement. This will be my third year doing this race, and I seriously cannot wait to run it with Mike!

Training for this race will include the Seven Sisters race route and Mt. Tom ski slopes. My quads and glutes are already burning thinking about it!

THE RIVER

I ran so fast, I burned holes in my socks! haha

What goes up, must go down! Everyone who knows me knows how much I hate hills! So to reward myself for all this climbing, I've signed back up for the New England Green River Marathon in August. The course is one way, from Vermont to Massachusetts, on a tree-canopied road alongside the cooling Green River. The elevation LOSS is an appreciated 1,450 feet.

I ran this race ONCE, and it was my fastest marathon yet! At the time, I was at the peak of my mountain racing, so I'm hoping I can beat my record now that I'm adding mountains back into my routine!

I chose this marathon again because it's the perfect FIRST marathon, and since Mike's first marathon was the ever-grueling, mostly uphill, jam-packed marathon in Greece, I thought Green River would make for a nice contrast (he's still not convinced he likes marathons, but soon he will LOVE them, haha).

Training for this will include hikes on Mount Greylock and Mount Race (gotta keep up our strength) and speedwork (intervals) on a track.

THE GHOST TRAIN

My son and I costuming it up at
Ghost Train Ultra in 2018 

We'll end the year with Ghost Train Ultra Marathon in October. This was my first ultramarathon (I did 30 miles), and it's 15-mile out and back course makes it perfect for the newbie (or seasoned) ultramarathoner. The course is relatively flat with just one hill (that goes up both ways!), but is hardly boring as it's filled with spooky, Halloweenie decorations, costumes galore, and a tunnel—yes! a tunnel!—to run through!

This year, I'd like to accomplish 45 miles, 30 on Saturday and 15 on Sunday. We'll see how my year goes before I officially commit to that! What I'm most excited for is dressing up in costume for this race! Maybe this year, we can wear capes! I'm already feeling like a superhero as I think about bounding up all these mountains and racing at the speed of IllumiNITE!

IllumiNITE Fishbone Halloween Cape

New England Green River Marathon is perfectly timed 7 weeks before this ultra! I'll just continue on with Hal Higdon's Ultramarathon schedule to stay on track, maybe doing half-distance the day after my long distance runs to get used to running long stretches back-to-back. For example: 26 miles on Saturday and then 10 miles on Sunday. And I'll have to shave off one week, so I'll just skip week 21 and go right to week 22.

I'm crossing my fingers that Mike will feel motivated to "go the distance" and join me with my ultra training. He is thinking of running 15 miles on Saturday and 15 miles on Sunday for a total of 30 miles that weekend...but I'm wondering if all the excitement and magic of race day will get him to do 30 all at once!!! No pressure (yet!)!

Sera: IllumiNITE Ambition Hoodie
Mike: IllumiNITE Early Riser

So tell me:

What races are you signed up for this year?

What's your training plan? 

I'd love to hear! Leave a comment below!

Marathon Bound: We're in GREECE!

Sera: IllumiNITE Tahoe jacket/
Powerstretch pant
Mike: IllumiNITE Mercury pant

This post has been pre-written because...

While you read this, we are in Athens, Greece, gearing up for the SOLD OUT official Athens Authentic Marathon THIS SUNDAY!  60,000 runners will be running the various races this weekend, 20,000 of which are running the marathon! That's a lot of runners!

Running Friends Are the Best Friends!

I cannot believe this weekend is finally here! My dear friend, Richard, and I have been planning this trip for over a year! Rich has been my running and destination-race partner since my very first relay back in 2015, and I'm so honored he asked me if I'd like to run the original marathon route!

Group training run back in August
Sera: IllumiNITE Eclipse headband/
Dovetail tee

I'm so excited we convinced our friends Juliette, Eric, and Cybele to join us. Races are much more fun with friends!

And I'm even more excited that my boyfriend, Mike, who has never run more than a 5k race or hiked more than 18 miles at once, agreed to let me train him for his first ever marathon! What better marathon to train for than the original marathon route from Marathon to Athens in Greece!

This is...Dating In Your Forties!

Sera: IllumiNITE Inspire Pullover/
Comet pant
Mike: IllumiNITE Hartford jacket/
Endeavor shorts

I don't know what I was thinking when I said I'd train Mike for his very first marathon! Mike and I have spent hours upon hours of running in the daytime, nighttime, rain, sun, heat, and cold! Long gone are the dress-up dates at fancy restaurants with cocktails and fabulous food! These days, date night consists of running in sweaty, smelly clothing and then devouring massive amounts of food before crashing on my couch to mindless shows. Somehow, we still like each other! Thank god!

I did make one rule while training him. I said: "As your girlfriend, I don't expect you to do whatever I want whenever I want. But as your coach, you better do as I say...or else!"

Mike, being the ever-so-intelligent man that he is, often asks: "Who is speaking right now: my coach or my girlfriend ?" hahahahaha

Friends! Trust me when I say, if you'd like to put the strength of your relationship to the test, train for a distance race together!

Track Us Live!

Sera: IllumiNITE
Savannah short sleeve tee

All joking aside, I feel so blessed to have a partner by my side who is willing to go on new adventures with me! I'm so honored to run by Mike's side on the original marathon route! It will be so amazing! We are not going for speed because we want to be tourists and take tons of pictures along the way! But you can follow our progress by tracking my bib number: 18638 on the official Athens Marathon App!

Mike: IlumiNITE
Sentinel short sleeve tee

And now, without further ado, I present to you our team IllumiNITE race shirts! Thank you, IllumiNITE for outfitting us on race day! Love these colors and the design is so fun! And let's not forget REFLECTIVE, too!

Stay tuned for a recap of Athens Authentic Marathon and other Greece adventures when we return! In the meantime, if you're looking for new running gear, be sure to use my discount code Sera15 at IllumiNITE for 15% off your entire order!

Where are you running this weekend? Comment below!

Just Us Gales: 2019 Cape Cod Marathon Recap

Always running late! That's ME!

I just ran the worst race of my life! And I'm so glad I did! And yes, I want to go back and run Cape Cod Marathon again!

Not all races can be blue skies and rainbows. In fact, I believe that it's the terrible races that remind us that we are stronger than we think, that we can endure so much more than we think we're capable, that we really can accomplish anything we put our minds to.

What made this marathon the worst race of my life?

30 mph gales of wind that knocked my feet together and threatened to tear out my contacts! Freezing cold rain that down-poured, up-poured, and side-poured (craziness!) Giant ocean waves that crashed onto the marathon route and soaked us unknowing racers!


But first, let's talk about what made this weekend so great!

RYH Group Photo!

On Friday, Run Your Health gathered together for poster-making, team-building activities, and a group photo! It was so great to see everyone and connect! My schedule doesn't allow me to socialize as much these days! Thank you, Laura, for organizing such a fantastic weekend!

On Saturday, we all set off to support the Half Marathoners! We had a blast waving signs, high-fiving runners, and dancing in the street as we cheered everyone on! I even ran into my friend Dave Jenness, who I met at this very race a few years ago! That was a great surprise!

Sue from IllumiNITE and me at the Expo

 After the race, I stopped by the expo to pick up my bib and to hang out at the IllumiNITE pop-up store for a bit! It was so much fun helping runners find windproof and water resistent clothes for the incoming storm!

While at the expo, I got to hear global advocate for amputee rights, Adrianne Haslet, talk about surviving the Boston Marathon bombing and share her journey to recovery and beyond. Then she gave us marathoners a fantastic pep talk. I'll paraphrase because I was so engrossed in her speech I didn't write it down:

Adrianne said that when someone tells you that you cannot do something, they are coming from their own limitations, not yours. Adrianne said to ignore this advice, even if it's your own voice that's speaking. Her words carried me through the last few miles of the marathon on Sunday when everything in my brain told me to QUIT! Thank you, Adrianne, for inspiring us runners!

Saturday night, I had a wonderful dinner with my sponsor Sue from IllumiNITE. It was so great to just sit back, relax, and share stories about running and life! And the food was amazing! We went to La Cucina Sul Mare, who made sure that my meal was Whole30 approved. I'm officially finished with Whole30, but I'm trying to stick to clean eating while I'm training! I highly recommend this restaurant!

Before I knew it, it was Sunday morning! The weather held off for the most part—early on. I walked the mile to the start in my IllumiNITE Windbrite pants, IllumiNITE Featherlike jacket, and IllumiNITE Velocity gloves...and my big, fluffy bathrobe for extra warmth so my muscles could properly loosen up!

Almond-encrusted Salmon and shrimp
on a bed of greens

My goal was to run this marathon under five hours! My fastest Cape Cod Marathon was in 2017 when I did the Chowdah Challenge. I came in at 5:33:06. My fastest marathon ever was Green River in 2018 at 4:38. I knew I wasn't Green River speedy this year, but I felt under five was a good goal to push myself without pushing too hard since I'm running Athens Authentic Marathon just two weeks after Cape Cod.

Then we were off, and I felt the surge of energy from the 1,200 racers and thousands of supporters cheering us on! I hit 13.1 at 2:23, and I was going strong. Most of my miles were under 11:00 minutes (moving time), and I was only walking to quickly eat my fuel! I was set to finish under five!

Then the weather took a drastic turn (as you'll see in the video). Gales of wind hit so hard I could barely run! At mile 24, the conditions got so bad, it was too dangerous for me to run. I had to give in and walk. I was at about 4:30-sh at that point. It was really frustrating to know that the finish line was just 2.2 miles away, but I couldn't get there in under five hours!

Until that point, my IllumiNITE gear kept me warm and protected from the wind. But after walking for a mile, even the awesomeness of my windproof clothing couldn't stop the cold from seeping through. When I finally turned a corner and escaped the gales of wind, I tried to run. My legs locked up from fatigue and cold! I was forced to walk the rest of the way. I cried the last two miles. I questioned the insanity we runners must have to do this to ourselves.

Race Director, Jack Afarian, walks me in
THANK YOU, JACK!

But then, something amazing happened when I turned onto the final stretch and saw that finish line. Despite the bitter storm, the community of Cape Cod stood along the sidelines cheering! Friends screamed out my name! People hooted and hollered and clapped! It was just what I needed to make this final stretch.

And then a man walked over to me. He asked if I was okay. I told him yes, I was just cold. He said, "May I walk you in?"

He told me how proud he was of me finishing. He said I was almost there. I did it! He said a bunch of other encouraging words that I don't remember because I was so miserable and I had to focus on putting one foot in front of the other so I could finish! I found out later he was the race director. Thank you so much, Jack Afarian! Your dedication and support and all your hard work is so appreciated! I am honored that you stood outside all day while we ran in this crazy storm and cheered us on to the end.

When I crossed the finish line, my dear friends Rich and Juliette welcomed me in the warmest hug as my friend Dave took video of my finish. Watching that video later, I see that I look so much happier and stronger than I felt inside. Further proof that that little voice in my head that said I couldn't do it is a liar! Thank you, again, Adrianne. I needed your words of encouragement! and thank you Dave for capturing this epic finish on camera!

Grateful Me, the morning after
Thank you EVERYONE for your support!

Juliette and Teresa helped me get food and took me to the medical tent to warm up by space heaters while my friends Kim and Rich got the car for me. A very special THANK YOU to you all for your extra support and care after my race. Your love and support made all the difference to me! It means more than you could possibly imagine. And thank you to everyone else who encouraged me and helped me along the way. Apologies if I missed your name. My brain was not working that well and most of that race is now a blur! But trust me, I appreciate ALL who supported me.

When I got my race results, I was floored! My marathon time was 5:10:57. I have no idea how I finished so fast, despite walking the last two miles! I am so proud of myself! I may not have met my goal, BUT I still ran my fastest Cape Cod Marathon in some pretty crazy conditions! Also, I'm proud of myself for not quitting BUT making sure I didn't injure myself, which is most important. Yay, ME!

All in all, Cape Cod Marathon weekend was a blast! It is still my favorite race weekend of the year! And now I feel so ready for my Athens Authentic Marathon on November 10th! Stay tuned for our IllumiNITE team race shirt reveal happening in the next few days!

Without further ado, I present to you my Cape Cod Marathon Weekend video!

Where is your next race? Comment below!

Falmouth Bound: Cape Cod Marathon

IllumiNITE Long Sleeve
Piper Tee in Flo Lime/Graphite
& Comet Running Tight

As you're reading this, I am Falmouth bound, and...I am so excited to be running the Cape Cod Marathon THIS Sunday! This is my favorite race weekend of the year, by far! Why, you ask? Because it's truly a weekend-long event!

A Facebook memory popped up the other week, reminding me that just three years ago I had completed my first ever 20-mile run. I was following Hal Higdon's Novice 1 Marathon Training Program (I still do!), and 20 miles was the farthest distance I had to run before marathon day. I remember that day clearly. It was rainy and dreary out and my right foot hurt like hell (I had flexor tendinitis), but I was excited. I ran with my coach Laura, my best friend Loretta who got me into this running nonsense (Read my I HATE Running post), and another running friend who was also training for her first marathon. I told myself: If I can run 20 miles with an injury, I can run a marathon. And I did!

IllumiNITE Unisex Velocity Mitten

Disclaimer: I'm not recommending anyone run with an injury. Injuries are no joke and should be taken seriously. I consulted with my physical therapist first. She put me on a strict no-running until marathon day respite after my 20-mile run. She also said she couldn't medically clear me to run the marathon. BUT she never knew anyone who had permanent injury from flexor tendinitis, so she understood if I chose to run it anyway. She was a runner so she got it. But I digress.

IllumiNITE Long Sleeve
Reflective Women's Piper Tee

This will be my fourth year returning to Cape Cod Marathon. The first year, I ran the relay. The second year, I ran my first marathon. The third year, I did the Chowdah Challenge, which was my favorite! Thanks to my sponsor IllumiNITE, I'm returning this year to run the new marathon course! I heard this new route is much flatter than the previous course that had 17 miles of rolling hills. Phew! This will be a great training run before my Athens Authentic Marathon in just two weeks, which I heard has hills! I also heard Cape Cod's new course includes more running along the ocean. I LOVE running by water, so this is an added bonus for me.

What do I pack for a New England marathon in October? 

IllumiNITE Bling
Vigor Singlet in Charcoal
& Shortie in Black

Good question! I truly bring enough clothes to start my own pop-up store because New England weather is so finicky, as I've mentioned before. So I bring: 

• tank top

• short sleeve shirt

• long sleeve shirt

• shorts 

• capris

IllumiNITE Long Sleeve
Reflective Women's Piper Tee

• full-length pants

• post-race outfit and Oofos sandals

• Darn Tough socks

• skeleton knee-highs for the Halloween Spirit!

IllumiNITE Tahoe Performance
Softshell Fleece Jacket In Graphite

IllumiNITE Graphic Tees
Grim on Black (post race)
and Power Stretch Capri

IllumiNITE Waterproof Colorado
Jacket in Mimosa Floral

IllumiNITEAmbition Hoodie
in Coral Glo/Black
& Unisex All Over Glow Glove

When running distance, it's truly better to be over prepared than freezing cold for miles and miles. I just received my latest IllumiNITE shipment that includes warmer clothes, so I will definitely add the following to my suitcase to be safe:

• hooded pullover

• rain jacket

• heavy duty jacket (for when I'm not racing)

• gloves 

• head covering 

IllumiNITE Waterproof Colorado Jacket
in Graphite/Flo Lime

I never truly know what I'm going to wear until the morning of the race! My decision is always based on a combination of the weather, my mood, and what feels most comfortable at that moment. We marathoners are as finicky as fall New England weather, and it's most important to avoid any clothing regrets—the mind gloms onto the zaniest things when running for hours on end.

I also pack my hydration pack so I can carry:

• my 2-liter bladder

• 2 handhelds for electrolyte drinks

• Spring Energy gels for fuel while running (one every 4 miles)

• 1 or 2 protein bars like a Lära or Epic Performance or date balls (Made in Nature Figgy Pops are easily packable)

• my albuterol inhaler

• a second pair of contacts (once, a contact popped out during a 50k! I got it back in, but whoa!)

IllumiNITE Halo Unisex Knit Hat

• rewetting eye drops

• chapstick

• salt tabs

• ibuprofen

• acetaminophen

• naproxen

My hydration vest also allows me to stow away any layers if I get too hot!

IllumiNITE Hartford Men's Jacket
in Red/Silver & Endeavor Long Running Short 

I also make sure to pack:

• Flovent inhaler

• Garmin watch and charger

• wireless headphones and back up plug in headphones

• bacitracin and bandaids

• Roll Recovery 8 

Why do I LOVE Cape Cod Marathon weekend:

2016 Cape Cod Marathon

The Expo is so fun! I always run into all my running friends here because we're all heading to pick up our bibs and our tee shirts. Cape Cod Marathon shirts are my fave race shirts ever! I wear them all the time! The Expo also has vendors galore! So if race jitters made you forget to pack something vital, don't worry! You can easily find what you need at the Expo!

I love exploring all the various running essentials and discovering new products to try. This year, I'll be hanging out at the IllumiNITE pop-up store, so come on by and say Hello! I'll show you my favorite products and chat about all things running—and whatever else you'd like to discuss!

Run Your Health Cape Cod Crew

The Running Community is strong! About 30-50 people from my very first running group, Run Your Health, come together this weekend to run. It feels like we're taking over Falmouth. Relay teams, half marathoners, full marathoners, and yes, even the Chowdah Challenge runners. Our families and friends cheer us on with the signs we make Friday night! And we eat pre-race and post-race meals together. I don't get to run with this group often anymore because I moved to another town, so I really cherish seeing so many RYHers in Falmouth! I've also made quite a few running friends while running Cape Cod Marathon, including @trainerhelice and @2018bostonmarathon4dad and @btrfli4u. We stay in touch via social media throughout the year to keep us motivated. It's great to maintain a strong online running community to stay inspired!

The Falmouth Community is so supportive! I've run many, many races, but the Falmouth community is by far the most supportive of race communities! Hundreds, maybe thousands, of residents line the streets on the course offering water, oranges, Halloween candy, and other refreshments to us runners. Many of them dress up in costumes, play music, dance, and cheer us all on! One guy even let us runners pose on his lawn with his elaborate Halloween display. Falmouth residents, I love you!

The Food is the best! I'll admit, when I first heard that clam chowder was served at the end of the marathon, my stomach felt a bit queasy. But come race finish, when you're stomach is rumbling and your sweat is running cold now that you've stopped moving, hot clam chowder is just what you need—followed up with those amazing apple cider donuts! Cape Cod Marathon has the best post-race food I've ever had in America! I must give a shoutout to all the Falmouth restaurants who gracefully handle feeding the thousands of people all weekend. Food has always been superb and service has always been provided with a smile!

IllumiNITE Long Sleeve
Piper Tee in Flo Lime/Graphite
& Comet Running Tight

What distance will you be running this weekend and where? Leave a comment below!

And don't forget, if you'll be at Cape Cod Marathon, I'll be at IllumiNITE at the Expo on Saturday or somewhere along the marathon route on Sunday! Please find me and say HI!

IllumiNITE photos by Matt Francis Photography