running swaps

Hollie Sick from @fueledbyLOLZ made an instagram post that got me thinking. She was arguing that running can be a low-cost activity. You don't need a ton of fancy gear to get good at it. She noted that the rise of influencers can make you think that you need more stuff, but it's okay to start or continue with less. Or possibly that there are cheaper items you can swap for whatever is the "latest and greatest."

Do you need a fancy watch? No!

Armitron Sport Unisex Digital Chronograph Nylon Strap Watch, 45-7004 $13.65
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D2PM2TX9 

I've written before about wearable electronics such as a Nike watch and a Garmin watch, so I don't want to rehash it too much. I lost my original Garmin after the strap broke and I couldn't wear it around my wrist. Then I wore it on my handlebars of my bicycle until one day I looked down and it had fallen off. It looks like I lost the Garmin on the Chatsworth Orange Line Tour (COLT) or maybe I was using something else at the time. It looks like the Nike+ data was from 1/03/2009. I got the Garmin in June 2011, when we moved to Glendale, and used it until 6/10/2018. What I liked about the Garmin was that I could see the route and elevation profile.

I will say that I've been wearing the Samsung Watch5 since August 2024 (basically the whole school year). I like the heart rate feature, but it's not better than the Fitbit Versa. Someone gave it to me, so it was free to me. The things I don't like about them are that they're annoying to remember to charge. The Versa has a longer battery life (3-4 days), whereas the Samsung has only one day and must be charged or it will die mid-day. You can send short answers to text messages, which is nice. You can use your watch as a remote shutter for your camera, and a little preview of the photo will appear on your wrist, which is a cute feature. So far the Samsung isn't generating a map, but I think I could play with the settings and get it to do that if I wanted to. I think it's possible for the Samsung watch to track elevation but I just look at my Strava for that. 

But I have worn this cheap watch linked above about half the days now, since I got it mid-April, post-marathon. Because if you're not using the data from the smartwatch, why are you wearing it? If you just need a timepiece, then why? I still use the period tracking feature in the Fitbit app because it's scarily accurate now and helpful, even though I don't wear the Fitbit Versa watch. Also, when you think of these little computers on your wrist, you have to consider the disposal cost associated with it, how long it lasts, and how often you will want to upgrade. 

At least now they sell strap replacements, but eventually it won't hold a charge anymore, or the company will no longer update the software. Many of my Fitbits lasted only a few years. I think I still have two old ones sitting in a drawer. I guess they were the Fitbit Alta HR and it looks like we bought replacement bands in 2019 for them. I used the FitBit Alta HR from Aug 24, 2018 until May 15, 2022. I guess I must have got it when the Garmin got lost. I remember that is what I used for step counting and HR tracking during my pregnancy. I liked the AltaHR because it only needed charging once per week. I think it would last about 7 days on a single charge. But the AltaHR didn't have a mapping feature.

https://sites.google.com/site/kaiserwellnesscenter/kaiser-wellness-center-statement/fitness-awareness/available-routes  The Garmin was useful for creating maps! This was before we had smart phones, LOL. Honestly, how many times do you go for a run or walk and not bring your phone? And the smartwatch can't be a phone unless you put it on your mobile plan as a separate device with a data plan. Yes phones are bulky and heavy now, so they are kind of a drag, but the camera is fun and they also play music. You don't need three separate devices for that.

Do you need fancy massage gun / recovery boots? Not really.
Amazon Basics High Density Foam Roller for Exercise and Recovery $11.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XM2MXK8 

I have addaday roller, but you can find one on Amazon for about $10

https://www.amazon.com/IDSON-Athletes-Tools-Muscle-Massager-Tightness/dp/B015RKCWR6/

I have been doing a mobility program that uses the two items mentioned above. $30 https://www.runfitmama.net/trainingprograms/runner-mobility-program  

Run Fit Fab

Do you need a large volume of shoes? Um, no.

I have one main shoe that I use for running. Then, I know how many miles I have on it because I keep track of when I bought it. When I start to notice that I'm feeling achy and the shoe is breaking down, I make that my walking shoe and buy a new pair for running.

I've written a lot about shoes before, so I won't say much more. What I have done is space out my races every three months or so, and then after I finish a race, buy a new pair of shoes. That's worked pretty well so far. There are places that you can donate your old shoes (like at Fleet Feet) and they get turned into playgrounds, running tracks, track jackets, etc.

Considering what else I wear to run in, I don't wear expensive sunglasses. When they get scratched up, I get a new pair because visibility is important. I have written about the biker shorts I love to run in. I love that they have pockets. I did get a bit delulu and buy a bunch of crowned athletics but I'm trying to just pump the brakes on that and stop. Also, I love living in sweatpants now. This post discussed the crowned althetics sets that I got and why, and also compares the price of running fuel. This is another great swap you can make: from specialized running fuel to something generalized and cheaper.

I've already discussed this hat, but I wanted to also note the price point!

ELLEWIN Unisex Baseball Cap UPF 50 Unstructured Hat with Foldable Long Large Bill $9.99
https://www.amazon.com/ELLEWIN-Baseball-Portable-Research-Foldable/dp/B01JI0XLZS

Running hats are priced between $25-100 which is kind of crazy when this foldable hat does everything I need and it's so affordable. I found it at It's A Wrap (a consignment shop) so I think I paid $2. 

Fueled by LOLZ This is the original post that inspired me to write about this. I started writing this on May 5th and am just now finishing it a month later, so that gives you an idea of how Maycember or Mayhem went for me. Just too many things in one month!

self-love

What is the greatest love of all? Learning to love yourself. Whitney Houston became a mom in 1993, but recorded this song in 1984.

Katy Perry became a mom in 2020, but recorded this song in 2010 when I was doing my internship in Germany. I remember hearing it on the radio and feeling so homesick for SoCal.

Miley Cyrus recorded Party in the USA in 2009. I loved hearing this song when I was in Germany. It made me homesick for Los Angeles and I wanted to hop a flight back right away. I didn't appreciate Miley as an artist too much at the time, but now she's one of my favorite icons. Being proud of the USA doesn't ring as true for me anymore, hopefully this country will check itself before it wrecks itself.

I listen to my Disney Hits playlist and one of the songs that hypes me up the most is this one by Hannah Montana. Miley says she's not ready for motherhood, but there's still time, she's only 31. Her memoir Miles to Go was published in 2009. I really enjoyed the memoir of Jessica Simpson called Open Book. She talks about going to the Disney auditions and how messed up the whole process was.

Niki Minaj became a mother in 2020, but recorded Super Bass in 2010. Honestly, I was having a tough week and I put on this song and immediately felt better. The years I spent working on my PhD were some of the darkest times in my life but I have such a strong connection to the music from that era. 

Meghan Trainor (has two children born 2021, 2023 both via C-section). She wrote "Dear Future Mama" published in 2023 after PTSD from her first delivery. The song came out in 2023 and the video stars the ultimate momager Mrs. Kris Jenner herself. I'm wondering why Kris hasn't run for president yet. WE NEED MORE WOMEN IN POWER. And moms especially because they understand the sacrifices made to create life.

Meghan wrote "Made You Look" after her therapist asked her to stare at herself in the mirror for 5 minutes. She's always touched on themes of body positivity, but this song is truly all about it. I remember seeing this on Disney's Magical Holiday Celebration in 2022. While all the other artists were singing Christmas songs, she went ahead and dropped this song while wearing hot pink. It felt out of place for the program, but I loved it. This would have been filmed while she was pregnant with her second baby.

Britney Spears (has two children born in 2005, 2006) recorded Gimme More in 2007 and Work Bitch in 2013. Sometimes I wonder if this sexualized version of Britney was her idea or some idiot man's idea. 2007 was the year she shaved all her hair off, which I also did in 2010. I didn't do it because she did it, but it's kind of cool that I also got to experience hair-less-ness. I did it for basically for the same mental health reasons, and also I didn't need the hair at the time. I was running half marathons every weekend for fun and it was just easier not to have to wash and style my hair.

It's so hard to believe that Gimme More was recorded one year after she had two children. She would have been 24-26 years old then. She recorded Work Bitch when she was 32, the same age I was when I finished my PhD, got sober, and started working at CSUN. The Woman in Me is her memoir published on October 24, 2023. I still haven't read it yet, but I want to.

Lizzo is such an icon I would need an entire post devoted to her. I don't think I heard this song before today. She wrote it in 2015.

Tempo is the Lizzo song I have on my running playlist. Honestly, my playlist is one of the big motivators in my arsenal. The last long run, my headphones died at mile 17, and I couldn't run without my music. I had to walk the last mile.

Love this song because it was the time when people were emerging from the pandemic quarantine. Everyone was so traumatized by the isolation and uncertainty. Lizzo welcomed us back, and this video was filmed at CSUN. I remember getting hyped up watching Watch Out for the Big Grrrls in 2022.

It was so significant to me that I actually acknowledged the following artists in my PhD dissertation. I could not have survived that program without my playlist. I blocked out all the haters and did my experiments in sync.

Beyonce became a mom in 2012 and had a set of twins in 2017. Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé came out in 2019 and Beyonce did a halftime show on Christmas Day in 2024 that was epic. Run the World came out in 2011, which was during some dark times in my life. Rather than doing less after becoming a mom, it is arguable that Beyonce's best work has been done after she had children.

Lady Gaga released The Fame in 2008 and Born This Way in 2011. Her music spoke to me in a way that is not easily communicated. I would listen to the album from start to finish on my little mp3 player. It was a Sansa, and it saved my life. I don't know if I still have it or if it eventually went to e-waste. The Edge was like the climax of my PhD. I felt like I could do anything because I came through the fire. Sometimes I still wish I had the tracklist from that music player.

Rhianna has two children born in 2022 and 2023. The song I remember most is Shut Up And Drive but mostly because of RuPaul's Drag Race. The song was recorded in 2006 and released in 2007. Drag Race All Stars Season 2 Episode 5 aired in 2016, ten years later. Finally, Miss Justin aka Alyssa Edwards was crowned in 2024 the first place winner of Global All Stars, nearly another ten years later. "She's not old, she's established." I've always been obsessed with drag queens because who would willingly want to dress as a woman when you're a white man? Women have some power but we just need to learn how to flex it like men do.

Shakira released She Wolf in 2009 and then went on to have two children in 2013 and 2015. I'm so proud of the women who stepped up to the mic at the 2025 Grammy Awards and let us have it. I don't know but you might still be able to watch it on Paramount+. I really felt like these women have staying power. They have been around for a long time and are finally getting the recognition they deserve AND using their power to speak truth on behalf of more vulnerable people.

What about you? What would be on your playlist entitled: Anthems for the Resistance?

And also: Why don't we celebrate matrescence? I mean yes, we throw a baby shower, but it's somewhat of a celebration for the baby. The gifts are all for the baby. What about the mom? Where are her gifts? We as moms give up so much of ourselves, it's hard to put that in perspective. Where would our society be without moms? There would be a population crash for sure.

I feel like we really need the 4B movement and we need to speak up and act up. I feel like women are taught to sit down, be quiet, follow the rules, and basically give up our power. I think to some extent men hate us because we have the power to create life and they don't. They want to enslave us basically. And we end up hating ourselves because they hate us. That's the patriarchy. 

I've been so stuck at work, I've been thinking about all this and not able to sit down and do one bit of work. I'm sick of feeling like a raw nerve, so vulnerable. But that's the power of women also. We can be strong AND vulnerable. We can share our feelings and not be thought less of. Men keep making these rules and women keep following them. We need to step up and be leaders. The power given to women with Title IX needs to be magnified, strengthened, and flexed now. 

I know women can't do it all, it is very all-consuming to create life and raise children. But also, we need to demand the flexibility we need to parent AND work. We need to allow women to have babies AND feed them AND show up for work. Because if you're not sitting in the boardroom, your concerns and your needs and your perspective and your ideas (which have immense value) won't be taken into consideration. 

Yes I understand some of my anthems might not be your cup of tea. But maybe you want to take a moment to create your own power playlist. Listen to it, do some weightlifting. Then get out there and show up. Show up for the people in your life. Speak your truth. Be brutally honest. Be authentically yourself. We have to keep moving forward, we're not going back.

Coach Chat on Tapering

The LA Roadrunner coach's tip for week 5 was about tapering. A Taper Week is when we do less mileage. Not zero miles, but maybe half what we would have done the previous week.

I read somewhere that before we had smartwatches that monitored everything, there was an easy way to find out how refreshed you were. That was to record your resting heart rate first thing in the morning and put it in your training journal. If your resting heart rate is low, then you're ready for another hard effort. However, if your resting heart rate is high, it is indicative that you may need another recovery day. And I never really took the taper week seriously, until this time.

Mission Inn Run 2024 Training Journal
Day	Wk	Date	Dist (mi)	Duration (H:MM:SS)	Pace (min/mi)	Split (run/walk)
S	x	8/18	4.5	2:03:43	26.7	walk only
T	0	8/20	2	0:50:00	25	walk only
R	0	8/23	4.8	2:15:00	28	walk only
S	0	8/25	4.78	1:03:58	13.4	run only
T	1	8/27	3	0:42:05	13.8	run only
R	1	8/30	2.2	0:30:07	13.6	run only
S	1	9/1	4.5	1:10:00	15.3	hill walk / run
T	2	9/3	3	0:45:00	14.25	walk / run
R	2	9/5	3	0:41:13	13.5	run only
S	2	9/8	3.2	0:43:08	13.4	run / walk
T	3	9/10	1.3	0:26:57	20.75	walk only
R	3	9/12	2	0:34:29	16.5	walk / run
S	3	9/15	3	0:42:30	14	run / walk
T	4	9/17	2	0:31:40	14.8	walk / run
F	4	9/20	2.75	0:37:32	13.7	run only
S	4	9/22	3.35	0:44:05	13.1	run / walk
T	5	9/24	4.4	1:18:24	17.8	walk only
R	5	9/27	2.6	0:36:47	14	run only
S	5	9/29	4	1:08:00	14.5	run / walk
T	6	10/1	2.8	0:41:22	14.3	run / walk
F	6	10/4	2.5	0:35:51	14.2	run / walk
S	6	10/6	2.63	0:38:58	14.8	run only
T	7	10/8	2.7	0:39:39	14.5	run only
F	7	10/10	3.37	0:45:52	13.5	run / intervals
S	7	10/13	7	1:47:55	15.4	run / walk
T	8	10/15	3.75	0:51:35	13.8	run only
F	8	10/18	active recovery			walk only
S	8	10/20	6.2	1:21:52	13.2	run only

All the rows highlighted in yellow were intentionally either intervals or hills. Okay, so maybe it wasn't a real taper. In the week preceding my race, I did 85% of the miles I did the previous week. But I did feel more rested on race day. When you're training, your hormone levels drop. All hormones. And when you rest, your hormone levels come back up. So that you can start pushing again. And you repeat this cycle repeatedly. The LA Roadrunners training plan has a taper in week 5, week 9, week 13, week 17, week 21, and weeks 24-26.

Mark Lane-Hobert is an educational psychologist who studies motivation and mindfulness. He is also a runner. He put together a 26-week devotional to follow along with marathon training. It's in a Google Doc right now, which is no-cost.

Marathon Training Devotional