Favorite things: Running Edition

I saw this post over on The Turkey Runner, so I'm keeping it going!

1. Location: Trail, Road, or Indoors? Roads, thankyouverymuch. The treadmill is ok when the weather is horrible and I have no other option. I am so not a fan of trail racing though. Here's a pic of my one and only trail race, and I really think my face says it all. I was trying to be positive, but it was horrible. Rainy, humid, trail was wet, way hillier than I thought it would be...no thank you.

I can't believe I'm actually sharing this with you.

2. Time of Day: Morning, Noon, or Evening? Morning. Noon is kind of difficult with work on the weekdays. Most evenings, I just want to relax. I love the quiet in the mornings, that I'm usually the only person out there, and that I start my day off right.

3. Fuel: Before, During, or After? For me, this depends on the distance. If it's a short run, then I'll just eat something when I get home. If it's a long run of 7 miles or more, I make sure I eat a little something before I hit the road. For long runs, I also eat something during, and of course refuel after. Always refuel after! Usually it's a banana and nut butter. I used to eat chews during my long runs, but had to stop after I got braces. So I started eating Fig Newton cookies, but I think I'm going to try out gels because the cookies can get a little bulky.

Post-run recovery snack. Coffee just because.

4: Accessories: Music, Watch, More? All of the above? On a typical run, I carry my phone, MP3 player, water bottles, and runner's mace. And fuel if it's a long run. If it's dark, I'm also wearing my headlamp and safety Xinglet. It's a good thing I have my fuel belt...that's a lot of crap.

Laughing at myself prior to a run in single digit temps.

5. Reward: Food, Wine, or...? Both! I love to eat, and I love to eat well. I love to drink wine, too. Naps are typically a reward after a long run if I can squeeze one in. Also: chocolate. All the chocolate.

6. Type of Run: Long, Easy, Tempo, Hills? I really like cut down runs, where you drop your pace by 10 seconds each successive mile. I enjoy hill workouts after they are done, because I know they're good for me. Tempo runs build confidence in my ability to sustain a pace. Long runs, for me, are purely "hey, look what I just did. I am pretty awesome!". Easy runs are great for clearing my head, getting a workout in, but not really working that hard. So...I like them all!