Essential Marathon (Running) Items

I am in no way endorsing any of these products. These companies have not paid me to say anything about them (I wish, haha!). Instead, these are simply the products that worked well for ME while training for my marathon, and I wanted to share them in case they can also benefit other runners.

1. Good shoes. I like the Asics GT 2000, and I bought them a size up to accommodate for my swollen feet after 26.2 miles. Check them out here.

2. Fuel. Yes, when you're running for more than an hour, you need to replenish calories. Besides the standard two to three bottles of Gatorade, I also chose to take in more calories at a time with Clif Shot Bloks and Clif Shot Gels. These are the only ones I could find bearable. They taste like gummy bears, while the other brands tasted like chalk to me. Thanks, Clif! Some flavors have caffeine (which helped more than I thought it would), and others did not. Check them out here and here.

3. A way to track your progress. I chose Nike+ because it allows you to customize it. You can choose whether you were running on roads, trails, or a treadmill. You also can enter how you felt after your run. It adds up all of your miles, and you can set it to talk to you every mile (or half or even quarter mile) to tell you how far you've gone and what your splits are. I use this with a Bluetooth headset that I wear to listen to music on some runs. Check it out here.

4. A way to motivate you to get out there and run. I use the Big Day app on my iPhone because it lets me have multiple countdowns. I had this marathon one on there, and I would check it every morning. Seeing the numbers get smaller motivated me to keep running! Check it out here.

5. A GPS running watch. This one is NOT necessary, but I did enjoy my Garmin Forerunner. It tracks your mileage during runs, and it lights up. It easily charges through a USB port... AND it's cute. I am glad I bought it, but again, this is not something you NEED. Check it out here.

6. A way to carry your goods when you're on the run. I chose the Spibelt after it was recommended to me by a couple different people. I chose the lime green one (of course - it's my favorite color and matches my shoes and watch). It stretches out quite a bit. I held my ID, credit card, iPhone, and 20 Clif Shot Bloks in mine during the marathon. The downside was that it couldn't also hold my Clif Shot Gels, but I easily attached those to my pants with safety pins, and that worked great. Check out the Spibelt here.

It's also seen on me during my race here:

• What are YOUR essential items for running? 
• What do you carry with you on long runs?
• Did I miss anything important?