running gear Archives - Accessories Gal Blog by E.Kammeyer

Have you ever made a decision to run a race, and then later say to yourself, “What the hell was I thinking?” That’s more or less what happened here. In theory a half marathon in San Francisco sounded like a great idea, and in the end, it was, but I’m going to be honest with you, this was one of the hardest courses I’ve ever run!

Living in New York you get used to the small rolling hills of the Central Park loop and the every once in a blue moon trail run along the Appalachian Trail. But San Francisco is no joke when it comes to hills. And as you’ll see a few pictures down on the map of my SF Nike 1/2 Marathon, miles 2 and 10 held some of the biggest, baddest hills of my 13.1 mile race.

When deciding what to wear for a race, it’s about comfort and fit. What do you feel great in, even after a looooong run. I’ve become a lover and die hard fan of New Balance! One of the go to items for a runner is the running legging. And ladies, I’ve found the perfect legging. The New Balance Impact Tight is perfectly fitted, slightly high waisted so it doesn’t slip down and has a grippy interior leg openings for no slip.

xoxo Em

Here are my top race items for my SF 1/2 marathon: Jacket: New Balance Glow Beacon Jacket c/o // Top: New Balance Ice Racerback c/o // Tights: New Balance Impact Tight c/o // Shoes: New Balance 870v3 // Headband: E.Kammeyer Accessories Athletic Headband // Sunglasses: Electric // Bracelets: Nike Fuel Band, E.Kammeyer Tassel Bracelet

Jacket: New Balance Boylston Half Zip // Tank: New Balance Momentum Raceback Tank // Shorts: New Balance Impact 4″ Graphic Short // Bracelet: Nike Fuel Band

Hello World! It’s 5am and I am awake and ready to take the day! Well at least I was on Saturday. As many of you know I am not a morning person, but I am kind of a fitness nut. So in order to wake me from my slumber before the sun has done the same requires something fabulous. Well on Saturday there was such a fabulous thing, The Brooklyn 1/2 Marathon! Not only was I excited because this is an awesome race but because it was the final race in a challenge I had set for myself. The challenge was to finish 4 half marathons in 4 months. And I did just that! Finishing with my personal best time was the perfect icing on the cake, 1 hr 49 min!

If you have not had the opportunity to run a 1/2 marathon yet, here are a few of my training tips and day of race must dos for smoking your first 1/2:

1. Follow a training schedule. I know, you’re like yeah yeah, of course. But many first time runners find they end up skipping many of their training runs, especially the long weekend runs, which only leads to a higher possibility of injury. Prepare your body!

2. Buy the right shoes. This is a very personal choice. All of our feet are a little different and our strides are different. Go to your nearest running store that can analyze your stride and help you pick out the right shoe.

3. Day of running gear. Make sure to purchase gear for the race you know you are comfortable running in. Test it out before the race. Additionally, pick something you feel fabulous in! You’re running 13.1 miles in this outfit so make sure you feel great in it! I personally LOVED the gear I ran The Brooklyn 1/2 in! Incredibly comfortable, super stylish (an obvious must), and wicked moisture away almost immediately!

4. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate. While training make sure to be consuming enough water all day long. It’s incredibly important that you are well hydrated all the time. In terms of water on runs I find I only bring it with me on runs longer than an hour. For race day I make sure to properly hydrate the night before. It’s important to start out on a good foot. During the race I alternate Gatorade and water every other fuel stop. Keeping your electrolytes in balance is super important during the race and can mean the difference between crossing the finish line and smoking it!

Below take a peak at a few of my favorite race day memories!