I love to run. That’s no surprise to any of you – unless maybe you’re new here.

My favorite distance is the marathon. I love long runs. My second favorite distance is the half-marathon. I love the long runs but I also love that it’s much more manageable to train for a half when you’re a busy mom of three.

I’ve certainly made running marathons work as a mom – I’m working through my sixth training cycle right now – but it comes with a lot of behind the scenes work. Early morning alarms, coordinating schedules with my husband, stroller runs, etc. But also behind the scenes there is a lot of gear, eats, and in general “stuff” that helps keep me moving….literally.

Let’s start with gear:

Watch: Apple Watch and Garmin (my Garmin 620 was discontinued)
Shirts: Lululemon Swiftly Tech Short and Longsleeves (1), Oiselle Flyte Tanks (5)
Pants/Shorts: Oiselle Pocket Jogger Shorts (2) and Lululemon Pace Rival High Rise Crops (3)
Socks: Feetures Socks (4)
Backpack: Nathan Hydration Vest (6) – This is a “bladder backpack” so it comes with a water bag that stores 2 liters of water, and a bite valve. But I quickly learned it was hard to clean and store a bladder….so now I just use it as a backpack to store waterbottles and mid-run nutrition in. I’ve been really happy with it for that purpose!

I do have a wide selection of cold weather gear for winter running….but I feel like that could be a post of it’s own, so STAY TUNED!

Next let’s talk about nutrition – pre, mid, and post run:

Pre Run: Picky Bars (1)- I’ve played around with a lot of different pre-run options. Right now my go-to are Picky Bars. I love the consistency, I love the unique flavor combinations, and I love the way they are gentle on my stomach. I feel fueled without feeling full. I also always drink a 16oz glass of Nuun (4) before each run. For long runs I pick a caffeinated variety – my favorite is Fresh Lime.

Mid Run: I’ve tried a lot of different mid-run nutrition options – bloks, gels, dried fruits, fresh fruits, etc. A few have become my standbys – so in my running backpack you can always find Huma Gels (3) and Applesauce. I love all the Huma flavors and for applesauce I’m not overly picky but when given the choice I pick Go Go SqueeZ (2). Funny story, trying apple sauce happened by accident one day when I was heading out for a long run and realized I was out of gel pouches. My kids like applesauce pouches so I snagged one and the rest was history. I also pack two water bottles – one with Nuun and the other with plain ol’ water. Lately I’ve been using my baby’s Dr Brown’s Bottles with caps on them. It’s a funny choice but they’re actually really light weight and handy!

Post Run: Honestly? I wish I had a better post run routine. Most times I come in the door from a run and I’m lucky if I get a shower in before I dive right into real life. The kids are always completely unfazed by the fact that I just ran double digit miles. BUT on a good day my post run routine involves a smoothie with Vital Proteins (5) in it. I try to eat something substantial as soon as I can – as early as life and my body will allow. My two favorite post long run meals are a sausage, egg, and cheese on a croissant and a turkey burger with avocado and cheese. Both of those make my belly feel SO happy! I always keep a box of Butterball All Natural Turkey Burgers (6) in the freezer so I can whip up a tasty lunch really quickly!

I love learning about new gear and nutrition products. This round up is a group of all my favorites but I’m always trying new things! Stay tuned for any updates. I always share about products I love on my Instagram stories!