Longest run and a new recovery tool

This morning I went out for my longest run in months.  I ran over 12 miles at a comfortable pace and finished feeling like I could have easily kept going.  The weather was perfect for running.  The last time I ran that far was the Chicago Spring Half Marathon back in May.  Before that, it was when I was training for Boston in April (and of course, Boston itself).  My hip didn't bother me at all and my legs felt great.  It was a confidence booster that I will be good to cover the marathon distance in just 14 days! 

This morning's run was also reminder that we are in the homestretch to the marathon.  The focus now shifts to staying healthy and avoiding any illness or injury.  It was also a reminder that I need to dial in my nutrition and start to plan out my food for the days leading up to the marathon.  I truly believe that your stomach contributes at least 50% to how you perform during a marathon.

Feeling good after this morning's run

Yesterday afternoon, Mike and I went to the Nike marathon pop up shop next to Fleet Feet.  They were selling all the official Nike Chicago Marathon gear that will be at the expo.  I stood in line a long time last year at the expo to buy the things I wanted.  It was so nice to be able to try things on and pick out what we wanted without all the crowds.  It will definitely make the expo less stressful.

One of the things they had available to try at the shop was the Hyperice Hypervolt.  It is a state of the art vibration massage device that helps muscles recover faster.  I tried it out while we were shopping and was so impressed with how it made my legs feel that we bought one on the spot!  It is a great complement to our Normatec compression boots.  We already use the boots daily, and now whoever isn't in the boots will be massaging with the Hypervolt.  For two endurance athletes who train hard, we focus just as hard on our recovery (after all, we aren't getting any younger). 

I love our new recovery tool