No, it’s a running belt! Ok, who am I kidding? Yes, yes it is…

Since signing up to run a half marathon, I have had to purchase things that I never thought I would buy, like the fanny pack above. I held out for as long as possible because, seriously, it’s a fanny pack. But finally, I had to give in when I realized that I would need a source of hydration during my long runs. The race will probably have many water stops along the way, but my local neighborhood does not. I considered knocking on people’s doors to ask for a drink of water, but after I accepted the fact that it would be more likely for me to collapse before bugging strangers for water, I swallowed my pride and made my purchase.

I have to admit that it is nice to have water when out on a long run, but wearing the pack is embarrassing. Which is pretty funny. I’m not embarrassed about the fact that my clothes don’t match, my hair has been hastily and messily piled into a ponytail, and I’m grossly dripping with sweat. But that fanny pack? Super embarrassing!

Another purchase that I’ve had to recently make is to buy energy gels. I thought I would be able to get away with not having any, but it turns out that starting out on an empty stomach depletes your stored calories pretty quickly. And if I eat before I run, I feel gross all run. So although I really don’t enjoy eating them, the gels have been really helpful to keep going.

I have less than two weeks before the big run. As of right now, I am glad that I’ve pushed myself and run farther than I ever have before, but I also feel that this will probably be my first and last half marathon. My body is not pleased with me running this far, and training really takes the fun out of it for me. But we’ll see. Maybe the energy of the crowd and excitement of the day will change my mind. I’ll let you know in about two weeks.