6 Products I Love For Long Runs

When training for a half marathon you have days where your run could be over 12 or 13 miles. The longest run I’ve done in preparing for a half marathon is 11 miles. I’ve done two half marathons so far and I absolutely plan to do more. My goal is to do at least one a year. During my training, I’ve found a few products that I really like and think are must haves for long run days.

products for long runs and half marathon training

Running Waist Band Pack

My mother in law bought me one of these and it’s amazing for runs of any length if you have things you need to bring with you. It’s great for holding your phone, keys, etc. I use mine mostly for holding my inhaler (yes I have asthma), and pepper spray (you never know when you’ll need it). They sell ones that hold water bottles, although I prefer ones without.

Energy Chews

I usually only use these if the run is over 10 miles, but I find that they help. They give you a nice burst of energy. I’d typically eat a few when I’m half way through the run. It could all be in my head but I truly think they help carry you through the rest of the run with a bit more energy. I tried the Cliff brand and found them to be too sugary, but the PROBAR Bolt Organic Energy Chews have been my favorite. I purchase mine at Sprouts but you can also get them on Amazon, I’ll link them for you.

Audiobooks, music playlist & podcasts

If you don’t have a running buddy, long runs can get incredibly boring. I make sure and have a variety of things to listen to. In one long run I typically switch between pump me up music, calming music, a personal development or marketing/business podcasts, and audiobooks. Random I know, but I switch it up a lot during the run to keep my mind busy and keep my thoughts off of the run. Some people like to have silence and “focus on their run” but I’m not typically that person. I’d rather not be bored, and since some of the runs are so long I use the time to learn as much as I can.

Jiobit GPS Tracker

I think this product is a must for safety reasons. If I’m running 11 miles down a trail, I want my family to know where I am. The first half marathon I trained for I kept running along a river through downtown Denver. Then I saw a news report of a girl who luckily escaped, but got attacked and stripped down on the trail. You just never know what could happen and I honestly think it’s super irresponsible to go on long runs without some sort of tracking or communication with your family. The Jiobit is designed for tracking your kids, but can be used in this situation too. The device is shock-resistant, durable, tracks at any distance, about the size of an Oreo cookie and has a long battery life. You can simply tie the Jiobit to your shoe using your shoelaces (see picture below). Basically it’s perfect for keeping you safe and connected during long runs. You can order a Jiobit on their website, or you can get one on Amazon.

Handheld Water bottle

I use this product when I’m running from A to B or a there and back run. If I’m running around a circle path, a lake for example, I simply leave my water at the car and get a drink every lap or multiple laps. I honestly hate running with a handheld water bottle, it gets heavy and annoying to hold, but the reality is you need to stay hydrated during long runs and sometimes this is the best option. You can also get the waistbands with water bottle holders if that is a better fit for you.

Nuun Hydration Drink

Like I said before, it’s super important to stay hydrated. At the last half marathon I ran they had Nuun at every water station, I kept drinking the Nuun instead of the water and I actually loved it! I’ve never felt better during a run. I’m not sure if I should give this drink full credit for that but I do think it helped a ton! In fact, the girl I was training with for this half marathon kept mentioning Nuun Hydration and how much she loved it and I never went out and bought some. So glad they were serving it the day of the race! I’ll for sure get some during my next training!

I hope you found this blog post helpful! Congratulations on being a runner and working on your health! I personally think all of these products are amazing for long run days. I’m sure there are more amazing products out there that I’ve yet to try, so if you know of ones that I need to give a shot, please don’t hesitate to comment below!! Thanks for reading and following along. Make sure to enter your email below and subscribe!