I know I've been talking about running a lot lately but this 10 mile race is in just over a week and I'm excited/scare.d I actually sort of peed myself once in high school when I was expected to run a mile in under 9 minutes in order to make a sports team. The mile run was my least favorite day at gym. So I'm sort of amazed that I've gotten to this point. But not entirely confident that it will go without a hitch.

My last run was such a drag and I was advised to buy a few things that could possibly make me feel better. I don't really need to be told twice to shop if it will "make me feel better" but I find it funny that of all the sports, you'd think running would be the last one where you need a bunch of *stuff*. You shouldn't need anything but a pair of feet and some ground! (And I once saw a guy jogging who didn't even have the former, and it was pretty amazing). Here are some of the things that are now highly necessary:

Body glide: This is like a deodorant stick you rub on yourself to prevent chafe. I didn't really know what chafe was until my last run when it was so bad I half expected to see blood running down my legs (sorry it's gross but its truth cannot be denied). We'll see, I haven't put it to the full test yet.

New shoes: My back was hurting me. What do they advise? New shoes! I love new shoes of any sort so that's fine with me but that's $100 I was out [I don't believe in those "five fingers" shoes or whatever, the ones that look like gloves for your feet. They take all the beauty, grace and charm of black dress socks with shorts and then add an extra simian element to it. Sexy!) But yes, I like the threat of "If you don't replace your shoes every 6 months you will break your back."

Special socks. To go with your new shoes.

Sports bra: Don't have the right bra, go home.

Special shorts: These are pretty sweet, because they have undies built into them so you don't have to deal with riding. However they can also contribute to the chafe situation.

Ipod holder: I sort of love this. I remember in college seeing a friend of mine go jogging with her radio strapped to her arm and there was something kind of badass about the way she looked, like Laura Croft or something. My only issue is that my headphone wire flops around and I need to control that. I had a clip for it somewhere but I lost it but I refuse to spend more money on that stuff. Maybe a paper clip will do.

Fancy jacket. I love my running jacket because it's very close-cut and makes me feel like some sort of ninja, especially with the little thumb-holes in the sleeves. I know in the grand scheme of things it's silly to spend $100 on a jacket when I have a lot of perfectly fine floppy sweatshirts to keep me warm when necessary but I've found you run better when you feel kind of sexy.

Hair accoutrement: I have a layerey haircut with all kinds of ways for my hair to fall into my face or neck and cause me grief. I need no less than a rubber band, 4-6 hairpins and a headband to feel happy while I run.

Heart rate monitor watch. Again one of those things that seemed sporty and unnecessary until I got one. I like timing my run but moreover keeping an eye on my heartrate is important. Sometimes it's just to remind myself that technically my heart is keeping me alive and that my brain can't keep trying to tell me that I'm going to die. Sometimes it tells me to slow down. In the most annoying cases it tells me to speed up.

Foam roller: One of the things I always figured about running was that if I could get into it, I would probably be in better shape then I'd ever been in. I think this is true. However, I have the sneaking feeling that my insides are now 30 years older than the rest of me. Ooh my hips! Ooh my back! It's annoying. So on the advice of my trainer I got a foam roller, which is a very innocuous looking thing that you roll around on to massage out your knots. Who would have ever thought that something that resembles a pool toy could cause so much pain and suffering? For some reason rolling my hips around on this thing feels like I'm very slowly and steadily punched. And the worst part is, apparently that means it's working.

There are a few things I still haven't bought to help me run, like special sunglasses or a belt that holds water or "Gu" (which is a fancy runners' way of spelling "goo") or a GPS watch but Christmas is only 8 months away, so...there's that. Wish me luck next week. I don't think I should have a problem finishing in under the 2:30 time limit but other than that my main goals are not to die, walk, or stop (or not stop) to use the bathroom.