To be successful on our fitness journey, we need help from great products, services, apps, and companies that match our values, our standards, and our requirements. These are very personal factors that vary for each one of us. Some of you will swear by your Nikes and others will swear by your Hokas, as one example. There is no right or wrong answer - keeping trying different options until you find the best choice for you.
I am happy to share the products, services, apps, and companies which I have found useful on my own journey. I use every one of these products and am sharing these links because I have personally benefited from them.
I am an official ambassador for two brands: Marathon Sports and Mudgear. Marathon Sports has been the premier destination for athletic shoes and fitness apparel in New England for 50 years. Marathon Sports is an integral part of the fabric of the running community in New England. Mudgear is one of the leading apparel and equipment providers for the obstacle course racing (OCR) community. I am honored to be an ambassador for these great brands.
For all of the other brands listed below, even though I am not an ambassador, I use these personally and recommend them based on the benefit I have received.
Strength
X3 bar - my "go to" for daily strength work. This is the most efficient - and portable - way I have found to build strength on a daily basis.
YBells - these versatile weights can be used as a dumbbell, kettlebell, medicine ball, or push-up grip. They give me great flexibility in supplementing my X3 workouts.
PowerPress - to get the most out of your push-ups, make sure you're varying up the angle and hand position. There are many push-up boards out there, but this is one I use, combined with a step raiser to vary the angle.
Ankle weights - if you follow me on Instagram, you know that I use my ankle weights all the time! They allow me to level up almost any exercise, especially core and grip work.
Pull-up bar - pull-ups and chin-ups are a great way to build strengh in every upper body muscle group, including grip strength for OCR, and core strength. I recommend a bar that has multiple grips so you can work out multiple muscle groups and practice hanging transitions from one grip position to another.
Weighted vest - a weighted vest is a versatile way to level up almost any activity, from push-ups to pull-ups to hill climbs. It's also an essential component of one of my favorite workouts, the Murph, and a critical tool in OCR training to get your legs ready for those uphill bucket and sandbag carries.
Rucking - I have become a huge proponent of rucking, which is basically just "walking with weight". Rucking combines the benefits of cardio with the benefits of strength training, in a very low impact manner. It also gets you outside into the sun and fresh air. For people starting out, I recommend you start with 15 pounds of weight if you have a smaller frame and 25 pounds of weight if you have a larger frame, then adding weight in small increments from there as you build up more muscle and endurance. The gold standard for rucking backpacks and training equipment is Go Ruck.
Running
Newton running shoes - I use Newton Running shoes as my "go to" shoes for all types of running. I got my first pair as the Age Group prize for winning my age group in a 5K and I instantly loved them. They are light and fast and yet offer plenty of support. I feel more explosive on the track and out on the open roads.
RoadID - this is a wrist or ankle bracelet with your key safety information - name, emergency contact information, and critical medical information. I wear it on every run and bike ride and it gives me peace of mind.
Flipbelt - this is an essential tool on every run! It holds my phone, keys, and energy supplements snuggly without any interruption to my running stride.
OCR (obstacle course racing)
Race Ready Obstacles - this family-run operation makes high-quality obstacle and grip strength gear, right here in the USA. I have purchased many of their grip attachments for my DIY multi-rig and they hold up well under repeated training.
Mudgear - Mudgear makes high quality compression socks, gloves, compression shorts, and other apparel for obstacle course racing, hiking, and outdoor endurance sports. I know many OCR racers who swear by their Mudgear. I recently discovered Mudgear and am an instant convert. I am also honored that they asked me to be one of their brand ambassadors. The benefit for you is that you can get a 15% discount by using the code stayactive15 at checkout!
DIY home Spartan training - many people are intimidated by obstacle course racing because the obstacles are not ones they can practice at home. Turns out, most of them are! YouTube is a wealth of information on how to build your own spear throw, multi-rig, rope climb, or other obstacle practice. Combine those items with a bucket of rocks, a sandbag, and a weighted vest to practice hill climbs, and you're all ready to tackle any OCR race. You can see my DIY training on Instagram and on my YouTube Channel. CONTACT ME for further tips!
Gear
Shokz headphones - my favorite workout headphones. They use bone induction technology, instead of going in the ear, which has two major benefits: one, you can hear noises around you (like cars) which is a big safety benefit, and two, since they do not go in your ear, they don't fall out of your ear when they get sweaty or when you moving a lot.
Garmin GPS watch - I find Garmin to be the best brand on the market for capturing pace and distance during runs, cycling, and swims.
Marathon Sports - for athletic shoes, socks, insoles, apparel, hydration, and nutrition, Marathon Sports is the gold standard in New England. Even if you don't live in New England, you can order from their website and have their amazing products shipped to you. I get discount codes every quarter, so contact me if you will be making a purchase!
Nutrition and Energy
Intermittent fasting - When I am not in the middle of intense Ironman or marathon training, I follow the 16:8 method of intermittent fasting most days, which means that I take a 16 hour break from eating and focus my eating within an 8 hour window. Typically, I eat my first calories at lunchtime around 12:00 p.m. and stop eating after dinner around 8:00 p.m. In between, I can have liquids like tea or coffee or water, as long as I don't add meaningful calories from milk or sugar. Intermittent fasting helps me to control my overall calorie intake, burn fat, and increase my focus and mental clarity. Read here for more information on the health benefits of intermittent fasting.
Kion all-natural supplements - Kion makes a great range of all-natural supplements, from Flex for joint support, Lean to reduce blood sugar and inflammation, and Aminos for essential amino acids.
KOS organic plant protein powder - this is a great-tasting, plant-based protein powder that helps me to meet my protein goals every day. I add it to 1% milk, not water, and get almost 30 grams of protein in one serving.
Legion Pulse pre-workout powder - this is my "go to" pre-workout supplement. It has less than 5 calories per scoop so it does not interrupt my intermittent fasting. Plus it uses natural ingredients and tastes really good. Or try Do Vitamins Pure Pump pre-workout powder which is completely natural and zero calories.
FitAid recovery drink - a cold FitAid at the end of a race tastes like heaven! They are a sponsor of Spartan race and I always savor the taste of a cold FitAid at the end. Or try Do Vitamins Pure Pump post-workout recovery powder which is completely natural and zero calories. If you are doing fasted workouts to burn fat, you can use the Pure Pump recovery powder right after your workout without breaking your fast.
Nuun electrolyte supplements - I starting using these during long runs or on hot days, when I was likely to get dehydrated and need to replenish electrolytes quickly. Increasingly, I have begun using these on a daily basis to ensure I am maximizing the impact of my nutrition. Nuun has options with no sugar and no caffeine, so I can replenish essential vitamins and nutriants without cause spikes in my blood sugar or impacting my sleep.
Apple cider vinegar - I take this daily to help control my blood glucose and cholesterol levels. It is also helpful as an appetite supressant.
Tumeric and other joint supplements - as I get older, I find these help me a lot to relieve infammation in my joints and knees and speed up my recovery.
Apps
MyFitnessPal - this app makes it really easy to track my food intake, the nutrional profile of what I am eating, and my net daily calories. It's impossible to lose weight if you're consuming more calories than you are burning, so it's important to track both what you are consuming and what you are burning in one place.
Strava - this app is a fun way to capture your cycling or running workouts and share them with friends. With a Premium subscription (which I highly recommend), you can plan and save new routes, send route beacons to your loved ones for safety, track your mileage on each pair of shoes, and get a wealth of additional data about your runs.
Spotify - my Spotify playlists are my mental fuel during my workouts! Check out my playlists under WHAT MOTIVATES ME.