“What’s in your bag” is a series where we interview experts in a field and learn some tricks of the trade. For this inaugural edition, we interviewed two professional runners who will be running in the Olympic Trials at the end of this month.
Lauren Centrowitz and Garrett Heath tell us what’s in their running bags. It’s a his and her’s of sorts — all that’s missing are the monogrammed towels.
Lauren Centrowitz
Lauren runs for Team New Balance. As an undergrad at Stanford, she was a eight-time All American and set the school record for the 1500. She just finished a Master’s in Justice, Law, and Society at American University in Washington, D.C.
What’s in your training bag?
I always carry my New Balance training flats and workout spikes. I usually need both of them for practice.
I also have sunblock, a dry sports bra and t-shirt to change into after a workout, a stretch rope, a water bottle, and a Lara bar or piece of fruit for a post-workout snack.
What kind of bag do you carry?
It’s a New Balance yoga bag – basically like a purse. I like that it’s not a backpack.
What would you recommend for someone who’s trying to get into running?
You need the right shoe. I recommend getting fitted at a shoe store because everyone’s foot is different.
A running watch or a Garmin watch is helpful to track miles, calories, and distance.
If you’re training for a marathon, nutrition during long runs is important. I’d just recommend trying different bars and figuring out what your stomach can hold. My old teammate makes Picky bars. I love that they are real food and not full of weird ingredients.
Wharton’s Stretch Book is great. I’ve been doing those dynamic stretches since high school so I’m a big believer.
Most importantly – keep it fun. Run with someone or run with music. Sign up for races if that’s fun or don’t race if you don’t want to!
Garrett Heath
A Minnesota native, Garrett ran for 5 years at Stanford University while working towards his B.A. and M.A. in Management Sciences and Engineering. He made it to the semi-finals of the Olympic Trials in 2008, was second at NCAAs in the 1500 his senior year, and made the World Indoor Team in 2010. He’s currently taking a break from a PhD program at Stanford and running for Saucony.
What’s in your training bag?
Recovery tights are good for lower body recovery. I wear them around the house, under my jeans, and I actually wear them to bed. They’re fairly cool – temperature wise – and look good too.
For shoes, I’ve started to wear the Cortana a lot. They’re a lightweight training shoe for an everyday run. They’re more minimal than big bulky shoes.
I like the Soleus GPS watch to track mileage. It’s extremely accurate – I’ve tested it a bunch of times.
Mint chocolate Gu is my favorite little post run snack. It’s 100-calorie quick shot and it actually tastes pretty good. After a run, there’s a 30 minute window to replenish when your cells are more accepting to fuel.
Speaking of nutrition, I always drink Philz coffee before workouts and races. I usually try to eat salad or greens before a meal. I like to make a quick oil and vinegar dressing.
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