How To Gear Up For The Twin Cities Marathon

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon is less than two weeks away, and all this week the WCCO Morning Show will be giving tips to help you make sure you're ready to run.

You may think running a marathon is just about running, but there's actually much more that goes into it. There are some products that can help make you a lean mean running machine.

Rachel Slavik was live from Marathon Sports in Minneapolis on Monday morning to take a look at a few of those products designed to help make your running experience better.

Slavik talked with Team USA Minnesota runner Andrew Carlson (who has finished a marathon in 2:11) about his best recommendations for getting through those 26.2 miles.

Some of the items covered include:

-- Body Glide, a lubricant that will prevent chafing and blisters that can develop from running;
-- ENGO Blister Prevention Patches that help prevent the development on blisters on your feet (they are made by a Minneapolis company called Tamarack Habilitation Technologies);
-- run socks that keep the blood flowing and prevent it from pooling; and
-- gel shots, which Carlson said replenishes glycogens that are lost during long runs.

Carlson also told Slavik that it's important to talk with knowledgeable salespersons when purchasing your running shoes. He said employees at Marathon Sports, where he works, are trained by a podiatrist.

Support in your shoes is one of the ways you can avoid developing shin splints.