Stealthy Caloric Motivation

I've found noshing while running, even on relatively short runs, can have a big impact. Sure, it may be mainly placebo effect, but popping a snack when you're dragging can provide a surprising uplift. I came across this list of running gear hacks, and noted the following suggestion:

Want to boost the carrying capacity of your favorite pair of running shorts? Line the waistline with several safety pins—a dirt-cheap, hands-free method for toting your house key, energy gels, mini Ziplocs of electrolyte mix or salt tabs, or even empty food or gel wrappers. Pro tip: pin items to the inside of your shorts’ waistline to avoid them bouncing around while you run.

For my last three runs, I've pinned some sort of snack to the inside of my short's waistband. Jelly Belly Sports Beans are ideal because they're compact and low profile. Other foods stored in portion control Ziploc style bags work, too. Because the snack is kept on the inside of my shorts bounce is kept to a minimum.

The result is a backup source of caloric motivation that's essentially invisible until I need it. And best of all, if you've got a safety pin or two lying around the house, the setup is free.