Episode 74Jun 8, 2026· 7:00

How I'm Prepping My Body (and My Bag) for Four Days of Walking at Gen Con

▸ Show notes from the creator

No show notes.

About this episode

Ashley Grant prepares for Gen Con, a four-day gaming convention involving up to 11,000 steps per day inside the convention center. She covers her physical prep (walking more, gym cardio and lifting), her packing list (ASICS Nova Blast 5 shoes, resistance bands, refillable water bottles, electrolyte packets, fruit juice, granola bars, Burt's Bees chapstick, goat's milk lotion), budget food planning (tuna and…

Listener reactions

💡0

🤝0

🔥0

😄0

0 reactions

Share your reaction

Pick how this episode landed — then leave a public review or a private note to the host.

You

Your name will appear with your review

0/300 Visible to everyone

Who this episode is for

This episode may resonate with you if:

You've been building a gym habit and feel decent about it, but now you're facing something physically different — sustained activity for days on end — and you're quietly anxious about whether your body is actually ready for it.

You're someone who gets hangry and has learned the hard way that you need to plan around it, not just hope for the best.

You're trying to make healthier choices — like swapping soda for something better — but you keep running into the reality that the 'good' options are frustratingly expensive.

You're a convention-goer or tabletop gamer who is also trying to take your physical health seriously, and you're figuring out how those two worlds fit together.

You overspent on a recent trip and you're trying to be smarter this time — packing food, being intentional — while still letting yourself enjoy the moments that matter.

What makes this episode interesting

how do people physically prep for Gen Con?

answered

Ashley is ramping up her walking ahead of the event — she's literally recording this episode on a walk — and focusing on being able to handle four straight days of constant movement, not just gym cardio.

"and whatever. But it's like a whole new ballgame whenever you're talking about four straight days of constant walking. And so. That's one thing"

what should I actually pack for a convention if I'm going to be walking all day?

answered

Ashley's list includes her ASICS Nova Blast 5s, a resistance band for supplemental exercises, granola bars for when she gets hangry, Burt's Bees chapstick, goat's milk lotion, and refillable 32-ounce water bottles.

"bringing the ASIC shoes that I purchased for. the gym. I have been loving them. They're the Nova Blast 5s and I've absolutely been loving them. They've been really great shoes so far and I can definitely notice a difference in terms of how I stand, how I walk, and all that good"

are electrolyte packets worth buying for a long walking event?

open question

Ashley thinks they might help with performance based on what people have told her, but she's frustrated by the cost and turns the question back to listeners, asking them to recommend affordable options.

"have found with so many of them is how expensive they are. Is that just me? Like, am I crazy? Like, are you guys seeing the same things? I really want to know. Like, let me know if there's a really good and inexpensive electrolyte packet that I should consider for my water. And so that's"

what does budget eating look like on a multi-day road trip to a convention?

answered

Ashley's plan is tuna and crackers for lunches plus quick heat-and-eat meals, directly because she and her husband went out to eat too many times on their Florida road trip and are trying not to repeat that.

"the goal is to try to bring food with us so that we can be a little more economical on this trip"

Setting expectations: This episode is not about Gen Con as a gaming event, convention culture, or board game recommendations. It's Ashley talking through her personal packing list and physical prep — shoes, resistance bands, granola bars, chapstick — for surviving four straight days of walking at the convention.

Tone & style

Personal planning and lived experience from previous trips. Ashley is figuring things out as she goes, not prescribing a method.

toneCasual & personal

focusAshley thinks out loud about what she's packing — shoes, resistance bands, granola bars, chapstick — to survive four days of constant walking at Gen Con.

stylesolo_monologue

energymedium_low

complexitybeginner

pressure Levellow

emotional Texturecasual, mildly excited, practical

Notable quotes

"afraid that I won't be able to handle it. It's just that I want to be able to handle it really"

— Famous Ashley Grant

"well. Because, yeah, I can finally lift weights pretty well and I can get through cardio classes and whatever. But it's like a whole new ballgame whenever you're talking about four straight days of constant walking. And so. That's one thing"

— Famous Ashley Grant

"have found with so many of them is how expensive they are. Is that just me? Like, am I crazy?"

— Famous Ashley Grant

"spending our money we did go out to eat far too many times while we were on our florida road trip and we're trying to avoid that for this"

— Famous Ashley Grant

Episode transcript

Organized into 4 chapters — open any part to read the full text.

0:001. Bracing for Four Days of Walking at Gen ConAshley introduces the episode while on a walk, explaining that Gen Con is less than two months away and she's heard someone walk 11,000 steps in a single day just inside the convention center, which has her thinking hard about getting prepared.0:572. Gear and Supplies She's PackingAshley runs through the physical items she's bringing: her ASICS Nova Blast 5 shoes, a resistance band for supplemental exercises, lots of water, fruit juices as a soda alternative, electrolyte packets (though she's frustrated by how expensive they are), granola bars for when she gets hangry, chapstick, and hand lotion.4:123. Games, Water Bottles, and Tracking TipsAshley mentions bringing board games and shares two tips she received: writing her address inside every game box and potentially using AirTags to keep track of them. She also explains why she's bringing refillable 32-ounce water bottles instead of buying plastic ones at the convention.5:074. Eating on a Budget During the TripAshley talks through the food plan — tuna and crackers for lunches, quick heat-and-eat meals to avoid the expense of eating out — drawing on lessons from overspending on their Florida road trip. She also mentions a possible Chicago detour where her husband wants a Chicago dog and she wants to try deep dish pizza.

Open full transcript

Mentioned in this episode

eventGen Con

The four-day gaming convention Ashley is preparing for, where she expects to walk up to 11,000 steps a day just inside the convention center.

productASICS Nova Blast 5

The shoes Ashley bought for the gym that she plans to bring to Gen Con, saying she's noticed a difference in how she stands and walks.

placeFlorida

A previous road trip Ashley took where she has exercises written down and where she and her travel companions went through a lot of water and ate out too many times.

productBurt's Bees

Ashley's personal favorite chapstick brand, which she plans to bring a lot of to Gen Con because she always gets chapped lips at convention centers.

productBlistex

Ashley's second favorite chapstick brand, which she also plans to bring to Gen Con alongside Burt's Bees.

companyBath & Body Works

Ashley mentions liking their hand lotions, which she plans to bring on the trip, though she's also been trying goat's milk lotion lately.

productAirTag

A tracking device someone suggested Ashley put inside her board game boxes to keep track of them at Gen Con, though she's unsure she'll go that far.

placeChicago

A possible detour on the way home from Gen Con where Ashley's husband wants a Chicago dog and Ashley wants to try deep dish pizza again.

websitefamous-sugar.com/fitness

Ashley's website where she invites listeners to reach out to her about the episode.

Key themes

Preparing for four days of walking

Ashley is actively training and planning gear because she knows Gen Con involves extreme amounts of walking — someone told her 11,000 steps in a single day just inside the convention center.

Packing the right shoes and gear

Ashley plans to bring her ASICS Nova Blast 5s and a resistance band, noting she can already feel a difference in how she stands and walks with the new shoes.

Staying hydrated on the convention floor

Ashley is planning to bring lots of water, fruit juices as a soda alternative, and is looking into electrolyte packets after people told her they'd help with performance, though she's frustrated by how expensive they are.

Managing hangriness on the go

Ashley is packing granola bars specifically because she gets hangry and says it's 'not pretty and not good for anybody.'

Keeping track of games at the convention

Ashley shares two tips she received for not losing her board games at Gen Con — writing her address inside every box and potentially using AirTags — though she's not sure she'll go as far as the AirTags.

Eating on a budget after overspending in Florida

Ashley is planning tuna and crackers plus quick heat-and-eat meals to avoid the eating-out costs they ran into on their Florida road trip, since hotel, tickets, and gas are already expensive.

Recording the episode while actually walking

Ashley records this episode mid-walk, framing it as a direct expression of the preparation mindset she's describing — she's walking now because Gen Con is getting closer.

Possible Chicago detour

Ashley mentions they're considering stopping in Chicago on the way home — her husband wants a Chicago dog and she wants to try deep dish pizza again — which would be the one planned exception to their eat-in budget.

Connected episodes

Shared experience

Preparing the right footwear

#60The Shoe Update: Why I Went With Asics (And Why I'm Still Looking)