Running stuffs

These are the items that I consider essentials for my running. Let’s start with the apparel.

I gave up running in anything cotton a while back, so all of my tank tops, long sleeves, shorts, pants, etc. are a nice, light, moisture-wicking material. I have favorites of each of these, but I’m also still building up my running wardrobe. Now – from there, as a woman, a good sports bra is a must. Especially for someone like me who can be described as “blessed” in that area. My absolute favorite sports bra is Champion’s Max Support. They are sized in real bra sizes, have nice thick adjustable straps, and actually have real bra clasps in the back. I am locked and loaded in this thing. Really should get around to buying at least one more.

Next, arguably the most important item is of course a good pair of shoes. Post-injury, I have recently moved into full motion control shoes, and these are what I’m running in these days.

Brooks Addiction 11

Moving on down the list, next is a fun pair of socks. Socks are an essential, so why not use them as an excuse to have a little fun and show off some personality? Knee-highs are my favorite, but I run in shorty socks a lot too. Just a glimpse of my collection. I don’t know why these make me so happy 🙂

Next – music. I don’t own an iPod/MP3 player and haven’t paid for music since college. I use my Samsung phone and the Pandora app – that’s it. I have different stations set up, and I’ll share some details of what kind of music motivates me in a future post. I can’t take a picture of my phone with my phone, but I do have this awesome pair of earbuds that I stumbled onto a while back for $19.99 that beat the pants off any of the fancier and more expensive athletic earbuds. They fit snug as a bug in a rug and have never let me down.

Next is the one item that for me, is literally a must have. I’m asthmatic and so my trusty inhaler goes everywhere I go, especially on runs. My asthma is well-managed and generally doesn’t give me any problems as long as I pre-treat (use the inhaler before physical activity), but it’s a very real factor that I always have to keep in mind.

Last, but not least, is the ever important hydration and all-this-other-crap carrier. For the entire duration of training for my first half marathon in April 2014, I didn’t carry water with me! I would literally go on 6-10 mile runs without water! I was a newbie, what can you do? It wasn’t until the day of that race where I took advantage of the water stations every 2 miles that I realized how much of a difference it makes. Oh yea, and fueling. Didn’t do that in my training either, ha ha. I should make a list of “first time half marathon mistakes”. Future post idea noted. About a week after that race, I went to Runner’s Roost here in town and bought my new Brooks shoes and a hydration back pack. I don’t do the belt thing – I’ve tried running with a small fanny pack before and the damn things always ride up and when I cinch them tight enough to kind of stay in place, well, picture bread baking around string (Family Guy joke, can’t take credit for that one!). Anyway, the bright colors of this thing, plus all of the really neat pockets and pouches, plus ability to hold up to 2 liters of water make this probably one of my favorite pieces of gear. I use it any time I run for an hour or more. I don’t care if I look ridiculous or people normally only use these things for ultramarathons, I love it, it works for me, it keeps my hands free, and did I mention I love it??

I eventually made the investment in a GPS watch and chose the Garmin Forerunner 220.  I do really love this thing and am very satisfied with that purchase.

Happy running!