A Few of My Favorite Things ... Running Gear

In 46 hours and five minutes, I will embark on the activity of running for about five hours straight. The marathon is almost here and to reassure myself that we can indeed do this, I've put together a list of all my trusty friends who've made the training miles (kind of) bearable over the last couple of months.

Reliable Pair of Earbuds

These are the greatest earbuds of all time...apparently everyone else agrees, because they were discontinued and now cost $60. But, if I had to buy another pair, I would bet on this similar style by JVC (the same manufacturer). Either way, what makes or breaks your running game is a solid pair of earbuds. It has to be something that fits snuggly in your ear through bound after bound, rain (or sweat) or shine. This isn't something you can settle on...buy new earbuds, it's worth having a pair you love.

LifeProof iPhone Case

Unfortunately, I'm sweaty...and I run with my phone strapped down under my right arm between my sweaty skin and my sports bra. So, I can't mess around when it comes to iPhone protection. I recently switched over from my iPhone 5 and the LifeProof case to an iPhone 6 with the LifeProof Nuud case. While both were totally effective at keeping my phone dry, the Nuud is sooooo much thinner that it actually makes the iPhone 6 feel smaller than the iPhone 5 tucked under my arm. In addition to it's slimmer size, it doesn't have the plastic over over the screen AND it detects your thumbprint ID through the case...making for easy use even when it's covered in sweat.

Clif Shot Blok Energy Chews

Thank you, Hannah Harris. I had been taking those energy jelly beans on my runs, but only like three or four right when I left. Hannah suggested these lovely (though a bit too chewy) Clif Blok Energy Chews regularly throughout the run and they have been incredible! Seriously, just a burst of energy to get you out of those slumps when you're struggling. 

Cheap Sunglasses

There are some things you need to spend money on in order to meet your needs...for me, sunglasses is not one of them. Do they shade the sun? Do they stay firmly on the top of my head when not needed? Are they lightweight and require minimum fidgeting? Then there good enough for me. Unfortunately, last year for the float trip, I ordered wayyyy too many of these cheap sunglasses...fortunately, they meet all of my running sunglasses standards and I have about 100 of them in case I lose any.

Halo II Pullover Headband

While I'm willing to go cheap on sunglasses, I'm not gonna settle with what I use to hold by my whispy hairs. This Halo Headband has been my reliable, trusty headband choice since I purchased it in order to meet the minimum for free shipping on a pair of shoes. My mom once stole my Lululemon headband and offered to trade it back for this Halo one...and I wouldn't do it. That's how much I love it.

Nail Clippers
Specifically, toenail clippers. Although this piece of wisdom was shared with me before I had even started my marathon training by my wonderful and marathon-experienced ex-track coach, it wasn't until the 18 mile run where I experiences the pain and agony of running long distances with slightly too long toenails. THEY WEREN'T EVEN THAT LONG. But I now have three purple/black toenails and keep them as short as possible for my remaining runs.

That's it. Those are my favorite running things. I have sports bras I prefer and spandex shorts that I like to wear for races...but they aren't really my favorite. I have standards, ya know?