Guest Post: Top 11 Running Gear and Products

Hi everyone! It’s Abbie from FoodsThatFit. I am really excited to do this guest post for Tina and share one of my loves with you…RUNNING!

Running has been the only competitive sport I have ever participated in, as I am not the most coordinated individual for team sports . I quickly found a love for running at a young age, and minus some time out for some minor injuries, I have kept at it since. I have  never been a very fast runner, but found that I have a lot of endurance, and love to participate in longer events like marathons and ultras.

For this post, I thought I would share with you my top 11 favorite running gear and products that I use for training and racing.

#1. The first and most important item to me is a good pair of running shoes:

For road running, I love Mizuno’s. I have tried several different models from their line over the last few years and loved every one. They feel great on my feet and hold up well after lots of miles.

For trail running, I really like the Montrail line. My current pair (pictured below) is the Montrail Mountain Masochist. The support is great for trails and these are the most comfortable pair of trail shoes I have ever owned. Comfort is so important since I spend several hours in them at at time on the rocky and uneven trails!

#2. My next favorite product that I don’t think I could do without is my Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS with heart rate monitor:

This watch was a bit expensive, but worth it to me. I love being able to take off on a run and go wherever I want and know EXACTLY my distance, pace, heart rate, calories burned, etc.

#3. Because of where I live, in order to get back into my apartment when I am done running,  I have to carry my I.D. and keys with me. It can get very annoying carrying these in my hands, so I was thrilled when I found out about Gracie’s Gear. I wear the long tank and my I.D. and keys fit perfectly in the pocket. They don’t move or bounce around at all when I am running.

#4. A must for me during summer runs or races without a lot of aid are hand held water bottles. They are easy to hold onto and have saved me several times during really hot summer run!

#5. A pack or fuel belt to carry bars and gels is really important during long runs and races. I wear the Nathan Sport’s 7.5k Elite and like it because it isn’t bulky, yet has enough room to hold my keys, bars, gels, etc.

I’ve even attached an extra velcro pocket to it so that I can carry my camera with me during races and get pics along the way.

#6. Electrolyte hydration tablets. I have tried the NUUN and CamelBak Elixir tablets. These are so important for the runs and workouts where you are sweating a ton and drinking a lot of water. They are easy to carry and adding just one tablet to a bottle of water helps replace many of the electrolytes you are sweating out. I think they taste really good as well!

#7. Energy Bars! I can’t even tell you how many different brands and flavors of energy bars I have tried, but I know it is a lot. These Clif bars are two of my favorites. During really long runs, I prefer to have some solid food, rather than just gels and GU’s. Often, I will cut up one of these into bite size pieces and carry it with me in a Ziploc bag to eat during the run.

#8.  Clif Shot Bloks. These are wonderful for those that cannot tolerate the consistency of energy gels. They come in several different flavors. I really like the red flavors: strawberry, black cherry, cran-razz, etc. However, I thought the margarita flavor (with extra sodium) was gross!

#9. Gels and GU’s. The consistency of these may not be my favorite, but they do their job well! This last weekend, I bonked around mile 20 of the Suntrust National Marathon and they were passing out Vanilla GU’s right about this time. Oh my goodness, about 10 minutes after I took one of these, I felt my second wind kick in and felt so much better! They are really easy to carry and pack around as well. Before I had a running pack, I used to just safety pin these to my shorts!

#10. Wet One’s single wipe packets. This may seem like an odd item to include, but trust me they have come in handy! Whether it is for wiping the sticky GU off your hands from energy gels, wiping sweat off your face, or making a pit stop in the woods, these are priceless! I always pack a few of these with me during long runs and use them every time.

#11. Foam rollers.  I have had so many issues with my IT band and knees over the last couple of years. The foam roller has been THE BEST investment for me. I roll out my legs before and after I run and have much less trouble with my IT band and knees when I use it consistently. I recently had to purchase a new foam roller because my first one was bowed down in the middle from using it so much! I also have a smaller one that is the perfect size to fit into a gym bag for traveling.

That’s my top 11!

Happy running! Please let me know if you have any questions. You can check out my site at FoodsThatFit.com.