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.
38 Comments
Great post! I am a Mizuno girl all the way! I really want to get a Garmin!!
Thanks so much Tina!! This was really fun for me to put together 🙂
Great post, I am going to forward this to my husband who is a long distance runner!
hooray! this was a great post, i loved the pictures with every item– you are a great running role model 🙂
thank you so much for this list!!!! my friends have been looking for an alternative to the typical backpack camelbak and i am so excited to see other options! thanks
Wow, that is so impressive! How do you use the foam roller?
What an awesome informative post! I am a beginner runner and have been trying to figure out what I need amongst all the options available. Thanks for sharing!
This is the best running gear post I have ever seen! runner’s world should take lessons! I am also not good at team sports and pretty slow, but have lots of endurance, and i feel better knowing I am not alone!
I will definitely check out the running belt and water bottle! fabulous. thanks abbie and tina!
Awesome guest post! I love the list format – so practical and helpful.
GREAT POST, ABBIE!!
Great post – as a runner I really appreciate the practical information. I too am a Mizuno girl and am dying to get a Garmin! The one thing not on the list that I would have had on mine is Body Glide for long runs to avoid chaffing!!!
Awesome post Abbie!!! A lot of these things are definitely on my list of things to get!!
Amazing post! I am trying to get into running and this is all so helpful. I tried Cola flavored Shot Blocks, yuck. Love the Wet Ones idea and the way you carry your camera. Also, I really want to get foam rollers — the only time I tried to run outside I had to stop from so much pain high up on the outside of my thigh. Thanks!
Awesome guest post – as a beginning runner, I just learned so much!
great post! I should look into Gracie’s Gear.
Great post! I never knew runners used all this before! Very helpful! I love that you added the velcro for your camera!
Abbie you are just the best! 🙂 I love all your tips!!! 🙂
Love this post. I think it’s so helpful to a lot of us who just started running!
Great guest post!!! I looooovvvvee foam rollers!! and cliff shots-chocolate espressos my fav- and shot blocks and basically your entire list!!
Yay Abbie! Great post!
Wonderful, wonderful post!! After reading the posts of the trail run you girls did last weekend-i have signed up for two! This info is definitely going to help me out-thank you!!
Great post! I’m hoping to break into the running world very soon (just need a little $ for decent shoes and I’m set!). Thanks for the ideas 😀
Great post and great products!
Great guest post!!
Great guest post — love the list!!
Great guest post! Perfect for my first half marathon planning/training. I’ve yet to come across something to eat during a run. I think I will try the shots.
Tina, do you eat anything during a long run?
@Hangry Pants: I don’t, but I am starting to think that I should!
Great guest post from a wonderful blogger!!
I loved this guest post! Abbie is just great!
Oh my gosh that was sooo informative (Especially since I have been trying to get back into running. I wish this post was around 8 years ago when I was on the cross country team!!)!! Especially about all those shots and gels, I have seen them everywhere but didn’t really know what they were used for!! Thanks so much!!
What a great post! I am getting ready to run in my first half in about a month and all of these will be so helpful to me. Thank you!
A lot of excellent information. I can’t go running though with all those gels and stuff weighing me down. I only run between 4-7 miles when I run though, so I don’t need any extra energy.
FABULOUS guest post!
Great post!! I’m a big fan of quite a few things mentioned here (are those Wave Rider 11’s? I have a pair in my current rotation) and am always looking for more fun things to try out. Have you found a good sweat-proof sunblock?? I haven’t found anything that holds up over time.
Thanks so much for such an informative post! As a beginning runner, I learned a lot!
Love Foods that Fit! Abbie’s a sweetheart. This post is chock full of good ideas – some items I haven’t considered. Thanks for the guest post, Abbie!
Oh my gosh that was sooo informative (Especially since I have been trying to get back into running. I wish this post was around 8 years ago when I was on the cross country team!!)!! Especially about all those shots and gels, I have seen them everywhere but didn’t really know what they were used for!! Thanks so much!!