Disclaimer: I am not being sponsored or paid to promote any of the following products or brands. I am simply sharing what I am currently loving. As always, all opinions are my own.
Every runner needs shoes, clothes, and sports bras (if they’re a female). But what else am I currently heavily relying on, especially while in the midst of marathon training?
1. Body Glide. Running in the summer, especially when its incredibly hot and humid, leads to a lot of sweating, which increases the potential for chafing. I probably don’t need to tell you how much chafing hurts, especially when you get into the shower right after a run. Ouch!
2. KT Tape. Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been getting some horrible chafing, even after lathering up with body glide before I head out for a run. I read online a suggestion about putting KT Tape over the area that is prone to chafing, and tried this out for the first time during last Saturday’s long run. When I arrived home after my run, I found that the KT Tape had worked, and that I hadn’t chafed!
3. Camelbak Hydration Vest. I received my Camelbak for Christmas from my father-in-law, and have used it for every run over 6 miles (unless I’m running with the stroller) since I received it. I love that it holds enough water for a double digit run, even on hot and humid days, and that there’s enough pockets to also hold other essentials, including my fuel, phone, and key.
4. Gu Energy Gels and Clif Bloks. These are my go to fuel for my long runs. I alternate between taking a gel or eating a couple of energy chews, and this system seems to work well for me.
5. Eagle Creek Pack-It Sport Kit. As a Rock ‘n’ Blogger, I received this as a complimentary gift from Eagle Creek, and have found it to be the perfect solution to traveling with sweaty running shoes and clothes. I always hesitate to bag up my running clothes post run with my other dirty laundry while traveling, but have found Eagle Creek to be the perfect solution to keeping the sweaty shoes and clothes separate from my other clothes. And the best part? The bag is machine washable, so I can throw it in the laundry with all of my dirty clothes to get the sweat stink out.
QOTD: What running essentials are you currently loving?
I’m linking up for the Friday Five 2.0 linkup. Many thanks to the wonderful ladies at Fairytales and Fitness and Running on Happy for hosting!
I’m looking for some new hydration solution for my longer runs. I carry a 1 L bottle with me (which can be a pain), and I go through it about every 5 miles. That means on my long runs I either have to circle back home to refill, or strategize my route to hit the water fountains. I’ve been considering the different backpacks, but I’m not sure I want that extra weight on my back at the start of my runs
I was worried that I’d feel the weight, but I really don’t notice it at all. And as you get further into your run, it gets lighter as you drink more of the water.
Oh, I hadn’t heard about the KT tape for chafing, what a great idea! So far the body glide has been working for me but my runs have been topping out around 6 in the Summer. I’m going to have to keep that in mind for when my runs get long again.
Body glide seems to be working for me for about 5-6 miles, but anything longer than that and it sweats off and stops serving its purpose.
Body glide is my friend too! I never thought about putting KT tape on the avoid chaffing. I have 1 spot in my back from my sports bras that can chafe every so often, might try that out. My favourite go to right now is my kids bouncy ball! Silly I know but it’s great for me sore feet. I stand or sit and rub my feet over it, it’s small, hard and handy!
I’ll have to give the ball idea a try. Thanks!
Body Glide and KT Tape are at the top of my list as well!
I highly recommend that they be at the top of most runners’ lists.
I use BodyGlide Skin almost every day. No gels/gus for me and I avoid KT tape unless I absolutely need it!
I’ve never heard of Body Glide Skin before. I’ll have to do some research.
It’s just like BodyGlide but it’s a cream instead of the stick. It works better for me for some reason.
That eagle creek pack it sounds great. I usually just put mine in a plastic bag.
I had been doing that with my clothes, but not my shoes. I like how well the pack fits a pair of shoes, my ankle brace, and 1 set of running clothes. Its the perfect size.
Yes on the Body Glide. Now that I live in Colorado, it’s pretty dry. I started chafing in places I never chafed before.
Yikes! And thanks for the Clif bloks. They arrived last week. I plan to try them out during Saturday’s long run.
Great list! I’ve been a Gu fan for years… always been my go-to and still is! And I’m recently LOVING my Garmin 235!
Gu was the first energy source that I tried out, and its still working well for me. No need to change what works!
KT Tape and Body Glide are two must haves for me!. I also love the Eagle Creek pack – perfect for race-cations!
Absolutely!
Right now, I am loving my AfterShokz TrekzTitanium headphones! I love the bluetooth and the sound quality is awesome.
I have a pair of them and love them as well.
My favorite training essential is a good set of compression socks or sleeves. They’re great for running, but awesome for recovery.
Oh yes, I can’t imagine recovering without them. Well, I can, but it wouldn’t be as enjoyable.
Whoever created bodyglide should be knighted, in my opinion!!
Amen!
I used to love those chews until I broke my crown on one during the NYC Half! I love my Nathan vest and fuel belt for shorter runs.
Yikes, that sounds painful!
The Eagle Creek Pack sounds great! I used to use Glide, but have found that plain old vaseline works best for me!
Vaseline works well for me for recovery, but not so well when I’m running.