My Favorite Running Gear

I'm linking up with The Lady Okie and Sunshine to the Square Inch today and talking about my favorite running gear. 

As any runner knows, the most important piece of gear is your pair of shoes. About three years ago, I bought my first pair of Brooks and I haven't looked back. While my first pair were an Adrenaline GTS model, after I began racing about two and a half years ago, I switched to Books' lightweight line, the Pure Project. I run in Brooks PureCadence. I'm on my fourth pair of these (I think). I tend to pronate when I run, so I need some stability, but I like a lightweight shoe. The PureCadence is a great fit for me. I've heard rave reviews from other runners who run in different models of the Pure line and they love theirs as well.

I live in the sunny south, so the majority of my running with the exception of winter time, is done outside in the heat and humidity. I like to run in tank tops. Most of my tops are some type of Nike dri-fit. I prefer the Racer tank. I have quite a few dri-fit t-shirts as wells for those days that it's slightly cool or to use as another layer in the cold. I also have a few Reebok Dri Fit tanks that fit as well as Nike, but are slightly less expensive.

I am very loyal to my Nike Tempo running shorts. With the exception of a few pairs of monogrammed shorts from Old Navy (their brand is great) and another brightly patterned pair I picked up at Dick's Sporting Goods, all of my running shorts are Nike Tempos. I just love them.

Almost as important as the type of shoes you run in is the type sock you wear. I doubt it will surprise you that I run in Nike socks. I like Nike's dri-fit no-show socks. I also like the no-show socks from Finish Line. It's their in-house brand and in my opinion, they are as good as Nike's. Mine have a little more cushion than my Nike socks and I like to wear those when I'm doing a longer run.

As far as other gear is concerned, I have a pair of compression socks that I like to wear after some longer runs. I bought these Red Lion Neon Glide compression socks from Amazon.com last year and love them. I didn't want to spend $45 or more on compression socks since I wasn't sure if I would like them and because I'm not a half marathoner (typically) or a marathoner and I don't feel the need for compressions socks running 5Ks and 10Ks. I will say that buying these socks is about the best $15 I've spent on non-essential gear. I wore them after my half last year and wear them around after 7-8 milers. I don't run in them though.

Finally, I don't ever race without my Garmin. Kevin gave me a Garmin Forerunner 110 for Valentine's Day a few years ago and I love it. If you're interested in purely time, distance and pace, I'd suggest this model. It also comes with a heart rate monitor. 

What are your running must-have items?