While training for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona marathon, I’ve been thinking about the items that I can’t leave home without, especially for longer runs. My Garmin Forerunner 110 comes with me on every run. Before I invested in the watch, I would have to plan out my route so I knew exactly the distance I needed to run. Now it is so much easier to just head out and get started. I can track my mileage and pace and I also love the ability to upload all of my workouts to the Garmin website and view my progress.
My newest must-have item is a running water belt. After researching different options, I recently added the Nathan Trail Mix Hydration Belt to my wish list and received it as a birthday gift from my brother. I’ve used it on three runs to date of 5, 6 and 8 miles and couldn’t be happier. It is lightweight, stays in place and extremely comfortable. The belt also allows me to carry my iPhone and other items that I’ll want with me on race day. While training for three previous half-marathons, I had never carried water/liquids. The belt has changed my training and I’ll have it with me for each long run and race day.
My Road ID is another must-have running item. Hopefully I’ll never need to rely on it, but it makes me feel better to have my key contact information with me. I typically don’t wear it on the same wrist as my watch, but it’s small enough that I definitely could. Road ID has several different options so you can choose if you’d rather have one for your wrist, ankle or shoe.
Last, but no less important, is body glide. When running longer distances, I started to experience chafing where the bottom of my sports bra was rubbing against my skin. Body glide is the cure to all of your chafing issues! Now I apply it regularly in that area and also to the back of my underarms.
Do you use any of these? Or are there other items you can’t leave home without?