A Few Of My Favorite Things

People say that the great thing about running is that you don’t need any equipment, but there are a few things that make running more enjoyable for me.

1. Running shoes. I have learned that good running shoes are key. It really pays to go to a running store where they will assess your gait and match you up with the right shoes. I am a moderate pronator and need some stability. My Mizuno Wave 6 have served me well.
2. iPod. I know some people don’t like running with music, but sometimes a great playlist is what gets me out of bed in the morning, and there have been many times when my tunes have kept me going strong when my legs were ready to quit. My song lists are filled with pop music–especially girls like Beyonce, Pink, Katy Perry, and Lady Gaga.
3. Garmin. I wear my Garmin on all of my outdoor runs, assuming that it hasn’t gotten knocked off its charger and drained its battery. On training runs, I usually only check the mile splits, or check the pace if I feel like I might be running too fast or too slow. During races I check it more frequently to monitor my pace and stay on target.

Those are my three “essentials”–what are yours?