This week's theme is Favorites and I thought I'd take this as an opportunity to talk about my current favorite running accessories since I received some things for my birthday that I haven't had a chance to talk about.
1. My Garmin Forerunner 220 was a birthday gift from my parents. I've been using it for about a month at this point and I love it so far. I had been using runkeeper on my phone before that and it was fine at first. But for some reason the accuracy really began to decline starting in the spring. It told me my last 10 k race was more than 8 miles! The Garmin seems much more accurate. I also love that it's on my wrist and therefore easy to glance down and check pace, time, etc. I just learned how to set the intervals on the watch as well. I definitely have to keep learning how to use it so I can figure out all the options. The only thing I like better about run keeper is that the online interface is more appealing, but that's subjective anyway.
2. Mike got me a flipbelt for my birthday and it's awesome! I know you're not supposed to try something new on race day but the first time I tried it was for the 10k race I did in June. Before that I had been using an arm band but it starts to be uncomfortable around 4 miles. Plus, the flipbelt holds so much more. For those that aren't familiar with the flipbelt, it's essentially a long tube you wear around your waist or hips. It doesn't have any separation so you just pull is on like a pair of pants. There are four access points to the inside of the tube around the outside of the belt. The inside of the tube is just one long pocket. I put my phone in there, as well as raisins for fuel, ID, money, and keys. It all fit with no problem and I didn't feel any uncomfortable bouncing at all. I was worried about things falling out but it's all very secure. The only downside I've noticed is that it can ride up from my hips to my waist and can shift around a bit. For example, my I'd started out towards my back and was more at my side when I finished my last run.
3. I wore two new things for that 10k race to compound my don'ts. But thankfully both were awesome! My in-laws gave me an amazon gift certificate for my birthday and I used it to purchase a pair of running sunglasses. I really needed a pair that wouldn't fall of while running but I had been hesitant to spend a lot of money and they all seemed to cost a lot. Yay for gift cards! I had read a couple reviews for the Under Armour Marbella sunglasses so I decided on those. They are so comfortable, lightweight, and fit so well. I love them and they definitely help out on these hot and sunny summer runs.
4. Speaking of hot summer runs, I've needed to have something for electrolyte replacement. I've visibly noticed salt on my skin after my long runs, which is kind of gross. I knew water alone wouldn't cut it any more. I had gotten a few Nuun samples in April and they worked well so I bought a nuun sample pack from Amazon. I love them! They have very few calories but provide the needed electrolytes and taste pretty good. I definitely feel better with them than just drinking water.
5. Does the treadmill count? I don't enjoy the treadmill as much as running outside and I run slower on it but I have to admit it's a refreshing change to running outside when the heat and humidity are high.
As an added bonus have you seen this video about things cats do that would be creepy if we did them? It's pretty hilarious :)
I hope you all have a great weekend! I'm running an evening race tomorrow with some friends and it's my first 8k to boot. Anyone else racing this weekend?
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