Running necessities

Everyone’s list of what they have to have for running is surely different… but here is the list of things I would have a hard time without.

1) Bodyglide. Oh I suppose you could use Vaseline, but I like bodyglide the best. Almost eliminated my blisters. If I make a mistake of heading out without it on say… a rainy day… ouch! Skin rubs raw.
2) Runderwear. Synthetic undies. And that is all I have to say about that.
3) Dryfit hat. I like to run in a hat because it keep the sweat out of my eyes a bit better. Yeah I know it also holds heat in… but in general the weather isn’t too hot where I live. The dryfit hats are great because they can go a lot longer between washes without smelling like a dead thing.
4) Good shoes. I started running on just a pair of old sneakers. They worked… but my knees etc… didn’t feel great. When I switched to a better pair of shoes a lot of the little aches and pains went away.
5) Synthetic shorts and shirts. I pretty much run in 100% synthetic stuff. Underwear… socks, shirts… shorts and hats. Cotton gets very heavy when sweaty and tends to rub the skin raw a lot faster.

Not necessities… but I really like

1) GPS watch. While I have most of my routes down distance wise… I like to know how fast I am running. I love my Garmin 305. It is also handy when running new routes.
2) Fluid belt. Very handy on long runs when I don’t have the loop option or other water options. I don’t use this very often… but if you are running longer than an hour… your really have to have some way to get fluids.
3) IPod. I don’t recommend running in high traffic areas, be the auto or pedestrian or bike or whatever, without being about to hear, but an IPod is very nice company on 3 hour runs when your mind can become your worst enemy. I have listened to audiobooks for a break from music. I recommend the smallest IPod… the shuffle for running. I have had too much trouble with the Nano’s dying from sweet or otherwise.
4) Gatorade powder. Very nice during and after runs… and much cheaper than bottles.