In comparison to other sports, running doesn’t require a lot of gear. With that said, there are certainly lots of products out there that make it more enjoyable, keep you comfortable, or promote recovery. This week we asked our Without Limits challengers Siobhan and Tara about their favorite running gear.
Siobhan Maize
I was asked about my favorite run gear this week of the Without Limits Challenge. That is a really hard question for me to answer because I have a whole list of favorite run gear! There are several things I don’t think I could do without, but I was able to narrow it down to one thing that I couldn’t run without….my running skirt. Let me preface it by saying that I’m not a girlie girl. I never, ever thought I’d ‘convert to skirt’ before I tried out my first running skirt. Now I can’t live without the comfort and convenience of a running skirt. It has the comfort of compression shorts with the added ‘coverage’ of the skirt over the shorts. It also has just enough pockets to hold gels, keys, my iPod, and even my phone! I love that I don’t have to carry any other case in order to run a marathon and have all of my nutrition with me. My favorite brand is Skirt Sports (and I’m a brand ambassador now)–but I really can’t say enough good things about a running skirt. A gear must have for me!
Tara Marlowe
When it comes to running and training gear, I do have some items that have become my favorites. When the weather is cooler out, I always turn to my NikePro Running tights. I have the standard colors, but when it comes to running tights, I say the brighter the better. I love the funky colors, and I find that these particular tights stay put when I am running, no matter the distance or pace. My running shoes for the past 5 years have always been Asics, Asics Gel Noosa Tri to be exact. I try to keep 3-4 pair of these running shoes on hand at a time so that I can alternate them on runs. However, I do have a favorite pair out of those four that I tend to turn to for races. I absolutely love these shoes!! And when it comes to socks, I must say that the only running sock I wear are my Balegas. I absolutely love them. When I first started really running I used to think that I didn’t need to spend money on running socks. I thought any sock would do just fine. Boy was I wrong. When you really start to up your miles in training you need to have good socks that are not only comfortable, but will also help proctect your feet, and my Balegas never let me down!
When it comes to running, it is funny how each runner has their own favorites; their own little quirks. The smallest thing can sometimes throw a runner off when it comes to raceday, and sometimes that little thing can be their gear. As a runner, when you find a particular piece of gear that you love, whether it be shoes, socks, or even a headband, it is hard to think about wearing something else. Especially on the day of a race.