Tools of My Trade, Part II

     The following list is Part II of the essentials I use during my runs.  They may not be quite as important as my list I posted in Part I, but they are pretty darn close.

     The clothes you wear during a run can be the difference between a good and a bad run.  In the summer time I personally like to wear shorts with briefs built into them.  I am considering trying out running in compression shorts this summer to see how they feel.  I live in Texas, and it gets hot and humid here, so it's really imperative for me to stay as cool as possible.  I have a tendency to get hot very easily.  I always wear dry wicking tank tops, too.  During the summer, I'm not much of a hat/visor person.  I always find wearing a hat keeps all that heat on my head, making me hotter.  I have yet to find a visor I like on my head, plus I wear glasses and they always tend to intefere with the fit of them. 

   
     During the winter, I wear either compression capris or leggings, a tank top, and a light pullover.  I tend to order my gear from Old Navy because I like that I can order petite size capris and leggings to accomodate for my smaller stature!  When it's really cold outside, I wear running pants over my leggings and an additional winderbreaker style jacket over my pullover.  Depending on the temperature and length of my run, I can take off layers while I am running to help me stay cool.  I will also wear a fleece headband to keep my ears warm and gloves to protect my hands from the cold! 

      And perhaps the most important piece of clothing, at least for us B.A.M.s, is a good sports bra.  When I was running and nursing, I needed some really good support for the girls.  Any of you mamas out there who have run with full boobs know how uncomfortable it can be if you don't have the proper support!  Don't go cheap on a bra!

     I do not use a GPS watch for my runs.  In order to keep up with with my time, tempo, and distance I use the RunDouble app on my phone.  They have several plans you can choose from if you want to train for a specific distance, but you can also program it for a custom run, including intervals!



     Finally, I like to run to music.  I know that there are some purists out there who don't believe in running with music, and others who think you shouldn't race with earbuds in your ears so that you can hear others around you.  I am not one of these people though.  Music motivates me and gets me pumped up for my run.  I have an eclectic playlist, and each song gets me moving!  I choose songs with good tempo, and they sometimes help me with my pace.  I don't have any songs downloaded on my phone, but I do use the Spotify app.  I love that I can add any song to a playlist, and if I buy a monthly subscription, I can pick the order of the playlist. 

What do you like to wear when you run?  Do you listen to music?  What songs get you motivated?

Run On!
KB