These are a few of my favorite things

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens... OOPS, wrong post. ;)

I've been running races since May 2009. This has given me a lot of time to try different things, and you can bet I've come to love and stick with my favorites. :) So here they are:

Garmin: My running best friend! My watch is the Forerunner 405.

Camelbak: My OTHER running best friend! I NEVER EVER leave home without it for a long run. I'm really paranoid about hydration (plus Denver is SUUUPER dry). I've been asked about running with a backpack before, so this is what you see in my pictures! It's great because I don't have to stop and pull out a bottle which spills everywhere. Just bite the mouthpiece and suck the water out of the straw! I also like that it has two zipper pockets for me to put a snack, tissues, my phone, keys, id, and chapstick in!

Drink: After my runs, I like to drink Powerade to rehydrate. My favorite flavor is blue! ;)

Sports chews: Since moving to Denver in late 2009, I fell in LOVE with Sharkies chews. They are organic and vegetarian! Double score! I used to take these with me on any run longer than 4 miles and eat them during my workout.

Gels: To be honest, I NEVER liked gels. I tried the PowerBar gels over a year ago and due to its warm texture, I gagged and threw the rest of the pack away. So the Sharkies worked great because they are like gummy snacks. During the Denver Marathon last year, they were handing out GU Gels (they were a sponsor) and I decided to try one. OMG, it didn't taste bad or have a gross texture! So I've fallen in love with GU and I feel like the energy they give me during my workouts are WAAAAY superior to the Sharkies. (Sorry Sharkies, but I'm a GU girl now). YUM!

Shoes: Nike Air Pegasus+ Trail Shoes. The image below are the current shoes I run in. I'll be completely honest: since I started running races, I've ONLY used this particular model of shoe. It just works for me, so why should I try something else? I really like Nike because they are on the wider side, and my feet are wide. So it's a perfect fit! ;) (If you are interested in buying them, click the picture!)

Socks: My ABSOLUTE favorite are Injinji toe socks. I was NEVER a fan of toe socks (my sister can vouch for this), but with suuuuuper sweaty feet, they are perfect! They wick away all the moisture and make my runs very comfortable. :) I'll be honest, they are like $11- $15 a pair, but they are SOOOOO worth it! (I own 5 pairs!)

Bottoms: I've come to stick with Adidas pants, 3/4 pants, and shorts (although I'm sure there isn't much difference between them and other brands).

Sports bras: I also stick with Adidas for my sports bras. I like the climalite and clima365 series. I've tried others but theirs seem to fit me best, nice and tight. ;)

Tanks: I love the Nike Fit Dry tank with built in bra. My favorite tank is becoming harder to find these days, as they made a newer model which can be seen here. The image below is the newer version, but mine differs because the sides are mesh so you get airflow. ;)

Skirt Sports: Dresses and skirts! How could any girl NOT love their products?!? You look so cute! (Plus they're located locally in Boulder, CO! Support local!) (Image is me running the BolderBoulder last year!)

Race: My FAVORITE race I've ever run is the BolderBoulder. I ran it for the first time on memorial day last year. (See the pic above!) This was the first race that I ran that had wave starts! I LOVE this idea. At most races, they shoot the gun and blow the trumpets ONCE and 20 minutes later, you are crossing the starting line. NO FUN. But with the wave starts at the BolderBoulder, they shoot the gun and blow the trumpet 60+ times! This makes it so fun because you feel like you are actually a participant and racing with the people around you! I am SOOO looking forward to this race next month and I'm also excited I got to pick up my racing packet for it today! Looky what I got! (The Crocs were free, I did NOT pay for them. ;) )

In other news, I checked in for our flight tomorrow to head out to Salt Lake City! GAAAH! The marathon is ALMOST here!!!

xoxoxo