11 Fitness Items I CANNOT Live Without!

I saw this on Hungry Runner Girl's blog and I wanted to share the top 11 things that I cannot live without! I couldn't narrow it down to 10 so I have 11! When I prepare for a long training run or travel for a race, these are the things that would send me into a mad panic if I forgot to bring them along with me!

Here is my list of fitness items that I am incredibly thankful for and have learned to love!

1) Garmin Forerunner 620-This is my favorite Garmin by far and the top item that I just cannot live without! It provides so much running data and I just love it! I love the Live Track option and the fact that the data automatically uploads to Garmin Connect.

2) GU Energy Gel-My favorite flavors are Jet Blackberry and Salted Caramel. The energy kick that this gel gives me during a race or a long run is amazing. The Salted Caramel flavor tastes just like candy so it's like a treat while I am out on my runs. You have to try it if you have not already! They just released a new flavor, Salted Watermelon, that I am dying to try!

3) Foam Roller-This thing has saved my life! If you don't have one, please go and buy one and start using it! After being injured so many times, I became religious about using my foam roller. I use it after all of my runs and it has made a huge difference! I can now run 20 miles and have no soreness the next day. I like the extra firm one because it really hurts so good!

4) The Stick-This is the best for sore legs. I even have the travel sized version that fits inside my bag. I never leave home without it and I even take it to work with and secretly use it at my desk. It is also the best thing to have on hand for relays when you are cramped inside of a van overnight.

5) 20 oz. Amphipod Hand-Held Water Bottle- I have been trying to kick the hydration belt lately because it is just so much easier to just carry my hand-held. I can't be without my water so I have yet to master running a race using the course supplied hydration. I can go pretty far on this bottle without having to refill it and the outside pocket works perfect for holding my Chapstick.

6) Fitletic Ultimate II Running Belt (with Bib Holder and Fuel Slots)- I love that the front pocket is just the perfect size for my phone and the belt has slots to hold my GU's. The bib holder is great since I don't have to worry about forgetting safety pins on race day.

7) Body Glide-I learned a valuable lesson after my first marathon. I had some serious chaffing issues and I could feel my skin burning in the end of that race. Lesson learned and I never had that problem again since using Body Glide.

8) Nike Tempo Shorts-These are the most comfortable shorts that I have ever worn. I have tried other brands but my heart belongs to my tempo shorts which would explain why I have over 25 pairs of them!

9) Compression Socks- I wear both Pro Compression and CEP. I love them both. I wear them for all of my runs and they help me recover faster and improve my circulation. I have terrible tans lines from them but it's totally worth it to me!

10) KT Tape Pro- This tape has saved me when I have aches and pains and when I have been injured. I love this stuff! I only wear the Stealth Beige color though so I don't have to worry about matching it up with all of my clothes. I like the Pro version because it sticks better and is waterproof.

11) Nike Sun Visor-I cannot wear sunglasses when I run because I feel like I can't see. Weird..I know. I never run without my visor because it keeps the sun out of my eyes and the sweat off of my face.

What are your favorite fitness items that you cannot live without?  

Please share in the comments below.

A Good Kind of Pain

My calves have been really upset with me! I think I may have pushed them more than I should have but it sure felt good doing it. Let's see how this might have happened...15 miles on Sunday and then a nice 6 miler on Monday. I rested yesterday and spent the day in my CEP's even though they did not quite coordinate with my business attire dress code at work. I don't think anybody really noticed my socks since I spent lots of time in my office hiding out working for the most part.

I have been icing my calves, using my Stick and also using my TENS/EMS unit so I think I might be on my way to recovery. They are feeling better today and tonight I have 7 miles on deck.  My last two runs went better than expected so it's kind of hard to pass up a planned run when everything feels so right. I guess I will see how I feel tonight and make an executive decision. I know that I have to be careful...

This is kind of unrelated but I am loving this bag from Lululemon right now. My friend Shawna brought it to work and gave it to me because she had an extra one. It was kind of exciting to get my hands on this bag without having to drop my life savings on a cute running outfit! 

Are you a Lululemon fan?

 If you have never shopped there it is best that you don't even start because it can be pretty addicting.  I made the mistake of signing up to receive their Tuesday morning lulu-grams that tempt you with all of the new stuff for the week!

I Love to Torture Myself!

Maura sent me a text on Wednesday night asking me if I wanted to go to the LA Marathon Expo with her on Friday. I was hesitant to go to the Expo at first because I was already feeling sad about not being able to run the race. I decided that I might as well go and pick up the shirt that I paid for so off we went. I am a terrible co-pilot so we got lost of course, but we made it.

 I am kind of glad that I went because I have never ran the LA Marathon before so it gave me the opportunity to familiarize myself with the area and see how they run things.  I actually picked up my bib, t-shirt and my goodie bag and then we did some walking around. We spun a few wheels to get some prizes, ate and drank lots of free samples and visited the Lululemon trailer and took this silly picture.

One of the first things that we did was try out KT Pro Tape.  They were taping people up for free and I was curious to see if it really works.  The guy who was doing the taping was a PT so I explained my injury to him, hopped up on the table and he taped me right up. 

I don't know if it was in mind or not but I was able to get a great workout in that evening which included a jog/walk on the treadmill followed by serious 15 minutes on the elliptical without any pain.  I also had no pain when I got up  Saturday morning. The KT Pro tape is water resistant and can last up to a week or longer.  I showered with it on and it didn't come off so that was a plus.  I decided to take it off last night because I thought three days was good enough and I am going to buy more and attempt to re-tape myself.The PT told me that he would post an instructional video for me so that I can do it myself.  How nice of him!

I also did some shopping and decided to buy some CEP Recovery Compression socks. I have been wanting a pair and decided to treat myself! They were a little bit cheaper at the Expo not to mention no tax and no shipping costs! I am glad that I went to the Expo but at the same time it was a form of self torture when you know that you won't be crossing the starting line :(