So here it goes with my Top Five:
- Vibram Five Fingers
- You may have heard of the barefoot or minimalist movement. There are about a thousand books you can read about it and people will love to tell you how great it is for you (if they like it themselves) or how it causes more problems then it solves (if they think the idea is dumb, or tried it and hated it, or are scared to try it or any number of things.) I have never run in traditional running shoes. And from what I understand if you are going to transition from a traditional shoe to a barefoot/minimalist shoe you should start at the beginning. You will run differently in a minimalist shoe. If I try to run with a heal strike in my Five Fingers I can feel the pain straight to the top of my head, not pleasant. But I love to feel the ground beneath my feet. I'm sure I trip and fall just as often (maybe even a little less) then I would in "normal shoes." People either love them or really don't like them at all. There doesn't seem to be much of a middle ground, but they are one of my favorite shoes to wear when doing anything athletic from running and walking to biking to yoga and Pilates. They are my go to shoe.
- LUNA bars
- I just discovered these and they are my newest favorite thing. Before an early morning long run when I need a little bit of fuel, these site really easy on my stomach and are great to have after a tough late morning workout too. I am not a fan of protein bars or diet bars or anything that doesn't taste like real food. LUNA bars are more like a grown-up granola bar. They are made for women (though you guys can have some too if you ask nicely) and are each under 200 calories. If you are trying to cut out sugar though, these do have a bit of that. I have tried a few so far and my favorites are the ones with nuts, White Chocolate Macadamia and Vanilla Almond. I wasn't a big fan of the Carmel Nut Brownie or the S'Mores because they both tasted more like a health bar then I would have liked. My next tasting adventure will be the LUNA Minis which are only 80 calories and could be a great midmorning snack!
- Run Keeper
- Great mobile app! It is a GPS based app that tracks your speed and distance on your outings. You can change the settings to alert you when you have reached a certain time or distance among other things. It has a coaching feature as well if you are looking to do intervals. The service also has a website and sends you emails when you complete a workout. (I'm sure there is a way to turn that off, but it doesn't bother me so I haven't touched it.) Oh and did I mention that it's free from iTunes?
- AMR - Another Mother Runner
- The more I read from Another Mother Runner the more I like the pair of ladies that started this amazing online and on the run community. They have inspired me to keep moving forward and also have got me thinking on ways to bring the movement message to others.
- I love listening to podcasts more then music when I run and the AMR ladies do a 30 minute podcast which is great to listening to on those morning runs. I can get a few miles in by the end of the podcast and I feel like I have just had a conversation with some girlfriends. I haven't been able to find other female running podcasts that I like (if you know of one, would you share?)
- For more on why AMR is a favorite thing check out my post "I choose it for me."
- Sprigs Banjees Wrist Wallet
- I really don't like those upper arm contraptions to put your phone or mp3 player in and this wrist wallet was just what I was looking for. Mine is a simple gray, but the website is full of fun colors and patterns. There are two different sizes a regular and a BIG. The regular size only has one zipper pocket while the BIG has an additional hooded pocket that fits my iPhone in its case. I can carry around a few bucks, the clicker for my car, an id, a credit card (in the zipper pocket) and my phone (in the hooded pocket) as needed when I go out for a run. It does take a little getting used too as the phone can be a little heavy at first. I wear the wallet a little higher up my arm then right at my wrist. The husband has one as well, but he doesn't like the weight of his phone on his wrist. We use them not only for runs, but anytime we go out and don't want to carry a purse or a wallet in a back pocket. Very handy!
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| One of my 3 pairs currently in rotation. Welcome to Crazy. |
There we go! My current five favorite running related things.
What are your favorite things right now?
