Running Crew

In college, my lady friends and I spent Thursday through Saturday traveling as a posse, getting ready together to go to the bars, pre-gaming as we did each other's hair and make-up.

It was a little like Mean Girls, except we were more concerned with being drunk than being popular.

Today, my life is nothing like that. NO THING. But I still like to pretend I travel with a crew, which is what I have affectionately named my must-have running/exercise items.

iPod

I don't go anywhere without my 6th gen iPod Nano, it's pretty much a rule. I know all the haters out there have serious gripes with the cut backs from the 5th gen, but I have said all along that I wanted a version of a Shuffle that has a screen, and Apple heard my prayers and delivered.

Earphones

The engineers at Apple must not be runners (or humans) because their earbuds suck. I have tried countless pairs of headsets and these are the ones that piss me off the least.

Dihydrogen Monoxide

Since I'm on not one but two prescription diuretics, I need to have water on me at all times. These flat, bendy bottles fit everywhere and they come in tons of colors so it's easy to accessorize. Plus, they're super chouette. I have every color in the rainbow stashed in every place imaginable, and I love how easy it is to carry one during runs.

Sweaty beast

I am a sweaty beast in temperatures exceeding 71 degrees Fahrenheit. At the gym, I use small hand towels to keep from puddling into the floor, and outdoors I double up on wristbands and avoid running under power lines. Good times.

Keeping score

It's not Garmin, but it fits my needs perfectly. I really just use it for the stopwatch and heart rate functions to better pace myself during runs. I manually input the information into my MapMyRun.com account to keep track of my progress over a longer period of time. It works for me.

Metatarsal lovin'

Okay, I don't actually own this pair (although I'm DYING for pink ones), but if you're feeling generous feel free to send some my way (PS I wear a size 40-41). I do my general stuff (errands, walking around, Pilates) in Classics. I reserve my Bikila LS strictly for outdoor running, and I alternate between indoor/outdoor when wearing my Sprints. If I know I'm going to have an intense day at the gym, I also rock a pair of ADIpure by Adidas which I only ever use indoors on equipment and only if I feel like punishing the elliptical machine (they're much cushier on the soles of my feet than any of my Five Fingers).

The Powerhouse

I took a Pilates class in college, it was beginners' level with girls of all shapes and sizes. I thought I'd fit right in. Instead, I found out the long and hard way that I am better at some exercises than others and being in a group setting made for very unforgiving circumstances. My instructor did her best to help me through my struggles, but with twenty other students needing attention my personal needs were sacrificed. My mom bought this DVD for herself but I saw fit to claim it as my own when I found that the workout combines three different intensities simultaneously. So for the exercises I am more adept at, I follow Suzanne; when I need to take it easy, look to the chick in blue; middle of the road... the hottie in green. Instead of sitting through exercises that are too hard or going through the motions of ones that are too easy, you can pick which intensity suits your capacity for each exercise.

For a shorter, more intense workout I use Hilary Burnett's Pilates Intermediate (believe me, you'll be THANKFUL it's only 30 minutes long), and I also have Brooke Siler's The Pilates Body to supplement the exercises that I feel I'm missing. I do my routine on a foam mat my parents gifted me for Christmas a few years back, I'm pretty sure it came from Walmart but I could be wrong. I prefer the soft, felted foam over the thicker rubber mats because I have really sensitive pressure points in my lower back and this mat helps relieve some of that discomfort as I roll around on the floor.

Indecent exposure

Mel C from the Spice Girls spent the first stages of Spicemania in Adidas track pants. I, as a very impressionable ten year old, have since had an unrelenting obsession with everything Adidas. All my running shorts: Adidas. The trainers I owned before I discovered the wonders of Vibram: always Adidas. Nowadays, I know better and I've learned to vary my wardrobe when it comes to exercising. I still swear by Adidas shorts, but my pants/capris are Active by Old Navy. I love the fit and durability, plus they're rather inexpensive which is really important since I'm having to replace all my clothes in smaller sizes every few months. I only ever wear regular tanks or racer back tanks (I feel wrong in t-shirts) and I don't care about the cotton vs dri-fit debate. I have lots of dri-fit items, and I have lots of cotton items; it makes no difference to me in terms of comfort or chafing. EXCEPT when it comes to sports bras. At a full C cup, I am no stranger to heat rash under the ladies so the rule is very strictly NO COTTON (with absolutely no preference when it comes to brand/styling). I don't wear socks... ever. I keep my hair in a semi-tight bun and most of the time I use those thin elastic hair bands to keep the fly-aways out of my face.

Above all, it's important to keep from walking out the door looking like the Sun Drop girl