If you would have told me anytime prior to 5 years ago that I would voluntarily go running and that I would look forward to it and enjoy it, I would have thought you were nuts!

I was the kid who dreaded the mile in gym class and looked for any excuse to get out of it. It wasn’t until I was in the best shape of my life in grad school that I ran my first mile without walking… And I wouldn’t say I enjoyed it…

Since having my two little ones and finding the importance of a free workout I can do with the kids, I have come to love running and love all my must-have accessories for running. I have some things that I’ve found so helpful, I just have to share them! I also have a must-have that I need to share with my fellow curvier runners or Mommas struggling with the baby pooch and the multiple issues it causes as you run.

When I first started running, I was so self-conscious and didn’t have many clothes that fit so I ran in full sweatpants (yes, sweatpants… In the summer...) and very large cotton t-shirts. I ran with the stroller, so I set my phone on that. I used some random tennis shoes – I actually think I ran in some of those awful Sketchers with the bubbly bottom… and I struggled to keep my hair under control with barrettes all over my head.

The important thing is, I got out there and I started! More importantly, I got comfortable and I stuck with it.

If you’re a first-time runner, or if you’ve been running for a while, I’ve got some accessories that I use each time I run and I’m going to share them so you don’t have to struggle like I did. Let’s start from the head to the toes…

Running Essentials and Must-Haves: Accessories

Sparkly Soul Headbands

Sparkly Soul Headbands are my favorite! I have a child-size head and every headband I’ve tried slips off. After trying quite a few others, these are the only bands I use. They stay in place and they keep my hair back during any workout. I wear them all. the. time.

They are full elastic all the way around and lined with a velvety material so they really don’t slip. Occasionally, after wearing them the millionth time, they do start to feel a little loose. So far, I’ve been able to tighten them back up by tossing them in the wash.

Who doesn’t love a little sparkle?!

FlipBelt

I was given one of these to review last year when I got my enormous phone that no longer fit into an armband. It is amazing because it will fit so many things and it stays in place. It also makes it easier to pull your phone out to change a song.

They come in different sizes and as I’ve lost weight, it has gotten a little loose and will bounce and slip down with the weight of my phone. I find that a trip through the wash also helps the belt to tighten up a bit again as well.

Tummy Band

This has been a lifesaver! For all you Momma’s with a bit of a pooch, or ladies who have lost weight and your skin hasn’t quite caught up, running can be difficult.

I always wore very baggy cotton shirts and things jiggled uncomfortably. Once I got this band, everything stayed in place and I was a lot more comfortable as I ran. It also helped my pants stay up (because jiggling can really make those slide down, and nothing is worse while trying to run) and it keeps my flipbelt in place better too.

I’m not going to lie, that thing is hot! I always take it off to find it completely soaked, but I haven’t found a better alternative so I’m keeping it.

Shoes

I’m no shoe expert and I have no idea what to look for and have never been fitted for a running shoe, but I know what feels good. I’ve run in Sketchers (including those awful tone-ups…) but, although I’ve loved them since the 90s, I haven’t found a good pair for running. I’ve run in Nike, New Balance, Mizouno (trail shoes) and Reebok and those have all been ok and felt pretty good, but…

Nothing has compared to how comfy my Altra One shoes are!

I won them from a blogger and I tried them out a couple times but they looked a little goofy with the wide front and I stuck to whatever pair I was wearing the most at the time. I recently started wearing them again and I LOVE THEM!

The room at the toe give your feet room to spread out as you run, and the zero drop soles feel so comfortable! They are also extremely light and cool. I’m pretty obsessed right now!

Apps

I couldn’t end there without mentioning the apps I use while I run. I started with Couch to 5K when I first started running and gave up on it once I preferred to just keep running, but I’ve recently started up with the C25K app again because I needed to get my drive back to keep going and to increase my speed. I love having someone (something?) to push me through.

I listen to Pandora as I run and I love not knowing what is coming next (although sometimes that definitely does not work in your favor) and I’ve had a couple runs where my workout station turns into 90s rap hits and I love it!

I also track with RunKeeper. I like to get updates on my speed and distance as I go. Although, the app has been glitchy lately and hasn’t been tracking, but I think there is an update I haven’t done so hopefully that will be fixed.

Last bit of technology, I run with my fitbit, but I’m new to it so I don’t track my activity and it always seems to turn to sleep mode on me, which seems really odd.

 

There you have it! I’ll share my favorite running clothes next week, but these are all of the accessories that I have to have for each run.

 

What are your running must-haves?

Do you have any better suggestions for holding in the mommy pooch that wouldn’t be so hot? Or, do you have some fitbit knowledge to diagnose my problem of it turning to sleep mode?

Get Ya Some