Things I love Thursday - 3/17 Running Edition

Happy St. Patrick's Day! While I will probably be partaking in some activities this afternoon (probably just a green beer around lunch-time), I don't think I'll be going too crazy in the festivities.

I have a half-marathon to train for ;)

Speaking of the half, I definitely have some running essentials I'd love to share in the Things I love Thursday - Running Edition. 

 First of course is the fivefingers. The barefoot running thing can be a little intimidating at first, especially to those who either a. have not run before, or b. have ran in crazy heavy or crazy stabilizing shoes. I run better, faster, and with proper form in my fivefingers. I don't get as tired, and I honestly think they make me enjoy running MORE than I would in any other shoes. I have a pair of nike frees, which i use for treadmill runs, and a pair of asics that I bought two summers ago when I was doing all that crazy running. I like both of those shoes. But i LOVE my fivefingers.

Let me now introduce you to my ipod shuffle, Elle Woods. Elle Woods has "endorphins make you happy" inscribed on the back. She is my motivation for physical activity. Lately I've been running to the black swan soundtrack and Adele's 21. It's been great.

Running clothing - here we have the lululemon run swiftly long sleeve tee which is all kinds of incredible. yesterday was the third time i've worn it running and its NOT SMELLY. love. plus its super comfortable, doesnt ride up and has awesome thumbholes. Paired with a pair of (livestrong) nike tempo shorts and i'm good to go. this was actually my running outfit on the cruise ship and I am SO excited that I can wear it in Michigan again.

Another important part of running is the running HAIRSTYLE. now i know running is def. not a beauty pageant, but when you have long hair, it can be really frustrating to find something to do with it that isn't bothering you on your run. for me, the SIDE BRAID IS IT. it is actually my new go to hairstyle for everything, thanks to a Women's Health article talking about how its perfect for straight hair after using dry shampoo (love dry shampoo, esp. klorane)

Finally, my last necessity is my garmin (stats from yesterday's easy 2 miler). Nothing is more accurate for keeping track of your runs. I love that I can glance down and see how I'm doing in terms of distance and pace. And let's me honest, map my run sucks balls.

So that's them -- the things I need for successful runs. I do know that I'll need to get my hands on some sort of water holding device for longer-distance runs. Any suggestions?