Fit Mama Runs...

Well today is a beautiful day in Tulsa!  It's 65 degrees with a slight breeze.  And after a great church service and lunch, I decided it was time for a run.  Babies went down for a nap and big kids stayed home to play with dad.  I got to try out my new running shorts!  Don't hate on my pasty legs...it is January afterall!

I went out with my runkeeper app set to coach me for 4 miles and I ended up running 5!  AND I felt great when I got home.  


It got me thinking about when I started running a little over a year ago and I had no idea that there was certain "gear" you should really have if you want to run!  No one ever told me...  I was at my first half marathon in May in my tank top, gym pants, and Nike Shox.  I am sure the runners there were laughing behind my back.  So when I decided I wanted to run all year round and even possibly train for a full marathon, I realized it was time to get some real running apparel.  So, I'm not like a professional runner and I don't race to win but I absolutely love running.  I came to find out that there are things you should and shouldn't wear and use if taking up this sport. 

Let's start with bottoms since I showed you my nice pic of my new running shorts.  Yes, there are certain shorts actually designed to run in.  Not just the cotton shorts you buy in the PJ section at walmart (like I wore last summer unknowingly).  My favorites are Nike running shorts like these:

I own 2 pairs of these and bought them directly from nike.com when they went on sale last summer.  They are sweat-wicking so you stay cool and are very well ventilated.  Also, they have a nice length, not too short.

The new shorts I bought this week (well my husband bought for me..) are the Brooks running shorts:

I wore these today and they are SO comfortable.  The waistband is thick and is way more comfortable than the Nike shorts.  They are a little shorter in length but still had good coverage.  I didn't feel like I was flashing anybody.  I highly recommend these.  I found them at sun n ski because we had a groupon there from a couple months ago we had to use up but you can also purchase them straight from brooksrunning.com.

For those cooler mornings (we've been so lucky this winter to have some very mild weather), I LOVE my Nike running leggings/tights.  I was a little self conscious at first because they're pretty tight but they're definitely a must.  Here is a pic from me the day I finished my 2nd half-marathon:

Those pants kept me surprisingly warm and cool at the same time (if that's possible).  They are the Nike tech tights and I bought them from our local running store, Fleet Feet.  But of course you can purchase them from Nike.com. 

Tops: 
Let's start with the sports bra just because that was a major deal breaker for me for years.  Because I couldn't find a supportive sports bra for running, I didn't run.  But, I did a TON of research and tried on probably a cajillion sports bras until I found the perfect one (for bigger busted women).  **side note**if you are on the smaller chest size, you may not have an issue with finding a good bra for high impact sports, such as running**
OK, so the best high impact sports bra is the Enell, as pictured below:

Oh yes, this thing is about as ugly as you could possibly get.  But I wasn't going for cute, I needed practical.  If it wasn't for this sports bra, I would not be running...period.  They are available in black too and maybe another color but this was all they had at my local running store, Fleet Feet.  I highly recommend finding a fitness store nearby where you can try it on, as it doesn't come in your traditional bra cup size.  And it is pricey, I believe I paid $60.  But, like I said, it is definitely worth every penny.


I am pretty simple when it comes to tank tops when I'm running.  I don't like anything that rides up and it has to be sweat-wicking.  I don't care about a built in shelf bra (as you know I've got my trusty Enell).  So, here is me modeling one of my favorite running tops:

Sorry you can't see that very well, but it's a champion brand (I got it at Target), it's super light-weight and made of 92% polyester, 8% spandex.  So, it doesn't ride up when I'm running and it is sweat-wicking.  There are lots of great options from Nike and Under Armor that you can pick up at your local sports store, but at my level of running, these type of tops work great. 

I stay pretty hot when I run, so on those chilly mornings, I'll put on my running tights, a running tank and my Nike zip up (I got from my hubby for my birthday).  This thing is awesome: another pic from my last half-marathon:

It is also sweat-wicking, has a small hidden pocket on the back (for a key or cc), has little pouches on the end of the sleeves where I can stick my hands in if they gets cold, thumb-holes to keep the jacket in place, and a loop on the back of the neck to keep your head phone cord in place.  This jacket is high tech!  And it's super cute.  I wore this on a chilly 29 degree morning and even a 55 degree day and it kept me both warm and cool, depending on the weather.  I'm not sure how they build all this cool technology into a jacket, but it's pretty awesome.

  Here it is as pictured on Nike.com

It's called the Nike Element Shield Jacket.  OH and it has a "half-zip" where you can zip up from the bottom half way up if you're getting warm.   It is really cool.  They are pricey, $105.  But, it's the only running jacket I own, so it's worth it. 

Let's move on to shoes.  I am a huge proponent of going to get your feet measured and fitted for running shoes.  Go to your local running store and have them do this for you.  They are the experts..  I am definitely not.  I went over to Fleet Feet and told them that I wanted to run a marathon, they measured my feet, and even tracked how I run to see what type of support I might need.  Here are the shoes I run in and I LOVE them:

The Asics GT 2160 with the orthopedic support.  I might add that you have to put 5-10 miles (at least) on your orthopedics before running a half marathon or marathon in them.  I love the orthopedic insert now but when I first started running in them, my legs would cramp up real bad and my feet would be really sore.  But they have great support. 


Some gear is pertinent if you're going to be running. 

1.  An armband for your ipod.  I use the Belkin Dual Fit Armband, for iphone.

2.  Head phones for your tunes.  My favorite head phones are the Motorola cordless bluetooth headphones.  How freeing to not have cords dangling while you're running! You can find them on amazon for $60-$100 depending on which model you go with.

3.  Runkeeper app on my iphone.  Although it is not running gear technically, this is absolutely VITAL for my runs.  Not only does it track my distance, pace, and time, it has GPS so I can look back over my route when I'm done.  And I just set it up with my run tunes mix and I'm ready to go!  I set it to "coach" me every 5 minutes so I know my current and average pace and how far I've gone.

4.  Good sweat-wicking ball cap, such as the Nike Dri-Fit hat, as pictured on me above.  I don't use sunglasses because they just get sweaty, so I use a hat to block the sun.  And this hat doesn't get hot, I love it.

5.  A good hydration belt is necessary for long runs.  The only times I wear my hydration belt is if my scheduled run that day is going to be longer than an hour.  I have found that I don't need to re-hydrate if my run is short, such as between 3-6 miles.  And, I have tried out several hydration belts until I found one that is absolutely amazing.  The one I have is the Nathan Speed 2 Hydration belt with two 10 oz flasks:

I promise not all hydration belts are created alike.  Many leak all over you while you're running, or ride up, or bounce too much, or are too heavy.  This belt is great because it's stretchy so it fits like a glove and I don't even know it's there.  Plus, there's a little pouch to put things if you need it.  You can get it on amazon right now for $28. 

Well that's about it for my running gear.  These are things that I have found that help me to enjoy the sport even more.  So, I hope it helps you too if you are a runner or thinking about taking up the sport.  I do have some great tips for getting started running and i can post those in future blogs.  Thanks for reading!!