What’s up, it’s Zara — certified goal-getter, well-oiled machine and mythical sleeper.
If that sentence makes zero sense to you, congratulations! You’re not addicted to your Garmin watch. But if this intro rings a bell, it’s probably because you’ve seen it before in my previous article. Yes, I’m writing about the same thing again because I simply cannot shut up about running.
I recently went back home to visit my family and was informed that being a Strava user is somehow cringier than being a Facebook user. My brother also kindly let me know that if I mentioned marathon training one more time, he would personally chuck my Garmin watch off a cliff. So, instead of making him miserable, I get to make all of you miserable with more running content.
On a somewhat related note, I have also been accused of having a shopping problem. (Apparently spending the entirety of a 40-hour workweek’s salary in less than five minutes isn’t normal?) So today, I decided to kill two birds with one stone — or rather, pass both of my problems onto you. Instead of bothering my brother about running and spending my own money, I will talk to you about running and tell you what running must-haves you should buy! I really am feeling generous.
[Disclaimer: I’m not being sponsored for this — though if anyone wants to send me some freebies, I wouldn’t say no!]
So, without further ado, here are my running must-haves!
Dunkin’ Tornado Twist SPARKD’ Energy Drink
America runs on Dunkin’, and so do I. The Tornado Twist is a delicious combo of Peach Sunshine and Berry Blast Spark’d energy, complete with 192 mg of caffeine in a large size. My pre-meet ritual involves downing one of these. I can’t pronounce or recognize over half of the ingredients, which tells me it’s definitely packed with exotic, health-boosting superfoods … right?!
Brooks Adrenaline GTS 24 Shoes
If you were to put yourself in my shoes for a day, I promise you would have never been so comfortable in your entire life. I swear by these. They provide amazing support, are perfect for flat feet and make me feel like I’m walking on clouds. My digital footprint may be horrendous, but the shoes making it sure aren’t!
Hüma Gels
During long runs, it’s crucial to bring some sort of fuel to keep you sustained. A lot of gels have a sticky, glue-like consistency, but I love the taste and texture of Hüma gels. They go down so easily. My favorite flavor is raspberry, but the Blackberry-Banana and mango flavors are also great.
Olive Garden
Not a must-have, necessarily, but definitely a must-eat the night before any race. There really is no limit to how much fun (or how many breadsticks) you can have here. However, be warned — do not play the table games on the iPad. They will charge you without you knowing.
Bombas Socks
My favorite thing about these socks? They are labeled “right” and “left” so I don’t have to make the excruciating decision of which sock goes on which foot. Also, for every pair you purchase, they donate a pair to one of their giving partners — so you get cozy feet and good karma.
OpenRun by Shokz Headphones
Maybe my running form just sucks, but my headphones are always falling out of my ears when I run. However, with OpenRun by Shokz, I never have this problem. These are perfect, and the sound quality is incredible. Whether you need a good pair of headphones to power through a tough run or just to pretend you’re listening to something so people won’t talk to you, these are the ones. Plus, they’re not noise-canceling, which is great for safety — you’ll still hear cars, trains or a crazy girl walking by with a Dunkin’ Tornado Twist in hand.
Garmin Forerunner 265 Watch
You knew it was coming. I genuinely cannot remember the last time I took this off. It is permanently attached to my body. This watch knows my sleep patterns better than I do, tracks my pace with ruthless precision and judges me when I don’t hit my daily step goal. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
And there you have it — my running must-haves! So run, don’t walk to grab these. And if you buy them and hate them, well … at least your wallet got a workout!