Friday, January 15, 2016

Five Favorite Things I Love about Running


Got some favorite things?

I actually have so many favorite things, it's hard to narrow it down to the "top favorites." I'm taking a stab at it, and starting with one of my favorite topics....RuNnInG! Here's my five favorite things about my favorite sport:

1. My colorful gear.  I love the color black (who doesn't?), but it's kind of over-done in the fitness arena (in my ever-so-humble opinion). I know, black is slimming, and it "hides" things underneath that we don't necessarily want others to easily see...but I'm tired of playing the "black gear"game. Thankfully, nowadays, there are options aplenty for those of us who feel (somewhat) smothered in a sea of black.

It's no secret that I LOVE color...and I'm not afraid to wear it

2. My runner friends. I could go on and on, forever and ever (and several days) about the strength, inspiration, support, and genuine love shared among runner friends. There are several local friends who I see often, in training and in races. And then there's the ones I've met through social media. My life has truly been blessed with all the wonderful peeps that came to me through our mutual love of running.


It's true...one can never have too many friends, especially if they are runners!

3. Running accessories (well...my five favorite accessories).
--My Ipod ("just" a Shuffle,but it's been with me for three marathons, one ultra, 25+ half marathons, many shorter races, and thousands of training  miles).
--Sunglasses (always, ALWAYS, a  necessity)
--Headbands (my newest love!)
--Compression sleeves (oh-my-goodness, they make recovery go SOOO much smoother!)
--My shoes (duh!)

Color, compression sleeves, pretty shoes, Ipod, and a funky head band....these are a few of my favorite things...
4. The simplicity of the sport. Seriously, a decent pair of running shoes (and appropriate clothing) and a positive attitude are really all you need to be a runner. All the accessories mentioned above are fluff (but fun fluff at that).
5. The racing experience. Sure, it's fun and challenging getting all the training miles logged, and all the long distance runs done. But there's nothing that compares to race day....the excitement of the start line, the cool air of the morning, the zig-zagging of bodies in the first few miles, and the feeling of  pride as you cross the finish line (and if the race comes with a finisher's medal, all the better!).

Some races are cold!

And some come with fun bling

What are some of your favorite things about running? Do you love everything about it? Or do you love some aspects and hate others?

I'm linking up with the DC gals (Cynthia from You Signed Up for WHAT? , Courtney from Eat Pray Run DC , and Mar from Mar on the Run ) today for the Friday Five...and the theme is Favorite Things.  Head over to the link-up and check out some great reads!



22 comments:

  1. Great list! I'm all about colorful running clothes as well. There's something to be said for wearing ninja black, but I lean toward rodeo clown multi all the time.

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    1. ha ha...Rodeo Clown! That's probably what some of the "dressed-in-black" peeps think as they see me merrily running along with a smile on my face.

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  2. I'm really embracing the colorful running clothes these days!

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  3. These are all great reasons to love running. I have bright leggings, but I usually opt for black because my tops are bright. I need to coordinate better.

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    1. I have always been a bit obsessed with all things art, and color certainly is a big part of that. I kind of like wearing colors that clash with each other...just to prove that it can be done ;-)

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  4. These are all things I enjoy about running as well. I miss my BFR (best running buddy when I moved the other yr but we still talk about our runs with one another and ran together at a race last mth. Running is so simple, a great pair of shoes and you're all set. No need for extra equipment.

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    1. Absolutely, running is so simple. It is a bit disheartening that technology has stepped in and made it so "scientific." I appreciate having access to all the available info, but it has changed the arena for most of us....some people can't enjoy a simple 30-minute run without knowing their exact distance and pace ;-(

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  5. Love all the colors, too! Even though I still rely on black on my 'fat' days. Lol! I'm in 100% agreement with you list. I would just add food. Yes. Food.

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    1. I totally didn't even think of food! Carb-loading (and re-loading) certainly should have been comsidered ;-)

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    1. Colors make us all feel better...and (I don't have the stats in front of me) bright colorful race gear DOES make you run faster ;-)

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  7. we are lot alike - I love colorful running clothes!! And racing!

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    1. I've seen some of your race gear...you definitely rock the color!!

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  8. I agree with every one of these! Totally true!

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    1. Running is great, isn't it! There's so much to love about it ;-)

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  9. Awesome list. I love all of your colorful running clothes!!

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    1. Well, I've seen some of you running gear...you're pretty colorful and quite accomplished at dressing fun!

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  10. the community is one of my favorite all time things about running!!!

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  11. All great things about running! Races are such a great experience and runner friends are the best!

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  12. I'm all about the colorful gear :). I love the running community. I've made so many wonderful friends!

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