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!