Running Products I Can’t Live Without

I have been running for a while now, and I have a list of running products that I can’t live without. I have used many products over the years, lots of which I have disliked and many that I use all the time.

Over time, products come and go, but there’s always a variation of a product fave. Or, as I have learnt many times, mainly with shoes, that they change for the worse. Products evolve every year, and while they are considered improvements, may not work for you anymore. That’s okay, and it gives you a reason to try something new. If you’re a creature of habit, sometimes we need that little kick 😉

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Different Running Products For Individual Runners

The running products that work for me, may not likely work for you. I live in a year-round mild climate, but you may live in a cold climate during the winter and humid in the summer. My feet pronate so I need some stability in my shoes, but you may not.

I follow a lot of runners on Instagram some of which promote certain brands and some that are more like me and just run. I love learning about new products from people, but I also remember to not be sucked into something I don’t need. I live in a condo and don’t have a lot of room, and I hate clutter, so keeping my collection of shoes and accessories to a minimum is key. There’s nothing wrong with having a lot of products that you may receive as a gift or have purchased – and I love seeing what people have.

Just don’t ever feel pressured to buy something just because we promote it. Many running stores will allow you to try products and have a return policy and for me I always test shoes. I test them on the treadmill first and then incorporate them into my shoe rotation. If they don’t work well, I return them. Check with your local store on their rules/guidelines for product returns.

I can’t live without these running products

• Running Products:
  • Lululemon rain jacket
  • New Balance 860
  • Brooks Levitate Stealthfit 5
  • Mizuno Wave Inspire 17
  • Nathan Hydration Pack
  • Nathan Handheld Hydration Flask
  • Goodr Sunglasses
  • Rechargeable Headlamp
  • Endur Socks
  • Running Vest
  • Hat
  • Garmin Forerunner Watch
  • Foam Roller
  • Massage Gun

This may seem like an insane list to you, and sometimes I look at it and wonder do I need all of this? But indeed I do; I use all of these products year-round. In the summertime, I don’t use the headlamp much, but I do use it when I go camping so it still gets some use 🙂

Running Shoes

I am currently rotating through three pairs, one of which is very close to their end of life. The ones that are nearly ready to be retired are my New Balance Fresh Foam 860 stability running shoes and I am on my third pair of these. I haven’t tried the new version for 2022, but I will soon.

Always, always try your shoes before you buy them unless you can test them inside and be able to return them without a problem. Shoes change from year-to-year and you may find that a new version of your favourite shoe no longer works. I had tried New Balance back in 2018 for the 2019 marathon training season, and my feet couldn’t stand them. I wound up training in Brooks Adrenaline, and the following version, I came out of the Brooks and into the New Balance.

On that note, I am also back into Mizuno Wave Inspire running shoes. They too are stability shoes and these are the 17s. I haven’t worn a Mizuno shoe in 4 or 5 years and I was pleasantly surprised last year when I put them on. I ultimately decided to go with the Brooks Glycerin GTS and New Balance, but this time, I went Mizuno. I have only briefly tested them out as I have been sick and training on pause.

I am switching things up and adding in a neutral shoe. I have chosen the Brooks Levitate Stealthfit 5, and have a plan in place with my physiotherapist on how to incorporate them. The plan is to use them for shorter speed work only, at least for now. The plan is to try and retrain the calf muscles to not rely upon the stability shoe and work on fixing my form from my hips down to my feet. I had zero pain when running in them, and I am hoping that’s a sign of things to come.

Clothing

I live in a rainy climate so my must-have running products are my rain jacket, vest, socks, and hat.

My favourite running jacket is from Lululemon and it is like five years old, and still in perfect shape. Obviously, mine is no longer available, but Lululemon has a lot of options. I can attest to their quality as I am still regularly using mine years later. I also have a running vest from Lululemon that I love, and I plan on getting a couple more this year. Vests are great for blocking the wind which we get our fair share of here.

Keep hats in your running wardrobe to keep not only the sun off of your head on long runs, but also great for shielding your eyes from the rain. That doesn’t always work here with slanty rain, but I’ll take anything I can get!

My new obsession with socks is Endur Apparel and they’re a local company here in BC. I have had zero blisters with these socks, and it rains a lot here. The cute designs always put a smile on my face.

Running Accessories

I could get carried away with running products to accessorize with so easily. My Goodr sunglasses are always going to be my favourite sunglasses to run and hike with. They’re comfortable to wear and they come in outrageously fun colours with fun names. My flamingo colour ones were my favourite, however, they did break after a lot of use, so while I ponder which colour to get next, I have my basset hound ones. I’m indecisive. It’s a problem.

If you’re getting into distance running, hydration is key. I have two products that I use; a Nathan hydration flask for short runs/hikes, and a Nathan hydration vest that I use for longer runs/hikes. I even take the backpack out on the paddleboard or kayak if we’re going to be out for a while.

Get yourself a headlamp if there is any chance you’re running before or after daylight. Safety first. Always. Trust me.

My beloved Garmin watch is an absolutely necessity in my life. I love to track everything – walking the dog, skiing (I suck so it’s funny), hiking, trail running, road running, gym workouts – you name it. I can set up running workouts on my watch so I can run on autopilot and make sure that I get done what needs to get done. I also love that it has incident detection, and I have Jason set up as my emergency contact.  I have a detailed breakdown of my current watch in a blog post.

Running Recovery Accessories

Two running products I absolutely cannot live without when it comes to recovery are my foam roller and my massage gun. Rolling out my muscles after every run is something I have learnt many times that I cannot skip. I have two rollers – a smaller trigger point roller that I take with me when I travel, and a longer one that has more trigger spikes on it. I now roll my muscles every day, but deeper rolling post-run.

My calf muscles are notoriously tight, so I chose to get a massage gun a couple of years ago and it has been life-changing. This doesn’t replace the roller but helps me work out the kinks after long training runs, especially when I cannot get into my RMT.

Running Product Roundup

You may not need all of these products, but I would definitely encourage you to find quality running clothes/socks. Make sure you’re taking very good care of your running clothes, especially if you sweat a lot as I do. A foam roller is also something I would encourage any and all runners to have and use on the regular.

A good watch is something that I would also recommend but you don’t need to get anything fancy or expensive, especially if you’re newer to running. My first watch was an entry-level Garmin Forerunner 235, which now I think has more features than it previously did. But I spent less than $300 on it and used it religiously for 4 years. Start with something basic and work your way up, unless you have the budget for it and know you’ll use the features.

Don’t get overwhelmed or sucked into buying things you think you need because someone else says so. You’ll learn over time what you use and need, and can upgrade as you go. I love Lululemon and Vitae Apparel clothing, but I didn’t start out with a wardrobe full of Lululemon.

Happy running!