Now that I’ve been running more, I’ve established some of my to-gos and favorites for runs. Here’s a list of my essentials, featuring my bedspread as a background! (Real high budget stuff going on here at S+S.)

Headphones

I bought these headphones—Powerbeats3—in the fall of last year when I decided I was going to take running more seriously. I had been using the regular white iPhone headphones with the cord, and sometimes the buds would fall out of my ears when I was running.

I did some research before buying these, and I really like them. The only annoying thing is that I have to charge them each time I use them. Sometimes I can get two uses out of them if I run on days close enough to each other.

Arm Band

I used to hold my phone while I was running, and this was part of the “I’m taking running more seriously!!!” purchases I made last year. I got this arm band on Amazon and it’s great.

Running Belt

I bought this running belt last month to hold my inhaler during the one mile run I did. I also used it at the 5K in Rhode Island. I use my inhaler pre-race, and it’s easier for me to carry it with me so I can use it right before instead of having to time out when I’m putting my stuff away and worry about using it too early.

It’s slim enough that I can pull my tank top over it and you can’t even tell I’m wearing it.

Sneakers

I was suffering from some nasty blisters earlier this year, so I finally broke down and got a new pair of sneakers. I got these Karrimors on sale and not only are they cool colors, they’re really comfy.

Chafing Stick

My mom found this friction defense stick on a Buzzfeed list and bought it for me. It’s amazing! I have chafing issues on my thighs when I run, and this stick prevents that. It’s basically like a deodorant stick, and it lasts for a while.

Hat

I bought this running hat—yes, they make hats specially for running—for the Rhode Island 5K. I normally wear a regular hat when I run, and I was told that running hats are better because of the material they’re made of. It’s not the most flattering hat in the world, but it worked well on that race day.

To my running friends: what are your essentials?