In February of next year, I’m going to run 19.3 miles over the course of 2 days. I’ll run a 10k on Saturday and a half-marathon on Sunday. This may sound crazy but it will be in Disney World, it will be my birthday weekend, and I’m going to dress-up like Minnie Mouse for one of the runs and Merida for the other…this makes it all a little less crazy, right?

As part of all of this, I thought it might be fun to share bits and pieces of my training journey and to kick it off, I’m going to share my must have running accessories.

“Official” training doesn’t kick off until sometime in the middle of September but I like to give myself some wiggle room in the training schedule because life can get in the way.  This particular half-marathon will be my 6th half-marathon but I still struggle to consider myself a runner. I know that I am a runner but I’m not a runner who takes things super seriously. I’ll occasionally take extended breaks from running. I’ve never been an athlete. This is why, I’ve dubbed this blog series the “imperfect runner series.” I am an imperfect runner. This is for everyone who is a runner but struggles to call themselves a runner and for everyone who wants to be a runner but doesn’t want to take things too seriously. This is for the runners who aren’t striving for perfection but enjoy getting out there and running.

There are few running accessories in the world that make my running so much better and these accessories, my must have running accessories, are below along with a few of my thoughts about them. This is not an ad. None of the links below are affiliate links. I’m truly just sharing what works for me with the hope that you might enjoy it and someone out there might find it useful.

App: Runkeeper

I’ve tried a few different running apps but I keep coming back to Runkeeper. I keep coming back to Runkeeper because of its ability to do intervals. You can set intervals in time or distance and you can set them as slow, steady, or fast. I do have the paid version of the app but I didn’t get the paid version until I’d been using the free version for quite awhile. I also like how the app shows up on my Apple Watch face while I’m running so I can put my phone away while I’m running.

Sunglasses: Goodr

A good pair of sunglasses is an absolute must for a half marathon. To qualify as a good pair of sunglasses for running, the following criteria must be met – not too tight, don’t slip, fun colors. Goodr sunglasses meet all of these criteria and more. Plus, they aren’t wildly expensive! I have several pairs and have honestly thought about switching all my sunglasses to Goodr.

Headphones: Aftershokz

These are a relatively new addition to my running practice. To be totally honest, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like these but there was a really good deal during Prime days, so I went for it and I’m so glad that I did. I typically run through neighborhood streets or I run on trails. Before these headphones, I would put in one iPhone ear bud because I still wanted to be able to hear any cars heading my way or dogs chasing me (yes, this has happened). The ear bud worked but I was constantly adjusting it. The Aftershokz are amazing. I can hear my music. I can hear the cars and the dogs. I don’t have to constantly adjust them because they stay put! My only complaint is that the volume can be a little hard to get to the right level.

Phone holder: FlipBelt

My iPhone is a larger version. I like my iPhone. I do not like carrying my iPhone in my hand when I’m running. FlipBelt solves this problem plus it can carry a whole lot of other things. I can get my phone, chapstick, a few gels, a few other running snacks, my driver’s license, and a credit card into my FlipBelt with room to spare. FlipBelt doesn’t slip and it doesn’t roll up; it doesn’t move while running which is quite nice and I often don’t really notice it. Even if my running leggings have pockets, I’ll often still wear my flipbelt.

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