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happy december everyone! a lot of the country is split on the opinion of when it's "okay" to start celebrating christmas; some people say as soon as it's cold outside, others say when starbucks starts serving holiday drinks, and others say not until thanksgiving is over. i'm definitely part of the latter group, and now that the tofurkey is done and december is here, it's finally christmastime!
so what are you planning on getting your favorite runner for the holidays? if you have no idea and need some suggestions, i'm here to help. today, i'll be giving you a list of some of my favorite things. later, i'll give you a list of the running things i'm asking for!
so here you have it, my five must haves for runners!
1.) sparkly soul headbands
you've heard me talk about them time and time again, but sparkly soul headbands are my favorite headband for working out. since they are non-stop elastic all around, they easily fit any size head without giving you a headache. plus, i love the sparkly touch to my running attire. just in time for the holidays, they have offered holiday packs! they have so many fun options; just check out this neon set! definitely on my want list, despite already having so many colors of my own.
i raved about this purchase after my half marathon because it helped me so much in my recovery. i honestly can say that if i hadn't had my travel stick (which i bought two days before at the expo), i wouldn't have been able to walk around after completing the dumbo double dare. the fact that i was able to go to disneyland and have minimal soreness after running is still kind of mind boggling to me. now, it's still a handy tool. i'm able to bring it with me whenever i leave home for an extended period of time, since lugging my foam roller around isn't an option. one of my (well...it was a birthday gift...but still) best purchases.
i love my handheld water bottle. it makes doing long runs so much easier. the fact that it has a little pouch attached to store fuel in is even more handy. i love that i can pretty much strap the whole thing to my hand and never have to worry about dropping it. in fact, when i ran my half marathon, i decided i didn't want to run with the actual water bottle but wanted the fuel pouch. so, i easily slipped it off my water bottle and strapped it to my hand, never having to worry about it. so, it's kinda a two for one deal!
you can read my full road id review here, but i honestly think it's a great gift to give. they have so many options to customize a bracelet for your favorite athlete, and they're an all around great company. i may or may not be giving one to my dad this year...(hint: i am).
last but not least, pro compression socks! i had these babies on my birthday wish list, and ended up getting them for myself so i could better train for my half marathon. and boy am i glad i got them! they are such a great tool for recovery. and yet, even though they're constricting, i still find them to be ridiculously comfortable. there's nothing like throwing on a pair and then lounging around the house after a good, long run.
typical.
but pro compression socks don't just have to be used after running; they're totally safe to run in, too! i had never used them while running, mostly due to the fact that i didn't want a weird tan from being used with shorts. but once the company sent me a pair for review last week and i realized i wouldn't be wearing shorts during my next race, i decided it was time to give it a try. i honestly didn't even notice them while i ran. and i definitely didn't
notice anything when i took them off; my calves weren't sore at all and i had no blisters thanks to the moisture wicking material. win! when i told
my mom how unsore i was, she said she might want a pair for after work
when her calves are especially tight. so i may or may not be getting my
mom a pair for christmas...(hint: i am). and if you want to get a pair
for your loved one (or self!), you can use coupon code pink2 through
december 15th for 40% off your order!
so those are my five must haves! what are yours?
-b
*i was given a pair of black compression socks for review, though i already owned a purple pair. all other purchases were my own and all opinions are my own.
