I’m not a big “go out and buy a bunch of stuff” person.  I’m actually more of a “haunt the thrift stores until good quality clothes show up” person.  But I never buy second hand shoes (or a few other things because it’s just a bad idea) because they mold and stretch to the wearer and because well – ick.  There are a few other things that don’t show up in thrifts as well.  So, what did I actually buy?

I already have an article on my Merrell barefoot runners so I won’t rehash that here.  I do consider music to be absolutely essential and I can see on my Endomondo graphs where the BPM affects my speed (and distance if my playlist runs out before I do).  So I’ve invested in a running sleeve to hold my phone (Nokia 920), an Endomondo premium account (which has the cool feature of showing you which songs were playing at what points along with tracking distance, speed, personal bests and routes) and my Xbox music pass.  I use JogFM to find playlists and songs with the right BPM for various goals (free).

Other than that and a few pieces of cold weather gear I picked up on sale, it’s a pair of shorts, a good sports bra (I love my UnderArmor, but this is definitely a category for finding the best fit and brand for the individual) and one of my gazillion technical t-shirts.  I do wear a bright, white or reflective item any time I’m out before or after full sun (which is constant in the summer).  And a hat.  The only thing I don’t compromise on at all is the footwear – I track the mileage and replace whether I think my shoes need it or not.  I figure my feet are something I’m going to want to have around and functioning as long as I am so they are worth the investment. 🙂