Good things (Not the kind that Martha makes)

If one is going to haul oneself out of bed at 0530 on a Saturday morning, there better be some spiffy gear to put on. For once I tried to go slow on the purchasing (had to prove to myself I'd make it more than 2 weeks) but lately I have been in acquisition mode - something about not wanting to do laundry 3 times a week to have clean running clothes I think.

The shoes - Asics GT 2110 - They are a motion control shoe (keeps my feet from rolling in, but also works for people who roll their feet out). My first pair was a lovely periwinkle and silver combination and I was very excited to discover them in a turquoise silver combo. (All the better to tell the two pairs apart, although a nameless killjoy pointed out a magic marker would have worked too!) As you can see from the link I can look forward to lime or orange shoes as well. Running shoes have this great side benefit (from the point of view of major shoe buyer) - you have built-in excuse to replace them as the cushioning is only good for 350-400 miles. How cool is that? No one can ever say "do you really NEED new running shoes?" Because as long as you keep running you can answer "YES, I do!"

The water bottle - I didn't have a choice on this purchase -- it's mandatory to carry water for TNT. I have however been through two different ones. I prefer my second one (pictured in the link) because the bottle is 6 oz. larger and it has a pocket for my keys. I accidently bought the one with a 4 oz bonus bottle for gel or gu... which is amusing because I can't stand the stuff.

I prefer to replenish electolytes with Gatorade though I have recently become a convert of sport beans and Clif Bloks. I love jelly beans and gummy type candy so these two are far preferable to the slimey sugariness that is gel or gu. For the uninitiated the best description I have heard of gel/gu is that is something like super thick, sweet buttercream frosting. (not the vegetable shortening grocery store kind, but the kind on wedding cakes). Um, sure that sounds appealing while you're sweating away runnning, right?

After years of working out in cotton t-shirts I was skeptical about the synthetics that claim to wick moisture. They I ran in my stylish Nike Dri-fit TNT shirt and I was hooked. The synthetics are lighter and stick to you less. I have sampled Nike, Brooks and Adias and my personal favorite is the Adidas. As evidence of my committment to keep running come fall, I just acquired this stylish long sleeve number.

There was no crafty goodness in my good things list - but I think it's more fun than Martha's good things.