All You Need is a Pair of Shoes....

I heard it said once that to be a runner all you needed was a pair of shoes.

Well, be that as it may, I think there are plenty of other things that make running SO MUCH MORE enjoyable.

For one, girls, you need a GOOD sports bra. After years and years of wearing 2 sports bras I was recently fitted for a GOOD one. More on that in another post...maybe. Suffice it to say, I went to Fleet Feet, got fitted, and got a good sports bra (thanks Mom!)

You also need sunblock, a hat, sunglasses, and some really cute workout clothes!

And tunes...

Now, a simple IPOD will do. It will provide you with the tunes needed to break-up the monotony or interrupt the voices in your head (once my IPOD froze-up at the starting line of a half-marathon and I was forced to listen to those voices for 2.5 excruciating hours).

But, about a year ago I purchased a Nike+IPOD and my life was forever changed.

Look at how cute it is:

The Nike+ part is simply that little white thing plugged into the bottom of my IPOD. I put a quarter next to it to show how small it is.

Note: that may also be the one and only negative to the device...it is so small I cannot believe I haven't lost it yet. In an ironic twist, I have had the most success storing it in an empty pudding container.

Here's the second part of it:

See my left shoe, that little pocket holds the second and last part of it. That's it!

Note: that thing you see on my right shoe is my Road ID. I think anyone who exercises outside should have one. It has my emergency information in case, God forbid, something should happen to me while out on a run (thanks, again, Mom!).

Okay, let's go for a walk!

Shoes? Check.

Sports Bra? Check.

Kids? Check.

You'll notice I don't have Shyla in shoes. This has become a tactical strategy to keep her in the stroller instead of getting out and running (not that I have anything against youth fitness, of course).

And, yes, Harper is in there too! Don't worry!

The beautiful thing about the Nike+IPOD is that it keeps track of your pace and time and distance. You can check it out as you are exercising, and at the completion of your workout it will break it down for you as such.

It also keeps a history and you can upload your workouts to the Nike website where you can join groups, participate in challenges, or just keep track of your progress.

So, no, I think you need more than just shoes for a good run.

What kind of exercise do you do?

What paraphernalia do you recommend for it?