@sarafilops’s Race Day
Running Essentials

I don’t put all my race day essentials in my #FlatSparkle pictures; I tend to keep them simple. So, here’s the breakdown of essentials that make the race day posts:

• * A Sparkle Athletic skirt. My current fave is a tie between rainbow ruffle and the patriotic ruffle. I’m up to almost 20 skirts and love to see my collection growing all the time.

• * A Sparkle Athletic visor. I never run without one. This is true for races, training runs, any althetic pursuit. This is my secret weapon against sun, rain and snow.
• * A coordinating tank or shirt. I don’t like fitted tanks too much, and my current favorite race day shirts are from Old Navy and Athleta. Amazon is another great source for cheap costume shirts. I tend to wear a lot of black race shirts though.

• * Asics with Sparkle Athletic Shwings. As a mild pronator, I need a support shoe when I run and I’ve fallen in love with the Kayano series from Asics. I also have multiple Shwings to sparkle my shoes.
• * KT Tape. I used this to help recover from a severe ankle sprain and planter fasciitis. I still use it to help with foot pain. Another secure use, it helps me prevent sports bra chafing.
• * My race bib. Don’t forget the safety pins – and if you’re like me, you have a whole container of them saved up.
• * Jacket and gloves. They aren’t usually in my flat Run Disney pictures – I’m talking to you Wine and Dine 2015 – but I live in the Northeast and we can get some cold races. The NYC Half – currently my PR! – was 28 degrees at the start!

• * At least one cat. My cats love sparkle too – well, they love being in the pictures anyway!

I definitely have other race day essentials I need to have the best and funnest races that don’t get featured in my #FlatSparkle. Here are my other essentials.

• * Garmin. I currently have a Garmin Forerunner 210 and it’s been a great watch for the last 3 years. But, I’m currently saving up to buy a Garmin Forerunner 235 which has built in Run/Walk options!!
• * Elomi Sports Bra. Fortunately or unfortunately, I have a large bust and it makes running a challenge sometimes. I’ve found Elomi sports bras, which go up to a K cup, can really help hold the girls in place while running. On the downside, they do have underwire, but at certain sizes, you don’t have much choice.
• * 2Tom’s Anti-Chafing. Because my sports bra does have underwire, I have to use this to prevent painful chafing! It works really well to help keep that pain down to a minimum. I also use it on my thighs and feet with great success.
• * Roo Sport Pocket. I discovered this fantastic running pouch at the Tower of Terror Expo in 2013 and have worn it out since then. With multiple zippers and pockets, it holds my keys, IDs and money, iPhone and extra fuel.
• * Nathan Handheld water bottle. I have two of these I rotate, but not only do the bottles fit in my hand easily, they have thumbholes to fit comfortably. I usually fill mine with Gatorade on race day.
• * Fuel. I can NOT stand gels. I’ve tried hard to like them, but I can’t do it. I do like the chews however and I rotate between Gu Chews, Clif Bloks and Honey Stinger.
• * Life Essentials. My license, health insurance ID card, debit card and cash. I want to make sure I’m covered in case anything comes up. If I’d had cash during the Walt Disney World marathon, I could’ve gotten a Coke during my race and it would have been UH-MAZING at the time. Sadly, no coke for me.

• * Post-race relief. When I cross the finish line, there are a few things I want immediately! VitaCoCo with Pineapple mixed with Tropical Nuun and my Oofos slippers. I’m also a fan of dry clothing as I tend to be a sweater, so I’ll usually add an extra pair of shorts or capris to my gear bag.

As we all know, race day can be a stressful time. One way to relieve some of the pressure is by making sure you have everything you may need when the starting gun goes off. Whether you are traveling across the country for a racecation or down the street for a local race, having a list and checking it twice to make sure you have all of your necessities can be the difference between a successful race and a stressful race.

Everyone is different when it comes to what they need or desire on race day, which is why we thought asking the amazing #teamsparkle community about their race day essentials could be a great resource for us all. Maybe it will serve as a reminder of something you forgot to pack or tip you off to a new product you’d like to try.

If you’d like to be featured on an upcoming Sparkle Athletic “Race Day Essentials“ post, please email us at raceday@sparkleathletic.com.