Girl on the run: the essentials

There are seven things I never leave home without:

1. Water bottle
2. Workout clothes that can be used for running or CrossFit
3. Shower supplies (including a towel and flip flops)
4. Snack (I go from slightly hungry to ravenous in seconds, and it’s not pretty)
5. Running shoes
6. Extra hair ties
7. Yoga mat

I can’t count the number of times I have thought “I wish I could go for a run right now” or be invited to do yoga with a friend after work and have nothing with me to make it happen. I work an hour from home with CrossFit on the way home. I do not have the luxury of running home and then going to work out, instead I need to have everything with me at all times. Being so far away from my shower and closet makes things a bit more difficult.

I’ve learned the hard way about forgetting socks or my shirt, which is why I keep a pair of my least favorite clothes in the car (not only is this an incentive to remember to bring them with me, but it also means when I leave something behind I can continue as planned). I no longer have to worry that I don’t have something and can instead do what I please. I also don’t have to be embarrassed to go out after a workout because I have everything I need to shower (although my water bottle isn’t enough to get the job done and I do need an actual shower facility to make that one happen). It also means that if I am blessed with an hour lunch, I can go for a run or hit the gym with coworkers.

While my car’s trunk looks like a sporting goods store, I keep the most important item within arms reach at all times, my water bottle. People make fun of me because we will be going for a five minute car ride and I will bring it with me. You can’t be ready to go for a run on a moments notice or have your ass handed to you at CrossFit if you aren’t hydrated. Like a child and it’s favorite stuffed animal, I never leave home without it.