Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I link to these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.

Essential Gear for Me When I Run

I have mentioned several times already that I am a runner (sometimes).  Well, I didn’t run for almost 2 months, and I can feel it.

I gained weight.  I have aches and pains that I should not have.  I am winded easier than I was 2 months ago.  I messed up.

I also promised Isaiah (my son) that I would start running with him.  He loves to run and he is very fast.  He’s capable of outrunning and outpacing kids 3-4 years older than him.

I did not set a timetable for when I would start running with him.  Despite that, I failed.

I don’t really have a good reason for stopping but I stopped.  I guess I got busy.  It was Summer and I was hanging out with the kids.  I launched a new blog and made some transitions professionally.  I have been busy.  Bad excuse.

Today I got back on the dreadmill for the first time in approximately two months.  I knew I was not going to be able to do what I was doing before I stopped.

I was running 3 plus miles and walking another 2 plus miles every other day.  I got to 6 miles total a few times.  And then I stopped.

Alright, time to let it go.  This is my accountability.  This blog will hold me accountable for maintaining my cardio.

Today I walked at 3.7 miles for 20 minutes and ran at 5.5 mph for 10 minutes.  There were another 10 minutes of cool down walking, but I am not counting that.  I need to meet or beat this mark for the next week at least.

I wanted to talk about what is essential for me to do the cardio portion of my exercise.   I mostly do cardio with a little bit of lifting and body weight exercises.  Today was just cardio.

Here’s my essential cardio workout list.

My sneakers are ASICS Men’s Gel-Cumulus 19 Running-Shoes.  When I walk or run my feet roll inward.  They call this overpronation.

I love Under Armour but their sneakers did not hold up with my overpronation.  I did some research.  I came back with New Balance and Asics.  I am not a fan of New Balance so Asics it is.

I have had these sneakers since March (almost 6 months now), and they have been great.  No issues at all.

I wear a step tracker/heart rate monitor.  Right now I use a Samsung Gear S3 Frontier.  I am aware that the heart rate will not be accurate without a chest strap but it gives me a good indication of where I am at.

It is fairly accurate for rested heart rage and that’s really what I am interested in measuring anyway.

For counting steps, it does a good job.  It’s very close to the number of steps that I do take when walking or running.

I can also control my phone from my watch.  Skipping songs is much easier from my watch when I am running.

Compression socks.  Because of the overpronation and other hip and leg issues that pop up sometimes I often have pain in my calves and knees after cardio.  Compression socks help with this tremendously.

I have found several brands of compression socks that work very well. I prefer Copper Fit though.

C4 Pre Workout.  This gives me the extra push I need, especially when I am feeling sluggish. The one I use is the fat burning version.  I definitely feel this kick in.

Unlike most people, I do not take it 20-30 minutes before working out.  I take it and immediately start working out.

I typically start out with a fast walk to loosen up my muscles.  By the time I am done with my walk the C4 kicks in.

Beats Bluetooth Headphones.  Before Bluetooth headphones, I can’t tell you how many times I accidentally ripped my phone from the treadmill tray and sent it flying to the floor.  These headphones are a phone saver.

Check out all the Beats Bluetooth Headphones on Amazon>>>

Gatorade Post Workout Protein Shake.  This also helps with muscle soreness.  I really look forward to drinking one of these rights after I finish on the treadmill.  I get the protein I need for muscle growth and it helps prevent soreness, which I surely experience after getting back on the treadmill for the first time in 2 months.

This is apparently a hot item on Amazon because I cannot find it a lot of the time.  I wrote a blog post about it a while ago.  You can read it here.  

Hold Me Accountable

Here’s my performance today

Walk 20 minutes at 3.7 mph

Walk 5 minutes at 2.3 mph

Run 10 minutes at 5.5 mph

Walk 5 minutes at 3.3 mph

Walk to and back from Isaiah’s bus stop.  Approximately ½ mile round trip

I will set goals soon.  I want to weigh in this Monday.  Endurance and Heart Rate are important measurements for me.

Day One Done.