Runners EDC!

Three Must Haves, I Never Leave Behind

When I leave the house for a long run, certain items are non-negotiable. Even on a short 10k, a little bit of unexpected chafing taught me that there is no quicker way to grenade a good run than to skip the simple stuff. Here are my top three items I never go without.

Number one is my "Just in Case" ID. When I leave the house for a run, my "must-haves" go beyond just a bottle of water or my GPS watch. On the road, you’re dealing with traffic; in the Arizona high country, you’re dealing with the elements and heat. In either spot, I never step out the door without a dedicated ID on me.

Whether it’s a RoadID clipped to my shoe or my license tucked into a secure pocket, it’s a zero-weight insurance policy. If I take a bad fall or—heaven forbid—get clipped by a car on a road stretch, that ID is my voice when I can't speak. It’s the piece of gear you hope to never "use," but as someone who has spent time around emergency scenes, I know it’s the most important thing I carry. It ensures that if something goes sideways, the people who need to know—like my wife—are the first ones called.

The second piece of gear that I will never again run without, for any distance, is nipple covers. They're in all my bags and belts. While it sounds some what personal to see on screen, ask a runner what it's like to chafe your nipples and I assure you, they'll have a story. It is an utterly simple fix, band-aids, tape, or specific products like my favorite NipEAZE, you'll be thankful to have them.

They're a small one inch diameter tape disc that covers the nipple itself. I've used band-aids and tape in the past and more often than not, those options don't stick as well and I end up having to change them out. For me chaffing generally happens on longer efforts and when the temp starts to rise. Movement, combined with damp clothes, turns even the best materials into super fine sand paper. The first areas to chafe are the ones that move the most or stick out the farthest. The additional two seconds of prep taping off the nipples could save you not only the irritation, but in bad cases, keep you from legitimately bleeding everywhere, being a bit embarrassed, and possibly ruining your favorite running shirt.

My final non negotiable is blister tape. I can imagine there are runners that don't have as many issues with blisters...I am not one of those runners. For up to 10k runs I'm usually good, simply because "time on feet" isn't very long. Runs beyond the 6mi mark I am going to tape off my toes. There are products like specialized socks (Creepers or KinToe) that help greatly reduce the possibility of blisters. Unfortunately the ones I've tried, created other issues arguably as painful as a blister or could have turned into a blister itself. So far my favorite tape is KT Blister Tape, you can find it at your local Wal-Mart in the sports section for around $15.

For that price you get multiple days worth of pre-cut tape and the adhesive is so aggressive that it usually requires scissors to remove—it simply refuses to come off.