First, I do have a closet at home. Dear hubby and I share one. It is the kind with those mirrored doors that slide back and forth. Don't judge too hardly if mirrored doors aren't your cup of tea as we rent our home. And yes, it is a pain to clean fingerprints off them all the time. But my side of the closet is rarely used. It houses dresses and girly shoes....things I don't grab very often. In fact, one of the main reasons I go into my side of the closet is to grab a chico bag to put my work clothes into for the next day. In case you didn't know, I love to use chico bags as gym bags mainly because I can wash them right afterwards! No yucky sticky smell growing.
Second, I don't own a traditional dresser. Neither does darling daughter. Dear hubby does. Darling's set-up is similar to mine but she does have some smaller cubbies as well. And we can trade bins if we want a new look or new color in our rooms! Sharing is nice.
Since I do have some compulsive tendencies, my running gear is divided by type into bins: sports bras, running skirts, socks, running bottoms. I used to roll my running bra into matching shorts and store that way but in all reality, once I became a mom that became too much work. And since I don't get too crazy with different colors it isn't too hard to find a matching top. Secret: when running at home I care even less about how badly I may clash. Darling daughter doesn't care.
Sports Bras - Yes, I just toss them in. Once again, please don't judge me too harshly. I thought about tidying up before taking pictures but that really wouldn't be honest. And I value honesty more than I fear you thinking I am somewhat of a slob. It is just sports bras don't wrinkle and I would rather play with darling daughter or run than take the time to fold each one and stack beautifully. Sorry Mom.
But I did have fun going through my stash and realized a vast majority of my sports bras came from Old Navy. I know I shopped there often for them but it was shocking to see the assortment and how biased I was to their product. At least years ago as I haven't purchased many in a long time. That speaks pretty darn good about how well their product holds up! On a side note, I do feel extra happy every time I get to run in the Oakley Sports Bra I won from Run to the Finish.
Running Skirts - I love running in a skirt and I go for the kind with compression/boy shorts underneath. My favorite is the Nike Pacer, which seems to have been discontinued. I just like the length, it has a nice back pocket, and it has brought me good luck in races. Yep, I always race in one of my three Nike Pacers. It is a superstition thing I think. I do have more running skirts than pictured but some have been removed from the running scene since they are not of prime quality. I keep them in the same bin, at the bottom, and you can find me in one every now and then at work.
Socks - I like no show to minimal show running socks...the ones with a little support around the arch. Do you know the ones I am talking about? The vast majority are Adidas as our local Costco sells a pack of six at a good price. Fortunately, I ended up loving them more than the Nike version I had before but just because they are a bit thinner and the cuff is lower. When going through my socks I realized I had a pair from the Maui Marathon. Forget I had those. And I am loving my runs in my Swift Wick socks I won from Running Moose. They are thinner than my Adidas so they take some getting used to but I do love their feel. I just wonder if I should have picked a size smaller but I did go by shoe size like they suggest. I also have a pair of Zensah compression socks for my longer runs and Tommie Copper calf sleeves that I don't wear often anymore.
Running Bottoms - I turn to these for dual run days or some runs at home if the run will be short. I don't really dig running shorts but do feel happy when I wear the Oakley running shorts I won from Run to the Finish. What can I say? Running in something connected to a memory makes running more happy! Once again, a lot of these shorts were purchased from Old Navy years ago. When I first started running I did wear running shorts and since we don't have a plethora of running stores on island, Old Navy was a good go to, especially when they were having a sale and I would stock up! Those were the days before darling daughter when I did have a bit more disposable income to throw into running clothes. And the Nike Pro Combat shorts....I love them under blowy skirts when working. It is good to be covered when you work in the second windiest harbor in the world!
But what about running shoes? Aren't they an essential? Yes they are! And nope, I do not keep them in my bedroom....well, except for the retired running shoes that are hiding in my closet. I keep the three pairs in my current inventory out by my treadmill and cycle through them. Don't all runners keep their running shoes on their treadmill in the living room? I try to rotate a different shoe every day. Sometimes I get lazy and just pull the pair off the top again but most times, I am good and pay attention to the rotation. But I also take into account the run and make sure the shoe matches my needs. And yep, they are all Saucony!
And don't forget the Bondi Bands! They sit in an easy to grab basket in our bathroom!
Daily Gratitude: I am thankful for the supportive community of runners on social media.
Daily Affirmation: I am a kind person.
