Five Runcation Must-Haves

Nine out of ten trips that I take involve some kind of running or racing - I love exploring new places on foot!  And although running truly is the king of minimalist sports, I've come to rely heavily on a few (surprising!) gizmos and whatnots to make my running trips a lot more fun.  Here they are:

1.  Earplugs

I'm Queen of the Earplugs, ha!  Noisy hotel neighbours?  Late-night street parties right outside your hotel window?  No problem.  Pop in a pair of 'plugs and you're good.  Plus you'll be back from your early morning run long before your noisy neighbours surface from their slumber.    

2.  A tennis ball  

I'm all about using a foam roller to get rid of little kinks and niggles, but let's face it: Foam rollers don't travel well.  And their sleek little travel-friendly cousins (think mini-rollers and sticks) are expensive.  The solution?  Pack a tennis ball.  Small, light and the perfect way to roll out little kinks until you're united with your roller.    

3.  parkrun bracelet/barcode

Looking for a fun, safe 5 km run in a new-to-you area?  parkrun is almost everywhere!  Simply register online (registration is once-off and it's free), print your barcode and show up!  

4.  Healthy snacks  

I'm big on (healthy!) snacking and nothing frustrates me more than being stuck in the sticks (think small-town gas stations) with nothing healthy to nosh.  So I'm always prepared: Lean beef or ostrich jerkey, fruits, nuts, berries or joghurt --> yum!     

5.  Own water bottle(s)

I'm pretty picky when it comes to water bottles: So.  Much.  Plastic!  So I pack my own glass or stainless steel bottle for travels and just fill it up wherever I go.  No thanks to nasties leaching into my H20!   

Thanks so much to the lovely ladies from Eat Pray Run DC, You Signed up for What? and Mar on the Run for the opportunity to share my favourite travel whatnots as part of their Friday Five link-up.  Happy weekend, everyone!