When I began running in February I owned one pair of running pants, one t-shirt and a few tank tops that I cycled through continuously. Eventually, as I mentioned in my post Goodbye life, hello marathon prep, I got tired of having to wash a load of workout clothes every two days. So I started to slowly add to my workout wardrobe while at the same time trying to be conscientious of my budget.

Initially I tried to buy a few items on the cheap thinking they would do for now. But one shirt from Target that I can now wear as a dress and one pair of sale rack shorts from Sport Check that chafe later and I remembered why it can be worth spending a little more money these things.

I have since spent a lot of time reading gear reviews online, trying on items in stores and testing them on my runs. When you are spending $80 on a pair of running pants you want to make sure they are going work for you and that they are going to last.

To save you a little bit of the hassle I went through, here are a few of my top clothing items I couldn’t run without. Weather permitting, I plan on wearing all of these during my marathon.

Lululemon – Top Speed Crop

These are by far my favourite running pants. I’ve tried several times to stray away from Lulu because you can get good workout wear from a number of other athletic wear companies for cheaper, and because the quality of their gear has gone up and down over the years, but I always seem to end up back where I started. When it comes to making clothes you want to wear all the time, not just when you are working out, Lulu has most companies beat. Plus if you do have any quality issues or an item doesn’t work for you, the are much better about returns then most big box stores.

I have worn my Top Speed Crop for most of my long runs and they don’t rub or chafe anywhere, they stay in place where you want them, and they have lots of pockets for your keys, gels or anything you might need. They are made of Luxtreme (a Lulu specific fabric) and Lycra so have a compression quality that is beneficial if you are in them for a long time. I can’t really say anything bad about these pants.

Lululemon – Stuff Your Bra II

OK, I’ll admit when I first saw this sports bra online I thought, “That’s stupid Lulu, why would I want that?” But when the positive reviews started pouring in I thought I might have to give it a try. Now that I often have to carry a lot of things on my runs like my car key, fuel, my phone etc., extra pockets on any garment has become a selling point for me.

The Stuff Your Bra II has three pockets where you can stash stuff on your run and while at first I thought it would be a nuisance, it really isn’t. I carried my phone in one pocket for a 60-minute run and it didn’t bother me once. Not only that, the bra provides more than enough support, is super comfortable and stays in place.

Running Room – Headsweats Go Hat

I am not usually a hat person. I rarely wear hats when I don’t have to so I didn’t think I would particularly like wearing a hat while running. But when we began our longer runs over the summer I knew that wearing a hat was the only smart choice. I begrudgingly purchased one before the Banff Jasper Relay. Even though I was pretty sure almost any hat would do, I tried on hats at every running store I could find and settled on the Headsweats Go Hat from the Running Room.

Over time I embraced the hat and now I can’t leave for a long run without it. This hat has a sweat band in the front to keep gross sweat from dripping into my eyes, is lightweight, stays in place and saves me from having to stare into the sun for hours at a time. That’s pretty much all I can ask for.

Running Room – Wrightsock Coolmesh II

To be honest I haven’t actually tried that many different pairs of running socks. When I joined the program and started training my Mom bought me a pair of Coolmesh Wrightsocks as a gift and I have since bought three more pairs from the Running Room. While wearing these socks I have never got one blister, never felt my shoes rub in uncomfortable places or really worried about my feet at all. They are soft, lightweight and are double layered, so it’s actually like wearing two pairs of socks.

I’ve heard a lot of horror stories about what happens to runners feet when they are training and so far I have avoided all of that nastiness. Whether it’s my socks or my shoes or the way I run I don’t care. I am not changing anything.

P.S. I am in no way being compensated for shilling for Lululemon or the Running Room. This post is simply my opinion based solely on the many, many long hours I have spent wearing each of these items. I know there is a lot of great running wear out there, so let me know your favourites in the comments.