Running Favorites (on a budget)

April 29, 2015

When I started running (almost a year ago) I didn’t even own a good pair of running shoes, workout shirt or even a sports bra!  When I started to look at running and workout clothes I quickly got overwhelmed.  I didn’t want to run out and spent a lot of money either.  Running can be so expensive! (and most of the time when I read blogs and look on pinterest the recommendations are expensive too!)  This past week I saw a pair of my favorite running pants on sale at Costco and a light bulb went off in my head…I want to share with you my favorite finds.  

The best part: These are all totally affordable items!

My favorite finds that you can afford on a budget.

First off…Not all pants are created equal!  I am so picky about my running pants.   I am not totally comfortable running outside in running shorts.  Maybe I’l get over that in August when it’s blazing hot outside, but right now I’ll stick to pants or capris.  And I cannot stand thin pants.  I’ve found pairs of pants I like at Scheels, Old Navy, the local running store and Walmart that are super cute, and even on clearance for a great price, but they are so thin.  I don’t like the weight of them and some (not all) end up being see through! All these pants are my favorite because they are soft, comfortable, thick and most importantly..not see through!

1. Kirkland Active Yoga Pants:  (top left) These are some of my favorite pants from Costco.  I had a pair of these yoga pants long before I even thought about running.  They aren’t always in the store, but when I find them I always grab a pair.  I love the capri length and I love that these have a front pocket (and now a back pocket with a zipper).  I also love that these capri’s are not tight around the calf.  Jumbo calf muscles run in our family – it’s a dreaded curse we joke about.  I am picky about how pants fit on my calf. I have the hardest time finding that kind of fit (there is also a pair I found at Kohls that I love like this too). Regular price:  $16.99  (for that price you should buy two!)

2.c9 Champion Women’s Pinstripe Leggings: These pants are are perfect for colder weather. They are also super comfy and soft and I could wear the during the day too.  I wore them during my half marathon and they felt great. Regular price: $27.99, on sale for $19.58

3. c9 Champion Women’s Supersoft Pullover: This is another Target find.  Can you tell I’m a fan of Target’s workout section?  I love the length of this jacket.  It’s just long enough that I feel comfortable.  It’s soft and it also has some reflective dots on the back so I can feel a little bit safer running when it’s not quite light outside. Regular price: $24.99, on sale right now for $12.48!!

4. 
c9 Champion Women’s Performance Tee:  These shirts are on clearance now, which makes them even a better deal.  You can also find them on sale every once in a while. I’m hoping that since they are on clearance they aren’t going away forever.  They are my favorite shirts. I’m kinda a fan of super plain solid color shirts.  Also I’m not a big fan of tight shirts, after five babies I might be able to run a half marathon, but I still am not super comfortable with my stomach. But at the same time I don’t want to wear something super loose either.  These are the right fit and cute too. Regular price: $12.99, but on clearance right now for $6.48!

(I’ve also heard there are some great shirts at Costco right now that fit well and are longer.  I might have to go check those out!)

5. c9 Champion Women’s Ventilated Running Tee: I think that Target might be replacing the shirt above with this shirt.  If that’s true, I would be alright with it.  I love them both.  This one has a ventilated back, and I like the way that it’s a lighter shade of the color, to add a little something to the look of the shirt.  Its almost a sleeveless, but not sleeveless.  I like having a little bit of a sleeve.  Regular price: $14.99 (watch the sales and your carthwheel app, you can get these cheaper too)

6. Women’s Go-Dry Compression Capris: I love these pants from Old Navy.  There are a lot of work out options at Old Navy, and some super cute patterns, but the fabric is not thick on some of the other patterned pants.  These are soft and comfy and not see through at all.  They also have a small pocket.  I could wear these all the time. 


Anther note about Target and sports bras.  I really love their c9 Champion sports bras.  I have been blessed (or cursed after 5 babies) to not need a lot of support in this category.  I really like a little padding.  I like ones like this one.  If you need more support you will probably need to spend a lot more money getting a really good sports bra for running.  And I’ll be a little jealous of you for it too.

These next items are the items I think are awesome…and ones that might cost a little bit more.

1. Feetures socks: I really love these socks.  They feel great and have a little bit of compression in the middle.  The only thing about these is that they do cost a little bit more, so I only have one pair (which means a lot of washing just for socks). I also really like the pack of Puma socks from Costco, there are 6 pairs in the pack for $9.99 and they are soft and the exact right length on my ankle.

2. Flip Belt: My sister told me about this belt when I started running and she got me hooked.  I love this belt.  It’s perfect and can hold so much stuff.  My only regret was I went the boring route when I bought mine and got plain grey.  I should have got one of the fun colors.  I love the pink, purple and blue.

3. Garmin 10: My husband surprised me on my birthday with this watch and I LOVE it.  It works great tracking my runs and I love that I can see my pace just by glancing at my wrist.  It can be pretty pricey, but one thing that he did was shop around, and then went to his favorite store and asked if they would match the lowest price…which they did!  If you can’t spend money on a watch, there are lot of free running apps too.  My favorite is Map My Run, and I still use it to log all my workouts, because I love the friendships and community I have with it.

4. Adidas Ultimate Climalite 1/2  Ruched Top: My best friend gave me this jacket for my birthday and I love it.  It’s soft and comfy and a good length and I love the rouching on it.  It’s a great jacket and one item that costs a little bit more than I would have ever spent!  It’s on sale now.  If you love name brand clothes, UnderArmor, Adidas, Nike, etc…shop the outlets, shop the sales!  You can get great stuff on sale!

5. Asics Shoes!  Last, but not least…the most important part of running are the shoes!  I am huge fan of Asics.  I consulted my favorite cute podiatrist and he helped me find the right shoe to start running in. Knowing how you run is SO important. I am an overpronater. I love the GT1000 and GT2000.


There you have it!  A few of my favorites.  

I would love to hear what your favorites are.  Where you find the best deals.

And after writing all this, I really want to know…what do you think about wearing workout clothes out during the day?  I am SO mixed on this.  Before running I really didn’t have many work out clothes.  So it really wasn’t much of an option. I have never been a mom who wore yoga pants all day (not that there is ANYTHING wrong with that).  I just haven’t ever done it.  But now that I’ve found some of these favorites I find myself wearing them out during the day. They are just comfy! 

So…workout clothes, or regular clothes?  What are you favorites, and thoughts.

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