Things I Never Thought I'd Like so Much

There are several things that I have grown to appreciate throughout triathlon training, which I never thought would become so important to my lifestyle:

1.) A great pair of cycling bottoms that have plenty of padding to protect my femininity and that don't cut off my circulation at the waist like those horrible pantyhose I used to wear back in the day (Pearl iZUMi sugar knickers are my new favorite!). It's always going to be awkward having giant padding on your butt, however, the benefits of wearing padded shorts far outweigh the vanity factor.

This is not what I had in mind for cycling attire, but it's such an awkward advertisement I just have to
                     share! Nothing says "look at me boys!" like granny panties with added padding!

                                                     I wouldn't recommend this look either.....

2.)  A reliable pair of running socks that stay in place and don't cause friction---realized the importance of that when I went for a long run last week in cheap, thin socks because my nice $15 a pair running socks were dirty, and I got a few blisters :(  

3.)  Anti-chafing cream, roll-on, etc.  For cycling I swear by Butt'r and for everything else I use a glide stick or roll-on for my arms and legs to help prevent that nasty chafing rash. 

4.)  A good deodorant that has a nice, gentle scent and that KEEPS me smelling at least semi-nice during a sweaty workout (who am I kidding here? ALL my workouts are sweaty!). 

5.) A multi-tool to keep on my bike at all times.  Those suckers are so useful around the house too!

6.) Foam rollers/pvc pipe rollers/tennis balls--all of these things mentioned can be used to massage and stretch your muscles before and after workouts.  For people who don't have time and/or money to spend on an actual massage, these do the trick just fine :)

 (This is a drawer in my office at work--no joke--I have these things in my office at all times and keep an ice pack in the freezer.  Items shown in the photo are: 2 resistance bands of varying tension, an ACE bandage, Yoga Toes, tennis ball for massaging trigger points, and a hot water bottle.)

7.)  A durable swimsuit that is more chlorine resistant--nothing is worse to me than taking off my swimsuit and realizing it is starting to fall apart due to the chlorine--and I can't imagine anything more embarrassing than getting out of the pool and realizing that your suit is literally falling apart.  Luckily I haven't had that happen in public...yet.   

8.)  A water bottle with a strap that fits in your hand naturally so it isn't a pain to carry while you run.  I require A LOT of water, so when the weather gets warm, this little guy is my life saver!

9.)  And last but not least, my Road ID wrist band!

I'm sure I've left some things off this list and they will come to me later.  What about you?  Are there things important to you now that you never imagined would play any kind of role in your daily routine?