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    36 Things Runners Will Probably Wish They'd Known About Sooner

    Muscle pain? Canceled. Chafing? Also canceled. Dehydration? You guessed it — canceled.

    1. A discrete running belt that comes in a *ton* of fun colors, and has room for odds and ends like your phone, credit cards, keys, cash, and even a water bottle. Plus, it's water-resistant and sweat-proof, so your unsuspecting iPhone won't drown in your juices during summer runs.

    2. A UPF 50+ protective running hat for shielding your face from sunburns and keeping the sweat out of your unsuspecting eyeballs.

    3. A self-cleaning, UV-sanitizing water bottle that works in two minutes to give you some peace of mind when you're hydrating on runs as lockdown restrictions ease up. Plus, this bb keeps liquid cold for 24 hours.

    A white and black marble-print waterbottle with a twist off santizing cap

    4. A popular, well-reviewed pair of high-waist biker shorts – they're not only great to avoid that dreaded summer-chafing, but have POCKETS. Plus, these come in so many colors it'll make your head spin.

    5. Or if you're looking for more coverage, a pair of breathable mesh capri leggings made with moisture-wicking, DryFit material.

    A model in pink West African-inspired print leggings with diagonal black mesh panels at the knees

    6. A set of cooling towels that get chilly the moment you soak them in water and wring them out — a godsend for when you're looking for quick ways to cool down during or after a run.

    A blue, pink, green, and gray cooling towel rolled up next to their carrying cases, which come with keychains

    7. A grip-free insulated water bottle to keep you hydrated when you're running in the summer heat, *and* hold your phone in a transparent case you can still access the touchscreen through.

    8. Or a hydration backpack for runners going longer distances, which has a rubber "bladder" installed in it and a tube you can drink the water from without ever breaking your stride.

    A runner with the backpack on

    9. A set of moisture-wicking exercise socks to keep your feet cool and help prevent blisters on long, sweaty runs.

    The white socks modeled on feet

    10. Plus a blister-preventing balm that basically magics an extra layer between your skin and your shoe for those runs when you can't avoid some sweaty friction.

    A model rubbing balm on their heel

    11. A pair of hooks for your AirPods to stop them from popping right out of your ears, then onto the sidewalk, then somehow rolling into traffic, then under the wheel of a Ford Explorer, and — well. If you also have sweaty ears, you get the gist.

    12. A set of slide-proof elastic hair ties with grippers that'll lock your ponytail in place no matter how many miles you're running (or how much you're sweating).

    A reviewer with their hair in a ponytail held by a black gripped hair tie

    13. A training journal – it not only tracks your mileage and times, but lets you plan your runs a week in advance and leaves space for you to encourage and check in with yourself.

    The training journal opened to a blank week

    14. A set of five face masks from Athleta that reviewers are praising for being lightweight and functional, and may be a good solution for runners struggling to find masks they can exercise in without overheating.

    A model in athletic gear and a face mask

    15. Or a summer-friendly, breathable sleeve face covering that slides on over your head in a hot second and won't chafe on long runs.

    A model wearing the face covering under a helmet while riding a bike

    16. A set of stabilizing knee bands for runners experiencing any kind of knee pain, whether it's casual strain or an ache from a former injury. These are designed to absorb shock on your patella, so you don't have to worry about the impact when your feet hit the ground during runs.

    A model with black knee bands positioned just under their knees

    17. A pair of noise-cancelling, sweat-proof wireless headphones built to endure your sweatiest runs without popping out.

    A model wearing wireless in-ear headphones connected to each other during a workout

    18. A pair of Thinx period-proof underwear that locks in place while you're running, so you don't have to worry about accidental leakage through your shorts or leggings.

    A model wearing black Thinx underwear with a sports bra

    19. A stick of Body Glide anti-chafing balm you can apply between your thighs to avoid all that skin irritation you get from running in the heat.

    A model applying the balm to her inner thigh

    20. A lightweight, wire-free, high-impact athletic bra designed specifically for people with larger chests to mitigate some of the HARD YIKES of chafing from underwire in the heat. This also wicks away sweat to keep you nice and cool.

    A reviewer in the black bra

    21. A time-marked water bottle, because dehydration starts *before* your summer runs, y'all. This gives you a mindful way to avoid the problem before it kicks you in the butt.

    22. A pair of Brooks Revel 3 running shoes with BioMoGo DNA cushioning that adapts to your weight and stride, and are every bit as much designed for casual wear as they are for running.

    A model in white running shoes with pink soles and black laces

    23. A set of popular wickaway sweatbands to stop the sweat from stinging your eyes (or worse, from leaking sunscreen into your eyes).

    24. Plus a sweat-resistant sunscreen that also won't sting your eyes if sweat starts to get in them.

    A reviewer image of the sunscreen bottle

    25. *And* a moisturizing, sweat-resistant sunscreen designed not to leave a white cast on darker skin tones.

    A model putting sunscreen on their hand

    26. A deep tissue massage tool that digs into aching muscles and sore tissue, leaving your post-run limbs in significantly more relaxed and able to recover.

    A runner sitting next to the massage tool and its six different heads

    27. Or a spiky massage ball meant to be a quick-fix solution for plantar fasciitis (aka, deeply annoying inner foot pain) that also works on other muscle groups.

    28. A popular detangling brush with an easy-to-hold handle that's so effective on all hair types that it's amassed over 4,000 5-star reviews on Amazon — TRULY a game-changer for runners with long hair that gets tangled in buns, ponytails, or braids on sweaty runs!!

    29. A set of ever-handy Nip Strips, adhesive strips you can put on your nipples if they chafe against your running bra or running shirt in the heat (that don't hurt to take off!).

    A reviewer holding up a panel of transparent circular strips

    30. A delightful little tool called the "Bug Bite Thing" you're going to want to stock up on if you're a trail runner — it suctions on all kinds of bug bites to reduce swelling, itchiness, and redness.

    A BuzzFeed editor's arm with a bite on it "before," a pic of the bug bite tool, and a pic of the editor's arm after it's been suctioned with swelling/redness reduced

    31. A handy as heck sunburn soother for those summer runs you forgot to SPF up for. This is made with aloe and coconut oil to hydrate skin and gently relieve pain from the sun's unforgiving rays within just a few hours.

    A reviewer image of a burnt back and an "after" image of their back without any redness

    32. A set of body-cleansing wipes to instantly remove sweat, dirt, and all the smells that come with 'em. Runners in the reviews mention they've come in handy for getting home after races and for quick cleanup if they don't have time to shower after a run.

    A box of wipes

    33. A HyperChiller for any runner that feels just a little ~blech~ about guzzling room temp water after coming back from a long route — this will turn any liquid cold in less than a minute.

    34. A collapsible mesh laundry hamper to separate the running clothes that are totally soaked in sweat from the rest of your regular human clothes (and to let them air out a bit so they don't get mildewy before your next wash).

    35. A lightweight, durable duffel bag perfect for the gym or packing for a race, with a fun print that will make any runner's day.

    A blue duffel with cartoon runners on it

    36. A sweet lil' personalized shoe tag to keep you inspired on those long runs when your playlist isn't *quite* working its usual magic.

    A pair of sneakers with charms on the laces that say "I am fierce" and "I am strong"

    All of us out here running in our gear like:

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