Just a few of the things I need

I use to have a little bag in the laundry room that would hold the gear I needed for running. Now I take up a good medium size bag and a whole drawer, ridiculous. The sad thing is that this is not everything-no hat in here, or i-phone holder, compression socks or clothes etc..you get the picture. When I first started running I thought it was a cheap sport but I have come to realize that I was dead wrong. By the time you get all the things you need you then have to upgrade. Then there is the signing up for the different races and everyone costs quite a bit, especially the further you run. Wouldn't you think that they would be paying you to run farther. Next you have hotels because heaven knows that there aren't many runs here in the Gorge. You also have to have the replenishing stock of energy gu and Gatorade/electrolytes. I had to order 2 new pairs of shoes-they aren't cheap either (my one pair on the right has holes in the toes and sides of the toes-woops I ran them to death). I was trying to think of what my favorite running item is and I have to say they all have their own purposes and so therefore they are all important but I LOVE my water bottle, my garmin and my blister free body glide. I guess I didn't realize that when I started running that it would become a little more of a passion. My Friends husband asked me if I can think about anything else-it seems that everything always comes back to running. I guess I do but for now this is what I pretty much am eating, breathing and sleeping. Melanie and I seem to text each other or talk with each other about running non stop-we both have it in our blood. Now don't get me wrong there are days when I want to curl up in a ball and never get out of bed. There are days that I have ran a 1/2 mile and wonder what the heck I am doing-I am not meant for this my legs feel like bricks. There are times when I wonder if I will ever stop having a back ache, knee pains, tight quads, or breathing/heart issues. There are moments after a few huge bad carb loading meals that I wonder what ever happened to an easy work out at the gym. But then there are the moments when you average a great running speed, or you don't stop at all while running, where every part of your body feels good, where you can't believe you just pushed your body to go that far, when you have time to contemplate everything for the day/week, when you never in your wildest dreams thought you would train or do a Marathon. I am glad I have taken up this great sport a little more proactive now I just have to start eating like a healthy runner-HMMM baby steps.