Summer is here!! && what goes better with summer than swimming and relaxing by the pool? That's right, nothing... so to get ready (or to catch up) to wear my bathing suits... yes, plural, I have been doing my absolute best to start running and working out again.

{Another huge motivation for me to get in shape and used to running again is because this October I will be running in my first FULL marathon, I have done two halves and decided to go all out this time... crazy? Yeah, probably... but that is besides the point! I am running with the most AMAZING organization, Team in Training (Gateway Chapter) which is part of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society... all the money that we fund-raise goes directly to the LLS in order to help fight blood cancers of all types. Just about everyone has a personal story they could share about knowing someone who has suffered or even lost their battle with a blood cancer... Personally, my grandmother was on who lost her battle many years ago so I am so excited to be a part of this to help prevent it from happening to anyone else! Visit my FUND-RAISING PAGE HERE! *I am also an independent consultant for Thirty-One and am currently offering a percentage of my personal proceeds to be donated to this organization, just leave a comment below or email me with any questions*}

So in order to get that summer body started I wanted to share with you all my essentials for working out...

1. I love all the Nike Dri-Fit shirts... not only are they super light weight and help keep you cool on those hot day runs but they also can come with a variety of sayings on them... a few of my faves are Lick My Kicks, Kiss My Sass, I Play For Kicks & of course the one pictured above! All of these shirts, and MANY more can be found at Lady Foot Locker

2. Music, this is something that I use on a pretty regular basis when I run or work out, there are some times, however that I enjoy the scenery... My recommendation would be to use this APP SynchStep... It will help you find music that fits your personal running rhythm. This is entirely important, you want music that is going to allow you to run at a comfortable pace for you, it may sound weird but trust me, you'll find yourself attempting to keep up with the pace of an entirely too fast song and be out of breath way faster than necessary.

3. Running shorts, when choosing what shorts to wear when running make sure that you pick a pair that will NOT contain moisture (same goes for your shirt!), that will NOT chafe or rub in any uncomfortable way! My recommendation would be any form of these Nike Tempo Shorts or ASICS Split Shorts (These can come in a variety of colors, prints, designs etc. so have fun with them!)

4. Socks, this may sound weird but I am SUPER passionate about these socks... I had ALWAYS had a problem with my shoes rubbing the back of my ankle to the point they would bleed (ew) until I found these socks that have this little lip in the back to protect that part of your ankle from uncomfortable rubbing! The pairs that I absolutely love are the Nike Lightweight Low Cut Tab socks but you can find multiple other brands as well!

5. Probably the most important part of running or working out would be your shoes... Now I know that there are so many shoe brands out there that specialize in running shoes but my favorite is the ASIC brand. I can't tell you how big of a difference I felt when I switched from my previous pairs to these! (TIP: when you buy shoes that you will be running in, buy at least a half of a size bigger than what you normally wear *I actually go a full size larger* so that when your feet expand when you run your feet won't hurt like crazy, they'll have plenty of breathing room!)

6. ALWAYS STAY HYDRATED... Whether you run on a path that has multiple water fountains or if you have to carry a water bottle with you, make sure you don't let yourself dehydrate ever!!!

Well that about does it for what I consider to be the essentials for working out, hope you enjoyed!!

What are your thoughts on these products or similar ones? Is there anything you would add?

<3 Melissa