5 Favorite Holiday Gifts

For this Friday Five, I'm linking up with Courtney at Eat Pray Run DC, Cynthia at You Signed Up for What, and Mar at Mar on the Run.  In having a "Free Week" as the theme and Christmas being the mass consumption of my time recently, I figured I'd wait until today to share the top five running items I received for the holiday.

As runners, we all know how hard of a hit our bank accounts can take when we go on a gear shopping spree.  This is especially true if you're just starting into or returning to the sport.  As a result, when people asked what I wanted for Christmas, my running wardrobe was the first thing that came to mind.  Below are the top five gifts that I gratefully received today and can't wait to put into use soon!

1.  Running socks - I currently own six pairs of running socks meaning I spent at least one day a week doing laundry so I had something to wear for my runs.  Between the various gifts from relatives, I now have twice as many pairs (including one that color coordinates with my shoes!).

2.  Tech shirts - Tech shirts make such a difference compared to cotton apparel.  However, like socks, I only had a few shirts and found myself always hoping to find one more in the drawer.  I now have a few to choose from and a runner can never have too many shirts!

3.  Amazon gift card - As someone who tends to be indecisive...a lot, I tend to go back and forth when it comes to purchasing specific running accessories.  I've been perusing various hydration systems, but can't seem to pick the one I want (suggestions welcome!).  Thus, the gift card gives me the flexibility to get the item I want when I finally decide.

4.  Swedish fish - I LOVE Swedish fish!  As a result of my in-laws knowing us well, my wife and I got 5 of the large bags of these delectable chewies.  Besides just enjoying them whenever, these come into play for running in serving as energy chews.  While I have not tried it out yet, I plan to on my next long run.

5.  Memory foam pillow - Running after a great night's sleep can make a huge difference between an okay run and a perfect run.  My new pillow (which my wife bought at an amazing discount!) will make for some better night's rest and awesome runs during the day.

What was your favorite running gift you received?

Happy running and Merry Christmas!
Sean