9 running hacks to change your life

There are little annoyances that happen on every run: your keys jingle in your pocket, you’re not sure what to do with your shirt or you ran out of gels. Here’s a list of running hacks that’ll make all of your mileage associated problems go away (except for your Achilles tendinitis or your lack of preparation for a race, we can’t fix those things).

Here are nine ways to make your run go just a little bit smoother.

RELATED: 5 signs you’re overtraining

The banana carrier

Runners loves bananas, especially before a workout. But eating a mushy banana that’s been sitting in your bag all day is seriously disappointing. So buy this $10 banana carrier and never be disappointed again.

The broccoli elastic as a watch band

Rubber bands from broccoli serve e well pic.twitter.com/ElxQz1romc

— sasha gollish (@SGollishRuns) February 17, 2020

Watches are forever, but watch bands last about one year. When the band on your watch inevitably breaks off, replace it with either a hair or broccoli elastic.

Golf balls are recovery tools

Great exercise for #plantarfasciitis, use a golf ball or even rolling pin if you haven't got a massage ball #osteopath #TunbridgeWells #foot pic.twitter.com/eaS9PDzizA

— Osteopathy@Botanica (@rusthallosteo) October 7, 2016

Don’t want to buy a fancy plastic ball to roll out your feet? Head to your garage and grab a golf ball out of the bag you take to hit the course. It’ll get the job done just as well.

Halloween candy are just gels in fun packages

Don’t have your usual gels in the house? No problem. Your kid’s Halloween candy (or any candy, frankly) is basically the same thing. Throw some Sour Patch Kids in a baggie and hit the trails.

DIY traction

For icy & snowy roads/trails I drill screws into my @skechersgo #running shoes. I use an… http://t.co/poC1PNdfFF pic.twitter.com/3cbKytOdKt

— Matthew Russell (@MattRussellTri) December 28, 2014

Winter runs get slippery, so on the iciest days, runners can consider drilling screws into the bottom of their shoes for improved traction.

Lace your keys into your shoes

When you head out the door for a run, there’s nothing more annoying than loose keys in a your pocket. Instead of jingling for 15K, trying lacing your keys into your shoes. This way there’s no jingle and you won’t even notice they’re there.

Put your tank top in the back of your sports bra

Getting warm on a summer run? Take that top off and tuck it into the back of your sports bra. This will keep you cool and make you feel like you’ve got a sweet running cape.

When you find a shoe you love, buy multiples

Running shoe companies are always changing their line up, so when you find a shoe that you feel like you can’t live without, buy a couple pairs.

Cover the clock on the treadmill

Unless you’re doing intervals, cover the clock on your running conveyor belt. A treadmill minute feels more like an hour and you don’t need a constant reminder of that.