Every runner has things that they simply NEED on race day. I train using certain things and having them on race day makes me feel more comfortable and confident. These things also help me combat my race day jitters.

(I'm also including my personal experiences with these products.)

The roadID is the newest addition to my race day essentials. If you know me, you know that I'm a little paranoid. In several of the races I've run, I've seen people go down and even though you put basic emergency info on the back of your bib, what if you have it on your back and they don't see it right away? Or they don't notice that you have a drug allergy and while trying to help you, treat you with that drug?

My roadID has B's phone number on it as well as my allergies (sulfonamides, or sulfa drugs, and shellfish) and my new favorite quote "Every Mile Becomes A Part Of Me". 

There is also an option to have the link to your online profile where you can have more comprehensive information available to emergency personnel.

You can customize it with an added badge (I have one that says thirteen.one) as well as with different colored bands.

This summer I'm also trying out ProCompression calf sleeves. I got mine during a Facebook promotion they had going on where any of the socks or calf sleeves were 40% off (which was awesome since these run around $40+) and I only paid $27 for mine with free shipping. There are tons of different brands out there that sell a similar product; your local running store probably has tons of them as well!

After having a bit of a fiasco with a cheap-o armband during my 10K last year, I decided that it was time to acquire a quality armband to hold my phone when I run. I had seen ads for Armpocket in running magazines as well as Women's Health magazine, so I figured I would order one and try it out. Since I have an iPhone 5C, I ordered the i-25 in pink (of course). The band has memory foam padding, which makes it super comfortable to wear around your arm without any scratching or chafing (chafing is a real issue during races, people!) and it is indeed water resistant! I've run in downpours, through misting stations, and on days where I was dripping and splashing sweat everywhere and this thing protected my phone! I also love that there are two small pockets on the inside to put your house key, driver's license, or even a small pack of gels. These are available for all different types of phones.

yurbuds were another product that were acquired after I spent most of one half marathon putting my Apple earbuds back in my ears. Those things are NOT designed to stay in during any sort of strenuous activity. Having read a few articles about different kinds of sports earbuds, I decided to give yurbuds a try because they had a line that were designed specifically for women. I love that they're made of silicone, so the ear pieces are soft and flexible (and come in different sizes!) and they still allow for you to hear what's going on around you when you are running. I have the Inspire for Women in pink. I got mine from Target, but you can get them from all different places online as well as Wal-Mart and running stores.

Also pictured above are blister Band-Aids, some Honey Stinger gels in pink lemonade, and Icy Hot pain relief cream. Since my left knee and calf have been bugging me the last two days, I decided to add this to my race bag.

What are your race day essentials that you cannot run without? Share in the comments!