I’m not sure about other runners out there, but I know that when you start to do something for long enough, you start to refine your tastes regarding your craft, or develop habits that are personally unique. These quirks exist  inour daily rituals: and while they seem strange to others, it is hard to go without these rituals or habits, lest the experience be marred.

Considering this for a running backpack...

Twelve sugars in your coffee instead of two? Listen to that certain song before starting the daily trudge or clean the stove even if it only has 1 stain on it? I have found those small things you do that make you feel that 1/100^th of you has obsessive compulsive disorder also seem to show up in running. I seem to have certain practices and rules that go along with my running that are not allowed to interfere, lest my chi get thrown off, and I’m posing this question to the public as to what oddities others experience.

Examples of these show up in errand runs (in the most literal sense), where I will run around town to the location I must conduct my business at and then continue on with everything on my list until the day is done. I conducted this very venture last week as I did a bit less than 2 miles around town before stopping at my first destination which was to procure pens. But here was my dilemma at the beginning, I wanted to run barefoot, but needed shoes to enter the stores, so how was I to carry them? I ended up carrying my KSO Treks in my hand and my money and keys inside of them as I ran. But the entire time I felt a conscious imbalance where one side of my body was consistently weighed down and my back felt tighter than normal. I have done something similar where I have run with a walking stick in one hand as a means of protection, and had the same feeling of irked imbalance that kept me from concentrating.

Carrying my Treks did pay off however since by the time I made it to m first destination the raw skin on my toes that had been healing began to take a toll and one toe was scratched up so finishing the run with VFFs on was very much worth it as to avoid further harm.

But things like carrying money and keys and even a phone in pockets is another one of those things that if not a necessity would never happen in any run of mine. I can barely muster wearing anything without form-fitting sleeves due to flapping and feeling like a windsock, so how would other flapping appendages in my pockets feel? Horrible. Especially when it is slapping continuously and throwing my rhythm off. Does anyone else feel this? I feel like there are a whole world of possible nuances that irk runners, or even certain rituals that we perform in order to have the run go ­ just right. One personal habit I have is wrapping my ear buds cord around my neck once since it is too long unwrapped and it is difficult to maneuver between songs if the cord is wrapped around my hand. So to all of the runners out there, do you have any unique quirks that make you get your chi just right? Or any particular rituals that need to happen to make the run gel just right?

And on a related note, does anyone use Camelbaks that have room for storing stuff during runs? I am considering an osprey day pack, if anyone has one, let me know what you think.