Although I've been going to the gym consistently for months now, I find I don't enjoy anything as much as I enjoy running. After seeing many of my IRL friends and
online friends training for half-marathons, I knew that having that "end goal" would keep me accountable. I'm signing up for the Madison Mini Marathon in August, so I have 6 weeks to prepare. I ran 5 miles today...only 8 more to go (eek!). Having work out clothes that fit you well, and that you enjoy putting on makes the whole 'running outside in the heat' thing a lot more enjoyable. Here are some of my favorite pieces:
Top: When I'm running outside, I like to wear the work out tanks that have a built-in bra. It helps everything stay put, allows me to keep my neck bare (I'm really claustrophobic...I know, its weird) and whisks away the sweat.
Shorts: I like the
Nike Phantom shorts because they have a pair of compression shorts built in to the outer shorts. It keeps the chafing at bay, and minimizes a ton of awkward adjusting.
Bra: If nothing else, a good sports bra is a must, no matter your bra size. I really like the Nike Compression sports bras. I have several pairs that have last me years without stretching.
Shoes: I currently have an older pair of running shoes that are still holding up (no foot pain yet!) but I'm going invest in a new pair of Asics once my current pair starts to go.
Watch: It doesn't have to be anything fancy, a $5 watch from Walmart does the trick for me.
Hair band: Because running with hair in your face sounds like my worst nightmare.
Every time I bring something new home, Chris asks me if I'm going to end up returning it. I would say that probably one third of the time, the answer is yes. I get caught up in the purchase of something, thinking about how cute it is in the store/dressing room/Sephora's mirror and then I get home and realize that once again I was mistaken. I realize that it doesn't look as great as I thought it did, or it doesn't work with my closet, or it really isn't as flattering as I thought...which is why I'm the Queen of Returning. 
If you are going to buy something, you should really love it. If you have any doubt about something you buy, keep the receipt (I do for every purchase), don't take the tags off, and play around with it. If you find out that you do actually feel 100% confident in your purchase, rip those tags off and wear with pride. If not, return it. Some stores are really great about returns (Sephora, for example, lets you return just about anything without a receipt in exchange for store credit which is great if you decide after 3 weeks that the mascara you bought really doesn't do what you wanted it to) and others aren't so great (Forever 21 only allows store credit for returns, even with a receipt). 
