Running Gear You Need - And Gear That You Don't | Strength Running
Tweet Recently, I was talking to a family friend about her running. She’s run a few marathons and has a personal best of about 4:20, so she’s doing really well for somebody who’s only been running for two years. Her next race is a Warrior Dash and she’s also running a half-marathon in April. Clearly, she’s getting into running in a big way. I love this. And she’s showing her newly found love for the sport by buying a lot of running gear. Listening to her list of purchases though, I was cringing. There was a lot of stuff she didn’t need (that she thought she did) and she wasn’t buying the gear that really mattered. A quick example: she dropped $250 on a Garmin that she thought she needed for a 5k. Then she was frustrated that it measured the race at 3.3 miles and was freaking out about it. But USATF-certified courses are legitimate, so my suspicion of the accuracy of these devices only grew. She also probably didn’t run the tangents. So what gear should all runners have? Here’s my personal list of necessary items. And then my list of optional stuff you can skip if you want. Running Gear I Recommend: Foam Roller – Costing less than $20, it’s a basic investment in your running health. I own a 24″ roller and it’s perfect to self-massage trigger points, sore areas, and tight muscles. It’s also a great conversation piece for guests when they wonder why you have a foam cylinder lying in your living room. Tennis Ball – I use a tennis ball for really tight or sore muscles. It’s great at getting deep areas that the foam roller has trouble with (think: glutes or hamstrings). Just be warned, it will hurt. A lot. Road ID – I’m all about safety when you’re running outside and Road ID can provide first responders with the information they need to save your life. After wiping out on my bike two years ago going 35 mph down a hill (I still have scars) and getting bitten by a dog (twice), I know that shit can happen. Be safe. And use promo code pcGIFTCARD10 to save 10% until 12/25/2010. Synthetic socks. I prefer Wrightsock double layer socks – the double layer means you’ll never get a blister. It’s only happened once in 4 years of wearing these. Stick with your cotton socks and you’ll constantly fight blisters, especially if they get wet. A second pair of shoes, preferably lighter/minimalist shoes. Rotating your shoes is something I learned in high school. Elite athletes can wear up to 5 different pairs of shoes every week (or more) that are all for different purposes. Have two that serve different purposes – generally a more structured, cushioned shoe for easy distance runs and the lighter shoe can be for short runs or faster running. I wear the ASICS Speedstars and the Saucony Fastwitch. My racing/workout shoes are the Hyper Speeds. Thera-Band/elastic tubing. These little …
http://strengthrunning.com/2010/12/running-gear-you-need-and-gear-that-you-dont/
