Question for Runners (Gear)

SnShne322

I'm looking for a gift for J for his birthday.  He's new to running and wants some gear.  What do you recommend for a novice runner beyond the obvious of clothing and shoes?

packfan20

Sunglasses
Sweat bands
Sunscreen
Chap stick
Socks

Does he have a watch or arm band?

booneybear

http://www.spibelt.com/products/spibelt/the-original-spibelt?gclid=CjwKEAiAxsymBRCegqiLzI7Q1S8SJADOgQrzTaKJRzb5hvloplEdrW-JtQs3qBfJefuF1BuxB1EnhBoCeJfw_wcB

I can't live without this.  I do all my running outside and I like to have my phone on me at all times but hate carrying it in my hand.  This pouch fits my iphone (and a few dog treats for all my favorite puppies on my route, or to distract any hungry bears I may run into).  

SnShne322

packfan20 said:

Sunglasses
Sweat bands
Sunscreen
Chap stick
Socks

Does he have a watch or arm band?

No, neither.

packfan20

Reflectors if he's going to run outside at night?

packfan20

SnShne322 said:

packfan20 said:

Sunglasses
Sweat bands
Sunscreen
Chap stick
Socks

Does he have a watch or arm band?

No, neither.

Garmins are popular for runners - they keep time, distance, pace, etc.

I use a regular sport watch for time.  I run with my phone anyway for music and safety so I use the RunKeeper app for distance/pace tracking.

packfan20

A RoadId for safety and identification.

http://www.roadid.com/

sonore32

I second the Road ID idea, not an exciting gift but very practical. I also agree with good running socks, those are a must.

You could also get him a subscription to Runner's World. I always find it motivational to read about all the things other runners are doing.

aggiebug

RoadID is an excellent idea.

Good running socks and he really needs to get fitted for good shoes.

A watch but if he is new to it I might hold off they are expensive and very specialized. You can do most of it with an app like map my run on your smart phone.

Does he listen to music? Some jive headphones that stay in your ears might be a good idea. I find the ones that kind of clip over your ear to work best with running.

SnShne322

sonore32 said:

I second the Road ID idea, not an exciting gift but very practical. I also agree with good running socks, those are a must.

You could also get him a subscription to Runner's World. I always find it motivational to read about all the things other runners are doing.

Great, idea.  He loves magazines!

SnShne322

These are all fantastic ideas, thanks!  What about anything regarding water? He mentioned he hates running with a bottle, and was trying to think of alternatives.

packfan20

SnShne322 said:

These are all fantastic ideas, thanks!  What about anything regarding water? He mentioned he hates running with a bottle, and was trying to think of alternatives.

How far does he run?

caseyandlizzie

@snshne322 the mention of magazine makes me remember how he has/had boxes of old automotive magazines. Are you sure you want to introduce more into his life?

SnShne322

caseyandlizzie said:

@snshne322 the mention of magazine makes me remember how he has/had boxes of old automotive magazines. Are you sure you want to introduce more into his life?

You make an excellent point.  To his credit, he's gone down from about 8 magazines monthly (But, Lauren, they're free subscriptions!!) to 1 or 2 and has mentioned lately that he doesn't feel like he has enough to read.  He doesn't really have the attention span or the interest in novels.

I'm still working on getting rid of the old ones.  I've mentioned putting them in rubbermaid tubs and keeping it in our detached garage, but he was aghast as the suggestion.  He was afraid of moisture.  You'd think he had crazy expensive first editions or something.

SnShne322

packfan20 said:

These are all fantastic ideas, thanks!  What about anything regarding water? He mentioned he hates running with a bottle, and was trying to think of alternatives.

How far does he run?

about 4 miles currently, but I think he'd like to to more.

caseyandlizzie

lol @ moisture. Pick your battles.

aggiebug

SnShne322 said:

packfan20 said:

SnShne322 said:

These are all fantastic ideas, thanks!  What about anything regarding water? He mentioned he hates running with a bottle, and was trying to think of alternatives.

How far does he run?

about 4 miles currently, but I think he'd like to to more.


Honestly I wouldn't run with a water bottle at that distance, it really any distance up to a half marathon. The have belts that hold small bottles for long distance training but they are kind of a pain.

packfan20

aggiebug said:

packfan20 said:

These are all fantastic ideas, thanks!  What about anything regarding water? He mentioned he hates running with a bottle, and was trying to think of alternatives.

How far does he run?

about 4 miles currently, but I think he'd like to to more.

Honestly I wouldn't run with a water bottle at that distance, it really any distance up to a half marathon. The have belts that hold small bottles for long distance training but they are kind of a pain.

I would agree with @aggiebug.  I run double that plus some and I don't run with water but to each their own.  They make hydration belts that hold bottles. Runners World just had some reviews on them.  I'll see if I can find the link.  You can search at REI or Road Runner Sports or even Amazon probably.

packfan20

Here's the link for hydration belt reviews:  http://www.runnersworld.com/trail-running-training/hydrate-run?page=single

SnShne322

Thanks, guys!

packfan20

PS - @SnShne322‌ If you need more idea ask our moms board. There are runners on there that don't frequent this board as much (Therese, Lauren A, Emily...)

josie402

My armband and good earbuds are my must-have items. I've been looking into Bluetooth ones because the cord drives me crazy but haven't had a chance to try any out yet.

A watch would be nice for long runs because my phone battery used to give out when I would stream music and use the run tracker. Maybe I just needed to run faster!

GreenBride624

packfan mentioned all of my recs!  lol!

I can't remember where you live but gloves for winter running... I have many pairs!