"Gearing" up for runs

Compared to most sports, running seems to be relatively cheap - all you need is a good pair of shoes, right? That might suffice if you are a casual jogger, but if you're running a lot, there is actually a lot of gear involved.

First, you need technical clothes - that means dry, light, breathable clothes - no cotton. Wearing ill-fitting, cheap clothes results in blisters, chafing and a lot of discomfort, especially if you're running more than an hour. Even the socks are important - I shudder when I think about my cousin who runs in his old cotton tube socks. You also need a good hat or sunglasses for summer, a light but warm jacket for winter, and a good watch. Some people also swear by a heart rate monitor. And of course, a really great pair of shoes. My shoes - Mizuno Inspire - cost about $150 and I have to replace them every 8-9 months.

If you run marathons, then you need to consider nutrition. For any run lasting more than an hour, you'll have to replenish electrolytes, fluids, and calories. It gets quite technical. I carry a fuel belt when I run, which holds my gels, a house key, fluids, and quarters for when I get lost and need to call someone to pick me up.


For nutrition, I take goopy, sweet, syrupy gels. They are a bit hard to swallow but with lots of water, they are sort of palatable. Most are kind of gross, but I like Carb Boom: banana peach and vanilla orange are the best. I can't imagine having chocolate or cappuccino - yuck! Then again, I think gels are relatively easy to stomach compared to some things you get on ultra marathons. My coach says that at some aid stations for 50km + races, you get pizza, PBJ sandwiches, hamburgers, etc.! At Pauillac Marathon - a place with lots of vineyards - they have reds and whites at each station (but no Gatorade!) as well steak and oysters. Crazy! (But sounds like a lot of fun).



In the mornings, I mix my electrolyte and recovery drinks (Endurox - $40 for 2.5L!). With all these powders, bottles and gels I feel like an apothecary or a chemist sometimes! In my medicine cabinet I have a "valu-size" bottle of ibuprofen, SPF 40 sunscreen and Bodyglide, an anti-chafing stick that is my BEST friend when I run. I would bathe in that stuff if I could. Finally, I have 3 icepacks chilling in the freezer and my physiotherapist and chiropractor on my speed dial in case I need some fixin'!

After factoring in price of the clinics and race entries, you see that my hobby is actually quite expensive! But honestly, you can't put a price on that feeling when you are running in the fresh, clean air of the morning, feeling like every part of your body is moving in perfect harmony.