All I want for Christmas
It's that time of year when everyone is making a list, clothes, books, gadgets, perfumes...hoping that Santa will pop what they wished for under the Christmas tree.
My wife has explained that she is happy to have a list from me as long as it doesn't contain anything running related. Mainly because she knows the whole list would be exactly that, but also as she says correctly, that these items are what I spend my money on the rest of the year.
Fair point. However, what would my list look like if she hadn't added that caveat? And yes this is a good excuse to share some ideas for anyone who wanted to buy me a present.... I'll do a top 10 because that's what you do at Christmas.
10 - Compression socks - No matter how often I trim my toe nails I still seem to get a whole in the big toe every couple of months so these are always in demand.
9 - Gloves - From November through until March these are essential both before, during and after a run.
8 - Shades - In the summer these are essential to stop the glare of the sun and the swarms of flies. In the winter they stop me needing to squint with the sun so low in the sky and keep out the rain and snow.
7 - Meggins - Rarely used to be honest as my compression socks reach almost to the bottom of my shorts, but for a few days each year I get to wear tights and it feels great. Not weird.
6 - Compression top - Most of the time if I wear one of these it ends up a sweaty mess and I have to take it off mid run or else leave it to freeze on my body when I finish. I'm not a fan. However occasionally when the temperature dips below freezing it is essential and enables me to keep warm throughout the bitterly cold run.
5 - Buff - one of my favourite accessories and I rarely leave without one now. Multi-functional piece of kit that can be used as a sweat band, a hat, a neck warmer or a sun blocker. It easily wraps around the wrist when not needed and weighs next to nothing.
4 - Ear buds - A more recent addition to my kit list. When I first started running listened to music a lot. Over recent years I preferred to appreciate the sounds of the world around me. Now I strike a balance but do love the opportunity to keep up with the latest tunes when on a long run. I also find that when I hear songs they remind me of particular runs making a soundtrack to some memorable times.
3 - Jacket - On those rainy runs or when the temperature plummets you need to layer up. I always have two jackets at hand for varying conditions. One is a lightweight waterproof one with a hood for when it rains, the other is a half zip top. Both have pockets for keys, wallet etc. and can easily be tied around the waist if needed.
2 - GPS watch - I don't need to wear one of these and sometimes wish I didn't, but I can't deny the fact that I find almost as much enjoyment in dissecting a run afterwards as in running it in the first place. Checking my heartrate, cadence and splits, searching for fast segments and comparing times with previous days adds to the feeling of progression and achievement.
1 - Trainers - I used to get through 2 pairs per year. Since my mileage has increased I now need at least 4 and that is just road shoes. Add trail shoes and it soon adds up. The makers recommend getting a new pair every 400 miles. I usually squeeze 600 out of mine but when running 2500 miles, you do the math. I always buy Asics GT-2000 as my feet are accustomed to them. They retail at £120 but I've never paid more than £70 as I always buy in the sales and usually the previous year's model.
So there you have it. You'll notice there are no running shirts mentioned. This is because I have a drawer full. These include shirts from runs I have completed, parkrun milestone shirts, and a couple of special ones including my Bald Monkeys Running Club shirt and a France one I bought especially for the Paris marathon.
There it is. I could also add books on running and race entries but this will do for now.
