ryan kennedy’s blog

Following up on my earlier post, I figured I’d let people know what kind of gear I’m using for running. While it seems simple enough to slip into some shorts and slap on a pair of sneakers, you’ll be much happier if you get yourself the right equipment.

Shoes
Shoes are by far the most important thing for a runner. Your feet are the first part of your body to bear the brunt of the impact. The right shoe can help absorb the impact and prevent it from spreading up into your knees, legs and hips. My recent delight have been the Saucony 3D Grid Hurricane 7. They’ve got nice cushion, fit well and won’t (totally) break the bank at around $120.

You really ought to visit a good running store to get set up with a pair of shoes. Each runner is different and shoe companies make different shoes for each runner type. Visit a store such as Fleet Feet and get someone to help you. Stores like Fleet Feet are staffed by runners who can watch you move and help you pick the right shoe.

Socks
Of course, once you’ve got your shoes you’ll have to put your feet inside them. But first you’ll need a good pair of running socks. You might think you can get away with your garden variety, cotton socks from Costco. Wrong. This is a really bad idea. Cotton is no good for running. It absorbs moisture and is reluctant to let go of it. That means you’ve got a wet sock inside your shoe as your foot rubs against it over and over again. That’s a sure recipe for blisters. If you’re really unlucky, the cotton will rub your skin raw as well, leaving you with tender spots.

I’m running in Balega socks that I bought at Fleet Feet. They’re the first running socks I’ve ever owned and they’re likely to be the only brand I ever go near again. I’m wearing the Hidden Dry socks. They’re padded on the bottom, giving some extra cushion in addition to what my shoes give me. The tops are a mesh that allows your foot to breathe.

Lubricant
If you’re fat, like me, then you’re likely to have issues with chafing (a burning, stinging skin irritation caused by friction). Even if you’re not fat, you may have a pair of shorts or a shirt that causes you problems. Never fear, Body Glide is here. Body Glide is the single most amazing product ever. It looks like roll-on deoderant, but instead of applying it to your underams you apply it to wherever you happen to chafe. Since purchasing Body Glide, I’ve only once had an issue with chafing (because I missed a spot when I applied it). GREATEST…PRODUCT…EVER. I was also able to find this fine product at Fleet Feet (are you sensing a trend here?).

Watch
Any watch will typically suffice. Hell, you don’t even really need a watch at all for running. But if you’re statistically obsessed as I am, you’ll enjoy having a watch to tell you all sorts of metrics regarding how your run went. In my case, I splurged and got the Garmin Forerunner 301. This mean machine packs a heart rate monitor, a GPS and all the typical running watch goodies you’d expect. In addition, it has a USB port and cable so you can dump your run data to your PC for further analysis. You can even upload it to the web where you can share your routes and receive training tips.

If you decide to get the Forerunner, I should warn you that the 301 is $300 (at REI, I could’ve gotten it cheaper elsewhere but then I would have had to wait for it to ship). Garmin also sells the 101 and the 201 for much less (I’ve seen the 201 at REI for $150). However, I bought my wife the 201 for her birthday…she ran with it once and it went back to REI that very day to be exchanged for a 301. The problem with the 201 is that it’s charger sucks and the data synchronization is all done using a serial port. The 301 uses USB for both data synchronization AND recharging (you can recharge it from a wall socket using USB port also).

That’s a quick rundown of some of the gear out there for runners. In order of importance I’d have to rate it as: 1) shoes, 2) socks and 3) Body Glide. I don’t have proper running shorts or shirts yet, but I’m guessing those are likely to fall as 4 and 5 respectively. The watch is a nice to have, but I could easily get by without one.

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 31st, 2005 at 11:41 pm and is filed under Health, Recreation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.