Fitmas Gift Guide for Runners

So yesterday I gave you a gift guide for Yoga, and today I bring you installment two of Fitmas here at Workout with Di, which is my Fitmas Gift Guide for Runners. I’ve been more of an off/on runner as it’s not something I enjoy. Honestly anything more than a 5k bores me to tears and I’ve written about my hatred of long distance here incase you wanted to see my reasons why I will never run a marathon. However I am married to someone who is currently training for a marathon (though is currently sick with Flu and not running), and both he and I enjoy amassing running related stuff & gadgets. So here is my Fitmas Gift Guide for Runners. Disclosure: It’s always my policy to make you aware that links in this post may be affiliate links, meaning I earn a small commision on sales made through those links. Which means you get to support my blog while buying yourself something nice 🙂

 

Fitmas Gift Guide for Runners

SHOES & STUFF: Ok starting from the ground up here because why not? Shoes! Runners usually have their own preference of shoes brand to wear. Bob likes New Balance, I won’t run in anything but Brooks. My current Brooks are Ghost 8’s and I love them. If shoes are out of your budget (because let’s face it they are expensive) then how about some shoe related items? My favorite are elasticated laces! I like the OG brand: Lock Laces, but also the cheaper styles. If you’re runner is also a Triathlete these are a MUST HAVE! For the running shoes themselves why not get fancy with a shoe tag, whether it’s a word, race distance or better yet ID tag!

GADGETS: Serious runners are going to want a GPS watch to track everything from distance, speed, heart rate, and more. For that I can heartily recommend the Garmin Forerunner series. I had a 305 for many many years but as Bob has gotten into running we’ve upgraded. I currently use the Garmin Forerunner 310XT, and Bob uses the 920XT. I need to do a review on each of these soon (pencilling it in for January/February). If an activity tracker is more something your recipient is asking about well I think we could write a whole book on each of these! Thankfully that work has been done for me by my blogger buddy Katy Widrick and she’s done a comparison of the popular activity trackers currently on the market with her excellent article at Fix.com! Trackers I’ve used personally include the BodyMedia Fit, and Jawbone UP. Bob has also used the Nike FuelBand. If were  in the market for one today I’d probably go with Garmin. Just like apple have their fanboys (me) so does Garmin. They are just the best at what they do IMO.

BAGS/STORAGE: If your running gift person is all about events, races or just gym time then I definitely suggest a good bag. My personal favorite is the TYR backpacks. Both Bob and I have one. He has the full size and I have the “mini”. Mini is in quotes because it’s not mini, it’s a mere 2-3″ smaller than the regular size and honestly PERFECT for the gym. Or travel. Or anything really. Tons of storage compartments, decent main pocket, comfy straps and comes in tons of color options. I got the pink/blue as shown above, matches my Brooks Ghost shoes amazingly well! I also have some of the drawstring cinch backpacks purely for shoes. My spinning shoes live in one permanently. So I can grab the bag and go. As an aside they make great gift wrapping too if you buy a few little stocking stuffer items which I share below.

WEARABLES: Just like I mentioned with the gift guide for yoga I’d steer clear of clothing that requires sizing, because you don’t want to be that person that gets the wrong size. So instead go for: Socks. Yes seriously, special socks for runners. If you run and don’t have them, #gamechanger! I got some from Road Runner sports years ago when I got my first pair of Brooks running shoes and love running in them. If you have a bigger budget then compression socks are the way to go! I love the Moxie Running Co compression socks that I blogged about earlier this year. Other great gifts include running belts, safety wear for running in the dark and the trusty running cap or the Bondi headbands (my favorite is the “I run so I don’t kill my husband!”. Probably the best wearable I can find is this temporary tattoo of mile splits for race finish time. Genius!

RACE MEMORABILIA: Hardcore running fanatics save their race gear, that’s what I tell myself anyway. I have my Bibs on my closet door, and my medals on the lava lamp, but there are “proper” storage ideas for race memorabilia! Medal hangers for example, Bib storage solutions (my favorite is this one because it’s so compact and space saving!). One gift I got for Bob was a 13.1 keychain after his half marathon.

MISC STUFF: No other way to put it but it’s all the stuff runners use but don’t really talk about. My #1 is body glide! Seriously needed for running regardless of your sex, age, or speed. I learned this the hard way, trust me you don’t want bra-chaffing! Phone cases? Tons of running theme cases so you can think about running even when you’re not running. Magazine Subscription? Runner’s World is one of the main mags for running and right now they have a great deal buy one subscription get another free, so buy it for yourself and gift one to a friend! This deal actually applies to a few magazines on Amazon right now so check them out! Stocking stuffer ideas you can’t go wrong with Gels, Bloks, Shower Pill/Action wipes, hydration tablets, and all the little things like hair ties, towels and toiletries due to the sheer amount of showering us active people do!

I hope this Gift Guide for runners helped you find something either for yourself, your holiday wishlist or for your friend/family member.