About the running equipment for a recreational runner (part 1: clothing)

The running as sports seems to become more and more emphasized on the equipment, the running gear, as well as all sorts of gadgets and apps. As person who is very keen on taking all sorts of new gadgets into use, I want to provide a brief look at the equipment I rely on during my training sessions. In the old world you would put shorts, a t-shirt and the running shoes on, tie the shoelaces and off you went. Nowadays there’s so much more you can do: all sorts of technical clothing, gadgets providing help for measuring the body and performance during the training and races.

Running shoes

A couple of pairs of well-suited running shoes is something every runner should possess.  You shouldn’t try to save money in this matter by running too long with a pair of shoes or by buying affordable shoes that maybe are not of that high quality that they should be. What, on the other hand, is worthwhile, is searching for bargains, shoes from the last year. Typically the changes between the shoe pair from the last year and this year is usually not that great and you can trust that the previous model is almost as good as the new one. Obviously it is always worth checking the reviews, and what is maybe a more important thing to do, is to let your feet get measured. That’s how you don’t at least buy completely wrong kind of a shoe if you have some kind of special issues with your feet.

It is recommended that one shouldn’t run over 1000 km with a pair of running shoes, as the shoe capabilities like the attenuation get weakened with the higher mileage. Nowadays there are multiple methods for following the distance run on a pair of shoes, e.g. Strava provides registration for the running gear and bookkeeping of the run distance. As a small exercise I have implemented a small web based software for myself to follow the mileage of shoes. SneakerBuddy can be freely used, but no warranty is provided, and the app is pretty unpolished (it has been developed only up to the point that was needed for the basic functionality).

Socks and underwear

Every runner needs a few pairs of good running socks that diminish the risk of injuries, help one to avoid blisters etc. A comfortable underwear is also a must for the runner, but at least I haven’t ever needed anything special, but casual boxer shorts etc. do just fine.

Shorts/tights

The running shorts are obviously essential, as they can ruin a race, if suit badly. I rarely use full-length pants or tights when running, but if I do e.g. in cold conditions, they are tights fabricated of technical material equipped with a good wind and rain resistance, but which on the other hand also possess a good ability to pass through sweat and heat from the body. Also when it comes to the shorts I highly prefer the same qualities, and also that they fit really good, as otherwise I get problems with abrasions.

Running shirt

A good running shirt is elementary for a runner. The important thing is that the material should be of some technical fabric, and not pure cotton. Otherwise it is always good to prefer the seamless shirt design. Especially during the long runs and marathon races I have to protect my nipples as most if not all shirts cause problems otherwise.

Running jacket

For the cold seasons it is also required that a runner owns a good running jacket with wind and rain protection. Moreover it is good to have some extra clothing for the winter in the closet – remember that wearing several layers of clothing is more efficient than having a single thick layer.

Cap

I won’t go running without my running cap, but for other people it may not be that important. Personally I hate it, when the sweat flows to my eyes. A cap helps to restrict the issue. Naturally there are further alternatives, but I cannot say anything about them without trying them out.

Choosing the gear for running is no rocket science, but requires a bit of time and testing before one finds the right combo. In part 2 of this overview I will discuss the gadgets, other equipment and apps available. Until then, bye!