Fancy dress parkruns, races or just earning some more mince pies? Come and tell me about your weekend running below the line – and share your suggestions for the best running christmas presents.
It’s very important to warm up muscles first before sitting in a sleigh for 12 hours Photograph: Luke Macgregor/REUTERS
Dear Father Christmas,
I have done lots and lots of running this year. I’m not sure if that really counts as being a good girl but I’ve got PBS at 1 mile, 5k, 10k, half marathon and marathon, which surely counts for something – so, maybe a few extra presents?
For myself, actually what I’d like best is some fully functioning sinuses for the festive period. But I’ve been doing a bit of research for you in case any other runners have asked, so here, in descending order of price, are my suggestions.
10. Garmin 630, £329.99, buy.garmin.com- because it’s the best running watch yet. Incredible array of functions, intuitive to use, impressive battery life. Strictly for very lucky, very good* runners.
9. Nike Pegasus, £90, store.nike.com – no matter how many different shoes I try I always come back to these – not for racing but for long runs. Comfy, bit of cushioning, but neutral so not overly bulky or supportive.
8. Shoe lights, c.£40, nightrunner270.com – brilliant idea of little super-lightweight torches that fit onto your shoes, so you can actually see where you are running. Great for off road runners or those prone to tripping over pavements and potholes
7. Flipbelt, £25, theflipbelt.co.uk – I never, ever take anything I don’t really need on a run. Which means, usually, nothing except the door key. But when you do need to carry a few items, this can’t be beaten. As I discovered yesterday, you can fit quite a few packets of tissues in it, for a start.
6. Running vest, £19.95, scimitarshop.co.uk – because dressing up isn’t just for Christmas. And sometimes it’s good not to take yourself too seriously.
5. Training log, £18, iffleyroad.com – because not all runners are Garmin Connect/Strava geeks (guilty, sorry) and this lovely simple book will help them track progress.
4. Running socks, £10, lululemon.co.uk – like shoes, I’ve tried pretty much every running sock on the market. You can’t beat these. There are men’s versions too.
3. Foam roller, £9.95, musclefinesse.com – buy this for a runner and they won’t know whether to kiss you or kill you. Agony guaranteed. Works, though.
2. SiS gels, around £1 each, scienceinsport.com – no runner planning a spring marathon is going to object to a few of these in their stocking.
1. parkrun registration, free, parkrun.org.uk/register/ – never done a parkrun? Time to register – or sign up a loved one. Print out some of the barcodes and slip into a stocking.
Happy Christmas!
Kate
ps do you run? Highly recommend the sleigh-to-5k if not, and get Rudolph to pace you.
* That’s behaviour, not speed.
[Source:-the gurdian]