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Gift Ideas for Runners

14 Dec

My inbox is flooded with desperate emails from merchants: “Time is running out!” “Last chance for free shipping” “Last minute gift ideas!”

I refuse to allude to this being a “last minute” gift guide for runners. This is a Purposefully Procrastinated Gift Guide for Runners.

For the Overused Runner

hey runner girl, you need new shoes

Ryan Gosling pictures always make a good present, too.

Unless your runner friend religiously tracks how many miles they’ve put on a pair of shoes, they probably are overdue for a new pair. This is a tricky gift because you can’t really go out and buy someone a pair of shoes without knowing the exact make/model/color they want. Think homemade coupon or gift card to a retailer that carries a variety of shoes (or Brooks/Nike/Asics if you know for a fact which brand they use). To runners, new shoe smell = new car smell.

For the Unmotivated Runner

If you’re running partner has been talking about needing to sign up for a race, here’s your chance to cross off a present and guarantee a race buddy. Register yourself and a friend for a race and make sure your friend knows this race is for their goal – whether it’s to PR, run a course they’ve always wanted to try, or just to get to the finish line. Just be sure to stick to your word and not turn the race into your race!

For the Upcoming Racer

il_570xN.317824364

My sister found this exact shirt at a local Goodwill!

If you have a runner friend who has been training for his or her first 5K/half marathon/marathon, consider combining a bunch of training “essentials” into a gym bag. Think socks, energy gels, body glide, nipple guards, a book, a Road ID… you get the idea.

If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, go find a ridiculous shirt at Goodwill to give as a throwaway shirt (an old shirt runners wear to keep warm at the beginning of a race with the intention of throwing it away once they warm up). Throwing in a gift card for a post-race massage never offended anyone either.

For the Accomplished Runner

If your runner friend hoards keeps all their old race bibs and medals, maybe it’s time they have a place to display them properly! A quick search on Etsy for “race bib holder” will find you plenty of options for cool homemade ways to show off race swag.

For the All Seasons Runner

If you have a runner friend who hates the treadmill and runs outside despite rain, sleet, wind or snow, Yaktrax could be a great option to help keep them safe on slick or snow-covered surfaces. If you want to learn more about Yaktrax, Brandi wrote a great review on them earlier this year!

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To make this as stress-free as possible, I’m also including some gift guides I’ve come across so that this one post can be your one-stop shop for holiday gifts for all the runners in your life! Here are a few favorites to get you thinking:

Good luck and happy shopping!

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Gearing Up for the Wisconsin Marathon

30 Apr marathon-gear

It’s marathon week! I can’t believe I’ll be running 26.2 miles next weekend. It has been a long journey, but after my 20-mile run, I feel ready.

I can’t wait to run with Sarah Stanley as the first step in the 12×12 Project, crossing the finish line at the marathon.

Now that my training is over, I’m left worrying about the details. What should I wear? What should I eat and drink during the race, and when? Should I stick with tried and true, or try something new? Should I sleep at my house and get up early to drive to the race, or stay at Amanda’s house, closer to the race? You get the picture… :)

I’m sticking with tried and true.

  • I found these comfy Roga running shorts by Oiselle that don’t chafe and have nice pockets.
  • Of course I’ll be sporting my running club’s club colors, since I credit them with inspiring me to run this marathon. Thanks Alpine Runners! Depending on the weather (forecast says low of 49, high of 66 and sunny), I’ll wear a t-shirt or tank. A Lululemon sports bra is a must!
  • My feet are most important – I’ve finally got a great formula to minimize blisters (a problem I’ve had my entire life). Thanks to the local running store, I now run in Brooks Adrenaline shoes and Thorlo socks.
  • To keep me going through the race, I’m going to stick with my favorite – Sports Beans, and something new(ish) for me – Enduralytes.
  • Lastly, I’ll be tracking my run with my new iPod Nano so I don’t have to carry my iPhone with me.

The only thing new for me will be waking up much earlier and having a longer drive to my run than usual – so I’ll probably eat a little more than normal, stop at the bathroom when we pick up Amanda, and then be good to go.

I can’t wait to conquer 26.2 – wish me luck! ~ Brandi

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Conquering the Lululemon Warehouse Sale

27 Jan my lululemon victory

Did you say Lululemon Chicago warehouse sale? Yep, that’s right. What better reason to take the day off of work and shop? I don’t know about you, but I love running clothes, and Lululemon has some great gear.

This morning, the sale opened in Rosemont, IL. I was prepared, thanks to Possessionista’s blog post. Here’s my experience!

Get there early

  • Parking – I didn’t really think about it – I parked at the hotel (the Hyatt I think?) and it was $20. I’m pretty sure there are cheaper places to park.
  • I got there at 7 a.m., when the doors were scheduled to open. The line was pretty short at that point!
  • The sale wasn’t supposed to start until 9, but they opened the doors early. They didn’t let everyone in all at once (I think they said they let in 400-500 people at a time). I was shopping by 9!
  • They have a ton of workers and a DJ. Prepare to dance your away in! Plus, they had someone doing a yoga demonstration.
  • When I left, the lines were pretty long.
Come with a plan

  • I was so thankful I brought a shopping bag. People were hot messes with their arms full of clothes!
  • Know what you want so you can stay focused. I spent about 40 minutes in there, including checkout. I looked at every section, but I spent the most time checking out the sports bras and tops, my focus.
  • Know your size – the fitting room line was long. After waiting in line to get in, there was no way I was waiting more!
  • To move people along, they offered a 10% discount to be in line to checkout by 9:30. I’d assume that will continue throughout the sale, so take advantage!

Prices (Don’t quote me, but these should be ballpark)

  • Steal: Sports bras were $22!
  • Sport tank/long-sleeve half zips were $36
  • Socks were sparse, but around $5
  • Yoga Pants and Scuba hoodies were $78

I ended up with a bag full of gear for about $220. Victory!


~ Brandi

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Winter Running Traction: Yaktrax Pro

27 Jan 20120127-080821.jpg

Historically, I’m a fair weather runner. I’m talking no rain, no wind, no sun and only running in a temperature range of 50 – 70 degrees. And definitely NO SNOW!
20120127-080612.jpg
I’m happy to report that I’m a changed woman. I’ve ran with my running club in the heat, rain, and even 10 degree weather. I’ve found it invigorating and personally motivating for me – and I can’t bring myself to ‘wimp out’ in bad weather now.

I wasn’t sure how to handle running in the snow safely. A few people recommended Yaktrax to help stabilize my footing in snow and on ice. So, after the first snow run of the year, I ordered them online in anticipation of a snowy winter. Unfortunately/fortunately (depending on how you feel about it), it just finally snowed again this weekend, so I finally got to try out my new gear. Here’s my take!

Product Review: Yaktrax Pro
In case you’re not famliar with this product, Here’s what the Yaktrax promises one their website:

The Yaktrax Pro will instantly give you better traction, confidence and safety on packed snow or ice. Walk, jog, or run on slick surfaces with the same stability you are accustomed to on dry surfaces. Made with high strength, abrasion resistant 1.4mm steel coils and heavy duty natural rubber, the Yaktrax Pro easily conforms to the shape of your boot or shoe. With its patented SkidLock coil design, the Yaktrax Pro provides 360˚ of traction. Additionally, the Yaktrax Pro sports a nylon hook and loop strap to ensure a secure fit around your shoe. Don’t let the winter weather put a damper on your outdoor activities or athletic training with the Yaktrax Pro!

Putting the Yaktrax on my shoes was pretty easy. They’re labelled to show which end goes at the front and back of the shoe. You have to stretch them around, then secure the velcro strap over the top. They felt like they were on securely (I’m a size 7.5, and ordered a size small) and they never felt loose or like they would fall off during the run.

When I left my house, walking on the cement in my garage felt a little weird and slippery. I started to worry that maybe I should’ve tested these out on a shorter run, since I was planning on going 12 miles! But once I got out on the snowy roads, they never felt strange again. The snow sort of packs up into the coils, so it stabilizes your foot.

I will say that the run was TOUGH. Running in the snow is not easy, and it feels like you’re running twice as hard. I can honestly say I probably would not have completed the full run if I didn’t have the Yaktrax on. On snow-covered streets /sidewalks, Yaktrax are awesome. I found that I wasn’t really hesitating when I took a step, nor really paying a lot of attention to my footing. I was also pretty well stabilized, so I didn’t feel like I’d roll my ankle if I mis-stepped. I do plan to test and see how they do in less snow, on ice, etc.

Everyone I was running with was sliding around, and everyone was curious how I was liking the Yaktrax.

The verdict: Love! Yaktrax Pro are a snow-running must. I no longer need to worry about safety when running in the snow. I recommend!

~ Brandi

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01.19.12 = Nike+ FuelBand

20 Jan Nike+ FuelBand

The big 01.19.12 announcement from Nike? The Nike+ FuelBand.

With the tag line, “Life is a sport. Make it count.”, one can only assume you can now track your Nike+ activity beyond running. I do have to admit that in the past, I was tempted to track my activity during an intramural soccer game just to see how far I ran, so I can relate!

Checking out the website and Twitter stream, it appears the preorders are already sold out. From what I can tell, the wristband tracks steps taken and calories burned, earning you ’NikeFuel.’ Check out this detailed review comparing it to other wrist tracking devices.

As a current Nike+ running lover, it would be hard for me to justify purchasing the FuelBand. This video, however, leaves me very intrigued.


Things I love: Setting daily goals and getting ‘credit’ for all of my fitness activity. The wireless connection makes it very easy to ‘report’ your activity. The tracking website looks like a huge improvement over Nike+ running, too. I’m hoping we get that benefit!

Shrug: Earning NikeFuel doesn’t motivate me on it’s own because runners are already tracked by levels. I don’t think runners are their target market, though. I also don’t love the idea of having to wear the band itself all of the time. I would probably only use it during fitness activities.

To be determined: I WOULD be interested if there were ways to link the Nike+ Running accounts with the Fuel accounts so you could get a more holistic fitness report. But, I wouldn’t want to lose most of the features already offered for runners.

I found this awesome comparison chart on their website that helps to clarify how the different Nike+ products will work together. Check it out.

The Nike+ FuelBand costs $149 and is available February 22, 2012.

Will you #makeitcount?

~ Brandi

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01.19.12

18 Jan 01.19.12 Nike+

You will soon learn my obsession with Nike+… If you’re already familiar with Nike+, I logged in tonight and found a popup with tomorrow’s date.

I clicked on the image, and it took me to the #MakeItCount webpage (also very cool – more to come on this as well). At the bottom there was a short video clip and a ‘Get Notified’ button.


When I clicked on the button, I got this message:

On 1.19.12, NIKE will make an announcement that changes the game. Stay one step ahead with email updates.

Cryptic… what do you think is going to happen tomorrow?

Update: It’s the Nike+ FuelBand!

~ Brandi

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