Thursday, July 17, 2014

My Latest Running Wish List


That's right. All that stuff you've heard about running being cheap is a bunch of nonsense! Running should be the most affordable sport/hobby/obsession. After all, it requires no equipment except for a pair of shoes. But, as most of us know, it never stops at just the shoes. 

Check out the full comic about running your first marathon over at the oatmeal.

I have been known to spend a ridiculous amount of money on races, running shoes, tech gadgets, apparel, fuel, etc. and this training cycle will be no different. For this round of Goofy Challenge training, I've already picked out the tools I'll desperately need [not really but sorta kinda] to be successful. Ignoring the fact that I made it through Dopey training without most of this stuff, the following is my latest running wish list:

  • I tried on this pair of Altra Paradigms last night at Appalachian Running Company and I am definitely intrigued. The extra-wide toe box felt really awesome but there was still a great deal of stability and cushion in them. And for $130 (versus $170 for a new pair of Hokas), I think I could work these into my current shoe rotation.

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  • I've heard nothing but rave reviews about Sparkle Skirts and I am anxious to try them out- especially on long training runs when I don't feel like wearing a fuel belt or a fanny pack :-) They have three pockets- one on each leg of the built in compression shorts and one large waistband pocket that can be worn either in the back or the front. Prices range from $65- 80 so it's likely I'll just be purchasing one for right now. The pattern I like the best is pictured here and called "Half Crazy" which fits perfectly, don't you think?

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  • So, I don't even wear a watch but I feel like it's time for me to have a Garmin. Mainly because I'm tired of hauling my phone (and my Map My Run app) with me on every single training run. It's kinda a pain in the butt to carry it all the time. And I keep dropping it which I'm sure can't be good for the phone. I'd like to get a simple GPS watch that just records my mileage, pace, and route so I can keep track of my training. Appalachian Running Company has the Garmin 15 for $130. Not cheap, but not as expensive as some fancier models.

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Over $300 later, I think I'll be ready for this round of training! And just for reference, that same dollar amount would get me around 12 sessions of therapy :-) 

QOTD: What about you? What's on your "running wish list?"

18 comments:

  1. I was recently thinking that I've been running long enough that I'm on my second generation of just about everything. Bras, socks, I went from my iPod nano in an arm sleeve to an iPod shuffle that clips to my shirt, I've upgraded the older clothes into better constructed (sadly more expensive) gear. The biggest change was replacing the Garmin that worked for over six years. I don't really have a wish list of gear right now. I just have a wish list of races.

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  2. There is always new clothing, shoes or something that I "must " have for running! Yup, it's an addiction!

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  3. I have the Garmin 10 and love it! It was around $130 when I bought it last summer. If you can get the 15 for around that price, I'd go for it!

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    1. Cool! I literally know nothing about them so I'm just hoping to get one that serves the purpose I need it for.

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  4. My wish list is always growing, but I must agree, I'm getting tired of hauling my phone around with me. Sooner or later I need to get myself a Garmin. Hey Santa..........

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  5. I think our brainwaves overlap sometimes... I just published my latest running gear reviews just this afternoon, where I spent some time going off about running watches (not so much sparkly skirts, but the day is still young...) *ahem* ANYWAY I really can't recommend the Garmin 220 enough. While at $249 it's pricier than the Garmin 15, the Live Tracking feature alone makes it worth the price of admission, especially during races, in which friends / family / loved ones / Handsome Bloggers at Mile 25 can track your location, pace, and distance traveled live from their cell phones (or computers at home). It also makes for a good security measure when you're running alone WAY early in the day or late at night. Anyway, something to consider. PLUS it's Bluetooth which means you can finally get rid of that god-awful ANT+ stick! WOOT!

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    1. I think you'd look mighty handsome in a sparkly skirt! And they have compression shorts so they're functional AND fun! :-)

      I'll have to check out the Garmin 220. I didn't know about the live tracking feature- I do often wonder how long it would take to discover my body when I'm out running solo... I have got to stop watching so much Criminal Minds!

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  6. Oh, great! You have just made me realize that I NEED more stuff! I have never heard of Sparkle Skirts, but now I must have one. I am intrigued by those shoes too, since I have strangely-shaped feet with very narrow heels and wide toes. Having shoes that don't squash the tops of my feet would be a good thing! I'm not tempted by the Garmin, though. I recently got a Mio Alpha because I don't want to wear a chest strap for monitoring my heart rate. It is really accurate and I'm really pleased with it. I think I am stuck carrying my iPhone with me because I have my Jeff Galloway training app that ties into my music and synchronizes it with the correct speed and it includes GPS. I wish there was a way to have all of our technology in one unobtrusive piece of equipment. How did previous generations manage to run without all of this stuff?!

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    1. Lisa, I say that all the time!! And those Altras were heavenly on my feet :-)

      I don't have any music on my phone so I'm anxious to get rid of it. But I hear the Galloway app is fantastic! :-)

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  7. I LOVE my Garmin.. I recently upgraded to the 220 and so far it's pretty awesome. I still have my 110- Garmin discontinued the model, but amazon still sells them online. I'll sell you mine for $50 if you want to try out a Garmin on the cheap (you would have to buy a HR strap though) There is nothing wrong w/ it, I just wanted to upgrade. It does GPS distance, average pace, calories, and time. Downside about the model is it doesn't have the Ant+ technology (pairs w/ the HR strap, but doesn't automatically connect to the computer/phone and doesn't pair w/ a foot pod) and it's pretty touchy trying to connect it to the charging clip.

    All that said... the 15 looks pretty awesome. It looks like it replaced the 110, only it can connect to a foot pod and it has the Activity tracker feature which counts steps etc. When I was looking into new watches, I looked at the 10- the size and look of it appealed to me, but I didn't like how it didn't connect to the HR strap to calculate calories. (I don't trust devices that track calories w/o considering your HR.) I would choose the 15 over the 10.

    The 220 makes a great upgrade. It's very expensive (but it was my 30th bday present ;)) It has Ant+ technology, tracks current AND average pace, total and lap distance, GPS and an accelerometer (i.e. tracks distance on the treadmill), pairs w/ foot pod and/or HR strap, has a pause feature that will pause the clock when you stop running and will re-start when you do, does HR zone training, does run/walk interval alarms (which is really awesome), and has a workout feature for you to either import workouts you set from the website or do interval repeat training, connects via bluetooth to the Garmin Connect app, can do live tracking too and you can post to FB if you wanted.. I haven't used all the bells and whistles yet, but I'm definitely in love. I would consider this model if you can afford it- it's a great tool for the moderately serious runner.

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    1. So many options and things to consider!! I will definitely look into the 220. It's so hard to justify the money- but I run Disney races so I can't really complain about an expensive watch :-)

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  8. I have so many travel races I want to do, but they are so expensive.

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    1. I know!! If I could be a professional athlete, that would be great :-)

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  9. Oh my gosh - my running wish list is never ending! Haha. I definitely need a new pair of shoes, and I think I might get some orthotics made as well. I also want to get a Sparkle Skirt, try out Runner Box, and get the Orange Mud HydraQuiver vest, to name a few others. Yeesh, it sure isn't a cheap 'hobby' that I got myself into ;) Of course now, it's much more than that – it's a way of life!

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    1. Absolutely! I look at it this way- hopefully it's cheaper than medical bills from not being active :-)

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