Do you have a runner in your family? Or perhaps a walker? Those who participate in fitness or races? I have a few holiday gift ideas to share with you to give you some insight into what runners will appreciate for gifts.
Layers – If you live in cold areas fleece lined pants are so helpful. Target actually carries and affordable line of fleece lined tights so before you invest a lot of money for something you won’t need unless it is 30 degrees or colder, check out Target first. Under Armor is also a good brand name for getting your layers on. It’s best to dress in layers for the colder temperatures so you can take off a layer if you get too warm. But when running in cold weather, make sure you hands and head are covered. If they are warm; the rest of you will also remain warm.
Photographs – You may wonder how photographs could be a good gift, but actually, Marathon Foto offers gift certificates. When I ran the marine Corps marathon they had a special offer during the event. I knew that this race was going to be something special and like no other race that I have run before, so I took advantage of that offer.
The Gift of Flight – Airline gift cards. I use Southwest for most of my trips, but all airlines offer gift cards. So for the runDisney runner in your family every little bit helps to enable the addiction to continue to run in the runDisney races.
GPS – Garmin Forerunner 220 – This is the watch that I have and I love it! I has always been reliable and consistent. Except for when I forgot to charge it before a long run; but that was my fault. I brought a power pack and a cord with me so I could still get some use out of it for most of the run. I had to because I have come to depend on my Garmin to be accurate with my distance and my pace.
Bluetooth or wireless headphones – I don’t have blue tooth headphones yet. I use yurbuds; but that is because I use an iPod shuffle when I run and it doesn’t have the blue tooth receiver. But if you do use blue tooth (you cell phone), then you could you blue tooth headphones to eliminate the wires. I have been getting a little irritated by my wires getting caught in my hands but haven’t pulled the trigger to make a purchase of blue tooth headphones yet.
RaceDots® – Get rid of the pin marks in your nice running gear with these great Race Dot magnets that lock together to hold your race number in place. They never hurt your clothing! No more holes or rust marks in your running gear! They carry 20 stock colors plus custom designs. This is actually an item that I have not tried yet! (hint hint!)
Beecause Charms – My friend Kimberlee got me hooked into Beecause charms! I had seem them at races and placed a pair of crowns on my Princess New Balance sneakers; but I hadn’t considered them for my running shoes. I picked up some at the Marine Corp Marathon. Then after that I picked up one for the Wine & Dine Half Marathon. While at Wine & Dine, I picked up a Dopey Challenge charm! Can you see the habit forming problem here?!
Stocking Stuffer ideas:
Hand warmers – you can always find these at Target or even Home Depot! These are great for training runs and for waiting at the start of the races to help keep those hands and feet warm!
Mylar Space Blankets – you must be wondering what the heck would we need those for? Runners get them at the end of the race. Well I actually purchase them in bulk every year or so and take them with me to my races in case the mornings are cold. You can find them on amazon.com for less than $10 for a package of 10. They are all folded up so you can easily stick them in your fuel belt to have with you in case you do need it. I used several of them for many races this year. Especially during the 5K of the Dopey challenge last January when it was incredibly windy and cold before the start! They really do help hold in your body heat and are easy to discard at the side of the start line. It’s also a smaller item to have to pack in your luggage, rather than a piece of throw away clothing.
Sweaty Bands! I am now a Sweaty Bands Ambassador and LOVE my Sweaty Bands. These make a great stocking stuffer! And with my Ambassador discount you can save 15% on your order! I have to hurry up and order this holiday design this year. It’s too cute not to purchase!
Real Time Pain Relief – This is my go to cream/lotion after and sometimes before some races. Depending on the aches or injury I am dealing with I will use this cream and it has enabled me to continue to run with less pain. It does not cure the injury but makes running while having pain/discomfort more tolerable.
iTunes gift cards – every runner has some kind of an electronic device which access music and most likely it is from the iTunes store. So iTunes gift cards will NEVER go to waste!
Amazon gift cards – When I need a last minute item for a race, I always turn to amazon, especially since we have Amazon Prime. I wouldn’t put it past myself to one day ship something from my hotel to my hotel if I needed it bad enough for a race depending on where I am staying. Amazon has just about everything you could need for running, walking or fitness. It’s my go-to place for most of the training needs.
What’s on your holiday list? Do you have any special you are asking Santa for?
I LOVE my Plantronics wireless headphones if you’re ever looking for a good pair, they are a bit expensive, but they work great and are very comfortable!
Also, I’ve tried RaceDots and sort of have mixed feelings on them…they are a pain in the butt to get on and if you bend over the darn magnets stick to eachother and it’s hard to pry them apart while you’re trying to run! That being said, it is nice to have an option to not ruin some of my favorite shirts with pin holes! I’ve decided I can deal with them up to a half marathon…for a marathon I’m moving, bending over, stretching, etc. too much and the magnets sticking together gets frustrating!