{"id":166,"date":"2018-06-07T16:19:32","date_gmt":"2018-06-07T16:19:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/untamedrunner.com\/?p=166"},"modified":"2018-06-07T16:19:32","modified_gmt":"2018-06-07T16:19:32","slug":"running-through-gear-choices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/untamedrunner.com\/index.php\/2018\/06\/07\/running-through-gear-choices\/","title":{"rendered":"Running through gear choices"},"content":{"rendered":"
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When you walk into a running store, you may be overwhelmed by the variety of the clothing and gear choices, as well as the prices. It’s true that good running clothes and gear are expensive. It’s also true that they\u00a0can last a long time if you take care of them–more on that below.<\/p>\n

This will be a general overview of the gear you might find useful. I’ll do more item-specific reviews in future posts.<\/p>\n

Like socks in my last post, moisture-wicking is the key for running clothing. Cotton and other fabrics hold moisture longer and you have a greater risk of chafing. While runners used cotton and other “non-wicking” materials for decades, we’re much more comfortable now. Again similar to socks, once you have the right material, you pick what piece of clothing is most comfortable and the color\/style that best suits you.<\/p>\n

Depending on when you’re beginning your running program, you may be able to get away with starting small, such as shorts and a shirt. As you move into the fall and winter, you will likely want to add a light pullover, running tights\/pants, or even a heavier running jacket. Gloves and headgear are essential.<\/p>\n

Many races are now handing out moisture-wicking\/synthetic\/tech shirts. If you run two or three a year, you may be boosting your running wardrobe by two or three shirts a year–obviously more if you race more. Some winter and fall races will hand out long sleeve shirts, too. If you don’t like how the race-designed shirt looks there’s no problem, just use it as a base layer for your winter running. Nobody has to see it.<\/p>\n

You may be able to get away with more basics than you realize. For years, I only had\u00a0one pair of light running tights for winter running. When it got under ten degrees, I would wear those then throw an old-school pair of sweatpants on top. The sweatpants didn’t have the properties I prefer but since they were an outer layer on top of the tights, it didn’t matter.<\/p>\n

I would encourage you to be creative\u00a0getting “new”\u00a0running gear. If I’m parking somewhere for a run, I put my essentials in a running wallet. Except that my running wallet isn’t an official one. When we were moving recently, I found our old digital camera case (remember those?) and it was a perfect size for a few ID cards, cash, and my car key. Instead of buying new running gear and tossing the camera case into one of our donation boxes, I had a free running wallet.<\/p>\n

For your hydration\/nutrition needs, there are a few basic options including handheld bottles, belts with bottle holders\/zippered pockets, and small backpacks you can wear. What you use is all personal preference. I will say that if you’re running longer than a couple of hours, a belt with bottle holders\/small backpack is pleasant as you can either have your hands free, or you can use that plus a hand-held bottle and have extra fluids.<\/p>\n

As you develop as a runner, your wardrobe and gear will increase. This is helpful because even though the workaround\u00a0options are fine, you’ll be more comfortable in the new clothes that\u00a0are designed for running.\u00a0 In the meantime, be creative and practical and you’ll surprise\u00a0yourself with\u00a0what you can do.<\/p>\n

When you are ready to wash your running clothes, modern washing machines are gentler than older ones. Regardless of the age of the washer, air-drying will preserve the clothes’ longevity. Also, I never, ever throw my running shoes in the washer. For starters, they’re running shoes, not work shoes. They’re supposed to get dirty. In addition, submerging them in water and soap, even on a gentle cycle, breaks down the materials faster.<\/p>\n

Much of my running gear has lasted for years by taking care of it. In the photo above, the shirt and shorts were acquired over ten years ago. I can’t guarantee yours will last a long time too, but your odds are good if you’re careful with it.<\/p>\n

Running food review of the week:\u00a0<\/span>(note–gels, bars, chews, and other items affect everyone differently. Try them on a short run before using them for a key training run or race):\u00a0<\/span>Clif Shot strawberry.\u00a0<\/a>Clif has been a popular brand among athletes, especially runners, for a long time. I’ve always loved Clif Bars. However, years ago their gels, known as Clif Shots, had a heavy brown rice syrup flavor. Many people liked it. I was not a big fan. However, I tried the strawberry Clif Shot last week. It is all strawberry, no brown rice syrup that I can taste, and it is all good. I’m glad because it is highly regarded and it’s good to have an additional flavored gel I enjoy.<\/span><\/p>\n

I’m signed up for the Jackalope 5K\u00a0<\/a>in Laramie, Wyoming this coming weekend. It sits at 7,000 feet so I’m not expecting a fast time but it seems like a fun adventure. Will report back on that next time in the context of running untamed…<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When you walk into a running store, you may be overwhelmed by the variety of the clothing and gear choices, as well as the prices. It’s true that good running clothes and gear are expensive. It’s also true that they\u00a0can last a long time if you take care of them–more on that below. This will … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Running through gear choices”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":172,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-166","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/untamedrunner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/20180606_173919.jpg?fit=596%2C251&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9W0ku-2G","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1054,"url":"https:\/\/untamedrunner.com\/index.php\/2021\/02\/19\/semi-retired-shoes\/","url_meta":{"origin":166,"position":0},"title":"Semi-retired shoes…","author":"36jonraessler50","date":"February 19, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"My last post featured items that seem indestructible. Of course, you don't know if you have one of these items unless it has lasted many years or been subjected to some sort of accidental trauma. Since it's difficult to know items' durability and assuming you want your running gear to\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":881,"url":"https:\/\/untamedrunner.com\/index.php\/2020\/03\/19\/when-stuff-doesnt-work\/","url_meta":{"origin":166,"position":1},"title":"When stuff doesn’t work…","author":"36jonraessler50","date":"March 19, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Running gear does not come at bargain prices. The upside is that if you take care of the gear, it can last a long time. However, sometimes it doesn\u2019t work. What to do? (Different gear works for different body types so I\u2019m not naming company names as the same piece\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":448,"url":"https:\/\/untamedrunner.com\/index.php\/2018\/11\/01\/winter-running-gear-part-two\/","url_meta":{"origin":166,"position":2},"title":"Winter running gear part two\u2026","author":"36jonraessler50","date":"November 1, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"(An extra disclaimer before this post: Running in winter conditions can be risky for many reasons. Consult with a medical professional before doing so.) For running tights\/pants, if you get cold easily you may want a thicker pair of tights or a pair of running pants. If you run warm,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Balega\"","block_context":{"text":"Balega","link":"https:\/\/untamedrunner.com\/index.php\/tag\/balega\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":153,"url":"https:\/\/untamedrunner.com\/index.php\/2018\/05\/30\/running-food-nutrition-with-an-intro-on-socks\/","url_meta":{"origin":166,"position":3},"title":"Running food\/nutrition (with an intro on socks)…","author":"36jonraessler50","date":"May 30, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I've always found socks to be one of the easiest purchases to make. Besides being moisture-wicking and getting the right size, everything else is about your preference.\u00a0 Just pick the texture that is most comfortable, the color that is most appealing, and the style that works best for you (hidden,\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/untamedrunner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Running-Food-2.jpg?fit=606%2C665&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/untamedrunner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Running-Food-2.jpg?fit=606%2C665&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/untamedrunner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Running-Food-2.jpg?fit=606%2C665&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":443,"url":"https:\/\/untamedrunner.com\/index.php\/2018\/10\/25\/apples-to-apples-or-mocha-to-mocha\/","url_meta":{"origin":166,"position":4},"title":"Apples to apples, or mocha to mocha…","author":"36jonraessler50","date":"October 25, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Though it\u2019s late October and I\u2019ve not pulled down my winter running gear, I will need to do so soon. Given the number of years I\u2019ve been logging miles, I have accumulated a large running wardrobe for all seasons. If you\u2019re just starting out, either with running in general or\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Brooks\"","block_context":{"text":"Brooks","link":"https:\/\/untamedrunner.com\/index.php\/tag\/brooks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":818,"url":"https:\/\/untamedrunner.com\/index.php\/2019\/12\/19\/gear-adjustments\/","url_meta":{"origin":166,"position":5},"title":"Gear Adjustments…","author":"36jonraessler50","date":"December 19, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"You can find just about any piece of gear you would want for running either at your local store or online. Much of it is very useful and worth the investment. 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