Templemore Santa Fun Run
November 28, 2015An Ode to Ballycotton
December 7, 2015
It can be hard to buy a running gift for that special runner in your life, as usually they have very specific preferences. They have a certain type of “heel strike” so will only use a particular type of runner, they will usually have a preference of a particular brand of running clothes, and they will use a particular GPS watch, so will track all their runs on that system (and won’t want to change).
Sounds impossible, well here’s some ideas that may help:
Ideas €100+
- Training / Running Courses –
- Champions Everywhere: Improve their technique or their output, either way a runner would like one of these courses as a gift: http://www.championseverywhere.com/
- Forget the Gym: this is mainly focused on beginners to running, so maybe for someone relatively new to running: http://forgetthegym.ie/
- Chi Running: work on running form for any levels from Catherina McKiernan: http://www.catherinamckiernan.com/
- Hotel Stays around races – if your runner is planning a marathon / half marathon and there is a bit of travel involved, why not book the local hotel, it would be a great suprise. (Throw in a trip to the spa with massage for extra brownie points!)
- Sports shop vouchers – It might be a little lazy, but if you are a voucher person, then they are likely to love the opportunity to buy a new pair of runners. (around €150 should do the trick).
Ideas <€100
- Races – “Here I bought you entry to a marathon“, sounds lovely right? Well actually if you know that your runner has an eye on certain events, then it’s not a bad idea at all. This is one you can tease out of them (what’s your favourite race, any big running plans this year, etc.)
- Cool Training Gear – Even if you like a particular brand, there are certain things that you’ll love to get, especially if they are for training rather than racing. You can’t go wrong with a high-vis, light weight running jacket, have a look at this for example from Asics.
Stocking Fillers
- Gels – If your runner uses gels regularly then stock him/her up. Buy a full box, you get better discounts, and they’ll definitely use them if they have a long race in the coming year. (Don’t switch brands though, stick to the brand and flavour they like, e.g. High5 or PowerBar)
- Running Hats (either beanies for winter or running caps for summer). Or Gloves!
- Magazine Subscriptions – I’d recommend Irish Runner here, but if they already have that then try Runners World
- iTunes – if they use music during runs, you can’t go wrong with a refresh of the playlist, an iTunes voucher would be nice!
- Medal Holders – If your runner has built up a vast collection of medals, that are stuffed in a drawer, then help him/her display them with pride. Here’s mine from earlier this year, just €15 from Kerry Signature Furniture:
Running Books
When a runner is not running, they like to think about running! So here’s some books that will keep them motivated or inspire them further:
- Born to Run – Christopher McDougall
- Eat & Run – Scott Jurek
- ChiRunning – Danny Dreyer
- Who Dares Runs – Gerry Duffy
- Running Full Circle – Frank Greally
Any other receommendations or questions, feel free to post below. I’ll do my best to get back to you, without becoming a personal shopper!!
