Gift Guide for the Runner in Your Life (2017-18 Holiday Season)

          I have made a list here of basically things I personally would love. But to give further background; I did not put sneakers here because that is a purchase I do myself and myself only. Second, I am not a huge gift giver or receiver. I usually buy myself everything I need so these are items I could not have enough of or maybe even not feel I could splurge on getting more than a few....but would love to....

        I love fleece hats. I cannot have enough of them for I am always losing them. So therefore, having new ones as gifts is always a win, win. 




     Sweaty Bands never get old. Yet, I stick to the thicker versions. 


DO NOT bother getting a distance runner cheap socks. They are often too thick and most of them sold in bulk are often all cotton. Smartwoold and Swiftwick are two brands I use and trust. My socks are like gold. I am still mourning the half a pair I eft behind at the hotel dryer in Miami two years ago...that is how much I value them. 


         She's gotta know something.....she ate this way and won the NYC Marathon....so, it's worth a look.




       Best gift I have ever gotten has been a gift certificate to a local running store. You cannot go wrong with this one. 



        Choose any workout gear from a race she once ran. Make sure the right year is on there and make sure, most importantly, that you have the size down. 


Medals pilling up? get a new rack? Etsy has a ton of styles at affordable prices. 


A running magnet for her car!! If she's already got all her #'s on there, choose a funny one....


This is gold. They seem very much behind the scenes until once day you need them and don't have them. 



Most likely she already had Runner's World. Yet, Trail Runner has the most beautiful pictures and amazing articles inside. 

Best Running Gifts..... for that special female runner in your life

                    It was just my birthday and I thought I'd write a post about THE BEST running gifts....in my opinion of course, who else's? 

So here we go....

* Mace/Pepper Spray of come kind of self-defense gift. This is a gift I would get anyone, not just a runner. 
* Socks.... Balegas or SwiftWick: These two are the BEST socks out there on the market. Be prepared, they are not cheap. I prefer the thin ones myself. God forbid one ever gets lost in the laundry...all hell freezes over then!!

* Running Books: Born to Run is my personal favorite followed by any book by Karnazes. 

* Running Log: This is something all runners always see but talks themselves out of it.....I have...but I would love a copy for myself. There are many on the market....take your pick. 

* Magazine Subscription: While I hardly ever read these when they get to my house, I do make running crafts with them, such as inspirational frames for running friends. I also love to read them on days when I am sitting relaxing....which never quite happens....

 
* Sweaty Bands:  I wear Sweaty bands daily. It's a bit tough these days because I cut my hair short (shoulder length) and I have to figure out a way to get the hair out of my face. But they are so beautiful! 









* Magnet Bumper sticker: First, make sure you get a magnetic bumper sticker, not a real sticker.  If unsure of the milage choose a simple sticker such as RUN, or a funny one. Best time to get this though is after your runner has first completed a specific distance, otherwise the likelihood of them already having this sticker is higher. 

* Shirt from a race they'd completed: Now this is a tricky gift, but if you can pull it off it would make a great gift. If you don't know your runner's size, go for maybe a visor from the race, or a mug. Warning, make sure you get the RIGHT year your runner ran the race....this is very important, for obvious reasons. Not all races have gear available after the race has ended, especially smaller races. 

* Visor:All runners have to always worry about being too hot or too cold. I find visors are a great solution on hot days when you don't want a hat to cover your whole head for fear of overheating.  I have lost visors before and it's been painful for they are not cheap, I mean relative to how much fabric you are getting for the amount you dish out. 










* Basket of Treats for long runs...food, vaseline, sunscreen, salt tablets. This is a super awesome gift! The best way to get JUST the right stuff for it would be going to your local running store and having an attendant help you put together your 'basket'. I would highly recommend also sharing with this person your budget....for as small as these items look, they add up fast!


* Safety lights: For the early morning or night runner...These are great!! don't forget to also get a few extra batteries so that your runner can continue to use them in the long run. 



* Gift certificate to a local running store: By no means is this copping out of a 'cooler' gift, in fact, the BEST gift I have ever gotten was a gift certificate for $100....I used it to buy myself that super expensive GPS watch I could not afford. The watch was way beyond the $100, but it was nice to get a $100 break. 

* Handmade goodies: Go to Etsy.com and type in 'runner gifts' in the search engine and you will find some very cool personalized, unique and handmade items for your runner. YOU yourself can also make some cool gifts. I will post those in a separate post. 

* Medal Rack: You can either make one OR buy one. There are tons out there on the market....from Amazon to Etsy. 


* arm bands: Seeing as we've gone from huge cell phones, to small ones, to huge ones and so on....you can never fail with these. Just make sure you get the right size for your runner's phone. 

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