Running gear

 Standing on the starting line I tend to notice all the different ways people outfit themselves for a race.  You've got the hat people, those that wear the full hat and the others who prefer the visor.  You got the brave souls (guys that is) who where spandex, then you have the short shorts people.  The latest wave in gear is the compression socks and arm warmer people.  Then there are the groups loyal to a favorite manufacturer, the Nike people, the Rebox people, the Adidas people, the Puma people, the Asics people and the Brooks people.  And not to be left out is the high tech crowd, you have the people sporting the latest GPS watches, and you have the Ipod people with ear buds in each ear.  And you have the people with a GPS watch on their wrist, Ipod on their arm and enough other tech gadgets to control the launch of the space shuttle.

And finally you have the people who run with as little gear and clothing as allowed by public law...including the toe shoe people. 

This is a humorous look at the trends in running gear the bottom line is, run in whatever gear gives you your best shot at maximum performance or the most enjoyable outcome. 

So what is my running gear of choice? (Summer kit)

Hat:  I’m a non-hat guy

Shirt:  Any brightly colored high tech running shirt that jumps out of the drawer that morning.  My only rule here is I will not wear the event shirt until I have run the event.

Shorts:  Any dark, navy blue or black high tech shorts by rule and although I’ve been accused of wearing short shorts, I wear the 5” inseam.  For long runs/marathons I wear Race- Ready long distance shorts.

Socks:  Any high tech/moisture wicking sock is good for me, for trail runs I need and will start wearing gaitors.

Shoes:  Nike Air Pegasus, I’ve run in my Air pegs for over 12 years, they fit my feet perfect and have never left me down.  Normally I have 2 or 3 active pairs ready to go at any given time.

GPS:  Garmin 201, I’ve run with my trusty low tech Garmin since 2003, I have three of them, although I would like to up-grade…these work and a simple to use.  Why mess with a good thing?

Music:  People ask me why I do not listen to music when I run and I have a simple answer, I would rather hear the car before it kills me.  Or maybe it’s the footsteps of someone coming up on me.  In all seriousness, I can not imagine running on the roads without being in touch with the world around me.

Hydration:  On runs longer then 6 to 7 miles or over an hour I hand carry my water.  I use a sports bottle carrier with hand strap.  For long runs or very hot days I may even carry one in both hands.

Fuel:  For runs over 10 miles I’ll tuck gels (Powergels or Gus) into the pockets of my shorts, my favorite flavor is Strawberry Banana.  After and before snacks, I love the Berry Blast Smoothie bars from Powerbar.

Workout Tracking System:  I post all of my work outs manually to an excel spreadsheet.

What is your race day kit?