Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Trainers & gear

You've got to have the right gear. It helps to have some idea too, but the right stuff helps. Blokes like that kind of thing. Buying the right pair of running shoes gives you some control over the process. This stuff is not cheap though: a good pair of running shoes is heading for R1000, and then there's all the moisture wicking shirts. I didn't know I needed a moisture wicking shirt until I wore one. It takes away that feeling of carrying a sodden blanket that you get from running in an old T shirt.

For my birthday I got lots of goodies - running tops, water bottles, etc. Should be easier to run through the summer in shirts that aren't drenched after 2km. I also bought myself some trail running shoes. Basically they are running shoes with a chunkier grip in a darker colour, so they deal better with stones and don't show the dirt so badly. I went to the Nike factory shop, and bought a R400 pair when they had a one day 20% off sale. Bargain.

Of course, I broke Paul's first law of shopping, which is: buy good shoes. They look great, but they gave me huge blisters, the soles are already coming apart, and they are slippery as hell on a wet smooth surface. I can run up the mountain, but not onto the patio.

Next step is to get some more road shoes, as the pair I am using now won't survive the full training period. This time I am going to get it right. I have to.

1 comment:

  1. First, I'm assuming you've been a runner because your doing a marathon, so, you might know all of this already. Generally you should still buy good running shoes, they last longer. If you go to a running store often times they have someone there who can figure out what type of shoes you need, i.e, shoes with a lot of suport, or shoes with more stability. If you've already done that maybe it's the brand? It took me a year or two to find shoes that were comfortable and that I liked.

    -a XC kid/Chicago Marathoner 2007

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