Stuff...Stuff I Need: Essential and Non-Essential Fitness Gear

Go into any running shop or sporting goods store, and you'll see all manner of fitness gear. Water bottles, water belts, hydration packs, fitness trackers, GPS watches, armbands for your phone, extra pockets for your keys... Not to mention all sorts of shirts, shorts, pants and shoes. It's enough to make your head spin.

As I've said before, sometimes when I'm running, I feel like a prop clown with all the stuff I'm carrying. But compared to some other runners I've seen, I'm actually pretty low-maintenance. So I thought maybe it'd be helpful to give you an idea of the gear I use and what I leave behind.

The bottom line is that I want to be comfortable, not distracted from what I'm trying to do.


Stuff I Need

• Running Shoes: You can't run consistently without a good, supportive, properly fitted pair of shoes. They're not a guarantee against injury, but running without them is a guarantee you will get hurt.
• Armband: I put my phone in an armband. Some people use a belt clip, but that's personal preference. The key is not to have to carry it in your hand.
• Moisture-Wicking Clothes: I sweat. A lot. You want to get that moisture away from your body. Your innermost layer should always be something that wicks away water. But it doesn't have to be expensive. I buy much of my workout gear at Old Navy.
• Hand Towel: No matter how cold it is outside, I sweat. I need to wipe it from my brow. I use freebie golf towels I get at pep rallies and the such.
• Fuel: For cardio workouts (generally runs) more than an hour, I carry GU energy gels. You're going to burn through your glycogen stores. Getting some fast carbs in you is essential.
• Pockets: Not really gear, per se, but be sure you have places to put the crap you're carrying. You don't want to have to hold things.

Stuff I Don't Need

• GPS Watch: Lots of people I know rely on them, but I simply map out my run and try to pay attention to my effort. It takes a little getting used to, but I am much better at pacing as a result. I just set the stopwatch on my phone and go.
• Fancy Water Carriers: I've recently started using a hydration backpack on long runs, but I definitely don't need it. Nor do I need a belt with water bottles. I can easily plan a route that takes me past my house or, if I go to a nearby park or trail, past my car. Again, the key is not to carry it in your hand. Less of a big deal at the gym, obviously.
• Expensive Cold-Weather Gear: When it's cold, I wear a regular wool cap. I dress in layers, and my outermost layer is an old sweatshirt that has been through the wars with me. I do have a pair of running gloves, but they were less than $15. I buy long running pants at Old Navy -- I wait for sales and get them for $15. I have a balaclava for when it's really cold -- that was $10 at Costco.
• Headphones: This is a matter of personal preference, but I can tell you that you don't need music to exercise. And if you're running outside, I really recommend against it -- both experience's and safety's sake.
• Orthotics: My orthopedist told me flat-out that there's actually no science backing the use of orthotics in your shoes. If it feels better to you, go for it, but it's just preference.
• Sports Bra: I'm a guy. But I'm told by Regular Gals that a proper sports bra is essential.

Stuff I Sometimes Need

• Poop Bags: If you've been reading the blog for a while, you know I often run with my dog. If you do the same, be a good neighbor and clean up when she poops.
• Recovery Drink: If my workout isn't in my own neighborhood, I bring a recovery drink with me. For cardio, it's a carb-protein mix (such as chocolate milk). For resistance training, I use when protein.
• ID: If you're working out solo -- especially if you're on a run or a bike ride -- have an easy way for people to identify you in case of emergency. I carry an expired driver's license.

What Stuff Do You Need?

What workout gear have you found to be absolutely essential? What have you found you can do without? What do you wish you had, or with they would invent? Comment below, on Facebook or on Twitter!


A Quick Note

I linked to some retailer and product pages in this post. I have gotten no payment, product or any other consideration for those links -- it's stuff I use and recommend. (Of course, I do plan to tag those companies on Twitter!)

Dogs Don't Like Interval Training...And Other Oddball Marathon Wisdom

Unless this is your first time reading the blog, you surely know by now that I'm training to run the New Jersey Marathon for a second time. A couple of advantages come along with not being a noob:

• I've been able to compartmentalize how training fits into my life better. It's still a dominant part of my life, but it's not all consuming.
• I have a better sense of how I should and shouldn't alter my training plan.
• I'm simply a better runner than I was two years ago. 

But the best part, for me at least, is all the oddball wisdom I'm acquiring. Silly stuff that I was simply too focused, too dialed in, to notice the first time around. And I want to share some of it with you.

Getting ready for a run

Dogs Don't Like Interval Training

I run with my dog Lily as often as I can. But she's really not welcome on a track or a treadmill, so she'd never done interval training with me -- until recently. There's a loop of streets around my home that I've mapped out to be just a hair under a mile. And I figured out that the midway point is a convenient landmark, a VFW hall. So I can do half-mile or mile repeats, give or take a few yards, and she can come along.

Problem was, she couldn't keep up. She's in great shape and generally has to hold back to stick with me. But doing a full mile at well under an 8-minute pace was tough! The final fast interval, she was dragging. "Come on, Dad, slow down. I'm not gonna make it. Can't we just jog?" Well, she made it. And then proceeded to spend the next three hours in her favorite chair.

Don't Tie Your Shoes While Wearing a Backpack Water Bladder

Maybe it's just the model I have or the way I had the hose configured, but on my most recent long run, I leaned over to re-lace my left shoe, and water started pouring out onto the ground and my sweatshirt. You don't want a cap on those things, because you want it as easy as possible when you're huffing and puffing. But sheesh!

Lesson learned. If I have to do that again, I'll take the backpack off.

I'm Frequently the Fastest One at the Gym

This is kind of fun, in an ego-boosting way. During the cold months, I often have to take my running indoors. It's not just the weather, but a function of my and my family's schedules. Generally when I get on the belt at the gym, there are a handful of other people using treadmills -- some running, some walking. But most people on treadmills fall into two categories:

• Folks who are just trying to be a little more active.
• People who focus on strength training and are just working in the cardio they need.

Among dedicated runners, I am decidedly average. I hope to finish in the top half of my age group in my next couple of races (a half-marathon before the full). But it feels pretty good to look like the "real runner" once in a while.

A neighbor and another Loyal Son of Rutgers

You Learn About Strangers' Lives

If you run in your own neighborhood frequently enough, especially at roughly the same time of day every time, you're going to start seeing the patterns in your neighbors' lives. You'll get to know who has to get their kids onto the bus, who's out on the front porch for a morning cigarette, who warms up their car and who just drives off. You will have encyclopedic knowledge of where every dog in your neighborhood lives. You may even catch a glimpse of people's TVs through their front windows. 

I'm not sure what good any of this knowledge does me, but I feel like I know a lot about where I live.

Just some basic race gear

I'm Like a Prop Clown

One of the things people always tell runners who are just starting out is that, unlike just about any other sport or form of exercise, you don't really need any equipment. Yeah, right. On any given run I could have on my person:

• Backpack water bladder
• Handtowel for wiping away sweat
• Gloves
• Hat or balaclava
• Armband with phone inside
• Glucose gel packets
• Tissues
• Car key
• Identification (I carry an expired driver's license.)

And that doesn't even count if I'm with the dog, in which case her leash has a carrier for poop bags.

Maybe I'll Get Serious Next Time

This is just a little bit of the useless knowledge and wisdom I've collected over the past month and change. Of course, you learn some more important lessons about your body, your life and what you're truly capable of, too. We'll get to those another time. 

What silly stuff have you learned while working out? Talk about it in the comments below!