And I despise the dreadmill so it really limits my
running this time of year. I will say, though, one nice
thing about the treadmill is you can change up your running a bit and only look
foolish to yourself or anyone else at home (or the gym). What I mean by changing it up a bit is
walking backwards for 5-10 minutes or doing carioca on both sides. Here are some other options… http://www.shape.com/blogs/shape-your-life/5-unique-ways-make-most-your-treadmill Of course, you will be going MUCH slower than
you normally do but it’s a good challenge.
And for even more of a challenge, raise the incline some. One of my fitness groups thought I was a
badass for going backwards. I like to
think I am but I really was not going very fast.
I digress…so I went running yesterday for the first time in
a while (see aforementioned frozen tundra).
It was a balmy 30 degrees here about 10:30am so I layered up and went
out. I will admit it was a wee bit chilly at first. I did a short warm up jog and then decided I
should do hill repeats. If you are not
familiar with those, it’s when you run your max up a hill and then jog back
down. You are supposed to do this
general 8-10 times. However, when you
haven’t done hill repeats in eons of time, you only make it through 4 before
you decide maybe you should just go for a regular run. I certainly warmed up though. While on my run, I began thinking about what
other gifts I could suggest to you, my dear readers, for this holiday
season. I came up with a few, though I
will say that most of them are running-related.
I was, after all, on a run.
Before I go into the gift ideas, I do want to tell you about
a great app that is a must for runners/walkers in locations that tend to have 4
actual seasons. It’s an app called “What
Should I Wear Running” and I love it!
You can select your preference for how you like to run. Do you like to be warm during winter or a
little cooler? Additionally, it
automatically identifies your location and the current weather. Based on that and your preferences, it
provides you a list of what to wear for your run that day. There is also a manual setting where you can
provide the weather input. Have I
mentioned I love this app? I highly
recommend it. I did a search for other
apps similar to this and there is one for cycling, as well. However, it’s not free so I don’t know much
about it. If you test out the app,
comment here and let me know what you think.
Do you know of a better app? Let me
know that, too. I’m certainly open to
other options.
Now for other gift ideas for the runner in your life:
v
Asics hat ($25) – by now you know how I feel
about Asics. If I could wear all Asics,
all the time I would. Unfortunately,
it’s difficult to find Asics apparel in the stores up here. Most of my apparel from Asics was purchased
on-line www.asicsamerica.com but
there’s something to be said for being able to try on your workout
clothes. I will say, though, that the
Asics running hat I have is great! There
are several hats on the Asics website but I recommend the fleece beanie. This has a hole for a ponytail which is
wonderful. It does cover the ears but I
also put a headband around it to keep it (and my headphones) in place.
v
Asics running mittens ($20) – I know, I
know. You are shocked to see another
Asics recommendation. These
mittens/gloves are wonderful for cold weather running. They are actually fingerless gloves that have
a mitten component that you can use when you are cold and it folds back and
velcros if you want to give your fingers a little air.
My favorite part of them, though, is the
fleece thumb that you can use to wipe your nose when it starts running
too. Unfortunately, when I was on the
Asics website recently, they no longer offer those gloves on their site. I did however, find them on Amazon.com . I highly recommend these. If they keep my hands warm up here in the
bitter cold, I’m sure they will work for you!
v
Petzl E91 PF Tikkina 2 Headlamp ($15-$50) – I
bought a head lamp this year because when the sun starts setting early, I still
want to be able to run. I bought this
particular one and really like having it.
It has two settings for the lights and provides about 10-15 feet of
light in front of you. It secures nicely
to the head and has an adjustable strap.
There are various styles and prices but really this basic one is all I
need. Most of the time, I forget it’s
there. Oh, and it comes in handy when
your power goes out and all you have to do is read but need light by which to
read. On that, I am speaking from
experience and you can take that to the bank.
J
v
Compression socks/sleeves ($10-$50) – I haven’t
had as much success with these as other runners I know but I thought I’d list
them anyway. I’m pretty sure it has to
do with the quality of the socks (I may have purchased the cheap ones) so I
recommend spending a little more to get more benefit from them. I did, however, purchases compression sleeves
for my calves during the Brussels Half-Marathon and really like them. They not only kept my calves warm without
causing me to overheat but my legs felt loose the majority of the race.
v
P90X ($125) – Beachbody is on their 3rd
version of this workout program. I’ve
only done the original and let me tell ya, you definitely sweat with this! It’s been several years since I’ve done the
whole program but periodically, I will do the Kenpo X workout just for
something different. Each time, I forget
(then quickly realize) how tough it is.
I have several friends who have done other Beachbody series workouts and
have seen great results. As a personal
trainer, I try to come up with my own workouts but I have seen the value in
these. If you do decide to buy anything
from Beachbody, please go through my dear friend Jessica Proctor at jesswolf.jp@gmail.com. She is a Beachbody coach and can help you
find the workout to fit your needs (or whomever you are purchasing for).
That wraps up my list of my favorite things. Just call me Oprah. No, don’t do that because then I would have
to give you all these things for free.
That’s not going to happen. Sorry.
Happy shopping to you all!
BE BOLD! BE YOU!!
No comments:
Post a Comment