I think one of the biggest battles with starting an exercise program is eliminating reasons to not start exercising, so I've decided to start talking about what you will need when the weather in much nicer to start your running.
First, spend your money wisely on the most important part of your running gear, your shoes. Find a good running store. This is not the time to try and save a few dollars ordering something online or at the mall store where the person who is selling shoes is as likely to be running as I was a year ago. Find a serious and friendly running store. The should not only fit your properly for shoes, but have you run in the shoes so they can help fit you as well as you can find the best shoe for your feet. And think foot comfort before you start worrying about how they look. Spend your money well here and you will at least be taking care of your feet and body. I'm not going to talk about my shoes, because they are just that, my shoes and they work for me, but they may not work for everyone.
But I will talk about the rest of my fall running kit. I think running clothing is one area where you can not only learn from others, but also a place where you can save money of you shop smart.
Years ago when I was in school, I never thought of any special clothes for running. You had your shorts of course and sweat pants for those cold days, and a t-shirt. Everything was cotton as I recall. Well times have changed and there is an whole new line of clothing designed specifically for running. Will it make you faster? No, but it might make you a bit more comfortable during your run and if you are looking for excuses why you should not run before or after work, anything to make you more comfortable will help eliminate those excuses a bit.
For fall running I will stick with the basics, socks, shorts and a shirt. That is all you really need when the weather is nice.
For socks I can't say enough about the Balega Enduro 2 sock. With no seams to rub between your foot and shoe, combined with cushioning on the bottom and mesh construction on the top for ventilation, these are my sock of choice.
When it comes to shorts, I prefer a pair which has a built in liner. I wear boxers so it seemed silly to go buy underwear when so many pairs of shorts offer either built in liners or built in compression shorts. this summer I was recommended to try the Adidas Climacool Supernova Shorts and I was so happy that I went and bout two more pairs. These are the lightest, coolest running shorts I've tried. I can't say enough about these for comfort.
In the fall months, you tend to fall between hot days and some cooler days, so it is a good idea to be prepared for both weather conditions with both a long and a short sleeve shirt.
My short sleeve shirt is one which was recommended to me at my local running store, the same place which recommended the short. They suggested the North Face Reaxion Amp Crew. With its knitted fabric it is both soft and cool.
For a long sleeve shirt, I've adopted one which was a race premium at my first December race, the Asics Thermopolis LT Crew. Another super soft shirt which offers exceptional comfort.
With three days of running gear on hand, I have fewer excuses to not run. You can spend a fortune on running clothes, but if you shop smart you can save quite a bit of money. Even looking at the websites of the manufacturers you can find clothes at half of retail. And if you sign up for races, they usually have a "race premium" which is usually a shirt, which not only adds to your small beginning running clothes collection, but provides that training incentive to run regularly.
Remember to spend your money and invest wisely in a quality pair of shoes from a good running store, and then spend your money on your clothes.
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