Christmas Gifts for Runners
Ad: My Christmas gifts for runners guide contains gifted items.
Whilst I usually focus on Christmas gifts for mums who run, I’ve decided to make the guide a little more broad this year with Christmas gifts for runners. I’m focusing on things runners need for training and a care-package for race day. Having been running every day for the past five years, I’ve entered a race for next year which is the first time since I ran the Brighton marathon with Martyn. So, I’ll be putting all these items to the test over the coming months.
Christmas Gifts For Runners: For Training
Whilst running is a relatively inexpensive sport, when you run regularly you really do get through training gear. That’s why training items make great Christmas gifts for runners. They’ll appreciate all the food, running kit and water bottles you can throw at them!
Reflective Running Gear
Those of us who live in rural areas will appreciate the pain of trying to train for a long race in the dark. Reflective running gear is great for safety, and it can double up to carry your mobile phone as well. This Stile reflective run vest and mobile phone carrier boasts LED rear lights so vehicles will see you if you’re running in an unlit area. The constant flash mode on these lights is visible for up to half a mile and the battery supplies 144 hours of use in flash mode and 72 hours in constant mode. The compartment fits most phone sizes and it has a flip-down touch window so you can use the phone as you’re running. It’s water resistant too, so no need to worry if the heavens open when you’re out for a jog!
Reflective hat designed for runners
The designers of this reflective hat for runners really did think of everything you need. Its high moisture diffusion quickly absorbs and disperses sweat. It’s also ultra-reflective and has multi-coloured print to ensure high visibility. Ideal for running at dusk, dawn or simply when it’s pitch black – often a necessity when winter training!
Recycled Runner’s Water Bottle
Another absolute trauma as a runner training for a long race is carrying water. I’m extremely lucky to live in an area where fresh spring water is readily available if I plan my run accordingly, so I tend not to bother carrying it. That said, not being used to carrying water definitely makes it more difficult when I do need to take a bottle with me. These runners water bottles make it a lot easier. They fit easily into your hand so keeping hold of it isn’t problematic – even when running with two dogs like I do. Better still, the bottles are made from recycled plastic. This helps to prevent plastic from ending up in landfill and it also ensures that each bottle is unique. Colours depend on the input of the recycled plastic, so no two bottles are the same.
Healthy snacks from the Protein Ball Company
Whilst I appreciate that fuelling for long training runs can be difficult, it’s one of the things I love the most about running. There’s an array of tasty, high-protein snacks out there that are great for before, during and after training. This starter pack of protein balls is a brilliant introduction to healthy running snacks. Flavours include peanut butter, coconut & macadamia, cacao & orange, salted caramel, plant peanut butter, lemon & pistachio, choc chip muffin, blueberry oat muffin and coffee oat muffin. They contain natural ingredients and added vitamins for a healthy post-workout snack that will fill you up without hitting the junk food.
Christmas Gifts For Runners: For Race Day
Purendure natural energy gel alternative
On race day, fuelling tends to be a necessary evil once you start doing marathons and ultra-marathons. I’m talking sticky, sugary gels that do the job but go everywhere and don’t taste great. Thankfully, Purendure have come up with a solution – using fruit instead of sugar. Their real fruit energy gel alternatives are easy to open, easy on the stomach and contain 25 grams of carbs – ideal for fuelling during a long race.
Running Socks
If you’re thinking of putting together a race-day hamper as Christmas gift for a runner this year, PLEASE include a really good pair of socks. I don’t know how it happens but I can run 20 miles in training with no blisters but come race day, if my socks are less than perfect my feet are in shreds within a couple of miles. This women’s Activ socklet is a single-layer anklet sports sock made from 80% recycled materials. It looks great with shorts because it doesn’t show above your trainers, but the fabric is nice and thick to prevent foot-shredding. These will be coming with me on my half marathon next year.
Blister Plasters
Another necessary evil for a race day hamper – blister plasters. Putting them on before the race on any “pain points” will help your recipient to prevent blisters. Slipping a couple into a running pouch or pocket allows them to take care of any blisters encountered on the move as well. Each one is individually wrapped, ideal for race day or for taking on a cycle or hike.
DioraHydrate
When you get to the end of a race feeling pretty awful and dehydrated, sometimes drinking water and sports drinks just doesn’t cut it to make you feel better. There’s a reason for this – we need to have a certain balance of electrolytes and carbohydrates to re-hydrate. That’s exactly what DioraHydrate is designed to do. Your recipient will be grateful to reach the end of a run and drop a couple of tablets into their water bottle. Symptoms of dehydration will be quickly resolved.
