I love it when people say that running is a cheap sport and you don’t need anything but a pair of sneakers. While that is true in the abstract, most runners who race regularly that I know have a TON of running gadgets. I have quite a few myself. But I think there are only 3 running gadgets that you NEED to have and so if you are just starting out, start with these and go from there.
- GPS Watch. This is the big one – the one that you will probably rely on the most. I try not to be a slave to pace, but I do need to know if I’m getting my goal pace for workouts and I also do have a bit of an obsessive need to know how far I ran. As far as what GPS watch, I think that is less important. I personally like my Garmin Forerunner 220 because it gives me my splits, and I can set it up in lap mode for various workouts. It can do more, but I’m pretty basic in terms of what I need, so it works great. I am thinking of upgrading to a Fenix only because I like it enough to wear everyday. But whatever suits your fancy should be great.
- Foam roller. Do not ignore foam rolling. I repeat, do not ignore foam rolling. It can be so important in keeping your muscles loose and preventing injury. Is it my favorite thing? No. Do I wish that I could skip it? Yes. Is it worth 5 minutes a day to help myself stay injury free? Duh. I have a very basic foam roller that I bought for $15. You can also use PVC pipe which is even cheaper.
- Training Journal. I use the Believe Training Journal and love it. While this blog also serves as a training journal, it is nice to record thoughts and details in pen and paper as well. Having pen and paper to flip through at the end of a training cycle really is helpful to get my mental state right before a big race.
Are there other items that I sometimes run with? Yes. I sometimes run with a handheld water bottle, I use other tools to help recover, etc. But at the most basic level this list represents things that I really would not want to begin a training cycle without!
What do you NEED to run? What should I add to my list?
Great list! I had a friend comment the other day that running seemed so expensive and I was trying to explain that it doesn’t need to be. When I started, shoes and some good running clothes were the things I had to get to start. I did invest in the shoes but was able to get running clothes on sale at target for a decent price. I used runkeeper on my phone to track runs and pace and didn’t really feel like I needed to upgrade to a running watch until I was further into my journey 🙂 The foam roller is something I wish I had gotten earlier!
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The foam roller is a MUST! 🙂
Good list. I would add:
– Something to hold your keys, either a wrist pouch or running belt
– An arm band for your phone or mp3 player if you don’t have a running belt
– And with safety in mind, some sort of ID tag like roadID makes
Oddly, none of those things would make my “absolute necessity” list. Instead, I’d have good sunglasses (not necessarily high end, but 100% UV blocking that stay comfortably on your face), running socks, and (if you are female) a good bra that supports and doesn’t chafe. So, I guess I’m not a “gadget girl” since none of what I consider necessary are gadgets LOL.
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I think it’s interesting bc I would say a visor / cheap sunglasses (bc I lose them) for sure. Socks and bra I consider basic necessities not gadgets 🙂
I have a friend who was hit by a car when running, so I would add Road ID to the list. In fact I would say just get a basic watch rather than GPS, but get a Road ID. I use Strava to track my training (I seriously code my runs as long run/workout and even use it to track shoes, and I write information about my runs that I’m OK with others seeing).
Running can be as cheap as you make it OR as expensive as you make it. I will say it’s definitely cheaper than triathlon or BJJ that my husband does! He pays a lot of money per month to train at his BJJ gym, so I’m thankful that the roads are free at least ;).
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What is BJJ? Brazilian jit jiu? And yes – as cheap or expensive as you choose to be! I have a road id but never wear it
Totally agree with this list! I need to get on my foam roller tonight because I’ve been putting it off, ugh. I think a training journal is really helpful-I love looking back at old training weeks and cycles too!
Get thee on that foam roller, lady! 🙂
Growing up we had nothing.
The reason that my parents encouraged me to run was that the “barrier to entry” was so low – just a pair of sneakers and I was set.
My coach told me that I needed to keep records of my runs but with nothing at home to write them down into I had to improvise. I still remember stealing empty exercise books (sorry Mrs Mckenna) from class so that I could keep a record of my runs!
Now as an adult who uses his GPS watch and uploads each run to Strava, I still write down each run in my log book, although, I do pay for them these days!
I don’t use a training journal at all! I think I’d list my phone as my third gadget – from the Map app to the music, I couldn’t run without it!
I do run with my phone when I’m running solo (for safety) but I don’t usually race with it, if there is bag check and I can check it. 🙂
I will admit that after shoes and good running clothes the first things I splurged on were my GPR watch and stick/foam roller. I record all my training for free online in Google Sheets and use it as my journal.
Being hot (and super pale) here in the South I would add running sunglasses, hat, and sunscreen, but I don’t know if those count as gadgets or more like clothes and are a basic need.
When I first started running in 8th grade and even through college, I had zero running gear. Zero, but I’m aging myself! I ran high school track in canvas Converse sneakers, the same ones I wore to school with my hip-hugger jeans. I think Nike’s first shoes became mainstream about the time I started college, but I remember Adidas better and don’t know if they were specific to running or were just cute sneakers. Sports bras hadn’t come on the market so I ran in my regular bras until I was in my 30’s and I remember how annoying slipping straps could be while out on a run. At some point I got a basic Timex watch with a stop watch feature and remember driving my routes in advance to figure out distances prior to my runs. 😉
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