Other Running Apparels and Paraphernalia

What are the recommended running apparels?

Well, if you intend to buy clothes for running, do not buy cottons because according to the book Running for Fitness, when it gets wet, it gets heavy, irritates skin, does not insulate and dries slowly. You can buy the ones made of synthetic materials that are light and easily dries up.

As for gadgets, just go slow on the pocket because there are lots of it out there.

There are those watches with special functions like stopwatch. Just make sure it has a large display for easy visibility, it is water resistant and with easy-to-press button for lap functions. There are the other gadgets like heart rate monitor, pedometer, speed and distance monitors but these are not really all necessary for running though some people cannot do without these.

What I consider necessary for me are a shoe pocket where I put my car keys and a bottle of mineral water for hydration. With my MP4 player or i-pod, I'm good to go. Of course, when the sun is up, I use sunblock or a cap. Those are the basics. The rest, I just consider as mere decorations.

Getting Started

I thought that the only thing that I would need to get into running is simply to make that decision that I am going to start running. It came as a surprise to read that there are basic things that you need to do before you start running.

If you are generally healthy, meaning no chest pains, difficulty of breathing on exertion, no other medical conditions, no previous injuries and you are not middle-aged nor older, then you could go ahead and move on and get started. Otherwise, you should see a doctor first and get medical clearance. I agree with this because recently I have heard of many incidents when someone just collapsed and died after getting into a sudden rigorous activity. What's more surprising, even young people (as young as late 20's) have heart attacks. It's not a fable. I am a doctor. These are facts and current observations. So just to be on the safe side, when in doubt, ask your doctor.

Now that you've had your medical clearance, you should have the basic running gear... meaning a good pair of running shoes. Running can be the cheapest sports that you can get involved in. Perhaps the most expensive thing that you need to buy in order to get into running is your running shoes. And for females, it is also important to wear sports bra especially if you're a size C or D. You do not want to look so trim and fit on your belly and have dangling you-know-whats up there. The rest of the running gears are just accessories that will help you run but may not necessarily be that essential for you. As for me, the MP4 player is a must because my running program is from podrunner. My husband downloaded the podrunner interval for 5-km in 10 weeks and this has really helped me to be consistent with the sports. You can get a very cheap MP4 player nowadays. An i-pod is not a must. However, some people wanted to track their running activity through other gadgets like pedometer and the like. As for me, the public oval track with its meter-markings suffices to monitor my distance. I only pay P5.00 to use the facility and I'm good to go. No need to make this new hobby a burden to the family budget. 'Less is more'. That's a favorite saying of my husband. Just keep it simple. The "lower the maintenance", the better.