As I said in Part one in Training for a marathon is the cheapest form of exercise. All you need that is your biggest
expense, a good pair of running shoes. You need a good pair of comfortable
shoes, that are meant for running to prevent injury. Make sure they are meant
for running!! There is a ton of shoes out there, that LOOK like running shoes,
but aren't.
If you want
to enjoy what you're doing a good pair of shoes are the necessity. They offer
padding against shock of running on pavement. They can save knees, ankles and
hips. As I advice before, if you find a good pair you like, and fit your foot
well, buy two pair. They go in and out of style just like clothes do with the season.
Here today gone tomorrow, literally. What is very important, they must fit the
foot properly. Have your foot fitted for a proper size. Not all shoes are
made the same, sized the same or fit the same. Research, research and research
again. My personal favorite running shoe is a woman's Nike
running shoe. I try
to get them on-sale to buy two pair at a time. As I write, I'm wearing my
favorite beat up ugly pair, because I just came in from running stairs at the
mall. I LOVE these shoes, but to be honest a friend of mine, who is a runner, hates
them. Shoes are a very personal choice, and how it fits your foot and how it feels on the foot makes all the difference.
The next thing is water bottles. Yes, not all
water bottles are created equal. When I'm running I have a waist belt made by
Camelbak. It has a bottle holder with for a Camelbak, 22oz water bottle, a
small pouch area for my cell phone, and keys. It rest comfortable against the
small of my back. Surprisingly running with a 22oz bottle can add weight. There
is a number of ways to carry water. There is those belts that with several
small bottles around the waist, which is evenly distributed for balance.
That is the key, make sure you're not off balance. Then there are the bottles
that are easily held in the hand with a handle to fit the hand. Any and all of
these can be expensive. For my belt and bottle it was almost $30, but I use it
all the time. It was well worth the investment.I've had it for several years now.
The sporting goods industry has really taken
advantage of women's desire to look good even while running. I'm appalled at
the prices for something like running pants! It's ridiculous! Hunt around
on-line for affordable clothing. Name brands aren't necessary, believe me, no
one cares. Hit the discount racks at the local sporting goods. I just scooped
up a couple of tank tops for $4 apiece. It's also a good time to find stuff for
winter that is on clearance. I got a pair of black long jogging pants with a bright orange stripe on the leg for $19.
There is one thing that is a great investment for
winter, it's something called a second skin. It's what football players wear in
winter on the field. It's a very thin and is great to wear under t-shirts. It
really keeps the warmth in and the cold out. No need for bulky sweatshirts, all the time.
Most everything you buy for running, other than
shoes, will last years. Clothing will have to be replaced every few years,
shoes, if running a lot, at least twice a year. Still, it's one of the cheapest
forms of exercise. If the weather is cold and wet, got to a mall and fast walk,
take the stairs, it's keeps the endurance up. If you've got two legs you can walk, run, take stairs, something. Now go forth and train.
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