Marathon Method

Marathon training for beginners

Marathon gear guide: By popular demand

Posted by admin on 4/30/09 • Categorized as Uncategorized

I hope your marathon training is going well.

I want to begin by thanking all of you who took time to respond to my last message. It’s always such a treat to hear from you. Keep the questions coming!

Speaking of questions, one of the most common questions I receive is about what gear I recommend. As I mention in my book, I have found that buying shoes and other gear is a personal choice, one that you have to make based on your own experiences.

But in response to all of the questions I have received, here is a rundown of the gear I use…

Shoes:

I have used Asics running shoes for years and for whatever reason fell in love with the Cumulus. If you could peer into my closet, you would literally find ten pairs of these shoes. Its nice that they are less expensive that most other good shoes on the market.

I consulted a good friend, Ann, who has completed a half dozen marathons over the last three years about what shoes she recommends. Ann also likes Asics and without a delay said, “you can’t go wrong with the Asics Women’s Gel Nimbus 10 running shoe.”

Socks:
Meet the sock that changed my life. The Wright Sock is a two layer sock that has kept my blister-prone feet blister-free mile after mile. I love these socks. They come in many colors.

I also like the SmartWool Running Light Micro Sock, but they don’t seem to last as long as the WrightSock.

Shorts:

We are all friends here so I can tell you that I have had, ahem, chafing problems with other shorts. I found these and have been very happy with them. They are soft but do a good job wicking moisture. My friend Ann likes the Pearl Izumi Women’s Infinity Split Running Short.

I’ll spare you the details of “support” wear. You are on your own there…

Tights:
I bought my first and only pair of Pearl Izumi running tights from a running store in Madison, Wisconsin. It was really cold and I wanted to do some mid-winter running. The salesperson pointed to a pair of Pearl Izumi tights and said, “These should will keep you comfortable from from zero degrees (Fehrenheit) to about fifty.” He was right. They are really warm, but breathe well in warmer temperatures.

I have probably logged more than one thousand miles wearing that pair of tights and they still look and feel great.

Jacket:
I bought this jacket before the 2005 Chicago Marathon and wear it all the time. Its long enought that I can wear it with just a pair of tights (and I’m modest).

I wear mine a lot when I am not running. In fact, I just wore it to my daughter’s soccer practice. Definatley worth the money. In fact, I’m buying one for my wife for Mother’s Day. Don’t tell!

I recently started wearing a watch during my training runs. The Timex Ironman has been around for a decade (or more) and is an affordable running watch. I wore one for a while before I wanted something with additional features.

After my last marathon I splurged on the Polar Multisport GPS Computer Heart Rate Monitor Watch. This is an amazing training tool. I wear this watch all the time, even when I am not running. I liked my Timex Ironman, I love my Polar.

Now that I have kids and a demanding business, I tend to run at weird times — like really early in the morning. One of the things that I have learned to love is running as the sun coming up. However, I often end my long runs looking directly into the sun.

So, I did some research and bought the Oakley Half Jackets. What I love about these glasses is how comfortable they are and, even better, how sweat and water runs right off the lens. You feel like you aren’t wearng glasses at all.

I wish I would have tried these before spending a fortune on a pair of Nike glasses that did not serve me well at all.

Finally, lets talk about headware.

By now you have heard me whine about the weather where I live. I often run along Lake Michigan and the wind off the lake in the winter can be brutal. For winter running, a hat is a necessarity.

I’m something of a hat expert and I love the Asics Hybrid Hat. Its warm but wicks moisture very well.

I’ll admit that I hated the idea of running with a visor until I tried one. As I mentioned, The Pearl Izumi race visor is so light and comfortable, I forget I am wearing it.

So, that is a rundown on the gear that I use. Again, find what works for you and remember, go for what fits well not what looks good.

Got any gear suggestions that you would like me to pass along? I would love to hear from you.

Thanks and as always…

Keep Running!

Joe Donovan
MarathonMethod.com

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