Christmas Shopping Time!
Posted by: Audrey Post date: November 26th, 2009Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends, I hope you have a great holiday weekend!
Thanksgiving just serves to remind me that Christmas is just around the corner. I’ve always found it relatively straight forward to buy a gift for Hubby, because there are loads of little useful running bits and pieces Ican pick up. Since I’ve been running too, I’ve seen the same thing happen with my own family – my mum and sisters find it so easy now: a pair of running socks, a book or magazine on running, etc.
Soo, what do you give your running partner for Christmas this year? One item I’ve thought about occasionally is a heart rate monitor. I’ve dabbled with the idea of low heart rate training, I feel it sort of justifies me going slow, hehe. I can say to people, “just going slow to keep my heart rate below a certain level. I really could go faster, you know”, knowing full well I probably couldn’t! How to do you pick the best heart rate monitor though? I guess it comes down to two things, durability and budget. It’s gotta survive the sweat, and it’s gotta be affordable.
My mum is one of the hardest to buy for. Late 60’s, owns her home, and has a few interests, but she really doesn’t need anything. My sister got her an mp3 player so she could wear it walking, but she’s not very technically minded, and it doesn’t get much use. I’m tossing up a pedometer, so she can count her steps. She’s doing the Tony Ferguson diet, and she’s starting to walk more. She’s lucky enough to live not too far from the foreshore, and it’s a nice place to walk. I honestly have no idea what else she may like. I’ve started reading pedometer reviews, because if I get her one that’s too technical, it will spend the rest of its life next to the mp3 player.
Now, for me. I know my Hubby reads this, so I can leave a not so subtle hint. When I bought my new running shoes a month or two ago, I found that I needed a half size bigger than I’d been wearing. My trail shoes are still a size 9, and I’d probably feel a lot more comfortable in a size 9 1/2 now. I’ve got a pair of Asics, but there doesn’t seem to be quite the range when you’re looking for a trail running shoe. It seems to be less important whether you’re a pronator, or whether you need more cushioning when you’re buying a trail shoe.
So, that’s the outdoorsy people in my life just about sorted. Now all I have to worry about are the more sedentary folk, and that’s going to be hard.
I’d love to know what running goodies you fancy for Christmas – I can add them to my list of birthday ideas for next year.
3 Responses to “Christmas Shopping Time!”
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November 26th, 2009 at 10:38 am
Asics are good, but brooks are better. My brooks are way better then my asics ever were at helping with my over-pronation…
Sedentary folks are difficult to buy for. Do they have hobbies? do they collect things? would they prefer a gift card? or some novelty item? Maybe just do a basket of goodies.
I made fabric bins for everyone last year and put in a few goodies (everyone got the same thing). We were given board games for the family in return.
If you can’t think of anything, bath/shower goodies always go down well
Running goodies…hrm…hydration pack (gave tim one last year and I have claimed it this year), hit DFO and see what they have
Jude´s last blog ..Hunting Lodge Estate Winery Run
November 26th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
I have bought my mother cooking things- I decided it was time she embraced silicon bakeware! She is also a golfer, and like runners there are a million gadgets that you NEED!
November 26th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
If you’re looking for a HRM I’d seriously consider a Garmin with the HRM option. I love my Forerunner 405, so much more than a HRM though.
Andrew(AJH)´s last blog ..Tired