So last week my friend and I made our annual trip to Lululemon with our hard-earned vouchers for completing their January Strava Challenge. As usual I spent ages gazing at the row upon row of kit in a dazzling array of colours, shapes and sizes and as usual everything I bought was black!. If you know me that will come as no surprise - there is nothing wrong with black kit ok!
Anyway the trip got me thinking how daunting it can be to work out what, amongst all this kit, you actually need if you are just starting out - there is so much choice out there, so many gadgets and so many bits and bobs that people will tell you are must-haves - compression tights, underlayers, specialist socks, gloves, hats, headbands, technical shirts, and let’s not even start on all the wearable tech - that is a whole new post right there!
So what do you really need to get started? I honestly think there are really only two things worth investing time and money in when you are just starting out - and by that I mean if you invest a bit of time into doing some research you can save yourself a load of money. So here you go my top two bits of kit are:
A good sports bra - (if you are a guy you can probably skip this one!) - seriously getting the right bra will make your whole running experience much more comfortable - even if you are small you will need some level of support.
Do a bit of internet research to work out what kind of support you need - most bras are categorized in terms of size, level of support and the sport for which they are intended.
Once you have worked out what type of bra you need have a look at websites like www.SportShoes.com for deals and check out TKMaxx - they always have great choices at good prices if you don’t mind a little rummage!Shoes - badly fitting/old/unsupportive shoes can land you in a world of trouble and put you out of action before you even get started.
If you are unsure where to start it may be worth visiting a good retailer to get a gait analysis done. Runners Need is a really good place to start - the stores are always very friendly, have a great range of shoes in stock and are able to offer sound advice on what you should be wearing.
Right now Runners Need will swap your dodgy old trainers for a sparkly £20 voucher off a new pair!Stores will usually offset the cost of the analysis against any shoes you buy instore but you may end up paying top dollar for your shoes. Instead don’t be afraid to pay for the analysis and then go shop around for a good price - again www.sportshoes.com have great deals and if you are not fussy about having your shoes in the latest colours (they are just going to get muddy anyway right?!) you can usually get last season’s shoes online for around 30 - 50% off the full price!
So a good bra and good shoes and everything else can wait, hope this helps. Shout if you have any questions!
Much love xx