Jim Damico, 126 TCCS

You’ve been good about your training and your family and friends have also been bugging you about what you want in your Christmas care package. Why not have them include a few inexpensive runner’s gifts! Here are a few suggestions:

eBooks/eSubscriptions

Have them buy you (or give you a gift card) for a subscription to Runners World and look on Amazon.com for tons of books about running, training, racing and more. More info at RunnersWorld.com, WomensRunning.competitor.com and Amazon.com

Run safe

Help keep yourself safe with a Road ID Wrist identification band! They can engrave all your important info like the PCMO emergency phone number along with your Passport number and other medical info like blood type and any drug allergies (chances are pretty good the doctors can read English). More info at roadid.com

Socks

Getting new clothing before a race can be risky but at Christmas you still have a month to test things out (never wear ‘new’ clothing on race day). So think, “Socks, socks and more socks”. A good pair of running socks are worth their weight in gold so they are always a good choice for runner gifts. Check SmartWool.com and Thorlo.com

Accessories

If you’re like me, I get up early to run to beat the heat and the village doesn’t have much lighting. What better way to get through your run than with a lightweight headlamp. See petzl.com

Water bottles are usually big, heavy and bulky. Great for cycling, but not so good for running. A runner specific water bottle can make a huge difference on your hydration which is especially important on longer runs like the marathon or half marathon. See amphipod.com or nathan.com

A flipbelt is a perfect non-fannypack way to carry essentials while running. See flipbelt.com

Movies

Who doesn’t like to receive a DVD (or movie download) for Christmas? Amazon.com is probably a good bet for movies like, “Without Limits”, “Saint Ralph”, “Chariots of Fire”, “Prefontaine”, or “Running Brave”.

Lubes

Like we talked about in a previous article, chafing can be a real problem, especially when running long distances. And while it might be hard to find those products in the bigger cities of Thailand, they should be easy to purchase in America. And they last a long, long time. See BodyGlide.com