By CLAIRE WALTERS
Local columnist
February 22, 2009 12:00 am The myriad of products marketed to runners has got me wondering: Which are essential and which are the runners' equivalent of a Snuggie (oddly intriguing, but ultimately useless)? The first, most obvious running must-have is a great pair of shoes. Before seriously getting into running, I based my running shoe purchases on two main attributes: style and price. The initial feeling of smugness associated with getting a great-looking pair of shoes at a steal faded quickly as many of those shoes caused immediate discomfort when confronted with pavement. Once I became committed enough to running to spend the roughly $100 required for a decent pair of shoes, I stopped in at my local Running Fit to find my "sole mate" (wah wah). The clerk studied the wear pattern on my old running shoes, inquired about the types of pains I was experiencing and then had me run on a treadmill for a minute or two to analyze my gait. Her diagnosis: overpronator. My prescription: motion control/stability shoes. A friend is training for Cincinnati's Flying Pig 10K, and recently went through a similar process at her local specialty running store. The clerk immediately noticed that her old running shoes were a size too small, a widespread problem among new runners; most stores recommend buying running shoes at least a half-size larger than your normal street shoes. The new shoes, she said, "have made all the difference in the world." She is putting in more miles with no problems and no pain. Needless to say, I no longer consider appearances when purchasing running shoes. In fact, I think my current shoes are kind of hideous. But that doesn't stop me from loving them. I also depend on good wicking gear, which "wicks" the sweat from your skin to keep you dry during a run. I particularly love wicking socks, but also shirts, shorts ... OK, pretty much everything. My final running must-have is my iPod, usually combined with my Nike sport kit, which, when used together, keep track of mileage, pace and time. There's nothing like the right song (usually "American Girl" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) to help me power through when I'm dragging. My iPod is one essential item I'm trying to learn to live without, though, since headphones are prohibited on the Bayshore course. Of course, runners swear by a variety of other products, as well. Products like mini performance bars, sports drinks and gels such as the ominously-named "GU" provide energy on the run. Because GU is available at miles 14 and 20 on the Bayshore course, I purchased a couple of the small packets about a month ago to try during my long runs. So far I've been hesitant actually to ingest any, but I'm working up to it. Dagny Scott Barrios' "Complete Book of Women's Running" stresses the need for a good, and thus ridiculously expensive, sports bra. Naturally I'm a little curious whether a $40 sports bra will be any better than the $8 numbers I picked up at Target. Runners also can buy everything from pedometers, specialized laundry detergent and headlamps to full hydration systems and, uh, "NipGuards." (See Andy Bernard in "The Office's" Fun Run -- Season 4, Episode 1 -- for more on those.) While all of these offerings can be a little baffling, fear not, fellow novice runners: I will be your guinea pig. Over the next couple weeks, I will try out the following: GU and various energy bars, a ridiculously expensive sports bra and some "sport wash" laundry detergent and let you know how they work for me on my blog. Record-Eagle copy editor and first-time marathon runner Claire Walters is chronicling her training experiences in a bi-weekly column as she prepares for the May 23 Bayshore Marathon. Readers also can follow her progress by reading her blog at http://blogs.record-eagle.com. The blog contains her training schedule and log, and she invites advice and comments from other runners.
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Claire Walters