Gear we use.
For anybody who has tried SCUBA diving, Skydiving or Formula One racing, running might look like a rather gear-unintense sport. But Runners still love their 'stuff'.
Shoes.
There has been a fair amount of discussion recently about the benefits of running barefoot. That might work for some but most of us like a layer of protection between our soles and the road.
For those who want to find a half-way house between waring shoes and going barefoot, check out the latest funky thin sole designs.
Knee braces.
You should always get advice from your doctor if you start to experience pain when running. But not every doctor knows about running injuries or related pain and will quickly fob you off to a specialist. After being out for 6 weeks with knee pain I decided to ignore my doctor's advice (and my orthopedic surgeon's advice that contradicted my doctor's advice) and strapped on a knee brace. I was back up and running in a week. So the full-size knee brace gets my vote. Some people swear by the patella strap.
Clothes.
Whenever you sign up for a race you run the risk of adding another race shirt to your collection. Pretty soon your spouse is on your case to start donating to the local Goodwill store. Luckily some of the top gear brands have started to sponsor races with high-end designer material shirts - like Nike and Asics.
Winter gear
Watches.
It helps to know the time when you run. But now you can track longitude, latitude, altitude, attitude and a bunch of other variables. If this doesn't appeal to your inner nerd, that's fine - just skip this section.
Nutrition.
It used to be that a big bowl of pasta and meatballs was enough to win a Marathon. Now it takes a Ph.D. in sports nutrition. Here are some of the foods that claim to give you an unfair competitive advantage.
Food
Drink
BEER AND RUNNING: Can't pass up a pint? It won't hurt your running--as long as you're smart about it. - a Runners World article
Books
Born To Run - Christopher McDougall sets off to find a tribe of the world’s greatest distance runners and learn their secrets, and in the process shows us that everything we thought we knew about running is wrong. Everything we didn't know about running could be wrong too.
Once a Runner (Novel) - "By far the most accurate fictional portrayal of the world of the serious runner. . . a marvelous description of the way it really is." - Kenny Moore, of Sports Illustrated
Runner's World Run Less, Run Faster - The title says it all: focus less on the amount of time you spend running, but run with a purpose: set your goal and train up to it. Known by some simply as "the book".
