Stuff I('d) Like (to get) - December Edition
a gift guide for the runner in your life!
I know I promised a thrilling recap of TRE for this week, however while we’re all (thankfully) on the mend from our bout with maybe RSV, maybe croup but not the flu, not covid we’re still all exhausted. And by ‘we’ I mean ‘me’ as my son is not only back to full energy but apparently all this sleep he’s been clocking has actually left him with a surplus as I discovered this morning when he was (literally) jumping in his crib to see me. So speaking for myself, mentally and physically I’m hovering at around 75% and instead of writing about the three week long existential crisis I had leading up to Austin, I’ve chosen a much more lighthearted, seasonally appropriate topic for this week’s newsletter : gifts! And par for course as to how I tend to shop, this gift guide is two weeks too late so if you’d like to shop into any of the below items, apologies in advance for the expedited shipping costs. But all worth it in the end for the big smile from the runner you’ll be gifting them to!
Most gift guides for runners are comprised of lists of random tech gadgets like headphones and watches and while all of these things are nice and lovely, my gift guide takes a deliberately more bougie and less practical approach. As a friend of mine said when I was mining her for ideas, ‘nobody wants a beanie with a headlamp embedded into it, STEVE!’ (unless you do in which case no offense). Most runners I know (excluding myself) tend to be gear junkies and if a request has been made for a new garmin by all means it should be honored, however most runners will shell out for a new watch or headphones or some other ‘have to have it or my training plan will be ruined forever’ gadget on their own, unless splurging on a $400 run watch only feels appropriate at Christmas. Sherpa lined birks so their post run toes are nice and cozy? Maybe not so much.
Before we get into it a disclaimer: while I would absolutely love to recieve any of these in my stocking on Christmas day, I’ve already given my husband a non-running related (ie: jewelry) request so this is not me subliminally messaging anyone for anything. Although I would not be disappointed if any of these things were to magically appear under our tree. So here we go!
A New Pair of Fancy Shoes
Does the runner in your life prefer to stick to roads? If so, might I recommend a fancy new pair of super shoes! The thrill of opening a box of shiny new techy looking shoes would be nothing short of delightful, especially when they look cool and fast.
Or….does the runner in your life occasionally like to run in dirt? If so, spoil them with some new trail shoes! Trail shoes take a beating as trails are dusty, dirty and muddy so even if the runner in your life has a million and one pairs, they will not be sad to see another pair enter into rotation. If their trail habits are similar to mine, meaning they are few and far between, trail shoes are an even bigger delight as they might not even own a pair. I’ve been making do with my road shoes on trails meaning to buy a pair of trail shoes but because my trail runs only happen once a month at best I have yet to actually prioritize a purchase.
And if you’d like to gift a pair of shoes but have no idea what they’d prefer, or you’re worried about introducing something new because they’re picky about their footwear, the safest no-fail option is to buy them a new pair of whatever shoes they’re currently running in. Maybe not the flashiest but I can promise no runner would be mad about receiving a new pair of their favorite shoes as a present.
both of these have me itching for to do a speed workout and i absolutely loathe speedwork. super shoe options at left: adidas novablast 4 + saucony endorphin pro 3...i’m in love. trail options i’d be delighted to unbox in my size : DB x NB trail running shoe (no idea if they work but they look cool), saucony peregrine 13 and NNormal Tomir (i was introduced to this brand at TRE and aside from the sales rep I met being a genuine nice human i loved what the brand stood for. sustainability is their focus so if any part of the shoe wears out it can be sent back to be resoled + fixed) A Warm and Toasty Outer Layer
I tend to roll my eyes a bit when I see a run brand come out with some over the top fleecy outerwear jacket as part of their winter run line. Granted I live in San Francisco and it doesn’t get cold enough to warrant little more than a sweatshirt most days, even when I did live someplace where the temps used to be sub freezing I’m still not sure I’d actually ever choose to run in something so heavy. I prefer my run layers light, layerable and out of a natural fiber like merino. Light layers make it easier to add or subtract at any moment during on my run and merino is a natural fiber that is inherently sweat wicking and thermo regulating.
That said, I wouldn’t hate to receive a luxe and cushy outerwear piece as a gift, one that I can wear to and from my trail runs, all snug as a bug in a rug with my seat warmer on high. Runners like to be outside, even when we aren’t running and what I love is that all these would work wonderfully for hiking or taking 25lb toddlers for walks strapped to our chests (too specific?). Or, as we liked to say in my former life they’re also great for ‘coffee runs’ (cringe).
warm and toasty for sub freezing temps or just a chilly car drive to the trails. tracksmith fens fleece, district vision kendra cabin fleece, bandit wool terry crewneck pullover Race Entry
Ok this one is a bit more of a leap of faith and really only works if you know a) there is a race they really have been wanting to run and b) the timing works with their schedule. I would not recommend this if the runner in your life isn’t actively running races or hasn’t mentioned they’d like to do whatever race in whatever city to you as it could come across as mildly condescending or perhaps confusing and while great gifts can often bring up some big feelings, these would not be the big feelings we’re aiming for. If the runner in your life likes to run races but hasn’t mentioned a specific bucket list race they’d like to do, or if that bucket list race is extremely hard to get into (like the NYC marathon for example) a visa gift card loaded up with the exact price for entry would also be a very, very thoughtful surprise.
A Warm and Toasty Bottom Layer
There is a small part of me that kind of wishes I had a pair of looser, sweatpant adjacent pants I could actually wear for running as there’s something I don’t hate about a Rocky-esque aesthetic for my winter run wardrobe. That said, they don’t exist and again, it doesn’t actually get cold enough to even really need tights in SF so while I might like it in theory, 10/10 I would hate my life if I actually attempted it in reality. That said, since entering into my non-working era, despite my best efforts to not exist in sweatpants 90% of the time, I exist in sweatpants 90% of the time. I’m also lazy after my runs and delay showers for longer than ideal so more sweatpants, particularly fancy sweatpants I could easily throw over my shorts post run would be a much welcomed treat.
i feel less bad about myself when the sweatpants i’m wearing aren’t typical gym issue sweats (although i don’t hate those either). any of these options from left on friday, suzi kondi, tibi + the great would make me feel some literal warm and fuzzies. A Very Bougie Massage
This is a ‘treat yourself’ gift to its fullest. I’m not suggesting a run of the mill massage experience, but rather a gift card to a very nice spa that offers very nice massages. If the runner in your life is a hard core ‘I only do deep tissue’ kind of person, most bougie spas also offer this option although I will say as a reformed deep tissue person myself, much can be said about the powers of a lighter touch (but still firm!) swedish massage. Add in some hot stones and I’m mush. And if there aren’t any bougie spas near you or the runner in your life isn’t a bougie spa kind of person (I haven’t met one but I’ve heard they exist), might I suggest a theragun as a secondary option? Maybe not as sexy as say, a massage at the Ritz, however, it will be the gift that keeps on giving as they can essentially give themselves a massage whenever and wherever they’d like.
if the runner in your life lives in the bay area, i’d nominate cavallo point as your bougie spa of choice as it is absolutely heavenly. New Socks
Ok, not bougie but trust me no runner would be mad about a stocking stuffed with stockings. New socks are literally the last thing I buy for myself and really only purchase them if I happen to be in a physical store buying running shoes (which last happened in like 2019).
some fancy socks that will be guaranteed to keep toes toasty : bandit merino wool crew, tracksmith merino no show sock, falke endurance invisible no show run sock A Pastry Subscription
It’s no secret runners like carbs, especially during peak training season. Croissants are the pastry that get the most love from my son while muffins are more my go to and I really can’t think of anyone who would complain about either being delivered to their door. There are traditional butter croissants, gluten free options and if the runner in your life errs on the healthier side, anything from this bakery is absolutely delicious.
So there you have it, my first gift guide ever, approximately 2 weeks late. Whether you treat the runner in your life (or yourself) to one of the items above or you’ve already gotten them something for under the tree, hope you’re all staying healthy and sane this holiday season.
*k
Love your post and the gift guide is spot on!! Also just purchased my first trail shoe last week - Peregrine 13!! Hope everyone is on the mend!