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Running is a hobby that feels like it should be cheap but gets surprisingly expensive. Two quick pieces of advice to save you from a bit of hurt. 1. Track your
by isk517 5y ago
Running is a hobby that feels like it should be cheap but gets surprisingly expensive. Two quick pieces of advice to save you from a bit of hurt. 1. Track your miles, shoes need to be replaced every 300-500 and 2. Go get a foot orthotic and gait assessment done. Wearing the right type of shoes and finding out if you require orthotics is a easy way to prevent injuries that won't pop up for another year or two down the line.
- lotsofpulp 5y agoI know quite a few casual runners (5K to 10K) and been running for over 15 years myself. Other than a $120 pair of running shoes every year or two, what is the expense? Maybe the water backpack things if you are into extreme running? It is not even a separate expense for me, as I just use my running shoes as my regular shoes. Also, maybe it is my gait or my lack of weight, but I estimate my shoes last 1k miles.
- isk517 5y agoI suppose things aren't as expensive if you are a casual but I'm still surprised you can get 1k out of a pair of shoes. My mother also runs and is significantly lighter than myself and she gets shin splints if she doesn't change runners out at 500 miles. My current system is to run a pair of shoes for about 350 - 450 miles then downgrade them to a pair of walking shoes in till they fall apart. I started running fairly casually but eventually started doing marathons. I run about 110 miles a month so I'm switching out shoes every 3 months. My feet suck so I'm also replacing a pair of orthotics every 2 years. I got a full set of summer and winter running gear and enough of each to last me a week. I also have a hydration vest, a GPS watch (not necessary but very useful), a set of Aftershokz bone conductive headphones so that I can listen to music while maintaining situational awareness, a pair of good sunglasses specifically for running (I sweat a lot and would not want to ware the same pair for everyday use), I have a few soft flasks that go in my hydration vest, and I've had to invest in a pretty decent treadmill to run on during the worst parts of winter. Not everything I've listed is 100% necessary but as with most hobbies it finds ways to become expensive the more dedicated you are to it.
- lotsofpulp 5y agoYes, that sounds like it would add up! I feel like I would dissuade myself from going on a run if I had to get all that stuff ready. Even putting sunscreen on sometimes feels like a bummer.
- aix1 5y agoThe truth is that you don't. All that's required for almost any training run is a pair of shoes[*]. Everything else is an extra; it's up to you to decide whether each of those extras is worth carrying. [*] That's true where I live (northern Europe) for pretty much all of my runs up to ~20km. In hotter or sunnier climates it may be necessary to carry water for shorter runs and/or put on sunscreen.
- lotsofpulp 5y agoSunscreen can measurably lower skin cancer risks even in cloudy weather. It is recommended anytime you are outside when the sun is out.
- strombofulous 5y agoHow do you like the conductive headphones for that purpose? I have been considering doing the same for when I go on walks at night.
- isk517 5y agoI like them but for me the biggest advantage is they don't funnel sweat into my ears, at night when I walk I still prefer my regular earbud headphones. The sound quality with bone conductive noticeably worse, and sadly they stopped making the cheaper wired version that I started with so then getting a pair to try out is expensive now.