Running Gear

Well it seems that after I have been hitting the jogging circuit and gym recently I’ve realized that as you get older there are more and more things you need to take with you :) It isn’t just about getting a pair of shorts and t-shirt or buying a pair of good running shoes anymore. Before the Run/Exercise Besides the longer warm up time needed, there is the ever popular deep heat rub to get those muscles warmed up properly so that you don’t feel the soreness at the end and not to injure yourself as well. During the Run/Exercise When I hit the gym, the list of items just gets longer and longer, running outside usually means less items to carry. A typical day at the gym sees me lugging the following items down. a) Towel – essentially a must in the gym as you will need to clean the equipment after use, it’s just common courtesy to the next person using the equipment. b) Water – bring along a drinking bottle in case you need a sip. c) MP3 Player – copy in your favorite songs so that you can exercise to the music. d) Portable Speakers – for the music player since I don’t like running with earphones stuck in my ear. Something I think if you want to do it in the gym is fine but on the road, I think that is really dangerous. Anyways if there are people in the gym I always ask them if they mind me playing the music. Most people are grateful for that ‘noise’ as it breaks the silence. e) Spare Battery – for the music player in case it runs out half way, learn that the hard way once. f) Patella Band – usually used when I run just to give the patella some support. It’s the bone at your knee cap. I’ve had an x-ray done on my left knee before in 2000 or 2001 as it was really giving me some problems previously and basically there’s a slight wear and tear on the knee and doctors’ advice short of surgery, which unless you are some world class athlete, was not recommended. Rest up and give it support. g) Knee Brace – used in place of the band but ultimately now that the knee is getting a little better I hardly ever use any of it. h) Gloves – guess the new age man needs to protect his hands as well. Comes in handy when you need to mop the floor as well :) i) Pedometer – used when I run out of the gym just to have a feel of the distance I’m covering j) Sports Bag – with all that ‘junk’ you’ll need something to hold them all and carry it down to the gym, that’s where the sports or in this case it’s a shoe bag comes in handy. Just throw everything in. So there you are after having done the necessary warm ups and runs and exercise, you’ll think that’s over, but no there is still ….. After the Run/Exercise Here’s where the muscle aches start to set in, and the cold spray really helps with the recovery. And all this just in an attempt to stay healthy ….. :)