Need some ideas for the runner in your life or need some ideas for yourself? Let me tell you about some of my favorite products and why I love them.
So before we start, I just want to say I am not encouraging anyone to buy anything. So if you don’t need any new items, don’t buy them. We don’t need more things. But if you do need more things, if you need ideas for any runner in your life, this will be a great resource for you.
I’ve broken down the products into four general categories: gear, fuel and miscellaneous. I’m not including apparel in this post, but you can check out my podcast if you’re curious about my favorite running apparel.
One last note before we dive in: anything on this list I own and use myself or have used and love it. I would not recommend anything I have not personally used. And some of my favorite items are not on this list because I bought them years ago, they aren’t made anymore or I just can’t find them. So this is not an extensive list, but shouldn’t be some good options for you. So let’s start with gear first.
Gear
Koala Clip
The Koala clip is one of my favorite gear products for running. So the koala clip, basically, for those of you who wear sports bras, it’s a way to put your phone in a pouch and hold it in your sports bra on your back so you don’t have to carry it. You can also put it in your waistband, but I’ve never tried that option, so I can’t speak to it.
They are having a Black Friday sale right now, so check that out if you’re interested. If you’re finding this blog after the sale ends, I do have a discount code for 10% off that you can use: coachingklutz10.
Squirrel’s Nut Butter
Okay. Number two, I put this in gear. I don’t know if it really belongs here, but squirrels nut butter. It’s my favorite anti chafing stick. I’ve used this and Body Glide. Honestly, both are good options, but squirrels nut butter is my preferred one. It smells really good too, which is kind of weird. But anyone who chafes – highly recommend this, and that is, you know, most of the running population.
They’re also a small business, and we love supporting small.
Shokz Headphones
These are the bone conduction headphones. They sit right in front of your ear and it allows you to be able to hear whatever you’re listening to, whether it’s a podcast or music, and listen to what’s going on around you, which is really important, especially for us women.
But I always recommend this if you want to listen to something on the run so you can stay safe and alert while you’re running.
Coros Watches
I personally wear the Coros Apex and love it. I have worn Garmin before, but it’s been a long time, so I can’t speak to them now. I do know a lot of people love Garmins too, and they are having a sale for Black Friday.
If you are looking for a watch, I would recommend Coros or Garmin. I don’t think Coros is having a sale right now, but I like their watch options. It has all the features I need for running and trail running, and the battery life is really good.
I should note that I don’t wear my watch when I sleep, so the sleep features for watches aren’t important to me. I know Garmin has a lot of really good sleep features, like measuring your HRV, so if you want that, I would look at the Garmins.
But if you’re just looking for a basic GPS watch that will still give you lots of running data and has different sport modes, I would go with Coros.
Goodr Sunglasses
I had to include these on this list. I wear these on all of my runs. They have so many colors, they don’t bounce (VERY important to me) and they’re pretty inexpensive.
They are having a sale right now for Black Friday, so the sunglasses start at $20 instead of $25 right now.
Sabre Pepper Spray
If you want something to help you or your runner feel safer when running alone, I recommend this pepper spray. It’s super easy and convenient to carry. I would make sure to practice spraying it before heading out for a run in case you ever need to use it. You’ll know how to use.
She’s Birdie Personal Alarm
Another option if you don’t wanna carry pepper spray is the, She’s Birdie personal alarm. I carry this on most of my road runs around my neighborhood when I don’t have a vest on. And this one, you pull the top off and it starts a really loud alarm and it starts flashing.
If their holiday sale has ended by the time you see this, I am an ambassador for them and have a code for 10% off: KELLYLUTZ10.
Garmin inReach Mini
If you go on solo runs in areas where you may not have cell service, I highly recommend you get a Garmin inReach Mini.
I keep this in my trail vest, carry on all of my trail runs so that just in case something happens and I don’t have cell service, I will have a way to contact either my loved ones or first responders. This is also really good if you do multi-day efforts because you can send messages to people just to check in and say that you’re okay.
So it’s great for peace of mind and in those remote areas, especially living in Colorado and going into the mountains. Also side note, if you are going on a secluded run, always tell someone where you’re going and when to expect you back just in case, especially if you don’t have a Garmin inReach Mini or something like it in order to contact someone, and that’ll be another layer of safety for you.
Salomon Adv Skin 5 Vest
Trail vests! I have one option for shorter trail runs and one for longer days or bigger efforts. This is my option for shorter runs. It holds five liters in capacity. You can also put in a 1.5L bladder or soft flasks in the front for hydration.
It fits really snugly and really well, which is why I like it, and it doesn’t bounce as I’m running, which has been something in the past that has annoyed me about vests. I get the unisex version because the women’s version tends to have really, really small arm holes, which is very uncomfortable.
I like this option for trail runs that are around less than 4 hours or where there are water sources, eliminating the need to carry more water. I wear a size small in this model.
Ultraspire Zygos 5.0 Vest
The other option that I like is the Ultraspire Zygos vest. I have the 4.0.
They made a new model called the 5.0 and the 4.0 is only available now in a small, but it is on sale if you wear a small (like me). This is a 14L vest, so it can hold a lot. It can hold a 2L bladder, and I really like all of the zipper pockets.
This vest is great for longer runs or big events. I’ll probably wear this one for my 50 miler next year because the aid stations are quite far apart, and I’ll want to carry a lot of hydration specifically.
Fuel/Supplements
Spring Energy
My go-to fuel for running is Spring Energy, and my favorite option there is the AwesomeSauce. They’re easy to carry, easy to ingest on the run, taste delicious and are made with whole foods.
Sometimes you can find them in running stores, so if you can find them in person, I would recommend buying from your local running store. If you buy online, my discount code is kellylutz10.
LMNT
My favorite electrolyte powder is LMNT. I sweat out a lot of salt, so I need to replenish my electrolytes either during run or after run. Or you know, just in general for hydration. And they have a mix of sodium, potassium, and magnesium, which I like.
Their flavors are great, and I personally have a monthly subscription, so I get them every month. HIGHLY recommend.
Skratch Labs
Skratch Labs has a wide variety of fueling options from chews to bars to hydration and recovery mixes. My go-to are the chews for on shorter runs, and the bars for snacking or very long runs. They’re also local to Boulder, which I really like.
Beam Dream Powder
Disclaimer: you don’t need supplements, and this is not a recommendation to take any supplements. But if you are in the market for supplements, these are three of my favorites.
So first on the list is Beam Dream Powder. To be completely honest, I don’t get this consistently because it’s quite pricey, but I do like to get it when it’s on sale, which it is right now. Subscriptions are 50% off, which is only $47.12 for 30 servings.
My favorite flavor is the cinnamon cacao.
If you need support with falling and staying asleep, I would suggest you look into trying this. I personally have seen some difference in my sleep and I’m a pretty good sleeper in general.
Slate Milk
This is an ultra-filtered milk with no lactose, no added sugar, and it tastes delicious. There is a classic or dark chocolate flavor, mocha latte, or vanilla latte. The latte ones have caffeine, while the dark and classic chocolate don’t have caffeine.
I like this because it’s a really easy way to get more protein into your day, which a lot of us, especially women, are lacking in. This is just a convenient option if you want to get some more protein in and you like chocolate milk, honestly, and since there’s no lactose, it should be easier on your stomach.
I am also an ambassador for Slate and have a discount code for 10% off: COACHINGKLUTZ10OFF.
Legion Whey+ Protein Powder
Okay, and then the last one is my favorite protein powder. So another way to get some more protein into your diet Legion way, plus protein is my protein of choice and it’s a way isolate. Um, Option. It blends really well. They have really good flavors. My favorite is the cinnamon cereal and it tastes like Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
And they do have a plant-based option if you don’t want whe. So recommend checking those out if you need some more protein in your diet. But like I said, you can also just get this through Whole Foods. Most of us are really busy, and it can be nice to have a convenient option for when you’re on the go or when you need a quick hit of protein.
Miscellaneous
Books
Anatomy for Runners and Running Rewired by Jay Dicharry
These are great books if you want to learn some assessments to do to see where your strengths and weaknesses are within your body for running. He also includes exercise protocols on how to strengthen your weaknesses and some circuit ideas to continue to strengthen.
The Happy Runner by David and Megan Roche
David and Megan are two of my running and coaching idols. This book basically their training theory and outlook on life in one book. And if you don’t know them, you should definitely go look them up. They have their own podcast called Some Work All Play podcast, the SWAP podcast, and they’re such joys in the running world.
Their book is a good read, especially if you’re curious about training theory and training principles and how to better create your own training plans.
Training Essentials for Ultra Running by Jason Koop
If you’re an ultra runner, specifically curious about how to train for ultras, I would recommend this book. This book contains a lot of the information that I learned in my ultra running coach certification (Koop helped write the content of my certification). There’s a lot of good information information to help you create your training plans and better prepare for ultras, which if you’ve run an ultra, you know, is quite different from road running and has its own special nuances.
Mobo Board
The Mobo board goes well with the Jay Dicharry books, as he is the inventor.
For anyone not familiar, The mobo board is basically a circular balance board with a cutout for your four smaller toes. It forces you to isolate your big toe and use your big toe to control your foot, which is what we want for running. It also helps you work on balance and strengthening. This is a running specific training tool I would recommend to any runner.
InsideTracker Biomarker Testing
If you’re looking to test your biomarkers and get advice geared towards athletes on how to improve certain biomarkers, I would highly recommend Inside Tracker. They’re having a huge sale right now ($200 off Ultimate (or 34% off the entire store) + free InnerAge analysis with code KELLYPROBF34IA).
They have a few different options for test plans with differing numbers of biomarkers included.
Once you get your results, they have these cool graphs to show you where your results lie within the bounds recommended for athletes in particular, not general population.
And then they give you nutritional advice on changes you can make to improve your biomarkers, which is really helpful.
Money for Races
Race registrations are not cheap, and most runners will be signing up for 1 or more races next year. If you know your runner wants to run a certain race, give them money towards that race for registration or travel (if applicable). I love this option because race registrations add up quickly, and it doesn’t contribute to consumerism.
So if runner doesn’t need any material items, highly recommend just giving them money for race!
Conclusion
I hope you found this post helpful! Obviously this list isn’t extensive, but I hope you came away with some ideas for that special runner in your life.
Comment on what else you’d like to hear from me! And if you’re interested in working with me in a coaching capacity, check out my coaching services.