Running on a Budget

More about that later on . Now you would think that running is relatively cheap sport . You just put on your trainers and your workout gear and you're out the door . Until you start budgeting for 100 pound racing shoes , performance apparel , gps watch , wireless headphones , a heart rate monitor , fancy sunglasses .

Honestly , you can make running as expensive as you want , thanks to the proliferation of high-end brands like Nike , new Balance and not forgetting the traditional bands like Adidas and Puma , as well as a constantly evolving fitness technology that aims to optimize every step of your workout . Not everyone is looking to break records , however .

I know from personal experience once you get into running , then it's very easy to get sunk into spending more than you bargained for . It's like you go into these running shops with a budget in mind and then you walk out the shop feeling that you've just been fleeced .

Well , on the podcast today , we're going to talk about how to talk about how we can make running a little easier on the wallet Finding the right gear . Now there are some really good tips from an article written by Flora Beverley about how to save money on buying the right gear . Links will be in the show notes , obviously .

Firstly , I'd like to say that if you are started running and feel like you want to take it up really serious hobby , then circumstances have changed and also maybe circumstances have changed that you and also maybe circumstances you may have been made redundant or you're in financial , your financial status has changed .

So we'll give you some tips tips on buying second-hand gear and end-of-season discounts . So what about second-hand gear ? There are speciality running discount retailers like Relay Goods , which buy surplus inventory from running brands then passes on the savings onto the runner .

But you also find lightly worn gear from popular running brands like Patagonia , re , eye On Running and Lululemon . For non-speciality retailers , depop and Vinted and eBay are great sites if you know what you need . End of season discounts . Now there are two end of season forces you should pay attention to .

The first is the actual transition from winter to spring , spring to summer and summer to fall . Brands produce inventory based on that season's trends . So when summer comes to an end , you'll see the summer inventory marketed at a discount and it's perfect time to stock up on this new season needs . Secondly , transitioning from one generation of a shoe to the next .

When you hear that nike will be releasing the version 40 of the pegasus shoe , that means that the next nike pegasus 39 or even 38 will be discounted within a few weeks of following . Borrow from a friend .

If you find you've signed up for a race that requires extensive mandatory kit list , adding up to the hundreds , if not thousands , consider borrowing kit from a running friend . Maybe that friend got you into running , especially if this is your first race and you're not sure if you'll do more .

Borrowing from a friend has the added benefit of allowing you to test out the kit before committing to something more expensive and don't have a peer group of runners to borrow from . So join websites like gear garage , which will allow you to borrow a specialist kit like a running backpack .

Local running shop now I have a local running shop very near me in twickenham , which is in teddington , but there may be a local running shop wherever you are in the world . Um , because I know this running . This podcast does go to out to 53 countries in the world .

So whether you do have like a local running shop near you , what I know , once a week they have a local running club and also they do have guest speakers from sports manufacturers that will give you advice and that will do a presentation on what they're looking to bring out , and so they may be a possibility .

They may offer introductory discounts , affordable running watches . Now , while it's perfectly possible to run without a gps watch and some people do quite successfully if you're quite happy with just having running with a digital seiko , then great .

However , if you want to monitor your runs but not break the bank , unfortunately most GPS watches aren't cheap and are hard to find . If you're planning to running on a budget , however , older models of GPS watches can be bought at second hand or , when the new model comes out , for discounted prices .

There are many refurbished tech sites which offer good as new tech and that , for whatever reason , cannot be resold on the original site . Sites like ebay , back market , factory outlet or great places to buy , use previous models and refurbish running running watches now .

I do know that on , so do do try the refurbish page of , let's say , a watch that you may be looking for . So , anyway , what to look for ?

So , on the gps side , gps accuracy on running watches has come on leaps and bounds in the past few years , with a lot of them boasting dual frequency gps and this is just a fancy way of saying it tracks your location more accurately , particularly in built-up urban environments . That being said , the gps on cheaper running watches can still vary features .

Consider your prior priorities when it comes to run run tracking and how nerdy you are about the data you want to get . The more you have to spend , the more features you'll get . The likes of the forerunner . 55 has access to the garmin coach , adaptive training plans , daily suggested workouts , handy pace guidance .

The kip run gps 900 has also recovery and activity insights , including running performance , vto max estimates and training load . So if you are starting out , then maybe just go for the basic model . Interestingly , a survey done in the uk found that half , or 54 , of brits didn't actually understand all the metrics on their wearable device .

So and I'm just as guilty as that I have the apple watch and they do kind of overload you with loads of data which maybe you don't need or really don't understand . So if you don't think you're going to utilize all the health and fitness features , there's no harm in opting for a more basic model and , as I said , I know with my apple watch .

The metrics on the running app are a bit overwhelming , and I can give you a link to an article written by Runners World that lists some budget options how to race affordably . Now you have the gear and you want to start racing . Well , the cheapest option is Parkrun .

As we have covered many times , parkrun is an organised 5k run that is held all over the world . The reason it is cheap is that it's free anyway . If you're looking for races that might be distances greater than parkrun , the following might help plan ahead prioritize your races .

If you really are into the sport and want to do all the races , then , before the season starts , maybe prioritize the races you want to enter . Purchase your registration early . The race directors often steeply discount entry fees when registration first opens .

There are a number of reasons for this , but the basic concept is that the race director's job becomes slightly easier when you know that you have a full race field and can predict the number of participants well in advance .

In the actual race Volunteer , many of the larger race organisations will trade you a full shift of volunteering for your significantly discounted race entry . Some companies , like the Spartan Race , will allow you to volunteer in the morning and race later on in the afternoon . Otherwise , it will allow you to volunteer one year and then race the next .

Still others will allow you or a family member of yours to volunteer in exchange for a race entry . So I do know , for instance , in Park Run , they do value the volunteers , because if it wasn't for the volunteers , there would be no race Race . Local , local , smaller races are often significantly less expensive than some of the bigger national race companies .

Further , racing local helps support your local running community and sometimes even local charities and the economy . That said , racing some of the bigger events locally will also save you money in the form of both travel costs and not needing to spend the night in a hotel . So , affordable training now . Affordable training apps again .

This is something I've covered before on a previous episode and in any case , I think it's best to cover again in this context . Some of the apps offer a free subscription and if you want to get more bells and whistles , then you might have to commit to a subscription . Anyhow , below are some apps that you might want to consider .

Now , just to clarify , a running app is an app you can download onto your personal devices such as a phone , smart or tablet . Not that you'd go wanting to go running with the tablet . That will help you track your running journey . So if you do have it on the tablet , maybe you might be able to see your statistics a little bit clearer .

Every app is a little different . Some have features dedicated slowly to running , while others serves as a broader workout . Apps that include running features . Regardless of whether or not it is running specific , a good running app will , at a minimum , allow you to keep track of your runs , including time and distance .

Ideally , it will also offer features like custom motivation , access to online community goal setting , training tips and more . For convenience and the comfort you can carry your phone on a running belt . Runkeeper I know I've . At the beginning of this , when I was starting to do the podcast , I did talk about runkeeper quite a bit .

Yes , it has a free trial and , yeah , yes , the cost . If you look up the cost at your local area , wherever you are , you , it will . There . There is a subscription , so it is available on both iphone and android pros .

The runkeeper also allows you to set goals and watch your progress to stay motivated , and if you are into biking and fitness walking , you can track those activities as well . So for runners , training for races , runkeeper has personalized training programs , which I really love , complete with helpful reminders to keep you on track .

It also syncs with other apps and devices such as fitbit and apple watch , and all these features are available free on ios and android . Cons requires paid upgrade for access to a premium feature to tailored race training plans are only available with subscription . My run free trial no cost . They in your local area to find out the cost .

Iphone and Android yes , is available on both those platforms . Pros real-time audio coaching ability to view time , distance , speed and pace while running . Syncs with several devices and location sharing options . For safety cons premium again , premium features require subscription .

Gps can be a bit spotty if your device is not in the right place , and the next one one is C2 to 5K 5K trainer , so I'm talking about couch to 5K . There there is a free trial , yes , but there is a cost if you want to subscribe . Iphone and Android yes , on both platforms . Offers a run walk method of training , audio coach alerts .

Get 5K ready in eight weeks . Great for beginners . Not ideal for intermediate or experienced runners . Requires attention for audio cues and upgrade required to access premium features like customised programs .

Strava another very popular one , and does have a free trial the again there is a subscription , so , as it's available on iphone and android pros , good choice for competitive runners . Focus on performance analytics . Highlights the social aspects of running . Great web interface . I want to talk about web interface , looking it up on the computer .

If you love social and competitive aspects of running , strava is the app for you . You can compare your times with other members of strava community or with your own group of friends to boost your motivation .

It also has a safety feature called beacon , which allows you to share your real-time location with up to three people while you're running , and they don't need to have the app or be Strava members either . The cons are potential privacy concerns , with personal routes made public , although I do think they've kind of addressed that .

It doesn't show the start and end of your run might be too competitive at advanced for entry entry-level runners . The other thing it doesn't have , which I didn't like it doesn't have you can't do interval sessions with strava , which I really liked with runkeeper . So and this also you can it does require a premium version to access all the features .

Now , summary , there are probably many apps that I've missed , and we could go all day talking about the apps . For instance , these are the apps that are specific device specific , like the apple watch run app . It , in a way , there are free , as this comes pre-installed with the apple watch . However , you have to buy the apple Watch first to get the app .

Garmin is a popular watch with serious runners or even beginners . Again , there you have their own app . Also , some of the devices only apps can export data to some other apps , as I've mentioned already . So , for example , I use the Apple Watch on the treadmill and I can export data to Strava and to RunKeeper .

Right , let's get into affordable strength training Now , in this world of the internet and simple gym equipment , you don't necessarily have to sign up to a gym . So below are some tips if you're looking to add strength training to help boost your running , buy multifunctional equipment .

And if you're buying items for the home gym , make sure you choose equipment you can use for a variety of different exercises . For example , dumbbells can be used for deadlifts , bent over rows , push presses . A resistance band set with multiple resistance levels can provide a full body workout . So dumbbells , barbells , simple and accessible .

So and as I said , you can join , maybe with one of these online personal training companies where you can look at a personal trainer online . You will go through various basic strength work and conditioning workouts , or you can just go look up on youtube . There's plenty of running specific strength training videos on youtube .

Try bodyweight exercises , do press-ups for arms chest workout , and if you look online , as I said , you can make this as easy or as hard as you want . Like do press-ups for arms chest workout , and if you look online , as I said , you can make this as easy or as hard as you want . Like doing press-ups up against the wall .

Then try the less for less strenuous ones and then to become take it up a level . Do do it on the floor , tricep dips off the back of a chair by bringing your feet further from you . Then you can make it further from . You can make it hardy for yourself . Squats again , great for your legs .

And and again , I'll include show notes and I have covered this in a previous pod podcast and I'll include a link in the show notes as to where you can get that now . Now it is come to the time where there's that special feature for this podcast .

I thought I'd cover , as it is the Olympic year , an event from the Olympics which obviously relates to running . So , as I said , today we're going to be looking at the marathon . So the marathon , a gruelling 26.2 mile race that tests the limits of human endurance , has a rich history deeply intertwined with the Olympic Games . But how did it all begin ?

Well , let's rewind the clock back to the 19th century at all , in the year of 1896, . The first modern Olympic Games are about to be revived in Athens , greece . Inspired by the legendary run of Phoebus Dipides . He reportedly ran from the battlefield of Marathon to Athens to announce the Greek victory over the persians . The marathon race was included .

The inaugural olympics on april , the 10th 1896 , 17 athletes lined up at the starting line for the first ever olympic marathon . The course stretched from the town of marathon to the stadium in athens , totaling approximately 24.85 miles .

The just so happens , and appropriately , a Greek athlete , a water carrier , emerged victorious in front of a jubilant crowd , forever etching his name into Olympic history , and I will try to say his name Spyridon Lewis . The marathon's popularity soared after Lewis' triumph and it soon became a staple of the Olympic Games .

Over the years , the event witnessed numerous memorable moments and iconic performances . In 1908 , the London Olympics marked the first time the marathon distance was set to 26.2 miles . A decision made to ensure the race finished in front of the Royal Box in the stadium , so the distance later became the standard for all marathons worldwide .

Fast forward to , let's say , the 1960 Roman Olympics , when Ethiopian Abebe Bekele made history by becoming the first African to win the Olympic gold medal . And , what's even more remarkable , he ran the entire race barefoot . Who can forget the incredible showdown between the East African legends , kenyan Kipchoge and Ethiopians Bekele ?

At the 2016 Rio Olympics , kipchoge clinched the gold in the display of sheer determination and athleticism , solidifying his status as one of the greatest marathoners of all time . From humble beginnings in ancient Greece to a global phenomenon showcased on the grand stage of the Olympics , the marathon continues to captivate audiences and inspire runners worldwide .

Well , I really hope you've enjoyed this episode of Brian's Rompod about running on a budget , and thank you very much to listening and look forward to speaking to you soon .