Let the holiday shopping days begin!! This year brings some of the best deals across a number of categories so we put together a list for the runners in your family. You won’t find any shoes on here but instead a mix of cross training, lighting, apparel, recovery, and more. Many of the items below are part of our daily routine so these are pieces we continue to use and go back to.
Beautifully Functional Apparel – SAYSKY and rabbit
SAYSKY
One of our perennial favorite apparel companies is Copenhagen based SAYSKY and more often than not you will see us out running in a piece or more from their lineup. This is because it’s incredibly diverse, artistic, performant, and just something different from what you normally find out there. Every few months we get a whole new lineup of designs which means something totally new for your closet. They have pieces that will work in the worst weather including our favorite rain jacket, the Element 3L, all the way down to singlets and shorts. They even make a great running commuter backpack for those making the daily trip into the office. Truly beautiful designs and really well thought out, we could talk for days about them and every runner on your list will lust after these. Their site has this and so much more.
rabbit
A staple in the running community for years, but also one of our new favorites is rabbit. In particular, the new Low Light Swish jacket and tights that they just released which is just perfect for this time of year. When you first put it on, it looks like it’s just a simple black with a bit of texture. But when the light hits it, it puts off so much reflectivity (more than the photo does it justice) and that is so important this time of year when early morning and evening runs mean a lot of darkness and the increased need for visibility. With pieces for men and women that are both designed with each gender in mind, rabbit is knocking it out of the park and in addition to these pieces, has an amazing lineup and a great gift guide for the holiday.
Cross Train Anywhere Anytime – Gorilla Bow
We started working out with the Gorilla Bow 8 weeks ago and have already seen tremendous strength improvement and increased performance during runs. Most runners know by now that a stronger upper body paired with resistance training can be a game changer for your ability to recover and improve your times.
The Gorilla Bow’s band system is incredibly intuitive, super simple to use and lets you dial in the appropriate weight in seconds. Couple a solid piece of equipment with their video based training programs and you can expect a solid daily workout. We recommend the Gorilla Bow Travel version as it breaks down into three pieces quickly. Also make sure to pick up their Heavy Band Kit as well for a little extra resistance. Learn more on the Gorilla Bow website.
Keeping the Lights On – Knog
Boring headlights got you down? Well, look no further than Knog, a maker of high performance lighting coupled with intuitive and comfortable designs. We recommend the Bilby 400 which puts out 400 lumen in a simple rechargeable design. Adjustments are done via a simple pull on the back and it fits a wide variety of head sizes. Also check out the Plus Free Twinpack, they can be easily clipped on to anything. Check them all out here!
Best Running Headphones Out There – Shokz
We have been Shokz users since well, they were called Aftershokz. The OpenRun Pro is their latest high end offering and yes the sound is great and battery performance is fantastic, but more importantly Shokz allow you to be more aware of your surroundings when running. All other in ear devices, even in transparency more, dampen ambient noise but its important to hear cars, bikes, people, and more while you are out there. Also, no pain from it sitting in your ear for so long. Check out the details on their site.
Comfy Recovery – Deckers X Lab
From the folks that created HOKA, Deckers X Lab brings some crazy inventive designs to footwear and the KO-Z EZ Cabrio is a prime example. It’s a slipper mixed with a sneaker mixed with a convertible slip-on. With 30mm of cushion, an 8mm drop, slightly elongated heel, it feels like a running shoe but that furry interior keeps your foot warm and cozy. Perfect for recovering in the fall and winter months. Check them out here!
Protect Those Eyes – Tifosi
Tifosi is a an easy go to for performance eyewear because they offer such a wide breadth of choices. Our go to choices are styles like the Crit with their Photochromic lenses (light shifting) and enhanced UV protection. For casual days or for that wayfarer feel, check out the Swank model. The best part is all their glasses are cost effective, delivering high end performance at an affordable price. Note while they have a running category, we also tend to migrate into those glasses they list as cycling focused as they really are interchangeable. There are a ton of other options available so take a look on their site.
Running Performance With a Cause – Bombas
Bombas started as a simple sock brand with a “get one, give one” methodology but that has grown into a massive lineup which includes running performance. The socks are a poly/cotton blend and use their patented Hex Tec construction for breathability and moisture-wicking. They have also added support across the mid-foot which provides a snug fit and come in a ton of color choices OR in easy to purchase gift sets. Check out these and more on their site.
Drink Up Without the Alcohol – Athletic Brewing
We gave up alcohol a few years ago for a number of reasons but taste wasn’t one of them. Someone gifted us a case of Athletic Brewing in those early days and we have never looked back because they have figured out how to do it right. All the taste, none of the alcohol, and oh yeah… less calories and gluten content. This means a cleaner drinking experience and it still allows you to celebrate those big races with your friends without sacrificing. Our favorites are the Athletic Lite, Upside Dawn, and the Cerveza Atletica. Keep an eye out for their special editions or even go the subscription route! Take a look on their site for more.
Massage Those Pains Away – Ekrin
There are a lot of massage guns on the market but something about the Ekrin B37 just hit right for us. It is smaller than many others out there yet still delivers maximum force, 56 pounds of it in fact. It also has 8 hours of battery life, comes with 4 heads, and a carry case so nothing more to buy. It is also incredibly ergonomic so holding and using it just feels more natural. Check out their site for more details.
Overall Conclusion
We hope everyone has a great holiday and remember, it is TOTALLY okay to buy something for yourself as well!!
