Keep your favorite runners going stronger longer with these top picks from RockTape runners.
1. vívosmart® HR
$150 (on sale now for $100)
This activity tracker comes with wrist-based heart rate and smart notifications. It counts steps, calories and floors climbed. Each time you receive a notification from your compatible smartphone, it gently vibrates and automatically displays the information. Simply touch and swipe the screen to read more. Other connected features allow you to control music and your VIRB action camera (sold separately) or find your misplaced phone.Get yours in either purple, blue or classic black.
2. A 26.2 Greeting Card
$4.50
Send a special note of congrats to your favorite marathoner.
3. A Massage or Chiropractic Work
$50-180
Any sore athlete would love to get taped, a sports massage or be adjusted by a chiropractor. But with gym memberships costing well over $100/month, paying for these services are out of reach for many. Pamper them with a massage or an adjustment and they will be eternally grateful to you for helping them heal their sore muscles and getting them back in fighting shape for holiday WODs. Rock on. We’ll help you locate a doc nearby.
4. Strava Beacon
$59/year
A premium membership feature, Beacon lets up to three emergency contacts see your real-time location on a map. Users can also utilize Beacon with compatible Garmin devices. Just enable Garmin LiveTrack, hit record on your device and your real-time location will be sent via text message to your safety contacts.
www.strava.com/premium/live/beacon
5. Race Entry
Race entries are always a good idea for the runner in your life. Whether you decide to splurge on a season pass for your loved one or a single race entry, nothing says I love you to your significant other, sister, brother, or friend like giving them the gift of a race experience. Even better make it a group outing for both of you and turn the gift into an activity you both can share.
We’ve listed a few of our favorite runs here…
For Novices: The Color Run 5K $25-$35
For Intermediates: The Wanderlust 5K & Mindful Triathlon $70
For Ultra/Marathon Runners: The Boston Marathon $180
6. RockTape & RockSauce
RockTape $20
RockSauce $15
RockTape is the world’s best kinesiology tape. It can be used to treat sports and non-sports injuries, including shin splints, plantar fasciitis, runner’s knee and back discomfort*. RockTape microscopically lifts the skin away from the muscle and fascia below, creating a decompressive effect. Stretchier, stickier and stronger than the competition, RockTape is preferred by athletes and medical professionals throughout the world.
RockSauce is a topical discomfort* relief cream that works by providing incredibly strong heating sensations that last for hours – with powerful ingredients like menthol and capsaicin that work together to soothe sore joints and muscles. Best of all, it can be used with RockTape – it soaks right through without compromising stickiness. Take the convenient 3oz roll-on bottle anywhere and apply it anytime with no mess and no hassle.
https://www.rocktape.ca/products/tape/
7. Lululemon Fresh Tracks Tights
$118
There’s a reason why everyone around you keeps converting to Lululemon. Their clothing lasts and flatters athletic shapes. You can wear your lulus on a run, while your traveling, or on errands, and you’ll always look fresh. These tights were designed with sweat-wicking Tech Fleece fabric, brushed on the inside for warmth without weight to keep you toasty on outdoor runs. Complete with stash pockets as well as zippered pockets to keep all your essentials safe.
8. Jaybird Freedom
$150
Wire-free headphones are hip since Apple announced AirPods, but we still reach for this Bluetooth set. They sound great and are comfortable on long runs, plus the cable makes it a cinch to find them in the bottom of a duffel bag.
9. Blackburn 2’Fer
$25
Designed for cyclists, this blinker hooks to your waistband and has an intense flickering pattern. There’s no chance a driver will fail to notice you on an early morning jog.
10. LSD Running Jacket
$100
A runner can always find reasons to skip the day’s workout. Don’t let dipping temperatures or shorter days be one of them. ☔️
The Brooks LSD jacket offers windproof, water-resistant protection to keep you comfortable when conditions aren’t perfect. Cloudy skies clear? Pack it up in its pocket and carry it with you hands-free using the elastic band.
11. UA No Breaks Armour® Fleece Gloves
$40
With the same weather- and sweat-resistant technology used in Under Armour’s high-performance ColdGear athletic wear, the No Breaks are built for the longest runs, when lightweight-yet-warm gear means everything. Worn as a base layer under a larger glove, they wick sweat away from your hands, yet are comfortable enough to feel like they’re barely there. The index finger works with your electronic devices, and the thumb has a fleece padding for wiping your nose.
12. Freedom ISO Saucony Running Shoes
$160
The hero of the Freedom ISO is the midsole, which marks the first ever full-length EVERUN midsole. This midsole design amplifies all the benefits of EVERUN with even greater energy return and continuous, fluid cushioning with every stride.
The Freedom ISO takes Saucony, and running shoes in general, in a new direction: low stack heights, a very smooth, continuous underfoot feel and ride, yet with plenty of cushion and bouncy response, topped off by a minimally structured but supportive upper, a new sort of “natural ride.”
The on the run result is a very smooth in transition, low to the ground feeling, a bouncy and relatively responsive ride with plenty of continuous feeling cushion. Saucony claims the Freedom ISO’s most innovative and technologically advanced shoe ever. They might be right!