10 Must Have Holiday Gifts That Every Running Mom Needs

Posted by Lara in Moms, Running | Comments Off on 10 Must Have Holiday Gifts That Every Running Mom Needs

 

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Are you feeling uncertain what to buy that special running, mom or woman in your life?  Perhaps, you are running out of time as well.  With the help of other running moms, here are the 10 Must Have Holiday Gifts for Running Moms.  This is part two to my series on great gifts for active moms that focuses on the necessities running moms around the country have weighed in on.

The items on this list are more expensive items than you will find on my 10 Great Stocking Stuffer for Running Moms.  I organized the 10 Must Have Holiday Gifts That Every Running Mom Needs into four categories: Running Watch, Motivation, Fashion, and Accomplishments.

 

RUNNING WATCH

1.  Garmin Forerunner® 310XT ($349.99 basic unit w/out the HR monitor; $399 w/HR monitor)

This watch is great for both runners and triathletes alike. To me this is the mega of all watches, but of course that depends on what you are looking for in a watch. I am a triathlete and runner, so I wanted a watch that was able to track all three sports. However, I have definitely not used this watch to its full potential.

Some key features that are especially important for runners are the 20 hour battery, GPS features, Heart Rate Monitor; and Run, Sync, and Store features.

Depending on how much you budgeted for your special running mom or lady in your life, this might be more than you are willing to spend.  However, if you are truly wanted to make her feel special and show her how much you support her running or triathlon habit, this might be the gift for you.

The Garmin Forerunner 310XT basic unit without the heart rate monitor is $349 and with the heart rate monitor it cost $399. If your running mom is interested in tracking their cadence, consider purchasing the Garmin Foot Pod ($45) as well.

For an extensive product review, check out DC Rainmaker’s review.

If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can get it the next day; great for procrastinators.

2.  Garmin FR60 Black Fitness Watch Bundle ($118)

The Garmin FR60 Black Fitness is a the new version of the Garmin Forerunner 50, which is a great entry-level heart rate monitor that measures speed, distance and cadence with a Foot Pod unit. It also supports a bike Speed/Cadence Sensor making it great for triathletes and cyclists.

The FR60 is much more suitable for use in water, though without the heart rate monitor. HRM watches generally do not work under water.

Other watches in the Forerunner category are the Forerunner 305, a relatively chunky GPS watch that has now been superseded by the more normal sized Forerunner 405. Both these watches cost more than the FR60, but provide a stack more features too including the Virtual Partner feature, Courses, AutoScroll and Simple/Interval/Advanced Workouts.

Garmin FR60 is $118 which includes the foot pod, heart rate monitor, and USB stick.

If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can get it the next day; great for procrastinators.

MOTIVATION

3.  Books ($10-$15)

They say a book is a gift you can open again and again–and it’s true. Not only that, but running books can be valuable resources for improving form and staying injury-free.

Run Like a Mother ($10) and Hot, Sweaty Mamas ($10) are two great books that every running mommy needs. They are great, quick reads that does not require a lot of your time or money and offer many practical tips on how to be a fit mom.  Here is my review on these two books.

Run Like a Mother is offering Book Gift packages that include a signed copy of Run Like a Mother, along with a tee and a Sweaty Band. Check out their store to purchase the book gift packages.

You can also purchase both books on Amazon. If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can get them the next day; great for procrastinators.

FASHION

Style is whatever you make it, so make it your own.

4.  Hats ($19-$26)

The Nike Feather Light visor is the perfect lightweight visor for the times you don’t want a hat. It is great for racing, except when it is too cold outside.

The visor can be purchased online at Amazon for $19. If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can get it the next day; great for procrastinators.

Trailhead Goodbye Girl Ponytail Hat

The Trailhead Goodbye Girl Ponytail Hat is a perfect choice for cold weather aerobic activities.  I bought this hat when it first came out. My ponytail fits out the hole perfectly and it fully covers my ears and keeps them warm (I can fit my ear buds under the hat and have no problem with them falling out).

The hat does run big, which I do not think is a deal breaker for running, but might look silly for everyday use.

The hat is available on Amazon for $26.00. If you are a Prime member, you can get it the next day; great for procrastinators.

5.  Oakley Custom Sunglasses (beginning at $130 – upwards of $350)

Customize Oakley sunglasses with your choice of frame color and finish, lens tint and more. You’ll have the visionary innovations of High Definition Optics® and the look of a true original.

I bought these for my husband last year and he loves them. My husband is a huge Illini fan and his trademark colors are orange and blue.  So his custom Oakley Sunglasses are orange and blue and have his name etched into the lens.

The base price before customization starts at approximately $130, but the more customization you add, the more the price increases. The final price I paid for them was $335 including shipping, handling and taxes.

6.  Sports bras ($49 -$80)

Merino wool sports bras are excellent for wicking moisture and keeping skin warm in cooler temperatures. Both IceBreaker and Ibex make similar models.

Boulder Fields.  A one-of-a-kind bra shop promoting health, boosted self-esteem, activity, and fitness by getting every woman into the perfect bra for her shape and size. Boulder Fields specializes in athletic wear ranging from cup sizes AA – HH. They offer personalized fitting in store and by mail with guaranteed satisfaction in the products customers buy!

7.  Thermal Tights ($90)

Pearl Izumi W Infinity Thermal Tight are perfect for long winter runs. They have a pocket in the back, which is great for an iPod plus keys.

These running tights are available on Zappos.com for $90.

Please note you can get cheaper, thermal running tights. It is all a matter of preference and budget.

8.  Compression Tights ($100)

I love my 2XU Women’s Compression Tights.  They are made with PWX Flex fabric for top-notch flexibility and unrestricted movement; the 2XU Women’s Compression Tights are sweeter than your average pair of running tights. Take ’em to the trails or wear’em beneath snow gear, either way these circulation-enhancing, fatigue-reducing, muscle-supporting full length tights know how to do things right.

The 2XU Women’s Compression Tights are $99.95.

9.  Winter Running Gloves for Smartphones and iPods ($24)

Agloves Sports would make a perfect gift for any of your running (and cycling) tech-loving friends and family.

Agloves Sport are compatible with all capacitive touch screen devices including, but not limited to phones, cameras, multimedia devices, game systems, depth finders, bike computers like: iPhone, Droid X, Samsung, Tom-Tom GPS system, Nook, ATM, iPad, iPod Touch, MP3 player, Palm Pre, Blackberry Storm, Zune HD, Flip HD and other cameras, and many more.

Aglove Sports are priced right at $23.99 which is on par with other ordinary liners or gloves.

If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can get it the next day; great for procrastinators.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

10.  Race Medal and Bib Displays ($26 – $85)

Whether your running mom is a newbie to racing or is a veteran runner, she probably like a place to proudly display her accomplishments. Here are two companies that sell race medal and race bib holders. Both Running on the Wall and Allied Medal Displays offers gift certificates, if you are a procrastinator and do not think the display will arrive in time a gift certificate might be the way to go.  Also, both companies offer customization if you would like for your loved one.

Running on the Wall This is a company of runners who design for runners.  According to their website, their shop features over 100 different designs, including a selection of gorgeous race bibs displays, which can be purchased on their own or in combination with the running medal holders.  The medal displays and running bibs holders range in size from 6″ by 2 1/4 ” to 14″ by 5″, with the bibs displays being typically 11″ by 9″.

Their standard (14 inch wide, only 5 inch deep rack, perfect for 10 medals) medal holders are $28. Their standard (11 inches wide and 9 inches tall) race bib holders are $26.

Allied Medal Displays.  These are metal race medal holders that not only have displays for runners, but also triathletes.

If you are interested in purchasing from Allied Medal Displays, orders of standard design displays are usually processed and shipped within 1-2 business days, but sometimes can take up to 5 business days. Please allow for 2-3 extra days of processing time for custom displays. Once the displays ship from their Washington facility, they can take anywhere from 3-10 days depending on distance and carrier. You should receive an automated shipping notification within 24 hours of shipment. So, if you need it in time for the holiday season, order it today.

Their standard (26″ size is perfect for 18-25 medals) medal holders are $55.

If you have time and are interested in a do it yourself gift, here is a great “How to”, step-by-step blog post from Pavement Runner on how to design a race medal holder.

I hope this list is helpful when choosing holiday gifts for your running mom and if you are still in need of stocking stuffers, check out 10 Great Stocking Stuffers for your running, multi-sport mom.

Thank you to all my wonderful fit, running mamas for their contribution to the 10 Must Have Holiday Gifts That Every Running Mom Needs and the 10 Great Stock Stuffers for Running Moms.

Ashley, mom of 2,  Mississippi 

Stephanie, mom of 2, Houston, Texas

StevieLynne, mom of 2, New York

Kaleigh, mom of 4, Georgia

Nicole, mom to 1, Portland, Oregon

Victoria, mom of 2, Baltimore, Maryland

Sarah, mom of 3, Portland, Oregon