Top 9 Gifts for Runners – According to the Experts
Ever wonder what it would be like to know exactly how far to push yourself without “hitting a wall?” The runner in your life most likely has, which is why we have the perfect gift idea for this holiday season.
Runners often train at the wrong intensity. New technologies allow athletes to better understand and control their optimal power output. This information gives runners confidence in their training and allows them to make good decisions about running intensity. For that reason, our third gift recommendation (out of seven) is a power meter device.
These devices use sensors, worn in or on your shoes, or even in a chest strap, to measure in watts how much work and how fast an athlete is running. They measure step time, ground contact time, flight time, and even power and foot strike, to name a few. The indicators allow for more efficiency, better workouts, and improved precision and pacing.
The old school way of determining anaerobic threshold is through heart rate training. Power output training, on the other hand, is extremely accurate. According to Alex Gometz, PT, DPT, CIC at Prehab, “Wearables are a given these days for athletes wanting to track their metrics. Any device that includes a power meter gets our attention for performance enhancement, giving you the ability to predict results.” He goes on to explain, “Running with power uses a specific equation that includes the mechanical power involved in interacting with the environment. Power metrics tend to be useful for analyzing biomechanics, especially joint by joint mechanical power, compared to metabolic power. It is more useful for evaluating overall effort.”
Runners trying to achieve a PR (personal record) can use these devices to know exactly how hard they can run without crossing their anaerobic threshold, the point where the blood accumulates more lactic acid than it can flush out. It is so effective for racing, some runners say it is the ultimate performance enhancer.
Devices to measure power come in different forms. Stryd, a pioneer in power measurement, have a small meter that fits on your shoe and connects as an addon to an Apple watch or to the Connect IQ 3.0+ Garmin watches. They cost $219. Nurvv uses technology in smart insoles that also connect to Apple and Garmin devices. They cost about $300.
Over the past two weeks, we’ve given our first two gift ideas. If you missed them, they are posted on our blog. If you want to be sure you don’t miss any others, don’t forget to subscribe to our monthly newsletter.
If you have a question or comment, please post below and we’ll be happy to respond. Or contact us.
Keywords: running, training, marathon, 5K, 10K, ankle pain, performance, knee pain, shin splints, injury prevention
Prehab is a science-based running clinic with locations in New York City and San Diego, also offering services virtually. Our mission is to help all levels of runners enjoy the sport with top performance, while preventing injury.
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