Accent

On Pace: The shoes are just the start

It's a marketing myth that you just need shoes to run. Sure, you don't need much for just a few miles around the block, but when running starts to take over your life, so does running gear. I've accrued a pile of gear that sits on my closet floor: ● A reflective light for night runs. ● A water belt for long runs and a Camelbak for even longer ones out in the middle of nowhere. ● Gloves for cold weather. ● Bodyglide, a lubricant for arms, legs and just about any other place where you want to prevent chafing. ● Dozens of packets of chocolate Gu - an energy gel with 100 calories, 20 grams of carbohydrate, some sodium and some fat. It tastes unbelievably like fudge syrup when you're in the middle of a 16-mile run but not so much on a Friday night when there aren't any sweets in the house. ● An iPod for days I need a little extra motivation. ● A watch - anything to keep time, but a digital watch that does lap repeats would be preferred. I just want to know the average time of my miles, so a good old Swatch suits me fine, for now. I don't know how much money I've spent since I began running, and I'm not sure I want to know. But I wish someone would've recommended the right gear to me before I started buying it. I recently had a bad run - a really bad run - caused by a torturous open seam in my shoe, shorts that rode up, a water belt that bounced unforgivingly and a frozen iPod. I was absolutely enraged and ready to chuck my bobbling water belt into the oncoming traffic and quit. Everything that could've gone wrong went wrong. When I got home, I wised up and vowed to bury the water belt that cost me almost $40. Then I fixed my shoe and went hunting for better, shorter running shorts. Newbie runners: You don't have to suffer through expensive, ineffective gear like I did. Pictured at right are some of my favorite running things. Dan Maher, a 24-year-old member of the Southern Arizona Roadrunners, likes to keep his gear simple for running: shorts, socks and shoes, and he's out the door. We asked him to model some products a new runner might find useful. A hat blocks sunlight from your face, but a regular baseball cap just won't do - it doesn't breathe and will trap heat in your body. There are plenty of running hats on the market that are made of breathable materials. They average around $15. When it comes to shirts and other running wear, 100 percent cotton doesn't cut it. That's because it doesn't breathe. It just soaks up sweat and gets heavy and clings to your body. There are plenty of sweat-wicking fabrics out on the market, such as Dri-Fit and Coolmax. Shirts range in price from $10 to $45. A reflective light - about $10 - can keep you from getting hit by a car or a bike on night runs. A water belt that doesn't bounce is absolutely necessary. Camelbak makes waist- and back-mounted packs that don't bounce ( shown right). Check 'em out at www.camelbak.com or local running and cycling shops. The Fuel Belt is another favorite. The four-bottle belt, which holds 28 ounces, is $33.95 at fuelbelt.com online. Most-wanted item: A Garmin Forerunner 201. It's a Global Positioning System that fits on your wrist and provides speed, distance and pace data. You can use it to set your training pace and distance, and it will keep you on track, like a digital personal trainer. ($164.99 at The Running Shop; prices vary online and around town.) The shorter the shorts, the less they'll bunch up in between your legs, which is annoying and can cause chafing. Bonus tip: Shorts that have a zipper pocket in the back can hold a cell phone and keys when you're out for a short run. The average pair of running shorts costs about $30. Socks don't come in just one thickness. Some people prefer super-thick socks; some wear them paper thin. Experiment. They will change the way your shoe fits your foot. Also, good athletic socks aren't made of 100 percent cotton; they're made of Coolmax material. Socks can cost up to $15 for one pair, but you can also get a good pair for about $5.