If you google “running gear for women” you’re bound to experience some overwhelm.

I used to think you needed lots of special running gear for women to start running. When my husband John and I attended our first tri club practice, we learned differently.

In many ways, triathletes were the opposite of what John and I had expected. There were all sizes, all ages, all levels, and they were all triathletes. Furthermore, some of them wore three hundred dollar outfits while others wore their Pi Gamma Alpha 1992 t-shirt. Ha!

We were advised to avoid buying a ton of gear until we learned more about the sport.  But I was ready to jump in!  Why shouldn’t I rush to get all the equipment I’d eventually need anyway?

I gave my wallet a workout the very next day. I found an ill-fitting road bike at Play It Again Sports, some closeout tri suits online, even a “lot” of shorts on eBay that should have been listed as underwear.

Fortunately, most of the mistakes—and yes, those purchases were all  mistakes—were fixable. The bike was re-homed, ill-fitting gear donated, and I never wore those ridiculous “shorts” in public.

Those were just errors I made in the first two days of my triathlon “career.” Always one to act before thinking, I learned many lessons the hard way. If I could go back in time, I would approach things in the right order.

Essential Running Gear for Women

After you get hooked on running, go nuts with the latest and greatest gear, budget allowing. But for your first, you’re merely trying the sport. Because of that, it makes sense to keep your purchases to a minimum. Here’s what you absolutely need to get started.

Here are some gear I frequently recommend.

Essential Running Gear

What you need: Not much! Shoes, (non-cotton) clothing, and a smile.

1. Invest in a good pair of running shoes from a specialty running store. That doesn’t mean the shoes your friend recommends but the shoes that fit your gait and your unique foot shape. Start at a specialty running store where the experts can evaluate your foot strike and recommend a shoe ($65-$125.)
2. Some socks that won’t kill your feet. I’ve worn these for fourteen IRONMAN races and counting.
3. If you invest in any other clothing, get the perfect tank to start your running adventure. Personally, I recommend Lululemon. Their stuff is lightweight, wicking, and lasts forever.

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See: should you be running by pace or HR?

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Extra Running Gear for Women

Many runners-slash-triathletes use Yankz or speed laces, elastic laces that allow you to slide your foot in and out of your shoe easily, thus simplifying and speeding up transition.

Personally (and it depends how your shoes fit and how tightly you tie them), I slide my feet in and out of my shoes with normal laces, leaving them completely tied the entire time.

For training in the heat, you’ll want  to invest in some moisture-wicking clothing. Seams, cotton, and humidity lead to chafing in all kinds of unexpected places.

This isn’t really an extra, but it’s important to remember to replace your shoes frequently.

Many shoes these days only last 200 to 300 miles, so if you’re running regularly you’ll need to replace them several times a year.

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See: Tips to crush your run training plan

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Other Extra Gadgets and Gear

A Garmin or other GPS watch is always helpful to have. With the popularity of fitness watches that double as lifestyle watches such as Garmin vivoactive and Apple Watch, you may already have a watch with which you can track your training through an app or online training log.

There  is no need to immediately upgrade to the latest and greatest Garmin watch with all the bells and whistles. If you’re in the market for a GPS watch, you can usually find last year’s model for a very steep discount.       

Takeaway: You don’t need a five hundred dollar watch for your first race. In fact, our advice is to complete your first tri with minimal cash outlay. Once you inevitably get addicted to the sport, you can invest wisely as you continue to learn about the best purchases for your unique situation.

Prime Day Deals for Runners

Here are some of the running gear deals you don’t want to miss on Prime Day 2019!

• Garmin running watches that track your distance, heart rate, and now include music, too!
• Running shoes for the family.
• A running belt to store your goodies on the go.
• Running socks to wick away the sweat!

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Need a beginner 5k training plan to get started? Be sure to grab a copy. Just click below and tell me where to send it.

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What’s Next:

Are you planning on adding cycling and swimming to your beginner run training?

Here’s the essential swim gear for women, and best cycling gear for women:

Grab your copy of Courage to Tri, your roadmap to your first 5k, triathlon, and more.

Swim Equipment

What you need: Something to cover your body, goggles, a swim cap.

When we do a Triathlon 101 session and get to the part about swim equipment, I usually start by saying, “You have to wear…something.” Long pause.

For best results, you will want that something to be tight fitting so that it doesn’t cause drag. For the ladies, that means a high-necked one-piece, which may be purchased at a local sports store, triathlon shop, or even Amazon. A new suit will run you about $60 to $70.

Once you find your size, you can save a lot of money by buying the “grab bag” suits on Amazon. (Note: Expect to get the color combo that no one wanted. I’ve gotten the orange and brown one three times.)

Goggles are a necessity. To find the best pair of goggles, I recommend a triathlon shop where they won’t mind your taking the goggles out of the package. Stick them to your face, right in the store. If they stick for a few seconds before coming off, then they’re likely to also have a good seal in the water.  Budget goggles will run you anywhere from $13 to $25.

Finally, unless you have very short hair, you need a swim cap. Trust me on this one. Unless you plan to shave your head post swim (due to permanent knots), you need a cap. For open water practice, a bright cap goes a long way toward visibility. This purchase will run you about $5. (Note: Once you start racing, you’ll have an endless supply of caps, since they are provided for races.)

Bike Equipment

What you need: A bike to use during the race, a helmet, flat kit, and water bottle.

The bike is the biggest financial barrier to entry. For a new athlete, it’s a huge commitment—a massive outlay of cash for a sport you’re not sure you like. That’s why I recommend waiting until after your first race to purchase a bike. Why? Well for newbies coming into the sport, what you know on day one and what you will know after a few months of training are light years apart. (In other words, you’re likely to buy the wrong bike, or the wrong three bikes, like I did.)

For your first sprint tri, train at your local spin class, borrow a bike, or use the old cruiser in the basement. After you get hooked on the sport, you’ll have a much better idea of the bike you need. If you absolutely can’t borrow one, then you can rent one for around $40 to $100 a day. Keep in mind that try said bike before race day, you’ll need to rent it more than once.

You also need a helmet. Know that USA Triathlon rules mandate helmets are when you’re on your bike before, during, and after the race. An entry-level helmet will run you about $40. Note that a more expensive helmet doesn’t mean it protects your head better; it’s because of other features like venting, less weight, or cool colors.

It’s definitely worth picking up a pair of tri shorts, like we discussed in our common concerns section. An entry-level pair will run you about $50.

You need a water bottle ($5) and a cage ($5-$15) to hold it if you don’t already have one.  Finally, you need the contents of a flat kit—tire levers (2), a bike pump or CO2 cartridges, an inflator, a multi-tool, and a spare tube, plus a pouch to hold these items. Your best bet is to go to a local bike shop and ask them to help you assemble a kit. That way they’ll make sure you get the right sizes for everything. The contents of the kit will run you about $50.

More resources for your running adventures:

• A Triathlete’s Guide to Training with Power
• What you should know about Functional Threshold Power [FTP] testing
• How to buy your first bike
• The truth about running cadence
• Should I use a fan for indoor cycling training?

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