Everyday we’ll suggest original stocking fillers for the active person in your life.

Today Gifts For a First Time Marathon Runner.

Looking through the searches made on Strenua’s World there are a lot of people wanting inspiration for presents for a first time marathon runner. If your recipient is an experienced runner who is just moving up from half marathon to the full then they probably have their own favourite products to wear or use. But if they are new to long distance running and for example have won a place in the London Marathon ballot or a Golden Bond place for a charity then here are some suggestions of what they will be grateful to receive this Christmas.

Training Plan and Motivation

If they are completely new to training, needs some motivation, or help with nutrition and injuries, then I found a subscription to a running magazine useful when I first ran a marathon. An additional benefit for subscribing to Runner’s World is that you can have access to their detailed on line training schedules for whatever time you plan to finish your first marathon in from under 3 hours to just get round. Giving you ideas to vary  your training to keep motivated whilst pushing you but allowing you to recover as necessary.

Currently it costs only £30 for a one year subscription to Runner’s World.

Safety

Chances are that over the next few months a lot of their running will be done in the dark so make sure they can be seen.

Time To Run Men’s High Vis Reflective Running Gilet Bib £10.99 this Reflective Gilet offers superior protection for nightime running. Manufactured from lightweight polyester, the Gilet offers protection from light wind and rain as well as being highly reflective. For additional comfort, the garment also features a half mesh back for added breathability.

Time To Run High Visibility Reflective Running Bib Vest £4.99 this lightweight high visibility breathable yellow mesh vest has three distinctive colours of reflective tape which combine when moving to increase visibility. One convenient size with adjustable velcro to allow ease of adjustment.

Reflective Arm Bands- From £1.49 these wrap around reflective strips store flat then click in place round your arm or ankle.

Hilly Lady Hi-Viz Reflect Jacket From £24.99 this High visibility jacket has a fluorescent yellow body with reflective trim for superb night-time and low light conditions and visibility; Zipped pockets; air vents and a drawstring waist.

Adidas Run Safety Running Light- £8.95 A great accessory for late night and poor light runs! Make sure others can see you. Light Weight you hardly feel you are wearing it and doesn’t drag down your arm.

Food Hamper

Whilst some people may be looking forward to loosing weight from their marathon training, it is actually important that you fuel yourself correctly before, during, and after training or racing. Why not make a hamper of runner friendly products.

Find out who is the drinks sponsor for the race they are competing in (in the case of  the London marathon it’s Lucozade Sport Body Fuel ) and help them get used to the energy drinks that will be provided on the race day. I for example used prefer to train with the citrus flavour which is fine until the big race and all that is available on the course is the orange flavour.  After 4 bottles it became too sweet and sickly to drink but knowing that will be the only energy drink available I’ve learnt to train with and tolerate it  on long runs.

The marathon runner also needs to consume protein after long runs to repair their muscles so sports Protein Recovery Powder, bars and drinks are also useful.

But the food doesn’t have to be boring sports products and most can be found on  a quick trip to the supermarket. Before training you want to load up on easily digestible carbs and my favourites are McVities Jaffa Cakes . At 45 calories a cake, they contain only 1gram of fat, but 70g carbohydrates per 100g.

Normally Bassetts Jelly Babies are a high calorie treat, but for runners they are source of instant fuel at 20 calories from each little baby and they contain real fruit juice so they even nutritionally good for you, although not suitable for vegetarians.  Buy them a large box and they can take a handful with them for sustenance on their 13mile plus runs.

Finally post race you want something high in protein such as a 9bar with almost 9g protein per bar. 9bars are widely available across the UK and are stocked by health food stores, Holland and Barrett, Tesco and other major supermarkets.

First Aid

Hopefully not something they will need to use but it is inevitable over the next few months they will need some of this kit. Injuries always feel worse after an expensive trip to Boots to help your recovery, so why not make a gift pack of these injury preventing products, and add a packet of ibuprofen too.

Bodyglide Anti-Chafe Stick £11.29, chaffing, nipple rub and blisters, prevent them all with this easy to use stick. Vaseline is messy to apply and ruins your clothes but like a solid deodorant stick this is water resistant and contains aloe vera and vitamin E.

I always have a supply of Compeed Blister Plasters. Whether it is when wearing in a new pair of shoes, blister prevention during a long race or for recovery after a blister has appeared. These plasters work like a second skin. Prevents and treats blisters providing instant relief from pain and pressure. Ideal for heels and arches.

Deep Heat Spray and also Deep Freeze Cold Spray are convenient ways to provide fast and effective warming relief from muscular pain and stiffness, rheumatic pain, sprains, sciatica, lumbago and fibrositis.

Pampering Treats

Of course if you are looking for a traditional Christmas gift that the runner in your life will appreciate then treat their feet. They will be running over 500 miles before London so how about a Foot Massager to give them an invigorating massage to ease muscle stiffness and tension. This one from HoMedics Deluxe Shiatsu Foot Massager (Model FM-TS9-GB) currently has £20 off at Boots, get it now for £39.99.

Let them Pamper their feet with this unique collection of Royal Jelly products in a Royal Jelly & Pure Honey Pedicure Gift Set from Marks and Spencer. These indulgent formulations combine royal jelly and acacia honey for beautifully soft and smooth skin. Includes foot scrub, wash, and cream.

<<<Personalised Kit<<<More Christmas Gift Ideas>>>Adrenalin Fuelled Experience Days>>>

Everyday we’ll suggest original stocking fillers for the active person in your life.

Today show them you care with a Road ID.

There’s no better way to show you care than to provide someone the gift of safety and peace of mind. Road ID is the perfect training partner for runners, cyclists, triathletes or active people in general. If you have an accident on the roads or trails, your Road ID may be the only thing you have to guarantee proper medical treatment and immediate contact of family members.

Road ID products come in a number of versions, to be worn on your ankle, wrist, shoe or simply round your neck and it is laser engraved with your emergency contact information.

A Road ID is not only useful for athletes. As someone who does a lot of travelling, I have an interactive ID which has my name, my serial number and pin, and details of an international freephone number and website. This allows me to update my profile with my relevant travel insurance details and the contact details of the people I am visiting or staying with. Also if I’m travelling alone its reassuring to know if something happened to me people would know who I am to contact my family quicker.

If you don’t know which Road ID to purchase as a gift or what details to include on the ID you could just order a Road ID Gift Card or for a last minute present, an online eCard. www.RoadID.com also sell lights, clothing and reflective products so there is plenty of choice.

Submit your order by 21st December to receive your order by Christmas. eCards are emailed immediately after purchase. Use the code pcLastChance2 for a 10% discount off your entire order, valid  till 12th December 2010.

Whilst visiting the site you can find out how to enter RoadID’s Holiday Give away to win over $10,000 of prizes from Trek, LIVESTRONG® Fitness, HED Cycling, Garmin, Oakley, Newton Running, and Giro helmets.

More Christmas Gift Ideas >>>Charitable Gifts and Cards>>>

Swimming works the whole body including arms, legs, back, stomach, bum and shoulders without straining your joints and muscles. But aside from it being an essential survival skill and a form of exercise in its own right, being able to swim allows you to participate in many more exciting activities. Waterskiing, white water rafting, scuba diving, windsurfing, canoeing, sailing and aqua aerobics are just some of the sports available to you once you can swim.

Over the last few weeks I’ve been swimming about 3 times a week, yet in the last 2 weeks I have lost 1 pound in weight. I have although, lost half an inch from round my waist and hips so I think swimming has been helping me to tone up. Swimming burns around 3 calories a mile (1600m) per pound of body weight, so if at 130lbs I swim 1000m I work off around 244 calories. Not the highest calorie burning activity. After swimming I often feel hungry after I have finished and I have to be careful that I don’t over compensate for the energy I have just used up by eating too much. This is because after swimming your body temperature is maintained and your metabolism stabilised unlike outdoor sports such as running which increases your body temperature, reducing the immediate desire to eat, whilst increasing your metabolism for up to 18 hours.

The buoyancy of water reduces your body weight by 90%, so whilst swimming is not the best exercise for weight loss or building muscle, it is a great activity to recover from injury as muscles are supported by the water. If you participate in other sporting activities, swimming is great as a form of cross training to regular work outs or help as a cool down moving blood through body to help it recover. Swimming should be combined with other training as it does not prevent osteoporosis because it is not weight bearing.

If you never learnt to swim as a child, or you need more water confidence there are many classes an swimming sessions open to adults. At the pool at I teach at we have timid adult sessions, where you can borrow floats and practise on your own with instructors on the side to offer advice if you require it. Most people swim widths without the fear of swimming in the way of the sprinters who normally swim lengths in adult only sessions. For adults who have never swum before adult beginner classes are great, often with an instructor in the water with you. In the classes I teach there is a great support and friendship developing between the other adult swimmers.

Body fat floats better than muscle and bones, which are dense don’t float well, so women, older people and those who are not very muscular often have more fat and may float more easily. Don’t forget that the density of water is important so floating in the sea which contains salt is easier than in a swimming pool.

Here are the benefits of the 4 main strokes:

Breast Stroke-This is the stroke that burns up the least calories but it is a great stroke to train the heart and lungs. Breast stroke works the chest muscles, whilst training the inner thigh, triceps, hamstrings and shoulder. However, using good technique is important as swimming breast stroke with your head above water is bad for your neck and back.

Back Crawl-Burns more calories than breast stroke and is great for toning you abdominals, bum, legs, arms and shoulders. It’s also good for lengthening and stretching your body.

Front Crawl-This is the fastest stroke and a good calorie burner, tones your bum, abdominals and shoulders.

Butterfly-This is the hardest technical stroke, but burns more than double the calories of back crawl and breast stroke. Important to be able to swim other stokes before you attempt butterfly. You can also cause injuries if your technique is poor so get instruction. Once you can swim butterfly it’s great for developing upper body strength and flexibility, whist toning your chest, abdominals, triceps, and back.

For more information on swimming in your area contact your local leisure centre or British Swimming.