It's Black Friday! Get your holiday shopping guide!

The holidays are here and in honor of Black Friday, I've put together a little something special. I know some of you may be shopping for runners in your life, and since you can't very well wrap a new PR and put it under the tree, I've got a few ideas for you. (And if you ARE the runner in your life you can point your friends and family here for HINTS on what you'd like in your moisture-wicking sock...er...stocking!) Either way, here are a few things that are sure to make someone's day merry, especially if they are training for or heading out to a holiday race!

1. Socks. We wear them out. Sometimes monthly. However, we are mostly wildly fanatical about them, so be sure to check the laundry bin (preferably clean to avoid the stink) to be sure what style, brand and size your runner prefers. I happen to be personally crazy about Balega socks. They are awesome, and it doesn't hurt that they have a really cool website.

2. Reflective Gear. During the winter months, lots of us are either up early when it's dark, or running later when it's also dark. Dark plus runner = potential danger from cars that don't see you. Make sure your runner can be seen with reflective clothing, hats and other highly visible gear. For something out of the ordinary, check out the cool iron on reflective transfers from See Me Run. 

3. Road ID. Everyone that knows me knows I'm pretty adamant about the importance of having some form of ID on you when you're running. You never know what can happen out there, and knowing your runner has an ID in case of emergency can provide some peace of mind. Road ID offers comfortable, durable, totally customizable tags on ankle straps, wristbands and dog tags. I have worn both the wrist and ankle versions and have nothing but praise to offer. If you order one soon, you can use the promotional code "pcSAVE15" to get 15% off. I think that's good through November 30th. (Hint: they offer gift certificates too, if you're unsure what style to get!)

4. Shoes. This one can be tricky. If we're fanatical about our socks, we are FREAKS about our shoes. Do NOT even think about going here unless you are absolutely certain you know your runner's heart (and feet!) on shoes. Of course, new running shoes make lots of us froth at the mouth, but if you get them wrong, it'll just be disappointing for everyone. If you are 100% certain of the specifics, including size, brand and style, go for it. If you're the least bit unsure, a gift certificate to a local running store is a safe bet that's sure to bring on an equal amount of mouth frothing appreciation.

5. Race Entry. Seriously, races these days can be pricey. Offer to pick up the tab for one in 2011. DON'T just register your runner before talking to them first, though. Maybe they aren't up for that ET Midnight Marathon or a 50k Mud Run. Give them a card and tell them you'll cover a race of their choice. But be aware of what you're offering...some marathons can be close to $150 or more to enter, though most local, 5k/10k races can be as little at $25 to $30.

6. Recovery. Aaah, massages. Boy, do we need them. And often times, we're not getting them as often as we should (if at all!) Find someplace nearby that offers massage and get your runner a gift certificate for one. If they specialize in sports massage, all the better, but trust me...if they don't, we won't really care. If they don't have a roller for working out knots and tight muscles on their own, I LOVE my TriggerPoint Roller. Another great tool is The Stick. Combine either of those with the topical pain relief of something like BioFreeze, and you've got a gift certain to illicit your runner's gratitude! I will also shamelessly recommend my new top secret recovery...wait, wait...I haven't unveiled that yet. Let's just say, keep watching the blog for more details on something new.

 

7. Tunes. If your runner likes to run with an iPod or MP3 Player, give them an opportunity to add some new tunes to their mix. iTunes has options to gift specific music to someone directly (if you know their account name, and feel some level of comfort that their musical taste matches yours!) or you can send a gift card for music of their choice. If they are still running with a Sony Walkman (or an old model iPod), bring them into the current century with one of the new touch Nanos. I played with one at the Nike Marathon. They are sweet with their touch screens and new easy-to-wear clips, and they do work with Nike+.  Oh, and while we are on the subject of running with music, I simply love these headphones from Auria. They sit on the outside of your ear canal, not stuffed down in there where you can't hear anything but your tunes. When you're running, you very often need to be aware of ambient sound, like a car honking at you or someone telling you to watch out for that giant snake down the trail. These allow you to do that, running safely while still getting to plug in to your tuneage.

8. A Runs On Coffee mug. What could be better than supporting your favorite blogger's favorite charity? Proceeds from the sale of these mugs will go directly to OCIE Team in Training, to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. And everyone loves coffee after a run! Okay, even if they don't, they'll still find a great use for it as a pencil holder. Get yours here.

If you want some great CyberDeals on running gear, I can recommend See Jane Run (use discount code GIFT2010 for 25% off) and Zombie Runner (20% off with code BLACKFRIDAY and free shipping on orders over $25.) Roadrunner Sports has some screaming deals, no codes required, but they really push their VIP Membership. It's worth it if you plan to buy a lot of running gear from them. Don't forget about the RoadID discount code listed above. Now that I've totally hooked you up with some stupendous ideas for that runner on your Christmas list, I'm going out for a run. Enjoy your Black Friday shopping! If you have more suggestions for the shopping list or you find more great deals on running gear, definitely let me know!