Yesterday, I pointed out the costs of running. Today, I’ve got a few ways that you can reduce those costs so you can run without worrying about going over budget.
*Be picky about the races you take part in
You don’t have to partake in every single race that comes along to be a serious runner. Your body and wallet do need a rest from time to time. Check out the running races that you really want to do and limit yourself to one every two months instead of every month or fortnight. That will give you more time to prepare and improve your time while saving you money. You might want to run a 5km in January, a 10km in March, 15km in June, 21.1km in August, 42.2km in October and another 10km in December. That’s 6 races that you can build up to without forking out a fortune.
You don’t have to partake in every single race that comes along to be a serious runner. Your body and wallet do need a rest from time to time. Check out the running races that you really want to do and limit yourself to one every two months instead of every month or fortnight. That will give you more time to prepare and improve your time while saving you money. You might want to run a 5km in January, a 10km in March, 15km in June, 21.1km in August, 42.2km in October and another 10km in December. That’s 6 races that you can build up to without forking out a fortune.
*Make your own sport drinks and energy bars
Until I ran a marathon, I didn’t see the point in using gels and energy drinks. Now I’m wiser and realise that they are an important part of the race. I’m not sure I could have made it to the finish line without them. However, when it comes to training you don’t have to rely on the expensive stuff. Paying $2.50 mightn’t seem like much but it does add up. For long training runs make your own sport drink by mixing water with lemon, honey and some salt.
*Re-use race shirts
I found that I run in the same shorts most of the time and have been doing so for the past three years; I purchased a quality pair that still look almost as good as new. In Poland, I used all the race shirts I collected for training and found no need to spend money on running gear. Also, hand-washing your running gear after each run or workout will keep them in better condition for longer.
*Make your shoes last
This one is a little bit harder as for a runner shoes are important. A pair of bad shoes can lead to injury but bad doesn’t mean cheap nor does expensive mean excellent. Shop around when you’re looking for a quality pair of shoes. You can pick up bargains at the end of the season and save more than 50% of the retail price.
The amount you spend on running will depend on how important the activity is to you. I’m not going to feel guilty about spending $20 on running per week but I will try to find savings where necessary so that I can spend more on the races that really mean something to me.
Do you have any tips on lowering your running costs?
Great tips! I’m planning on doing a post very similar. One thing that I found in lowering running costs is to buy holiday running socks. Ask for them, most running stores have old santa socks in the back that they sell for way less that normal. That’s how I got my Balega collection. Yes the little man has a santa hat but nobody sees it 🙂
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Thanks Heather. The holiday socks are an interesting idea, and they’d put a smile on your face each time you go for a run 🙂