The Traveling Runner

Shoutout to all runners going to work today to pay for your next race entry and new gear! You are really strong and putting up a good fight!

Running can be expensive from buying those $200 dollar shoes, $100+ hydration gear, expensive gels, and those $100+ race entries. It adds up when you love racing, rack up the mileage on your shoes, and love running in all 4 weather seasons. I have a few tips to help ease the spending so you can enjoy this incredible community for years to come!

❇️ Use a scarf or neck gator to strap a regular water bottle to your hand. This will save you from buying fancy water bottles that attach to your hydration belt, vest, or hand. 

❇️ Do all of my dynamic warm ups, stretches, foam rolling, and easy runs (see my content & blog) to avoid expensive doctor bills later

❇️ Volunteer at races! Sometimes, they will give you free or discounted entry into future races.

❇️ Use band aides or Vaseline on highly chaffed areas (arm pits, nipples, etc) rather than spending money on chaffing cream 

❇️ Use gummy bears rather than gels! You are still missing some key nutrients but gummy bears will give you a temporary lift!

Running is often considered a “cheap” sport. That is only true if you plan to run locally, don’t race, don’t travel to race, don’t change your shoes often and don’t buy new clothes/gels/accessories. 

If you break all this down, it is actually quite a financial commitment if you chose to run far distances, race multiple times a year and travel to races. I like to say the longer the distance, the more expensive! 

HOW TO BUDGET MONTHLY:

✅ Prioritizing goals: identify what is important. Also, determine how many races per year you want to do. Make sure you are prioritizing areas that will improve your running experience. I always prioritize changing my shoes every 300-500 miles (roughly 5-6 months) and gels for nutrition.

✅ Determining the excess: do you really need that super expensive Garmin right now? Do you need to try that new gadget? Put some money aside each month to someday comfortably make this purchase! 

✅ Control your spending by creating a monthly allowance for running gear, nutrition, and race entry fees. By giving yourself a monthly allowance helps you to have peace of mind that you are not overspending. 

How do you budget for your running expenses?!