My Go-To Running Gear

Many of you have asked about my running gear.

Actually…none of you have.

But as a self-described anti-influencer, I sometimes have to act like one (or run alongside one) to siphon off some of their influence.

So, here is my go-to running gear:

Ray-Ban Tortious Glasses

Mostly used for reading at night, these glasses are the first thing I reach for when I get up. I have the slip down your nose when you’re sweaty kind. The advantage of this is that if I happen to be running past someone at the same time that I move my arm up to slide them back up my nose, people think I’m waving at them. It’s kind of a two-for-one special. If you don’t have friendly when wet glasses (or, unlike me, you take the time to pop your contacts in), I have a tip for you. Waving at fellow runners is quite easy and a nice gesture of encouragement. All you have to do is open your hand and turn it out. You don’t even have to raise your arm. An open hand that moves to the natural bounce of a run is a wave. I like to add in a quick “Morning!” and a mini smile. You don’t even have to look, just wave, then lock back in. The exchange takes two seconds, but the “Keep it up!” vibe it carries lasts much longer.

Under Armor Shorts

Staff issued in 2015 when I worked at Boston College, these are still my favorite shorts. They are light, stretchy, and have a wide waistband with easy-to-tie thick laces. I love the angled pockets that zip shut. There is a pocket on the back that zips as well. I’ve never needed the pockets when I run, but I use them all of the time in other settings, always trusting I won’t lose what’s in there. You know how some shorts seem to eject what’s in your pocket when you sit down. It baffles me how that lack of design is overlooked. How many times have we fumbled around looking for things under our car seat because our pocket contents took the slip and slide ride down below? These shorts won’t allow that. They are fairly big and baggy, at least on the skin-tight scale that many runners use to gear up. But, I like the just rolled out of bed in my comfy shorts look when I run. If I designed running wear, I would replicate the feel and function of these shorts. But I’d also offer custom lengths and widths to accommodate all body types and fashion preferences. However, the signature line would be the “dad vibe” collection. Nothing says I’m doing this for me, not for you, like a relaxed fit pair of running shorts.

T-Shirts, Underwear, and Socks

I wear what I wore the day before. It’s that simple. The t-shirt I wore under my flannel to work, my underwear I wore the previous day. Like they say, “go to bed with itchy butt, wake up with stinky finger.” (Wait, that’s the wrong trope here.) How about this, “go to bed itching to run, wake up and get your stinking butt out there.” (I think that’s more like it.) As for socks, if I leave them on the night before, you never know what you’ll see out on the trail. It could be ankle-cut athletic socks, or it might be calf-high church socks. If I take them off before bed, I always lay out a pair either by my shoes or at the end of my bed. The fewer things to hunt for in the morning, the better. Quick tip. No one likes a hole in their sock by their toe. A good and common solution is to put your right sock on your left foot and your left sock on your right foot. This works, I do it often. Another, even quicker fix is to flip it inside out, and the hole moves from the big toe to the pinky. Voila. Magic. I think that inside-out socks are underrated in general. I like the smooth side in and the fluffy side out. It feels like the cool side of a fluffy blanket on my foot.

Garmin Vivoactive 4 Watch

Purchased in 2020, well before I was a runner, this is my one piece of gear I did research for. This isn’t the full review it deserves, but I’ve been very pleased with it. At the time I bought it, all I logged were bike rides to the park and walks to the mailbox. I looked long and hard for a watch that wasn’t too bulky and fancy, but was also smart and durable. I wanted a watch I could wear 24/7. It’s been all of that. It’s light, I hardly know it’s on. It’s durable, I never take it off unless I’m charging it. And it’s smart, I use it to track my sleep, my steps, and my runs. It can do way more than I use it for, like read the distance to the green, but I typically just stick to the basics. I use an alarm to get up, an alarm to go home, and an alarm to go to bed. 9 times out of 10, I don’t stop the stopwatch I’ve started, but I love the convenience and competition of trying to time something. Anything. I’ll time you…go! It’s amazing what you can get done in under two minutes. Even better is the countdown timer to remember to pull my clothes out of the dryer, to take my kid(s) out of timeout, or remind them to turn off their reading lights at night. Most of all, this watch is tough. I wear it in the shower, in the pool, and in the ocean. I’ve poured cement with it in Panama, danced with it in the Dominican Republic, and waved many kids around first base to second with it. It goes where I go. It does what I do. Two things you’ll always find on me: my watch and my wedding ring. Till death (or the battery) do us part.

Nike Pegasus 38 Running Shoe

Staff issued in 2020 while working for the University of Texas, these babies have put some miles in. Since I’m newish to running, it never even occurred to me that running shoes only have so much life. The internet says 300-500 miles is the suggested lifespan of a shoe, depending on how much you run. Recently, my feet started to hurt, and a friend called it a “gateway pain” that will often lead to other pains. Yikes, I don’t want that. I’ve only used one pair of shoes since I picked up running in 2023. That year, I ran about 75 miles before taking six months off to prepare for and recover from the exertion of the holidays. That’s not true. I got lazy. After it started to click in March of 2024, I logged 275 miles. And in 2025, add in another 200 miles, and I can start to feel it in my feet. At roughly 550 miles in these shoes, it turns out I’ve exceeded the limit and didn’t even know it. Maybe wearing the tread down to nothing could have been a hint that it was time. Preventative care is hard, isn’t it? There are hundreds of things to replace after a certain amount of time, now I have to add running shoes to that list. I don’t know about you, but setting the cruise control on life has always been easier to do. We can wait for the ache to act, or we can make plans today to avoid those pains tomorrow. It can be challenging to track it all. I’ve always been more like Kramer, the run my gas way past E kind of guy, but my foot gauge is telling me it’s time I retire my shoes and get some new ones. Speaking of, while researching new shoes, I found this visual history showcasing 40 years of the Nike Pegasus nostalgia. Pretty cool!

What does this mean?

That’s it. No phone, no mace, no music. And no shovel. I subscribe to the K.I.S.S. method for one simple reason: it’s already hard enough to lace ‘em up and get going. Getting all of the latest and greatest gear doesn’t get me out the door. It just delays my intentionally hard action. You could spend a bunch of time creating the perfect environment to run, but you might not do it. Or you could spend little to no time thinking about it and just get out there and get after it. I think it makes way more sense to have it first become a “thing” and then buy all the things you might need to take it to the next level. It starts with knowing your level, then setting goals to get to the next level. Having cool gear at Level 0 isn’t that cool. Put in some work and then see what you need, or you may end up with a closet (or a garage) full of gear you never use. Keep it simple, silly. That’s my, no affiliate links, no sponsorship ads, no frills, advice.

I’ll see you out there…look for the wave, the “Morning!”, and the mini smile.

Keep it up!

AP