Here’s a great gift idea for those of you that love a runner. And it’s quick to put together, relatively low-cost, easy to do, and really personal.
Emergency Runner Kit: Detour Edition
The gift is an Emergency Runner Kit. It’s for those days when a five-miler includes a wrong turn and becomes 15 miles; and those days when “partly cloudy” turns into a freezing rain slogfest. After a run (or just a very, very bad day), your runner will find this Kit to keep them warm and give them energy to get home or somewhere safe. We’ll call this one the “Detour Edition,” after my friend Gail Henry, who has earned the affectionate nickname of “Detour.” She never gets lost, but she’s taken her share of detours!
You’ll need a box – about the size box that a pair of rain boots comes in. Then, you’ll need access to your runner’s closet (or at least to know their sizes). And finally, you’ll need to pick up a few things at the grocery store.
You can add whatever you want, but here’s my suggestion (with the must-haves at the top, in case your favorite runner has huge feet and you can’t find a bigger box):
- Warm socks
- Sweatpants
- T-shirt
- Sweatshirt
- Sports bra/tank top for the ladies
- Unopened bottle of water (in a gallon Ziploc bag, in case it freezes)
- Snack size of things like beef jerky, crackers, nuts, dried mango – anything that lasts a long time and is impervious to extreme heat and cold
- Towel
- Gloves
- Beanie
- $5-$10 emergency money
- And if there’s room, a pair of shoes
This way, if the day comes when your runner is started to get hypothermia, is shaky from low blood sugar, or is completely soaked, they’ll be able to dry off, warm up, and refuel before driving home.
It’s also an opportunity to write them a nice little note, a reminder that they are important. Just wrap it up, put it in the trunk of their car, and you never know – it could turn their crappy run into another moment to tell them how much you love them.
