Fallacy or Truth?

When I first started running, one of the things which attracted me to this sport was that I didn't need to spend tons of money like I had when I had played badminton. No shuttle purchases or court rental costs, no racquet restringing costs.

Of course the other thing was that I could run whenever and almost wherever I wanted to without having to worry about whether others were going to make it in order to be able to play a game of doubles.

Today I would still generally agree that running is a very inexpensive sport, especially when one is using it as a means of getting a good workout for the lungs, heart and some muscle groups. However when one becomes a competitive runner and starts taking part in marathon running then things start to change a little.

In running and training for marathons, there are many different components that we need to look at now. Things that would not really have mattered much if we were running just to keep healthy or to watch our weight.

Our choice of shoes becomes more important now, and a good pair of shoes worthy for a serious marathoner can easily cost in the region of between RM250 to RM300. These shoes which would probably have lasted an everyday runner for over a year, might not last a runner training for a marathon more than 4 or at the most 6 months before a new pair would need to be purchased.

In the beginning, I would never have dreamt of spending more than RM15 for a pair of running socks. Today I have two pairs of running socks which cost me more than RM30 each, and they made a huge difference in my level of comfort in my training runs. They would probably make an even bigger impact in my race performances (this has yet to be tested and proven).

Marathon training can become very strenuous to our body, thus proper nutrients and supplements become essential for us to keep healthy and ensure that we replenish what the body has lost. I used to take only one multi-vitamin capsule a day, in fact I still do, but have now decided to add on Omega-3 fish oil and Cordycep capsules to my daily intake. This will burn a hole in my pocket for sure.

Having said all that, there are still many runners who do without the whims and fancies of expensive shoes, socks and supplements and would still whoop the asses of most of us runners who do spend excessively on these items. However I will use these 'add ons' for now and see if it helps me achieve my targets in my next race. The bottomline is running is still relatively an inexpensive sport!