Everything you need to get started (it's less than you think)
Here's the full list
Right. To get started, all you need is five pairs of running shoes in your rotation, a pair of carbon plates for race day, a GPS watch, a heart rate strap, a fuel vest for your 5K, and a gym membership you'll use twice.
I'm joking. Mostly.
The reality is, you can start with next to no investment. When I started running in 2007, my big piece of kit was a Nike+ sensor that tucked into my shoe and talked to my iPod Mini. Proper cutting-edge stuff. That was about it.
The running and fitness world is very good at making you feel like you need to buy things before you're allowed to start. You don't. Here's what you actually need, what can wait, and when it's worth spending a bit of money.
What you actually need
A pair of trainers. Comfortable ones. They don't need to be the latest anything, they just need to fit and not rub. If you're walking or doing strength work at home, whatever trainers you've got are fine to start with. If you're running, it's worth getting a proper pair once you know you're sticking with it (more on that below). And just so you know, I'm not a kit snob.
Clothes you can move in. Shorts and a T-shirt, or a pair of leggings. That's it. Look, you don't need matching kit. Nobody is looking at you as much as you think they are.
One small tip from bitter experience: wear dark shorts. At the Sydney Half Marathon, a few miles in, I thought I'd just let one go. I had not just let one go. I was wearing white shorts. I have worn black shorts ever since, and I'd recommend you do the same. You're welcome.
A bit of floor space. For strength work, the living room floor is plenty. A towel or a mat makes it a bit kinder on the knees.
Something to drink afterwards. Tap water is fine. A cup of tea is better.
Honestly, that's the list. If you've got those, you’re ready to start.
What you don't need (yet)
Some of this is lovely to have. None of it is what's stopping you.
A GPS watch. You don't even need to track it. If you want to, your phone will do the job. I love my Garmin, but I've also learned that a watch can turn a nice easy run into a stressful one if you let it.
Carbon-plated race shoes. You’ll see them everywhere. Ignore them. They’re expensive, they’re built for racing, and they won’t make starting out any easier. Comfortable trainers will do you far more good.
A fuel vest for a 5K. I'm going to be honest, this one's going to get me some haters... If you're out for half an hour, you don't need to carry a hydration system. Have a drink when you get home. Most good shorts, leggings, or jackets have ample storage for your inhaler, car key and phone.
A gym membership. Gyms can be great, and joining one changed my running. But you can build a lot of strength at home with just your bodyweight, and you don't have to walk past the gym bros to do it.
Supplements, gels and powders. For a 20-minute walk or a short run, normal food and water are plenty. Gels are for long runs and races, not Tuesday.
The perfect app or plan. The best plan is the one you'll actually stick to. A promise of three walks this week beats any app you'll stop opening by next month.
If you do fancy treating yourself, that's fine. Just don't let "I haven't got the right kit yet" be the reason you haven't started.
Strength work with no kit at all
I avoided gyms for years. Couldn't stand them. So I get it if the idea of strength training makes you think of grunting, mirrors and protein shakers. But strength work is one of the best things you can do for your body, and you can start it in your living room with nothing but the floor.
Here's a really simple one to try. Do 10 of each, have a breather, then go round again. Two or three rounds is plenty.
Sit down, stand up (squat). Sit on a chair, stand up, sit back down. That's it.
Lift your bum (glute bridge). Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat. Push your hips up, then lower them down.
Push away from the wall (incline push-up). Hands on the wall, lean in, push back out. Like a press-up, but much kinder.
Up on your tiptoes (calf raise). Stand up, rise onto your toes, slowly lower back down. Hold onto something if you need to.
If something hurts (rather than just feeling like hard work), stop. Inside the Club, the Strength Library has follow-along sessions like this, 10 to 20 minutes, no kit needed, so you can just press play and copy me.
When it is worth spending a bit
Once you've been going for a few weeks and you know it's sticking, there are a few things that are worth the money. In roughly this order:
Proper running shoes. If you're running regularly, this is the one to spend on. Go to a running shop, tell them what you're doing, and try a few pairs on. Buy the ones that feel comfortable, not the ones that look fastest. You don't need the most expensive pair in the shop.
Decent socks. Sounds boring. Blisters are more boring.
Kit for the dark and the wet. If you're out in the winter mornings or evenings, something bright or reflective and a head torch are a must. A light waterproof makes the British weather a lot more bearable.
A good sports bra, if you need one. I'm told by everyone who wears one that this goes to the top of the list.
A mat and a couple of resistance bands. Cheap, take up no space, and give your home strength sessions somewhere to go once bodyweight starts to feel easy.
The watch, the race shoes and the fancy stuff can come later, if they come at all. Plenty of people get fit and stay fit without any of it.
The one thing that really matters
If I had to pick one thing that made the biggest difference to me, it wouldn't be any piece of kit. It would be people. Trainers don't text you to ask where you've been. A good community does.
That's what the PKS Training Club is for. You'll get the Strength Library (no kit needed), a weekly rhythm that keeps you turning up, and a group of ordinary people working on the same stuff as you. And if you do get curious about shoes, watches or whether you really need that fuel vest, there will be plenty of us happy to talk you out of it.
I'm opening 15 founding places at £20 a month, yours for as long as you stay a member. Get on the list and you'll be the first to hear when the doors open.
Now go and find those trainers. And maybe leave the white shorts in the drawer.
Have a great week, folks.
Paul
The information in this post is general guidance. If you have pain, an injury or a medical concern, speak to your GP or a physio before starting something new.
