Give the Gift of Health & Wellness
During the holiday season and all year, the greatest gift you can give yourself and others is health and happiness. Well-being is the gift that keeps on giving, so whether you are shopping for an experienced athlete or someone entirely new to fitness, we put together a gift guide for the runners, walkers and workout enthusiasts in your life so they can keep their goals on track every step of the way.
When it comes to knowledge, experience, training, races and great gear, you have several local options, including The Running Store in nearby Gainesville and PR Run & Walk with nine locations in Northern Virginia and one near Richmond.
Family-owned and locally-based, PR Run & Walk "opened in the spring of 2003 in Loudoun County with the goal of sharing our passion for an active lifestyle with the community,” according to their website. “We're your starting line for gear, advice, inspiration, community, and friendship.”
“When shopping for walkers and runners you can go two ways,” says Lauren Haislip, =PR= Marketing Manager. “Either gift them a product, or gift them an experience. At PR we offer many races and training programs that are perfect gifts for the runner/walker in your life. Also if you have no idea what to get someone, a gift card is always a great option, that way they can come into the store and go through our fitting process themselves and find the perfect shoes for their feet.”
In addition to great gear and training programs, PR Run & Walk also offers a fun and robust calendar filled with races of various distances and locations year-round. Give the gift of an experience this holiday season and sign up to run a race together with friends and family. These events are always incredibly well organized with fun swag and brag-worthy medals!
“We have a Race Pass (4 entries for $135) or a Race Pass Plus (4 races + a gift card for footwear) for $255,” Haislip says. “This is a great gift for the holidays.”
Serving the community since 2007, The Running Store offers a warm welcome and incredible insight. Customers can expect an entirely curated shopping journey depending on what they are looking for. And, if you don’t know exactly what you are looking for, not to worry because they are there to help.
“We celebrated our sweet 16 last month, which makes me very proud,” says Ian Connor, owner of The Running Store. “Any small business these days that has an anniversary is a special thing. Our evolution has led us to being, what I believe, is one of the best sit and fit footwear stores in the country.”
Although it is not their sole focus, shoes are one of The Running Store’s specialties and areas of expertise. They carry the top brands and are well-versed on the latest trends but best of all they are able to draw on a depth of technology and training so they can put customers in the right shoe when it comes to look, fit, feel and performance. Shoes are a very personal choice so our recommendation here is to seek the informed guidance of The Running Store. And for a post-run recovery shoe, we recommend the OOFOS, which they carry in multiple colors, varieties and sizes.
“The majority of our sales are not to runners, but simply the individual that values their bodies and actual human interaction,” Connor says.
The same is true at PR Run & Walk, where Haislip says “many of our customers are not actually runners and use our shoes for walking, going to the gym, walking the dog, wearing at work, etc. So even if you don't have a loved one who is a runner, everyone can benefit from our fit process and comfortable footwear.”
In addition to supporting small business and shopping local, there are plenty of additional reasons The Running Store and PR Run & Walk made the top of our "Nice List" this holiday shopping season, and the ability to interact with a kind and caring staff is definitely one of them.
“At =PR= we strive to give each customer a one-on-one, customized, experience," Haislip says. "We have a shoe fitting process that includes a 3D foot scan, pressure plate evaluation, and treadmill gait analysis. Customers can sign up for a running or walking fitting ahead of time or we also take walk-ins at any time! This high-tech process gives our expert staff extensive data on your feet which then helps them recommend the best footwear and products for you! In addition to footwear, our staff can advise you on apparel and accessories that will help elevate your comfort or performance.”
The Running Store also offers a high-tech fit process and gait analysis and on any given day, they are busy and bustling with activity. On a recent Tuesday this holiday season, customers of all ages, interests and abilities were seated along rows of shoes as sunlight filtered in through the windows and a knowledgeable team worked one-on-one with each person. Upon entering, I was greeted with so many smiles and had a chance to meet “Salty” the “Gu on a Shoe” — The Running Store’s fun and festive take on Elf on a Shelf. Gu is a gel that provides quick, effective and sustained energy for all types of activities and is among one of the many types of fuel, nutrition and hydration items offered at The Running Store.
Gu and other nutrition options make great stocking stuffers for the runner on your list along with socks, sunglasses, hats and water bottles. You can find all of these things and more at The Running Store. Our top picks include the super fun, super colorful, no slip, no bounce, all polarized goodr sunglasses. These are made specifically for certain sports and come with playful names and, best of all, a reasonable enough price tag you can get multiple pairs when it’s too tough to choose just one. Also in stock for this time of the year are TRS beanies and we recommend these, too!
Like the beanies, the majority of the clothing apparel at The Running Store is sourced from a single manufacturer and is TRS branded and exclusive to the shop, making it unique while also ensuring consistency in high quality, durability and reliability. There is something for every season and personality, ranging from short- and long-sleeve running shirts to leggings, pants, shorts and more. The clothing is comfortable while also built for movement, lots of use and longevity. With tons of styles and colors to choose from, there is certainly a fit that will fit for everyone on your list. One of our top picks: the TRS vest.
Brenden Velez, a runner and manager at The Running Store, says that while shoes and clothes make up two key categories for gifts and customers, technology and electronics are also very popular. This includes watches and listening devices for on the run and rollers, massagers and more for post-run recovery.
Whatever is on your running list this holiday season for yourself or others, The Running Store and PR Run & Walk have you covered head to toe. These gifts help to build confidence through gear, tools, training, inspiration, races, community and visualization. Gift cards are also always a great option.
And, if you need a few additional items this holiday season or year-round, these are a some others we recommend.
If you are looking to exercise the mind as well as the body, these are our top running-related book selections:
“Run Fast. Eat Slow.” by Shalane Flanagan and Elyse Kopecky
“Once a Runner” by John L. Parker, Jr.
“A Race Like No Other” by Liz Robbins
“26 Marathons” by Men Keflezighi with Scott Douglas
Cross training is an incredibly beneficial way to build strength, improve recovery and add mental and physical variety to workouts and these local options are great gift card or membership choices for the fitness friend or family member on your list:
Old Town Athletic Campus (OTAC)
Golf Spot 29
Warrenton Aquatic and Recreation Facility (WARF)
And stay tuned for our next Fit in Fauquier where we feature all three of the above!
This season and all year, give the gift of health and happiness. Invest in wellness and well-being, it is the gift that keeps on giving and you and everyone on your list is worth it.
The Running Store is located at 7343 Atlas Walk Way in Gainesville. Visit them in person or online at therunningstore.com/ and check them out on social media for the latest, greatest and to follow along on Salty's adventures.
PR Run & Walk has locations in Arlington, Burke, Fairfax, Leesburg, Ashburn, Reston, South Riding, Springfield, Vienna and Midlothian. Visit them in person or online at potomacriverrunning.com/ and check them out on social media.
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As a columnist for FauquierNow, this was originally written by me for Fit in Fauquier, our fitness and well-being column.