For the active, outdoorsy people who already buy all of the sport-specific gear that they could possibly need, what do you get them for a gift? A bottle of wine is kind of generic, but a certain piece of specific running gear just feels presumptuous, or it’s too hard to guess the right size or color. That’s where this gift guide comes in.
From your favorite podcast guests:
- If you loved Sue Amato talking yoga… Online yoga subscription from her studio, the Valley Om
- If you loved Sonya Looney talking MTB and parenthood… This ‘Do Epic Shit’ mug from her brand, Moxy + Grit
- If you loved Dan John talking about strength training and philosophy… his latest book, Attempts
- If you loved Jax Mariash talking coffee and ultrarunning… This 6-month coffee subscription from her company, Stoked Roasters
From The Consummate Athlete:
In addition to shopping our online store for mugs, sweatshirts and tshirts, you can also:
- Grab a copy of our new book, Becoming A Consummate Athlete
- Book a coaching consult call as a gift right here
- Gift a 3-month custom-made training plan to the cyclist in your life
- Get your wannabe pro athlete friend or family member a copy of The Athlete’s Guide to Sponsorship
- If your giftee lives in the Southern Ontario region, you can even buy him or her a bike skills package for IRL coaching next year!
- For young girls into cycling, head to the Shred Girls Store for books + fun stuff for them!
Books, Books, Books
Just a few of our current favorites:
- The Uphill Athlete by Steve House: A good training book that covers many principles that we really believe in at The Consummate Athlete. It’s directed at climbers, alpinists but the theories of training are widely applicable
- Shred Girls: Lindsay’s Joyride and Ali’s Rocky Ride by Molly Hurford: For middle-grade + young adult athletes (or girls who you’re hoping to get excited about sport!), this series is a fun way to introduce riding.
- Fast after 50 by Joe Friel is a favorite that Peter regularly gives to clients and friends after they hit that milestone. (And listen to Joe on the podcast!)
- Movement Matters by Katy Bowman is a favorite of ours! She was on podcast a few years ago and is one of Peter’s favorite episodes. And this is a great book for a non-athlete.
- Little Black Book of Training Wisdom by Dan Cleather: Dan was recently on the podcast and his “Little Black Book of Training Wisdom” is a very good, conscience review of training theory that could be applied at any age and to any sport
- Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow.: Quick-Fix Recipes for Hangry Athletes LOVE the simple recipes in here
- The Cycling Chef is just a gorgeous coffee table cookbook with fancier but still doable recipes
- The Brave Athlete get started with sports psych with tons of helpful worksheets
- Mind Gym: An Athlete’s Guide to Inner Excellence sort of a sports psych ‘lite’ for someone interested in it but looking for an easier entrance point
- The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self-Assurance every woman should read this
- Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World fabulous for a consummate athlete!
Credit Card Sleeve
OK, fine. I mentioned this in the remote worker guide as well. But that’s because for athletes, these things are INCREDIBLE. Seriously, I give these to EVERYONE. . I love these as nice stocking stuffers / add-ins for gifts that you feel like need a more personal touch—actually, if you’re going the gift card route, this is the perfect vehicle for delivery!
- Get them here
- $7/2
Turkish Towels
These are my favorite multitasker, ever since my friend showed up at the lake with one, and I’m slowly replacing all of our towels with this as our old ones fall apart. It’s basically a combo of a super soft blanket but ultra-absorbent towel-like qualities, so it’s the perfect beach towel or spare blanket, which makes it the ultimate car-camping accessory / a brilliant thing to have in your car (or in your house if you have frequent guests but not a large linen closet).
Travel Shoe Dryer
I’ll list this one over and over again because very few people will get it for themselves, but it’s a total trip/race saver. If you’re in a hotel frantically trying to dry shoes after pre-running a course, or back at a (electricity-having) campsite after a long day of hiking, it is SO nice to be able to ensure that your shoes are dry and ready the next day. And it can also run on your car’s cigarette lighter, WHAT!?!?! This is perfect for runners, cyclists, hikers, literally ANY outdoors type, and the travel option takes up no space.
- Get it here
- $37
Shred Girls Dad Cap
Now, admittedly, this isn’t the most runner-y of caps, and if you’re dealing with a gear-sensitive runner, I’ll advise against this. But most of the runners I know are more than willing to wear a comfy cap that looks rad, even if it doesn’t breathe perfectly. So… I am obsessed with this 90s-esque dad cap and will personally spend most of 2020 wearing the hell out of it.
Camping Wine Glasses + Coffee Mugs
I really love these tumblers because they’re multi-purpose for classier car camping/#vanlife. No, I wouldn’t hike with them, but we do keep them in our van’s food box so that we can enjoy morning coffee in smaller mugs and the occasional glass of wine in something a little fancier than a water bottle. (I don’t love the clear plastic wine glasses for camping because they aren’t multi-purpose!)
