Running gear: the right 'stuff' makes a run fun

Running is natural. A few steps faster than walking. It's inexpensive — shirt, shorts, shoes and solid ground are all that are required. It's healthy, it's convenient and it's universal. Most anyone can run; lots of people do run.

Running can also be painful and boring.

Thanks to today's manufacturing wizards, however, it needn't be either.

Just stop by any store offering running gear and see the selection of items made just for runners.

There are shoes that are as comfortable as slippers, socks that help prevent blisters and jogging shorts that ward off chafing. There are all kinds of gadgets that play music, watches to tell distance and gels to provide energy.

Sound

Nothing passes away the miles like music. Runners have the option of taking an AM-FM radio, or they can listen to hundreds of digitally recorded favorites.

New armband radios offer things like preset station memory, weather band tuning, digital tuning, stopwatch and lap timer.

Then there are iPods, which need no disc, have huge storage capacity, excellent sound and long battery life.

For a small fee per song, there are more than a million songs that can be downloaded into the system. Up to 10,000 songs can be downloaded onto the 40GB model.

The systems are no larger than a billfold and come with headphones.

Shoes

Time was when a universal basketball shoe served just fine as a running shoe. Or so people thought. Pain, after all, was one of the rewards of running.

Then shoe manufacturers got into the running game, and now there are running shoes made for every foot, every age and sex, and for every purpose.

New shoes help keep the feet dry, allowing moisture to pass through and evaporate to regulate the foot's temperature. They have a newly designed insole for anatomical support and comfort. New shoes have features like comfort cushion, synthetic leather/mesh, padded collar and removable insole.

For those who like to run through rugged terrain, there are trail shoes. They are heavier and more rugged than other shoes, especially in the toe, upper and midsole. Some shoes even have outrigger features to prevent people from rolling their ankles while running on uneven ground.