20 Gifts Under $20 for your favorite (or second favorite) running addict

So I do this every year, where I kinda review things I have and things I wish to have and things I want every runner to have and combine to this list. For the most part, the list stays a bit static, but luckily some things are refillable and some things change priority for me depending on how much I run, where or I  run, or maybe in the case of 2015, how little  I run.

Without much more of a ramble, here’s the list!

It is not in any order besides my amazon search order. As a full disclosure, I do get a few pennies kickbacks from Amazon. So even if  you’re not shopping for running gifts, but are using Amazon, check out through one of my links so I can continue to support Jack Meower’s growing organic Wholefoods catfood addiction.

Due North Foot Rubz Foot Massage Roller – $13.99 Sort of a little alternative to the ball I usually recommend.

Nuun Tablets – $15,38 for a 4-pack – Honestly, they just make pretty awesome hangover cures as well.

Body Glide –  $9,95 for medium size. They make a for her version, but it’s twice the price and this is already odorless and works great, so what’s the point?

Seat Cover for your car  -$19.95  I won this once at a race, and its actually quite useful since I always tend  to just jump straight  back into the car after a race. Tony loves that.

Shower Pill – $9.99 Basically wipes your a travel shower lol.  Or you could just use babywipes,  but they look less cool in your race bag.

KT Tape – $12.71 For the consistently injured runner who just wont give up.

Mini Foam Roller – $18.80 Fit for travel… as you can see I guess my list has a bit of a theme this year. Yay injuries and dealing with them.

Portable Charger – $9.99 For when you run 100 milers and need a recharge. Or when you travel and see to never be able to find an outlet.

Meals on the Run – $12.99 for kindle version.  A book with recipes that take under 30 minutes to scramble together

Compression Sock – $19.99 I know socks,  how cliche… but honestly, just like underwear you can never have enough… and giving underwear is more awkward.

Reflective Bracelets and kit – $13,97 I don’t run outside at night, but if you do, you should probably make sure people can see you. They give anybody a license these days (including me).

Skirtsports – Prices vary and their site always has some great deals!

Toesocks – Okay so I’m back on socks, but everyone could use some cooler socks for the 3 times a year they go to a Yoga class (or maybe it’s just me).

Running Mug –  Kinda trinky, but all runners love coffee… how else do I survive the 20 miler after a week of work.

The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances – $10.19 I love The Oatmeal and I love running….. and he also has a great cat book as well

Runner’s Calendar – $14.99 Okay, so it’s another cliche gift idea, but runners are kinda obsessed and we do love calendar. But if your runner also loves  cats, dare I suggest this one instead?

Beer Socks – $11.99 okay I’m back on the socks…. and I’m not sure how comfortable they are in a marathon, but totally worth  sporting in a beer mile, right?

Running Ornament – $16.99 or better yet, make your own!

Tea Tree Foot Soak – $14.95 It’s kinda  small pack, but its my fave!

Sparkle Skirt – $15.97 for Halloween or brunching runs, every girl (and boy) needs some sparkle in their run

And there’s so many more!

For more idea check out my other lists:

2014 10 Gifts Under $20 (I guess I got lazy this year)

2013 20 Gifts Under $20

Have your own gift list or suggestions? Link up in the comments!

24 hours in Dubai – What to do on your layover

Okay so to be fair, my layover was not 24 hours, it was only 19 hours and I spent about 7-8 hours of those sleeping after a 14 hour flight. And of course, like any major cosmopolitan city,  you really need more than 24 hours to truly experience the city, but if you find yourself in the case of a layover with some time to kill, well I have some suggestions.

Dubai is kinda the city of excess… tallest building in the world?  check, 7 star hotel? check. Underwater hotels? Sure. Indoor skiing rings and private beaches built on the man made Palm Islands (literally islands built with beaches to look like palms trees from the sky. If you got money, it’s probably a good place to spend  it. VIP service is available everywhere.

If you don’t, or at least not to the same degree (hey some of us need to spread our pennies through the next 2 weeks and not just two days), well there’s still plenty to enjoy.

The first leg of trip from Boston to Bangkok was a bit around 14 hours with very little sleep on the plane. Our layover was in Dubai so we decided to do some sightseeing and catch up on some sleep that was not in  sitting up form.

The first place we went was the Dubai mall and to see Burj Khalifa, the current tallest building in the world!

We didn’t go to the top, because quite frankly, I find the views from the top in packed observation decks to just not be my thing but it was neat to see this tall tower.I couldn’t  fit the full tower into a frame, but we tried a bit.

It is near the mall, while this is not the famed mall with the indoor ski slope, there is a fountain show that happens at night (and where I got no photos whatsoever).

Also inside the mall is the third largest aquarium (by tank size) in the world.  While you do have to pay to walk through this tube thing, you can still view the general tank for free in the mall.

It’s not as cool as scuba diving, but it’s a still is bringing some awareness to how cool marine life is (I hope).  I do wish they had more information about how overfishing is pretty much killing any future marine life.

Baby sharks!!! soooo cute.

And catfish just because I really love cats of any whiskers!

After some much needed sleep, we decided to get up and out to explore Dubai. We started with Bastakiya quarter which at 10AM was a bit empty compared to crowded European towns. If I had to do it again, I would come here in the evening as it’s near the waterfront and probably looks really cool lit up.

Across the waterway for the extravagant price of about 30 centers, you can take a water taxi to see the historical Souks of Dubai. Actually, this was probably my favorite part of my Dubai visit.

I love the merchant boats!

Souks are basically little district market place with a mix of indoor and outdoor vendors. Yes before giant malls, these were the real markets of Dubai the built it to be the commerce city it is now. Although now mostly packed with tourists and hawkers, it was fun to see the partially covered alleyways and goods on display.

We started with the textile souks as they began to open up.

Moved up to the spice souk

How many can you name?

And finally ended at the gold souk where each of those shops is selling the yellow bling.

Does this gold make my butt look big??

Before we knew it, it was time to catch the second leg of our flight to head off to the airport!

Some tips

1. Public transit is pretty easy, but if you’re in a hurry, they have Uber and it was fairly cheap. However, traffic is pretty terrible, so review your water taxi/train options as available.
2. It’s hot and the city probably is more active in the evenings than during the mornings
3. If you’re very into dining, do some research, we winged it and had some disappointing results, but I have heard that food in Dubai is great.
4. If you’re going to see the show at Dubai fountain, don’t wait for the last show, because it might not happen!
5. Relax, enjoy and window shop!