There are several run-equipment choices I feel can help you quite a lot in your quest for your first Ironman Trathlon finisher medal.
SHOES- Of course well fitting shoes are a priority. I’ve tried every sort of shoe you can imagine over the years and have come to this conclusion:
You can train just as well and stay just as injury free in $50 shoes as you can in $150 dollar shoes. For instance, what if an outlet has a brand new 2005 model shoe on sale for $69, and sells the new, improved (same shoe) 2006 model for $149. Does that mean the older model was no good and will hurt your feet? Of course not! In order to stay competetive, manufacturers have to continually make small changes and/or improvements in their product to stay in step with the competition.
The change from one year to the next may just be in the color, or new lacing system or a bit more build-up in some part of the shoe. Sometimes the change is really small.
Just shop around. See whats out there and in your training try several different types of shoes and when you find the one that just feels great, fits perfect, and never gives you blisters no matter how far you run—then...