Unfortunately, with the change of seasons and an occasional turn in cold weather, runners have to turn to a new arsenal of gear to get themselves through cold runs and workouts and an indoor season plagued with unfairly dry indoor facilities. Of course, a runner can just put on the same shorts and a t-shirt from the fall season with a complementary sweatshirt and wait for his or her body to warm up during the run (as I did my freshman year of high school), but the body will eventually wear down in many areas. Hands become dry and flaky to the point of bleeding, ears freeze until they become numb and feel like they're about to fall off, and breathing in cold air simply becomes extraordinarily difficult.

Here are 11 items to gift your special runner for the holidays to prepare them for another winter season.

1. Gloves

In my experiences the most vulnerable part of the body during and immediately after the run are the hands. They easily become numb and, after running in the cold long enough with your hands exposed, they become flaky and eventually even bleed. However, the runner's predicament when wearing gloves is that the hands might be warm when beginning the run, but will be too warm halfway through and then the runner will have to inconveniently take the gloves off and carry them through the rest of the run. The best solution to this is to gift your runner gloves that aren't too heavy or too light (of course, adjust based on local weather).

2. Tights

Running tights are beneficial to both male and female runners, despite the fact that they may appear feminine to many non-runners. Now some might ask, why do I have to spend so much more on tights when I could just buy sweatpants? Tights offer runners less resistance than sweatpants, enabling a longer and quicker stride (unless they're not the right size and are too constricting). In addition, tights cause less chafing than sweatpants. Unlike sweatpants, runners can race in tights when conditions are extreme and perform similarly to how they would with shorts. However, make sure to know the size of tights optimized for your runner because if they're too big they fit like sweatpants and if they're too small they simply won't fit.

3. Hats

Whether it's a headband or a beanie, a hat will help your runner keep his/her ears from numbing and keep them warm for the duration of the run.

4. Running Shorts

As a runner, a fundamental rule with regards to running shorts is that you can never have enough. Gifting your runner shorts, even in the winter, is precious because they can be worn under tights or be used in any temperature above 40 degrees (plus or minus 5 degrees) comfortably. Due to frequent use shorts' lining can be ruined, leading to excessive chafing, or the string that makes too-large shorts fit could fall out. This means that they are frequently replaced.

5. Rolling Stick/Foam Roller

The famed running "stick" is essential to many runners in massaging tight muscles before and after runs, workouts, and races. They help prevent injury and allow your runner to get a quick self-massage without even paying for it. The problem is that they're too popular among runners and, in my experience, are very vulnerable to being lost (shared among many members of the same team) or even stolen. An extra roller is always welcome.

6. Jacket

A runner could always use another jacket as a layer to keep himself or herself warm.

7. Face Mask

In extremely cold temperatures sometimes the air is so hard to breath that air needs to be insulated to run properly. Luckily, face masks or even scarves provide this warmth in very cold temperatures.

8. Socks

While running in the snow or rain your runner's feet are likely to get very wet and socks will be soaked. A spare pair of socks is always welcome to keep their feet warm and dry after a run.

9. Shoes

Of course, one of the most obvious things that you can get for your runner is shoes, but I was hesitant to put it high on the list because most runners have very specific preferences for shoes that they like to run in. There are different categories of shoes to accommodate each runner's arch, pronation, and foot strike. It is best to consult with your runner about the model of shoes that he or she wears before getting the gift, or give them a gift card to Dick's or a local running store for them to buy it themselves.

10. Watch

A running watch is essential to any runner who doesn't want to carry around their phone every run. GPS watches are very helpful for telling the distance that a person runs and at what pace (except in trails where the satellite doesn't connect). A watch is also one of the runner's items that gets lost very easily, so an extra watch for your runner would be very appreciated.

11. Water Bottle

Runners drink a lot of water. Having a water bottle helps keep a runner a good, environmental citizen instead of wasting plastic in cups or Poland Spring bottles.

As previously stated, if you're not sure what exactly your runner needs or wants this holiday, a gift card to the local running store or sporting goods stores such as Dick's or Modell's could always be a backup.