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LaceLocker survey
Calling all August and September subscribers and gift box recipients! Please take a quick moment and let us know what you thought about one of our featured products: LaceLocker. We hope you were all as excited as we were to have LaceLocker featured in your boxes for August and September! As always, if you have any questions or comments about the products featured in our box. Contact Us.
Learn moreSubscriber Review and Giveaway: LaceLocker
Today we're featuring a review from one of our Runnerbox subribers, Carlee. Carlee is a runner and blogger. You can also find her on twitter @carleemcdot. All content and opinions are that of Carlee's. We love getting reviews from our subscribers! And be sure to check out the LaceLocker giveaway at the bottom of the post for your chance to win your own LaceLockers and a mini Runnerbox! ______________________________________________________ I received a pair of LaceLocker® in my RunnerBox that came at the end of August. Source I hadn't tried them until yesterday. In all honesty, I have never really had an issue with my laces. I normally don't find myself tying them too tight or too loose (I am pretty much like Goldilocks and get them 'just right' the majority of time). Also, I normally double knot my shoes, so they don't tend to come untied on me. BUT IF YOU ARE SOMEONE THAT DOES HAVE LACE ISSUES, THIS WOULD BE A GREAT ITEM FOR YOU TO PICK UP! Although when I saw them I didn't think that I "needed" them - they were extremely convenient. They were very easy to 'install' on my shoes. The nice thing is that I didn't need to alter my laces at all - just slide the LaceLocker® on each shoe and they held my laces in place. They are extremely light weight and I didn't even notice that they were on - just noticed my shoe laces weren't flopping about or coming undone. Two other features that I love are, first, the fact that they are made in the USA, and second, they come in an assortment of colors. The different color options are: black, silver (which I have), hot pink, neon green, lady bug graphics, and even a Neely Spence Gracey Signature series "Inspired...Get Runnng" - which donates 20% of the proceeds to a scholarship fund. Source LaceLocker® is a sports apparel specialty device which securely stores tied shoe laces. If you wear laced shoes, LaceLocker® will securely store tied laces without you having to stop and and tie shoes repeatedly. Your child can still learn to tie shoes, but they are safer and you won't have to worry about falls. _______________________________________________________________________________________ And now for the giveaway! We're giving away a set of LaceLockers® and a mini Runnerbox! Simply use the Rafflecopter form below and good luck!! Be sure to read the Terms and Conditions before entering.
Learn moreSkratch Labs Exercise Hydration Mix
Today's post features Skratch Labs, based in Boulder, Colorado. Our thoughts are with the state of Colorado as they face a devastating natural disaster. If you'd like to help in any way, please check out this list of ways to help in Colorado. In 2008, Dr. Alan Lim was a Director of Sport Science for the Garmin Professional Cycling team during their preparations for the Tour de France. He noticed many of the athletes were watering down their sports drinks because they were too strong. He knew that while the riders were still being hydrated, they were diluting their electrolyte intake, something no endurance athlete wants to do. Soon he began cooking up his own formula "from scratch" in his kitchen. In 2012, Skratch Labs was opened in Boulder, Colorado with a clear mission: " to develop and sell food and drink products based on real world science and practice that taste great, that are made from real ingredients, and that optimize performance for both sport and life." Skratch Labs also offers a fitness-centric cookbook, Feed Zone Portables (a tasty alternative to gels and bars), and stylish race gear. August and September subscribers were given a sample of Skratch Labs' electrolyte drink mix. I've never been a great fan of sports drinks. They're either too sugary or they upset my stomach. I've been trying to find the best hydration plan for long runs, especially now that I'm training for my first marathon. I decided to bring my Skratch sample along to Anahiem, CA last week and test it out during the Disneyland Half Marathon. It was HOT on the course (and humid) and I was definitely sweating a fair amount. I prepared my Skratch hydration mix the night before and had it ready to go in my fuel belt for the next morning. My plan was to sip on the Skratch hydration mix in between water stops. I was a bit nervous to try out something new during a race (a big race day no-no), but I knew my stomach wouldn't like the provided electrolyte drink anyway, so what did I have to lose?! After 13.1 miles of sunny, hot, and humid running, I can say with certainty that Skratch is my new go-to electrolyte drink. Instead of feeling like I was drinking a bottle of sugar, I felt like I was drinking a refreshing flavored water. My stomach thanked me for not forcing down that other "stuff" and I felt strong and hydrated the entire race. The single serving sticks are fabulous for travel or for race day. Skratch also offers one pound bags of mix and several flavors including raspberry, lemon and limes, and pineapples. Be sure to check out the Skratch website and catch them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Learn moreTempo Run App
I don't know about you, but there's nothing more frustrating than trying to find the perfect song for a run. I try to shuffle my songs, but it ends up going something like this. Yeah, I knew you could relate. And, it's impossible to get into the groove of a run when you're focusing on getting the right song playing. One is too slow, the next is too fast. Next, next, next, NEXT. Then I discovered the TempoRun app, created by by five students from Michigan State University. One of the founders, Josh, was inspired when he was running one day and came across the perfect song for his run. He wondered how awesome would it be if we could automatically find that groove on each and every run? The answer is "pretty darn awesome". Simply download the app, plug in some profile information, and then select the level at which you'd like to run (1 being a walk, 5 a jog, and 10 a sprint). TempoRun scans your playlist to find music to match your pace. And unlike some other running apps, TempoRun does not change the speed of your songs. It plays your songs as-is. After all, no one wants to hear the theme from Rocky sped up to 180 BPM. Don't want to use your playlist? TempoRun includes access to Soundcloud Radio, too! And did you know? Music can do wonders for your run. From the TempoRun site: "One of the leading scientists in the area is Dr. Costas Karageorghis, from Brunnel University. In a recent study, he discovered that listening to music while runing can boost performance by up to 15%. He showed that music acts as a stimulant to an athlete's workout, and even called music"a legal drug for athletes." Want more science? The stats geek in me loves that TempoRun tracks distances, times, and calories burned. Start with the clean slate and watch your miles pile up, keep track of best performances, and overall miles logged. At $2.99, TempoRun is an affordable way to ensure you're getting the best songs for your workout each and every time you run. It will become your new favorite training partner. TempoRun is available on the App Store. You can also find them on Facebook and twitter.
Learn moreEcoTrek Fitness Whole Food Bars
We are excited to have EcoTrek Fitness Whole Food bars in the current RunnerBox! Subscribers are trying out the raspberry dark chocolate in the August/September box. EcoTrek Bars are delicious, and nutritious. They're vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free, making them the perfect snack for athletes on specialized diets. EcoTrek Bars are also packed with a hefty 10g of protein and six (yes six!) servings of fruit and vegetables per bar. At only 195 calories, you can feel good about indulging in some rich, chocolate goodness. EcoTrek bars are created from ingredients of the highest quality nutritional content, avoiding refined sugars, artificial sweeteners, and GMOs. The bars contain a rich array of green foods like spirulina, wheat grass, and spinach, which makes them a perfect pre/during/post workout fuel. Being able to read and understand all of the ingredients on a nutrition bar is rare for some companies, but it's the standard for EcoTrek. EcoTrek Bars were created by Cari Draft, a fitness instructor in West Michigan. Other flavors include dark chocolate peanut butter, and dark chocolate toasted coconut. EcoTrek Bars are also sold at all 197 Meijer locations!
Learn moreTherawheel Giveaway
Any runner or triathlete knows tight and sore muscles happen. It's a fact of being active. There are many ways of treating your muscles, and today we're looking at a product featured in this month's RunnerBox (subscribers will find a $10 off coupon in their boxes). From the Therawheel site: "We know the key to performance, recovery and growth is working with the body, not against it. The human body is an amazing and complex creation, but its rules are simple and needs are basic. Therawheel fits naturally with the human body, and the results help athletes perform better. Greater mobility is achieved, pain is reduced, normal function is restored, recovery is accelerated, performance is maximized, and return to play is faster with Therawheel." The folks at Therawheel spent years creating a tool which allows athletes from all disciplines to effectively treat sore and tight muscles. Take a look: Heading out to a destination race? Therawheel packs easily into your luggage! It's also super easy to learn how to use. The folks at Therawheel spent a great deal of time putting together instructional videos which will have you treating yourself in no time at all. (Of course, remember Therawheel is not a replacement for necessary medical treatment). Want to win your very own Therawheel? Well, you're in luck! We're giving away one Therawheel to a very lucky RunnerBox Blog reader! This giveaway is going to go by fast, so get those fingers ready and enter now! Good luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway
Learn moreLace Locker Review and Giveaway
August and September boxes will be arriving soon! Today, we're taking a look at one of the products featured in the box- LaceLocker from Stash Sports, a product made in the USA and designed to keep you from worrying about your shoelaces coming undone. I don't know about you, but even with double-knotting my laces, I end up having to retie them at least once during a long run. Double (and triple) knotting ends up creating a pressure point at the top of my shoe, which starts bothering me a few miles into my run. It's something I've always put up with and didn't think there was anything I could really do to get around it. Until now. I tested out the LaceLocker on my ten miler this weekend and I have to say, it made a difference! I was skeptical at first, but one run with LaceLockers made me a convert. They were quick and easy to install onto my New Balance 860's (and with several colors to choose from, you can find a LaceLocker to match your shoes). My laces stayed in place for the entire ten miles and it was easy to untie the shoe and remove it without the LaceLocker falling off. It's definitely not something I thought I needed, but now that I've used it, I don't know that I'll run without them again. Check out the video below to see just how easy it is to add LaceLockers to your favorite pair of running, walking, biking (or even kid's) shoes. Want to try LaceLockers for your own? We're giving away two sets of LaceLockers in a mini Runnerbox! Enter via the Rafflecopter form below and good luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway
Learn moreSneak Peek-PocketFuel in RunnerBox!
We are excited to be gearing up to start shipping out the August/September RunnerBoxes! Fall marathons are approaching, and mileage is ramping up. We here at RunnerBox have been busy testing out many great products and one of them is from a great company called PocketFuel. They have different flavors of nut butter blends in a reusable pouch, with a cap. Awesome for when you are out running or cycling and don't want to finish the entire pouch. Stow it away and save the rest for later. 100% natural, whole food ingredients consisting of nuts, seeds and fruits for a slow burning, easy to digest food. Perfect fuel before a long run. Flavors include: Chocolate Smackaroon, Chia Goji & Honey, Chocolate Espresso, Vanilla Haze, and more. Difficult to choose a favorite, they are all good! Here is their company's story as told by Heidi, their co-founder. PocketFuel is the brainchild of Mark Ribkoff. He is a product designer and innovator who brought that passion for perfection to PocketFuel. As an athlete with a competitive background and a triathlete training for his first IronMan he was looking for ways to fuel his body in a healthy, simple & portable way. He wanted real food, high in protein, fats and other important nutrients delivered in an easy to digest format. And it had to taste awesomely good. PocketFuel is WHOLE FOOD FUEL packaged in an entirely new way. We believe in using the best ingredients and the most innovative packaging we can. We use no preservatives or additives and are committed to selling something that we are passionate about. If we don’t LOVE the taste and texture of something, it doesn’t make the cut! You can take your PocketFuel on the road with you, camping, hiking, back-country skiing or sailing and refuel as you need. Or you can use it at home or the office. All of us at PocketFuel are committed and stoked athletes. We run, bike, swim, ski, kite, paddle, surf, hike, sail…. whatever gets us OUT playing and enjoying the day.
Learn moreLenny & Larry's Muscle Brownie Review
We are wrapping up the June/July RunnerBox and TriBoxes shipping out, just one more shipment on the way containing Lenny & Larry's Muscle Brownie's before we switch over to the new group of products! Sounds like you loved Lenny & Larry's as much as we do, here is a review from a TriBox customer, Amanda. Head over to www.lennylarry.com to order more. In August, they have a new product coming out called FIT brownie: 13 grams of non-soy, high quality protein, 7 grams of fiber, gluten free, low glycemic, non-GMO, and 190 calories. These sound delicious too.....Following is Amanda's review, thanks Amanda! I love chocolate—in fact I find myself trying to fit at least one “treat” in per day to fuel my cravings after long and hard workouts. This month in my RunnerBox I was excited to discover that Len & Larry’s Muscle Brownie was included. My life is hectic—I am training for an IRONMAN, have a full time career, studying for a PHD, and teach cycling classes so I need snacks that satisfy my hunger and taste delicious. The Muscle Brownie is it. This delightful chocolate brownie topped with chocolate chips is fresh baked, all natural, and has no trans fats. It’s the perfect way to satisfy a craving or refuel after a workout. I had mine after a 5 mile lunchtime run and loved it so much I then shared with my co-workers. They hardly believed that a “Brownie” with protein could taste that good and actually be good for you. They are now ALL believers. My only caution about this bar is to check the label. The front package does state that it had 20 grams of protein but the serving size is two servings per package. What I plan to do is cut mine in half and have one for a snack and one to refuel after a workout for the total effect. I would most certainly recommend this product to anyone looking for a tasty refuel, snack, or even just meal replacement. Happy Running from the RunnerBox team! We will be posting soon with a sneak peek from the upcoming box~
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