Tag Archives: road tested

Road Tested: The RunnerBox

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Disclaimer: I received The RunnerBox to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews! All opinions are my own.

 

Subscription boxes are not a new thing, but they’re a fairly new practice to me. What exactly is TheRunnerBox? Well, for those of you who aren’t up-to-date with the lingo…

RunnerBox has been going strong since 2012 and is the brainchild of athletes Staci Dietzel and Laura Jorgensen.

When BibRave presented the chance to try The RunnerBox, I was more than game! I am always curious to try things before I buy them; subscription boxes are a great way to go about that without spending a ton of money on products that you might not like or use.

Plus, MAIL. Who doesn’t love getting packages in the mail?

Not for you, pup. It’s for ME!

The first thing that stood out to me, was the shaky shake noise it made. I was pretty sure that the good folks over at RunnerBox would probably not provide me with maracas for my run so that was intriguing. My guess was rice. (Spoiler: I was incorrect.)

The box was chock-full of products. I tried to take my time opening it, but I was excited!

Love the Mia Hamm quote!

Look at all of the splendor!

It is amazing how much they were able to fit in that little box. It was like a magician’s hat, more and more things kept popping out. There was no rabbit (thankfully) but I did unearth what was making the noise: Banza’s Chickpea Pasta Mac and Cheese and Chosen Foods Mango Bites with Chia. Both ah-mazing!

Yum! I loved these as a snack after my workout earlier this week. I’m a big fan of chia. I liked the crunchiness of these.

This was one I wasn’t sure I would enjoy, but I did! Mint Chocolate Crisp Oatmega Bar!

I’m still making my way through the products in the RunnerBox but it’s pretty safe to say that most things have been a hit. The HotShot wasn’t my thing because I can’t handle hot/spicy combination but that’s more on me than it is on the product. I have a friend who is a big fan so I plan to pass along the second bottle to her!

Let’s get down to brass tacks here, because I’m sure you’re probably wondering about cost of RunnerBox. There are a few different tiers of pricing, depending on your wants and needs.

6 months: $23 EVERY 2 MONTHS FOR 6 MONTHS
1 year: $22 EVERY 2 MONTHS FOR 12 MONTHS
Standard: $20 EVERY 2 MONTHS 

With the Standard option you are billed automatically until you request them to stop. That seems like it would be a slippery slope to me because who would ever want to stop getting these?! They do offer one-time options too, for birthdays and gifts.

Additionally, they have boxes like The Cyclebox and The Tribox for athletes in those fields. I like that they have specific boxes geared toward specific sports and things aren’t all clumped into one box.

All in all, the RunnerBox is a great way to check out products and find new favorites. I definitely have!

Have you tried any subscription boxes? Which ones? What in particular do you like about them? 

Road Tested: Earth’s Care Triple Action Pain Relieving Ointment

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As a runner and someone who works out with weights multiple times a week, I’ve had my fair share of aches and pains over the past couple of years.

In fact, it’s a joke among the people at the gym during my hour that there should be a personal safety/accident free countdown posted with the amount of times I’ve fallen (box jumps)/bled (sandbags – don’t even ask how I managed that one)/generally messed myself up in some way, shape, or form.

What can I say? I’m accident prone.

2016 has actually been fairly accident free as far as I’ve been concerned, which means I was overdue to injure myself.

And I did.

I’m now dealing with sore back muscles, which, in the grand scheme of things is low on the injury scale but still annoying.

From lifting weights? Oh, no no. That would be far less embarrassing than this. It would make sense even.

My back is sore from (of all things) wrapping presents. Yeah. I know. Adorable.

I like wrapping presents while sitting on the floor, in front of the television. Being that I’m not in my 20s anymore… and I’m nearly not in my 30s anymore, being hunched over for an hour at a time isn’t fantastic. I’ve wound up walking around with my hands on my lower back and hollering at kids to get off my lawn.

Then I realized they were my kids and I like them playing outside, so I let them stay.

When the opportunity presented itself from BibRave to try out Earth’s Care Triple Action Pain Relieving Ointment, I thought it was the perfect time to try a new-to-me product and hopefully fix myself up so that I could continue on with my wrapping and other various holiday merriment, pain-free.

One of the things that stood out to me immediately, before receiving the product, was the company’s dedication to both the environment and its customers. I always appreciate companies that care for the earth; it says so in its name and you can see it throughout their standards and product line.

via earths-care.com

The menthol aroma clears the sinuses completely and it instantly brought back memories of my dad using different medicated rubs after playing tennis. Ah, nostalgia.

Apparently I’m not as limber as I thought because applying it to my own back was not easy. After a bit of a struggle (read: flailing around, trying to rub the ointment into my lower back) I enlisted the help of my husband.

He complained that his hands will forever smell like “candy canes”. To which I politely pointed out that it could be far worse, and to quit his bellyaching.

It honestly felt amazing, like it settled into my muscles and worked its magic. What’s the magic, exactly? I’m going to go with the triple action formula of three natural ingredients: Camphor, Menthol, and Wintergreen Oil.

I’ve used the product for a couple of days now and it’s helped significantly. I consider that a win!

Finding Earth’s Care products in my area have proved a bit challenging; the closest store that carries it is 15 miles from here and over the tolled bridge. However, there is a 15% off your first order on the website and I’m planning on taking advantage of that deal.

What do you use for pain relief? 

Disclaimer: I received Earth’s Care Triple Action Pain Relieving Ointment to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

All I do is WIN – WIN Detergent review and giveaway

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Dear Workout Clothes,

No offense but you stink.

No Love,

Meridith

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If you ask me what I’m doing, chances are that about 85% of the time, I’ll give you the same answer: LAUNDRY.

Friends, I do laundry more than I do basically anything else. If I’m not doing laundry, then I’m probably not at home. I wish I were kidding. But I’m not. The other Chicks can back me up on this (you know, if you need verification) because every single email that we exchange includes my laundry woes.

Lately, I’ve been pretty frustrated because while I’m constantly doing laundry, I haven’t felt like my workout clothes have been getting particularly clean. They seem to hold on to the stench of sweat, no matter what. Lovely, it is not. So when Fit Approach gave ambassadors a chance to check out WIN detergent, I was stoked!

windetergent

Welcome to my lair, WIN.

So what’s the difference between the regular (blue) bottle and WIN GREEN? Both are good to use on technical apparel and are geared toward sports/workout clothes. The GREEN is hypoallergenic and dye-free, as well as fragrance free. That means that all of my husband’s and my workout clothes as well as my (sensitive skin) kiddo’s soccer uniform were thrown in there together. Additionally, I had some towels in there because, well, we were running low!

washer

I’ve been using WIN detergent since the start of October. The verdict? I’ve been really pleased! The funk of my workout clothes has dissipated and I no longer feel like I smell bad BEFORE I start working out, which is always a positive.

The regular detergent gives the clothes a nice scent and while the GREEN doesn’t have a scent, I think that it’s cleaning my clothes and not masking odors.

I’ll continue using WIN and since it’s available through Amazon I don’t even need to leave my house to get it. Which is great, considering I always have laundry to do.

Want a chance to try WIN detergent? Well, I’m so glad to hear you do! We’ve got a bottle of the regular detergent and the GREEN up for grabs for one lucky reader. Don’t wait to wait to try WIN? Use the discount code WINGIVE1 for $1 off your purchase on Amazon. Cool? Cool!

rafflecopterWIN

Click the pic to enter!

 Thank you Fit Approach for the hook up! Other than the two bottles of detergent and the prize, no other compensation was given. All opinions (and laundry) are completely my own.

Road tested: PRO Compression socks

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Anyone who follows the scoot chicks knows we love to run — and we love to look and feel good when we run.

Last year, I came across a coupon code for PRO Compression socks and decided to give them a whirl. It was love at first wear.

558Styling with pals Brandi and Sean after the 2013 Broad Street Run

Now I use them regularly – for long runs, to recover after long runs even when at the office, a party or doing yardwork.ProCompression Logo

PRO Compression is a California-based company makes socks for endurance athletes, to be used before, during or after exercise such as running or golf.  The idea is for enhanced blood flow in your lower extremities. And THAT feels fantastic!

Nov13 to May14 2009Racing in my purple PRO Compression socks in the spring

The company offers four running styles – Marathon (my fave), PC Racer, PR Runner and Trainer Low – in a variety of colors. For folks who prefer calf sleeves or love arm sleeves, PRO Compression has those too!

And – this is a big things for me – the socks are made in the USA!

Thanks to a partnership with Fit Approach, I had the chance to test run and review a pair of marathon socks. I already knew I loved them – hi, I have six pairs and wear them regularly. But I jumped at the chance to test run a brand new pair and share my thoughts with you all.

20140729-134601-49561489.jpgMeet my newest pair of PRO Compression socks – and they are white!

I’ve worn this pair a few times now – mostly on long runs as I’m ramping up my training for my fall marathon. Like my other pairs, they look and feel great. While running, my legs don’t feel strained when I wear them, which makes for a far more comfortable long distance run.

20140729-134603-49563260.jpgAnd look! My legs weren’t tired at the end of this hill 8-miler last week, in part because of the socks. So I sped up at the end of the run. Success!

I also wear the socks for recovery, which means I lounge around the house – or spa (riiiiight) with them on. I’ve worn them to work under my pants and to the store, with shorts, because I totally rock that look.

These compression socks promote circulation in your legs by pushing fluid up from your feet toward your knees. In other words, the sock helps reduce swelling and inflammation while also providing support to muscles and tendons.

Other features I love about these socks – there’s arch support with compression, a wide cuff at the top to make sure my calf fits in, they’re moisture-wicking (so, so important) and I’ve never had blisters from wearing them.

If you’ve not checked out PRO Compression socks or sleeves I have a discount code for you – “PINK” Will save your 40% on your entire purchase. That’s a sweet deal!

Have your tried compression socks or sleeves? What do you think of them? What’s your go-to brand?

I was provided one free pair of marathon socks by PRO Compression so I could use and review them. My opinions and words are entirely my own.

Road Tested: Cheribundi

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I’m all over fruit juices from upstate New York farms.

Flavored apple juice from Red Jacket Orchards in Geneva, Ontario County – I buy it every time I see it.

Freshly-squeezed Wegmans orange juice? Can’t get enough of it.

So when Cheribundi approached me about trying a sample of the tart cherry juice, I was all over it.

I love cherries, therefore I would love cherry juice, I thought. And I was right.

The juice is tart but refreshing, and the Geneva, New York-based growers boast there are 50 freshly-picked cherries in each bottle.

1-cherryt-Medium

Lately, I’ve been hearing all about “superfoods,” which are foods supposedly beneficial to your health – like kale, broccoli, berries and lentils. Cherries, of course, are among them.

Cheribundi calls their cherries a “superfruit” since each is packed with phytonutrients, melatonin and vitamins including vitamin A, potassium, iron and calcium.

The original tart cherry juice (my favorite) is 90% pressed tart cherries and 10% apple juice, which sweetens the drink instead of sugar. Yep, that’s no added water or sugar.

Cheribundi teamed with food scientists at Cornell University (ahh, Ithaca, my old home) and researched the benefits of tart cherries, and also created a gentle juicing process to maintain cherries’ levels of melatonin, vitamins, nutrients and other antioxidants.

Rather than take part in Cheribundi’s 7-day challenge, I decided to test the juice each time I returned from what I deemed my worst recent runs, hoping the juice would work its magic powers.

Presto. Each time I felt better. (Not to mention, my hubby was entertained as I repeatedly tried to squeeze every last drop from the bottle).

And there are several types of juices, teas and even smoothies.

The juice is meant to support restful sleep, promote a healthy inflammation response and is deemed “the Ultimate Antioxidant.”

Personally, I love the benefits, but I drink it because its natural, local and darn tasty. A win-win-win!

cherryjuices

Plus, I  love that the Cherry People are headed up by a man named Pear. (Steve Pear, CEO). Little things just make me smile.

Have you ever had cherry juice? Do you love all things tart and tasty? Have you been to the Finger Lakes, were farmers grow the cherries that becomes Cheribundi juice?

Cheribundi provided the cherry juice for me to taste and review. Opinions and (attempts at) wit are entirely my own.

Road tested: Brooks running socks

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A few weeks back, the fine folks of Kindrunner sent the chicks our long-awaited ambassador shirts. I’ve packed them up to bring them along to my girls this weekend in Florida!

As you may recall, the Scoot chicks announced earlier this year that we teamed up with New Jersey-based Kindrunner to spread the word about their online business.

I personally love their mission. I love that they aim to bring your used sneakers to those who need it most. AND they’re keeping countless pairs of used shoes from heading to the landfill. I am all about re-purposing and recycling, as are the chicks, so it was a perfect fit!

But there was an extra prize in the package – a super sweet pair of Brooks running socks!

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What’s that? Kindrunner sells more than sneakers? Why YES! They sell all sorts of running accessories – handheld water bottles and hydration belts, fuel, watches, of course, running socks and sleeves and much more.

A few days after the package arrived, I popped the new socks on to test them out. Success!

You know when a pair of socks work for you and you know when they don’t. I walk – a lot, and I run even more. So yes, Solid running socks and shoes are vital tools of the trade.

I’ll be honest, I am not a Brooks fan and I’m pretty loyal to my current running sock choice….but I do like these socks. They fit comfortably, didn’t shift as I ran and allowed my feet to breathe as they warmed up. Two thumbs up!

20131105-051324.jpgMy new socks with my Mizunos, purchased via Kindrunner

What sort of running socks are you partial to? Do you ever give other brands and styles a whirl? Tell us in the comments!