Today’s post is going to be like the sampler plate: we’ll give you a little of this and a little of that. First course will be some muffins…chocolate chip. Traditionally we’d start with a soup or salad, but I’m not a big fan of soup and having already had my veggies today let’s dive straight into doughy, beautiful carbs.
Art credit: Cait Chock
I brought the topic of just how many numbers advanced gadgets/watches can give us, do runners really need up last week in talking about the FuelBand. If you head over to Competitor, I’ve got an article up, ‘Information Overload: Are Runners too Tech-Dependant,’ that talks about the stream of technology a little more and encompasses Garmins, heart rate monitors and the like. So my questions to you guys are, how many gadgets do you train with? How many numbers do you keep track of, be it paces, mileage to the hundredth, heart rates, etc.? (how many porta-potty stops! hehe) Then, how many do you think you actually need and how do you find the right balance of knowing enough to keep you headed in the right direction (give you the nudge to pick it up or slow it down when you need to) and then just getting too wrapped up in numbers overload.
The second course will be a protein, I like shrimp the most and I like the word gumbo, so shrimp gumbo it is! This is brought to you by the wonderful world that is indoor track and some smoking elites that are set to toe the line this weekend in Boston for the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. I have to say I’ve got a little soft spot for Matt Centrowitz…I mean the guy was still in college and went on earn the Bronze in the 2011 World Champs, coming out as the top American for the 1500 meters. Beastly…just saying.
For those who don’t know he’s got a bit of a running legacy behind him and there’s a really great article HERE about him and his entire family…we’re talking multiple speedy runners. As for Matt this will be his first official race as a professional runner for Nike.
The rest of the races have a collection of American and World Record setters…too many to rattle off, so if you’re a track nerd or nerdette this weekend will be entertaining.
We’ve now moved onto a dessert for YOU guys! We opened with a sweet so we’ll end with warm, fat, gooey cinnamon rolls. We’re runners so we work hard and should eat just as hard. This is actually the first kind of giveaway that I’ve ever done on the site. I like to keep this a more informative kind of blog and don’t want to be in the position where I feel like I’m throwing overt advertisements or name/company drops…that said if I find something or have tips that I think are relevant or would benefit the readers I am going to share that.
The bottom line is that I’m always going to be completely honest in anything I say or share. Finally, unless I say otherwise I’m not being paid by anyone or sponsored…but if I am given some products to try or sample I’ll tell you. Plus, everyone does likes some schwag, right, so why not offer you guys some goodies??
On to that…well, I was given a couple BIC Bandsfrom the company to test out and see if they were able to hold my moppy mess in check in my full sweaty glory. I HATE messing with my hair when I’m working out or on a run. I always have these darn fly-aways getting in my face and it bugs me to the degree that I do envy GI Jane and her bald glory sometimes.
Ugly mess post-workout yes, but no fly-aways in my face.
I was afraid that it might be too tight, giving me a headache, or too loose and flopping around until I got so annoyed I ripped it off. But, it didn’t…I was pleasantly surprised that it didn’t bug me at all and it kept my hair in check. I’m a fan.
Plus, for a girl who has no style genes what-so-ever it’s an easy way to try and pretend to the otherwise just a bit. I know it’s a charade, but they have sparkly ones, patterned, styles, and fun colors so maybe I can fool somebody.
They’ve got different widths, I like the super skinny ones the best for working out, but the wider ones have cool styles and would be something I’d don just going out…I mean workout clothes are totally normal things to walk around in all the time too, right?
I was also given some BIC Bands to give away to some lucky readers! The good news is there are about a whopping 5 of you, so the odds are stacked in your favor. 😉 To enter leave a separate comment for any of the following:
1) Tell me how many gadgets you typically use for a run.
2) Be a fan of Cait Chock Designs on Facebook and let me know.
3) Follow me on Twitter or follow my blog and tell me.
4) Visit the BIC Bands site and tell me which one is your favorite.
5) Tweet, Facebook or talk about the give away on your blog.
There ya go, my fine friends…contest will end on Monday! I hope the tri-combo plate leave you satisfied for tonight!
Cait, loving the way you are building your brand and web site! As for me? I’m just another jabroni on the internet trying to learn my role!
1) I’m not into too many gadgets. I consider myself a running purist. I don’t like dealing with buttons and wires and headphones slipping out of my ears. The worst thing is running next to someone with a heart rate monitor constantly beeping. That said, I do have a Garmin I use for certain workouts and races, when I need to know my pace. It fits like a watch and is not obstructive.
2) I’m already a fan!
3) I think I’m already following you on Twitter, but I don’t get on there ever. I follow you on Facebook and now Pinterest, so that should give me extra brownie points.
4) I like the sparkly ones! One in each color would be good, but if I were to pick only one, I like the skinny silver sparkle band.
5) Okay…
The thin falling flowers is absolutely gorgeous so it may be my favorite, but there are so many great ones that it is hard to choose just one!
Gadgets? My garmin and heart rate strap are a must. On the bike, I also use a cadence meter.
*scoff* Five readers?! Er, NO I know a ton of people who love you and your blog alllmost as much as i do, so shush 😉
The Bic Band looks so cute!! The only gadget I use regularly on runs is my Garmy, which I LOVE!!
P.S. Unfair how you look so nice after working out!! Your eyes would burn right out if you saw what I looked like! 😛
Already a fan on Facebook 🙂
I follow you on Twitter and your blog!
I like the skinny sparkly silver 🙂
Just Tweeted about it!
ooh gadgets. I don’t have many to be honest! I just got a Garmin for christmas, but I haven’t used it yet cuz my little rehab runs haven’t been worth it haha. In the past I have gadgetized my runs with my super-high-tech timex ironman (purchased at target) and mapmyrun.com hehehe. The garmin is as high tech as I plan to get! I do have the HRM that comes with it too. Umm still figuring it all out so that’s as specific as I’ll get haha
Bic Bands look like fun!! I have short hair now so I definitely am in needd of a good headband. I like the thinnest ones for workouts but in the “thin” category I really liked the “scrolling along” design – especially the lime color and the pink one!
already following you on twitter! 😀
already like your facebook page!
aaand just tweeted about the giveaway! all before 6:15am wooot. what a productive morning for me hahaha.
I like your thinking (carbs first!). I could really for for a muffin now…
I want a sparkly headband!! haha.
I run with a garmin sometimes and a watch always.
I am following on twitter 🙂
I only used my watch and my ipod for runs. In terms of heart rate monitor and the like I call it my hand and my neck. It’s ingenious, or I like to think so.
I didn’t know you had your stuff on facebook I will definitly go check it out!
And I’m like you I HATE messing with my hair when I’m running. I try lots of different measures to get it out of my face. Sometimes they work,sometimes they don’t.
1) I use my watch and that’s basically it. Partly because I’m too cheap to invest in a GPS watch and have never bothered with heart rate (although I probably should consider the latter). The past few years I’ve been all about learning to listen to my body (and trying to teach my athletes that). There can be a place for a GPS watch but sometimes it’s good to just forget about the watch and run. Obviously afterwards I love figuring out how fast I really did run but sometimes I don’t want to be bothered by the numbers and would rather monitor my body by myself and not the watch.
3) I follow your blog via Google Reader…best way to make sure I never miss a new posting for my favorite blogs.
I run with a garmin and occasionally an ipod. I generally just track time, distance, and pace, but in coming off of an injury I’m probably only going to track time or distance, but not pace since I don’t want to feel any pressure to run a certain speed if my legs aren’t feeling it!
I liked Cait Chock Designs on Facebook!
I am following you on twitter!!
I like the sparkly bic bands!! I’d like to get them in gold and black for my team colors!
1) No gadgets! I don’t really want to know how slowly I go 😉
2) Just fanned your Facebook page as Fit Approach and as myself 🙂
(I am super motivated by this giveaway. I have crazy flyaways and bangs myself, and I have been let down by headbands before. I hope these are different!)
3) and 5) Followed and tweeted 🙂
4) I like the skinny shocking pink. Because it matches my shoelaces, obvs 🙂
Just found your blog and it’s great!
The only thing I run with is my timex ironman watch and on occasion ipod shuffle or nano. When I’m not feelin my run I’ll use the Nano to listen to a podcast.
Gosh where to begin–I love entering contests! 🙂 I run with a Garmin because it’s the easiest way to follow my coaches workout. Otherwise I’d always have to run the same route, and honestly I sometimes get bored during a 10 mile tempo so I can just change my route while I’m running without missing any miles! I don’t use it for anything else though, I usually just check my pace and then delete it. In a perfect world I’d know all this stuff in my head (and have no watch tan line!)
Oh and part 2—I LOVE the skinny sparkle BIC bands (hint hint;)
I follow you on twitter.
I use nike + is that a gadget??
I will like your facebook page when I sign into my other account 😉
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