For a little over the past two years (beginning in April of 2015 to be exact) I have been a BibRave Ambassador, also known as a BibRave Pro. Having only been running since 2013 it was my first dip into the brand ambassador pool. And it was a great time. Being a pro allowed me to see the country through running and meet some fantastic people along the way.
A few quick memories…..
Disclaimer: I received free entry to the Mad Marathon Half 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!
This past weekend I headed north to Waitsfield, VT to run the Mad Marathon Half and state number 4 in pursuit of my 50 States 50 Half’s goal. This run is dubbed the “Worlds Most Beautiful Marathon” due to all of the sights and sounds along the course. And it did not disappoint.
The race was held in the Mad River Valley in Waitsfield, VT. Because the town was so small I had to do my research on this. The population of Waitsfield is 1,719. Just for context the last race I ran in Philly (Broad Street Run) had 40,000 runners. So needless to say I knew this race would be small. When I got to the bib pick up I believe the person told me there were 700 runners registered. That may have been cutting it short a bit, but yes it was indeed small.
The 2017 Broad Street Run was my 4th year running. As I posted on social media, every year I think will be my last and then I am sucked back in (more on that later). The Broad Street Run is not only the largest race Philadelphia has to offer, but it is also the largest 10 miler in the entire country. The race gets over 40,000 registered runners. So it’s kind of a big deal.
The calm before the storm
Disclaimer: I received an Eagle Creak Pack-It Sport Active Set to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador) and check out BibRave.com to review and review races!
While I’m still a fairly new runner (3 years) as far as gear goes I feel like I’ve experienced it all. I remember when I first started running I was impressed when I learned about compression gear. I just assumed the way you dealt with pain after tough runs was to just have it heal on it’s own. I was so amazed when I found there was a way to actually speed up the healing process. I assumed it was the same feeling cavemen experienced when they found fire. Looking back now I laugh at how naive I was.
I tell that story because for the last few years I haven’t experienced that feeling with running gear. Sure different companies do gear differently, but at the end of the day I haven’t had the “caveman experiencing fire” with running gear in years.
Until I found the Eagle Creak workout bag.
One of the few annoyances I have with working out in the morning (outside of getting up early….not my thing) is leaving my sweaty gym clothes in the car all day. By the time I get to my car after work the smell from the workout clothes is unbearable. And up until trying this gear out I just assumed that was something I had to deal with (or leave my clothes outside while I am at work).
Thankfully with this Eagle Creek workout bag that is not the case. With certain products it’s hard to determine how useful they are. With so much science going into gear these days it can tough to know just exactly how much of an impact it is having. With this product that is not the case. It was pretty easy to see how effective this gear is. After a long day at work, I would get back to my car and couldn’t smell a thing! No more stench permeating throughout my car. And at the same time the clothes did not leak through the bag either. Everything was dry around it.
The Pack-It-Sport active set is a two part set. It includes the Wet Dry Fitness Locker for your clothes and also the shoe Locker. The best part? The shoe locker held my size 13 shoes. I was skeptical at first because my shoes run on the larger size. At size 13 they tend to be hard to pack away discretely. However Eagle Creek makes you specify your shoe size when ordering so you are getting the proper bag. And they had one for size 13’s!
As I mentioned above, sometime it can be difficult to determine how useful a product is. That is not the case with the Eagle Creak workout bags. The convenience of my used workout clothes being tucked away separately is an awesome feature. It’s even better when I can leave my sweaty workout clothes in a hot car all day and come back to it and not even notice.
Do yourself a favor and get a hold of these products. I personally recommend ordering the bundle, however you can order each individually. And when you do use the code “Sport15” for 15% off! Order one for yourself.
Have you tried this out yourself or interested in it? Feel free to comment with your thoughts.
I recently took my running travels west and headed to Portland, OR. Through my website, Running Philly, I was able to win an all expenses paid trip to the Shamrock Half Marathon. It was a great race, check out my review here.
I mock her for it, but her itineraries always make these trips fun
Disclaimer: I received free entry to the Hot Chocolate 15K race 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!
This year was my 4th year running this race. Also the 4th year the race has ever been held in Philly. My streak stays alive!
This year was my 2nd Love Run Half Marathon. As an ambassador for them I am always excited to run this race, as it is the one race that truly kicks off running season in Philadelphia. The city has their major races, and with Love Run only being 4 years old, it has skyrocketed to one of the best races Philly has to offer.
This past weekend I completed Half Marathon number 8 in my life as well as 50 States Half number 3 at the Shamrock Half in Portland. A quick backstory to this race: I am an ambassador for the Love Run Philadelphia Half and won their grand prize of an all expenses paid trip to this run. So needless to say it was a very exciting weekend for sure!
Truth be told I am a solo runner through and through. That is not to say I haven’t had my fair share of group runs, and can say I even once ran a 10 mile race with someone stride for stride. But those are the exceptions, not the rule. There is something about being alone, going at my own pace that I really enjoy. And if I’m being completely honest, a part of me does get concerned about being the slow one. Even though anytime I have participated in a group run I have surprised myself by my speed. Maybe there is something to being pushed by others around you?
Anyway, I digress…..
This year was my 3rd year running the Fireside Frostbite 5 Miler. It is a 5 mile race hosted by the Ambler Area Running Club (AARC) that is known for it’s chilly weather (hence the name). However this year runners lucked out. Race day morning was close to 35 degrees, unseasonably warm for the time of year. Compare this to years past where it was so cold I had icicles forming on my beard.
The morning started like most (non half marathon) race mornings do for me. Getting changed into my running clothes but not really sure what to eat to get ready for the race. So I shuffled through the cabinets and found what is my favorite food group: cereal! So I scarfed down a bowl of Cap’n Crunch and headed out the door.
Running for the Average Joe 