Posts Tagged ‘#runchat’

Just a few random thoughts for a Friday …

• Today marks one year since the launching of this site. In 12 days, I’ll celebrate 4 years of blogging. This all got started under a different name, then I changed the name to “Running Because I Can” a few months later on Blogger, then moved to WordPress and now this (which uses a WordPress admin). (Today is the 664th post in those four years.) It’s been a great year, but I don’t see a need to rehash anything today. I’ve done enough of that.
• I had a horrible run Wednesday night. It felt like I was running through mud. I need runs like that from time to time to remind me that the comeback trail isn’t easy. Sometimes I think it appears that it’s easy, but it’s certainly not. The run was so craptastic that I decided right then and there to take a couple of days off and wait to smack the weekend around a bit.
• I did a max of 33 push-ups Tuesday, five more than my initial test last week. I’m feeling confident that I’ll get to 50 in a few weeks and I can already tell that it’s going to be just as much of a mental challenge as it is a physical challenge.
• I read an interesting post this week from Fitz over at Strength Running, who detailed lessons learned from his race this past weekend. Check it out here. You may learn a thing or two from his experience.
• #runchat with me and Scott returns this Saturday with Brooks as a sponsor and a cool giveaway. Check out Scott’s entry here for all the details. See you on Twitter at 8 p.m. ET for a great night of chatting about running.
• If you missed last night’s post about my Relay for Life efforts, please read it now! I have a huge goal I’d like to hit today.

I have some family obligation this week (I’ll have a post on that very soon), so Scott from iRunnerBlog has written a post about this Sunday’s #runchat, which I will be hosting solo as Scott will be traveling back from the Boulder Half Marathon. Thanks to Scott for doing this for me. I look forward to chatting with everyone this Sunday at 8 p.m. ET!

Another great #runchat is planned for this Sunday at 8 p.m. ET. Come join us as we bring together the runners of twitter to talk about all things running. This week our killer sponsor is EverStride.

How to Enter: Everyone who participates in the #runchat this weekend will be entered, at the end of the #runchat we will use random.org to select a winner; it is that simple to win!

To increase your odds of winning follow @Ever_Stride on Twitter and leave a comment below that you have done so for an entry.

Like them on Facebook and comment on their wall then leave a comment below saying that you have done so and we will increase your entry again.

The Gear: For those that participate in the #runchat you will be entered into the giveaway for ultimate EverStride runners kit, which includes essentials for runners: Foot Cream, Fungus Defense and the so awesome Chafe Stick.

I’ve said in many past posts that it is so, so important to take care of the feet that take care of you, kinda like Isotoners and Dan Marino. The EverStride products will ensure that you can continue to perform at a high level with healthy skin and feet.

The Foot Cream is a high performance conditioning foot cream for men and women with a unique blend of vitamins and oils that penetrates deep into the skin to help the problem.

The reality is your feet could get jacked up and nasty and for that you have the Fungus Defense which kills germs that can cause fungal infections and make things way too uncomfortable.

Finally we have the the important Chafe Stick; this stick helps athletes brace the elements of their surroundings! In hot, humid or cold weather this unique formula helps guard against friction on your feet, chest, thighs and other affected areas. This non-greasy sport stick helps men and women protect their skin from the rubbing of socks, sneakers, sandals, clothing and more that cause red irritations while putting your skin to work.

The #runchat Details: beginning at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 27 @RunningBecause will ask a running-related question using Twitter hashtag #runchat. You answer; you re-tweet other people’s answers; you respond to other people’s answers. If you’re not familiar with Twitter, it’s really that simple.

The #runchat will last from 8-9 p.m. ET. We’ll post a new question every 5-10 minutes, depending on the nature of the conversations going on. (All questions will come from David (@RunningBecause) this week; I will be away traveling back from the Boulder Half Marathon.)

Also, here are some helpful tips for having the best #runchat experience:

• TweetDeck or Hootsuite, create a new column with the #runchat tag to follow along
• TweetChat has been running slowly the past few weeks so we can not endorse this as the most reliable option but if you do use it just sign in to that site with your Twitter account, put in the tag #runchat, you can join in the conversation without even having to retype #runchat
• web-based Twitter, create a new saved search with #runchat.

No matter how you follow along, please use the hashtag #runchat in each of your posts so we can follow all of the

Go follow @Ever_Stride and like them on Facebook and win!

Hope to see you at #runchat, if you have any questions just put them in the comments section below.

At 8 p.m. ET Sunday, Scott and I are back with another round of #runchat. We ask the questions, you answer them. It’s really that simple. This week we’ll have a cool giveaway from Sweaty Bands.

If you’re unfamiliar with what #runchat is, visit my #runchat page. For the full details on this week’s giveaway, visit Scott’s website.

Be there, or be out running! (And don’t forget to change your clocks an hour ahead tonight!)

I have to admit that this week’s #runchat sponsor of Chobani has made me hungry. So many flavors, so little time — but I think I’m headed to the grocery store this weekend to buy some more flavors. Honey? Mango? Raspberry?

In the first of two giveaways this week, Random.org chose No. 1 out of 24 responses. (I have never seen No. 1 picked using this site.) Congrats to Karen B. who responded with: “Blueberry Chobani with Go Lean Krunch and fresh strawberries for breakfast or a snack is the best.” Karen, I’ll be in touch!

The second giveaway is coming during this Sunday’s #runchat on Twitter. Join us at 8 p.m. ET for questions, answers and a great conversation about running. If you’re unfamiliar with #runchat, please visit my #runchat page for all the details.

Greek yogurt seems to be all over the place these days. If you’ve never had any, I suggest trying it. It’s really great! Better yet, try out Chobani! And even better yet, try it out for free!

This week Chobani is sponsoring #runchat on Twitter and they’re giving you two chances to win a case of their Greek yogurt. It’s simple to win a case: head over to their website at Chobani.com and pick out a flavor you’d like to try. Then come back here and leave a comment with the flavor you’d like to try out. Entries will be taken until 8 p.m. ET this Friday. I’ll then pick a winner using Random.org.

Then at 8 p.m. ET this Sunday, join me (@RunningBecause) and Scott (@iRunnerBlog) on Twitter for #runchat. Just for participating you’ll be entered to win a variety case from Chobani. For details on how to participate in #runchat, visit my #runchat page.

If you’re not a lucky winner and still want to try out Chobani, check out their product locator to see if it’s available at a store near you. My personal favorite is vanilla — while it sounds plain, I enjoy mixing in fresh fruit or even using it as a substitute for sour cream or mayonnaise. (Don’t knock it ’til you try it!) Scott can vouch for it too — check out his blog entry on Chobani last year.

Good luck!

With five Sundays in January, it’s been way too long since the previous #runchat. At 8 p.m. ET Sunday Scott and I are back with another #runchat and an awesome giveaway from athletic apparel company ellasport.

For the full details on this week’s giveaway, check out Scott’s post on iRunnerblog.com. Guys, don’t be intimated by this one!

So, what is #runchat you ask? If you haven’t checked us out yet, please visit my #runchat page for the full details. Still have questions? Feel free to drop me a message on my Contact page.

See you on Twitter on Sunday … or be out running!

Mark your Twitter calendars for the next #runchat for 8 p.m. ET this Sunday. This week Scott (@iRunnerBlog) and I are pleased to announce EverStride as the sponsor. Simply by taking part in #runchat this week you’ll have a chance to win a runners kit from EverStride, complete with Foot Cream, Fungus Defense and the Chafe Stick.

For complete details on the giveaway and how to be entered to win, check out Scott’s entry here. If you’re unfamiliar with #runchat or need a refresher on what it is, check out my #runchat page here.

Please note that in the past two #runchat sessions we’ve had some trouble with TweetChat not updating in real time. I highly recommend using TweetDeck or HootSuite. If you want to filter out posts from me and Scott, feel free to follow my #runchat moderators list and import that column. By doing that you can see our questions easier.

Fresh off another great #runchat (by fresh, I mean I’m typing this 5 minutes after the chat ended), I wanted to take some time to answer the questions that others answered tonight on Twitter. Scott and I had a great time tonight and are so happy to have so many people join us to talk about running. We’re laying low on answering the questions during the chat — that’s your job — and instead answering the questions later. Just like on Twitter, I’m keeping my responses to 140 characters or less.

Q1: Thanks to @RoadID for sponsoring tonight. What’s your No. 1 way to assure your safety while running?
I usually wear light-colored clothes, take a flashlight and take my phone and/or ID with me.

Q2: How do you manage to run in harsh conditions when training for a spring race/marathon?
I just do it. Layer up. Protect the face.

Q3: During winter if you are injured what do you do to stay sane and occupied?
Like right now … trying to do P90X, walk my dog, read a book.

Q4: How do you log your run? Distance/time? Do you log route, elevation, weather, calories etc.?
I love Daily Mile to keep track of all that. Usually distance, sometimes time, sometimes all of the above.

Q5: Why do you run? How does it make you feel?
These days I sometimes question “why.” I’ll have to avoid an answer for now.

Q6: Play a game: If you were an animal what type would you be and why?
A dog: seeing my dog, Duke, running so carefree and happy is motivating. He makes it look easy, and it should be.

A big THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the #runchat questions giveaway this week. We now have a great list of questions heading into Sunday’s #runchat (8 p.m. ET) and future #runchat sessions. Please keep in mind that we are keeping all the questions in a database, so if you don’t see your question this week, I am sure we’ll use it sometime over the next few months since we generally only have 6-7 questions for each chat.

Congratulations to Michael (@MichaelNic2 on Twitter) for winning the case of POM Wonderful juice. The random number generator picked No. 20 out of 24 total comments.

Don’t forget that the next #runchat is at 8 p.m. ET Sunday with me (@RunningBecause) and Scott (@iRunnerBlog) on Twitter. For another awesome giveaway this weekend, be sure to check out Scott’s post.

In mid-2010, Scott with iRunnerBlog.com and I launched #runchat — a simple hour-long Q&A on Twitter about running. The response was fantastic. After a few growing pains and rearranging of when the chat is, we now do #runchat twice a month — the second and fourth Sundays of the month at 8 p.m. ET.

Now that we’re several months into it, we want #runchat to be a go-to place for runners on Twitter. And I mean all runners — whether you’re just starting out with running your first few miles or if you’re a seasoned marathoner or a race winner, we want the chat to be a community for everyone. All shapes, sizes, colors and experiences welcome.

For #runchat to remain successful and to grow, we want your help. Scott and I want to know: what questions would you like to see featured on #runchat? If there are questions you’d like to chat about with other runners, this is your chance to speak up!

To submit a question, all you have to do is leave a question in the comments section below. If you’re on Twitter, please leave your screen name so we can give you a shout-out when/if your question is asked in future #runchat sessions. For every question that is submitted, you will be entered to win a case of POM Wonderful juice. A case consists of 8 8-ounce bottles of pomegranate juice — great for drinking and cooking.

A winner will be chosen using the Random Number Generator from random.org at 8 p.m. ET Friday, Jan. 7. You may enter up to two questions — each question left as a comment counts as one entry. Multiple questions in one comment count as only one entry. Please do not repeat questions from other users. Questions from previous #runchat sessions are accepted. Also, please leave a valid email address so I can contact you regarding the giveaway.

JAN. 4 UPDATE!
The giveaways for #runchat don’t stop here. Check out Scott’s post here on a giveaway for this week’s #runchat, sponsored by Road ID.