Scoring sweet swag, reviewing awesome products and living the rad mom life.

Posts tagged ‘summer run’

Buff® USA Review

One of the perks of being a BibRave Pro from Bibrave.com is that I get to test out running products for free in exchange for an honest review.  How cool is that?!  The first product that I had the opportunity to try was the Buff® USA.  You might be asking yourself, “What’s Buff®??”  Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s awesome and it will change your life!  Yes, your life will forever be altered.  It has many uses and is great for all outdoor activities.


***Checkout this video  from  BuffUSA.com demonstrating all of the ways to sport your Buff®!

Before discovering this little gem, I was always on the search for headbands that would properly stay in place during my runs.  I would get frustrated when they would fall out during a run or stretch out quickly and no longer be of use.  But then I found Buff®!  I can wear it so many ways and not have to worry about it falling out.  The first place I wore this baby was on a run at the lake.

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It was a beautiful day to use my Buff® as a headband and I liked knowing that my hair was being protected since I had just gotten it highlighted a couple of days before.

The next time, I tried my Buff® out as a wristband.

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Although, this is not one of the official ways to use the Buff® per the website, I still liked using it wipe my face since it was pretty warm this day.

Then, I took my Buff® on a little trip to the trails!

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The Buff® USA can be used as a dust mask for dusty trails OR you could use it to disguise yourself from a sneaky mountain lion! 😉

After the trails, I brought my Buff® to the beach!

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This time I used it as a cap which served as protection from the September, SoCal sun and the salty air!

I even took my Buff® to a theme park!

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That’s right, LEGOLAND pirates also enjoy using the Buff® while performing outdoor activities on their Lego pirate ships. 😉

The Buff® USA comes in allllll types of color combos and patterns.  As you can see from my pics, I chose a National Geographic® print in a pink/purple color.  Go checkout the website to see all of the beautiful colors/patterns to choose from!  You could even choose a Survivor® Buff® and pretend like you’re on a desert island with your own tribe.  The sky’s the limit!

I also liked that I could put my Buff® in the freezer before going out for a summer run to keep my neck and head cool.  You can’t do that with a headband, ladies!  So that’s what I did before going out on a sunset run…

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Look how adorable it is next to a flower bush…It’s like a work of art!  A functional work of art and well worth the investment!  I’m really excited to use my Buff® during the winter when it’s cold in the mornings and evenings and my lungs are on fire from inhaling the cold air.  I will be able to cover my neck and mouth…and presto!  My run just became more comfortable and I might even be able to extend my normal run by a few miles!

Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this product since I was so unfamiliar with it.  I kind of thought it looked a little ridiculous and never really considered adding it to my running gear toolbox.  I was pleasantly surprised at not only the comfort and functionality of Buff® USA, but also the ease of use and the fashionable look that it provides.  I would definitely recommend this product to all of my friends and I can’t wait to add some more to my collection!

Also, if you plan to run the Marine Corps Marathon next month, stop by the Buff® booth at the Fitness Expo to grab your official Marine Corps Marathon Buff® headwear!

It’s way more fun to run…in the Buff®! 😉  What’s your favorite way to wear your Buff® USA??!

Again, I received this product as part of the awesome BibRave Pro program.  Don’t forget to review all of your races on Bibrave.com. 


And join BibChat every Tuesday on Twitter at 6 pm PST for your chance to score free and discounted running gear! Thanks, Buff® USA

~SM

 

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Imperial Beach 5k

Last month I participated in the inaugural Imperial Beach 5k Beach Run.  I was little hesitant to register since it’s the organization’s first race and I prefer all of the kinks to be worked out before I participate in a race.  But they offered a promo code and a military discount so I only paid about $25 after the fees (darn you Active.com!)…and I always enjoy a nice run on the beach.  So I decided to go ahead and run this one along with a couple of friends.

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If you’re wondering how close Imperial Beach is to Mexico, it’s this close:

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I found free street parking fairly easy (the race started at 8:00 am) and I only had to wait a few minutes in the line to pick-up my packet.  The race was held on the actual packed sand of the beach and there were probably about 250-300 participants.  There was also a 1 mile fun run option for those not quite ready to tackle a 5k which meant there were two separate race courses.  The 5k race route was a bit odd to me – it was an out-and-back followed by another out-and-back.  We will get to the details on that later.  The terrain was sand (obviously) but there was an added hurdle that I did not take into account for this run – rocks.  There were rocks buried all throughout the sand, which made for an obstacle course that I was unprepared for.  It wasn’t too crazy, but since the beach was also kind of slanted, I had to pay attention a little more to my footing so that I wouldn’t trip or roll an ankle.  My friend pushed a stroller during this race, so it wasn’t an impossible feat – just a challenging one.  There was also a water station about halfway in and some volunteers directing the runners along the course.

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Note the rocks in the last pic and in case you’re wondering…no, I did not fall.  After the run there was a big expo with lots of activities for kids, including a bounce house and face painting.  There were also fitness demos, a band and free pancakes!  I would say the free pancake breakfast – which included, pancakes, syrup, sausage and juice – was one of the best parts of the event.  I have no pictures of this delicious ensemble because I consumed the whole meal in about six and a half minutes.  You’ll just have to use your imagination on this one.  I also thought the band was pretty great.  Since this event was held to benefit the Calvary Training Center in Mexico, the band played worship music but with a Mexican flare…and I totally dug it.  I didn’t bring my kiddos to this event so I can’t say I participated in any of the activities – but they looked fun and the bounce house seemed pretty rad.  There was also a raffle, but they weren’t doing the giveaways until two hours later.  In the words of the great Sweet Brown – “Ain’t nobody got time for that”.

Participation medals were not given out at this race, but they were given to those who placed in the top three of each age group.  I ran with a fellow Stroller Warrior and placed first in her age group so I did hang around for the medal ceremony.

Now, back to the course.  There was a big issue that I had with the race course and that was the fact that it was NOT A TRUE 5K, which drives me crazy when races are not the length that they are advertised.  This one ended up being around 2.38 miles so there was obviously some miscommunication or miscalculation when the course was originally created.  I will give them a little bit of a slide since this was the inaugural race and like I said, I expected some things to not go as smoothly as they would in other established races.  However, since I did pay $25 for a 5k, I expect a true 5k.  Other than that, the views were beautiful and everyone was friendly; although I feel like all those people who placed 4th or 5th in their age group kind of got screwed since they would have had at least half a mile to pass the people in front of them.  Anywho, besides that hiccup I enjoyed the event and although I didn’t bring my kids this time I like that it was a fun event for the whole family to enjoy in beautiful Imperial Beach.

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So what was the SWAG?!

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Aloe Gloe is a refreshing drink that comes in a few tasty flavors!

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~ A cotton tshirt – I love the design, but it runs fairly large so I’m not sure I will be wearing this one very often.

~Clif bar trail mix bar

~Kashi Go Lean granola bar

~Larabar

~Homemade cookie

~Beachside FroYo keychain

~D’ames Day Spa tube of something (not sure what this is as there were no instructions, perhaps a face scrub?  But it smells divine!)

~Suicide prevention pin

~Various coupons and pamphlets

~And Scenery, of course!

See you at the next event!

~SM

 

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