Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts

Sunday, February 26, 2023

A fun time at the Run Show Boston - shoelaces by Caterpy and LockLaces and clean shoes by Shoozas

Caterpy Elastic Laces
Earlier this month, we went to the Run Show Boston, an event by runners for runners... We got a chance to check out some innovative things for the running community.

A few of the things I enjoyed and had the chance to try out were:

Caterpy Elastic Laces

These laces are a great option for runners as well as kids. You can put them through your sneakers just like regular shoe laces but as they go in through each loop the elastic bulb makes a pop sound. The best part about these laces is that you can adjust the tension very easily by pulling the laces tighter or loosen them - it takes a little getting used to but once you do there is really nothing like it. They also had hair elastics/bracelets made out of the same elastic material. The laces were also fun as a fidget toy due to their elasticity.

The best thing is that you can slip your sneakers on and off with ease and then tension of the laces just holds them in place. We really enjoyed that the name of the company as well, since the kids enjoy playing Pokemon and when we asked, they said the name of the company is most certainly a play on the Pokemon character. We had a good chuckle about that.

Lock Laces
LockLaces

We enjoyed the booth at LockLaces. These elastic strings can be threaded just like regular laces, and then at the top you put them through a grip mechanism and cut the excess lace and cap the end. This is also a great option for kids and folks looking to be able to slip on their sneakers and tighten them up without having knots and excess lace.

I had the chance to compete in a contest to see if I could lace up the LockLaces the fastest. They said the winner from yesterday did it in 46 seconds. I have never done this before so they showed me how to do it once and then I tried it myself and was able to complete it in 1 minute even - 60 seconds total. I was happy with my result but wasn't too confident I would win. I got an email after the show saying that I won that day's contest and was so excited! 

Shoozas
Shoozas:

This is like a spa for your sneakers. This innovative company sells cleaning kits for your shoes but also has a service where you can send them your sneakers and they will clean them up and ship them back to you. I certainly haven't heard of this before but it totally makes sense for shoes you wear a lot and especially if you paid a lot of money for them - you want to keep them in the best shape! Some people spend over $1,000 for a pair of shoes!

There were other vendors and we learned so much from them. We hope to share other stories in the coming months so stay tuned to the blog for more health-conscious content!

We have the chance to offer a giveaway for our readers of a pair of Caterpy laces - you can enter the giveaway here. Earn extra entries by telling your friends!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

NOTE: We were provided with samples of the products above in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are our own and no other compensation was provided.

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Wireless Bluetooth Headphones that are great for general use

I had the chance to review the AYL Wireless Bluetooth Headphones model AX8 recently from Amazon.com and found that these headphones are great for general use. I tried them while running, talking on the phone, walking around town and general use while connected to my iPhone 6s plus and found that they are pretty great for $30 Bluetooth headphones instead of dropping $200 for Powerbeats Wireless earbuds. Admittedly they weren't as comfortable as the Powerbeats or JayBird headphones, but then again, for the price you can't really argue with it.

While the fit may certainly be a personal preference choice, I happened to think that they are pretty great and would recommend them if you're looking for a reasonably priced pair of wireless earbuds to go running with or to use at the gym. The microphone is set up a few inches off of the earbud which can be a little annoying but most of the people I called didn't seem to mind.

NOTE: I was provided with a pair of the AYL Wireless headphones to facilitate this review. No other compensation was provided and as always, all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links to amazon. If you click on the link I get a very small percentage of the purchase. Thanks!

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Finish at the 50 and save $5 before 6/3.

I'm going to be participating in the Finish at the 50 again this year and am really looking forward to it! This annual 5 and 10k race and kids fun run is held at Gillette Stadium at Patriot Place in Foxboro, MA on July 3rd in the afternoon/evening with fireworks to follow. The keystone of the race is that you get to finish at the 50 yard line of Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots and New England Revolution.

If you're interested in running, the great folks at Patriot Place have given us a code PARENTALRUNNER that you can use for $5 off an adult entry to either the 5k or 10k race. Act quick because this code expires on Friday 6/3.

NOTE: I was provided with a comp bib for the race in exchange for the pre-publicity as well as a post-race followup post. All opinions are my own.

Friday, January 1, 2016

First run of the new year...

First run of the new year went well... Decided to get back out there since I've been in a little slump. What are your new years resolutions? Mine is to try and get some type of activity every day and to be more mindful of things.

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Gearing up for the Foxboro 5k on Sunday!

We're gearing up and preparing for the Foxboro 5k on Sunday presented by the Hockomock YMCA in Foxboro... This will be the fourth 5k that I've done this year! It's been a little while since I've been out regularly running/walking/jogging, so I am not expecting a personal record (PR) in terms of time. One wise person once told me "finish lines over finish times" and that's what i'm going with!

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Withings Pulse Activity Tracker

I’ve had the chance to review the Withings Pulse Ox activity tracker since last fall and I’m happy to say that this little gem is a great way to keep track of your daily activity and their app has come a long way in development since then.

When we received the Pulse, the box displayed the tracker and included wrist band or belt clip which you could use. We found that it’s a bit small which is both nice as it’s unobtrusive but also a little dangerous since we certainly have misplaced it a few times.

What’s great is that it has an embedded lithium-ion battery which will last just under 7 days, so we don’t need to charge it every night. Setup was a breeze as you download the app from the iTunes App Store on your iOS device and then it will prompt you right away to pair the iPhone with the Pulse. There have been a few software and firmware updates for the tracker which are delivered through the iOS app.


What really sets this device apart from its competitors is that it is actually a Pulse Oximeter which measures the oxygen saturation in your blood as well as heart rate. It’s something that you don’t usually see in an activity tracker and is a pretty neat feature!

The iOS app will integrate with other online tools, like Apple's Health app using the HealthKit technology and RunKeeper, which is an activity tracking app as well.

It will track your steps and calories burned, minutes of activity, elevation and will even track your sleep if you choose to wear it to bed! You can take it off to track heart rate or blood oxygen level. Such a useful tool!












NOTE: We were provided with a complimentary tracker for the purposes of reviewing it. There was no promise made of a positive review. All opinions are our own.

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Going to get back to it!

So... you may have noticed a little bit of a lull in blog posts and exercise posts as well. As it turns out after the last 5k I ran, I may have outdone myself and the recovery time of 1 week was more of an excuse than anything. I found that the 1 week time led to some additional lack of tracking foods for weight watchers, less exercise and next thing you know, when I tried to do the next exercise day in Couch to 5k, I could barely jog 5 minutes, let alone the 35 minutes that the app expected me to jog.

So another week passed and this morning I started to get back to it and went for a really nice jog/walk around Lake Massapoag. It was also the same time as the Sharon Triathlon so it was really cool to cheer on the runners and bikers as they passed by!

Here's to a better upswing in exercise!

Friday, July 10, 2015

We Finished at the 50!

This past Saturday, Emily and I took on our original goal when I started this whole eat-live-exercise-healthier journey this past spring and finished a 5k together! To be exact, we actually finished our second 5k together! It was supposed to be our first 5k but we wanted to get a practice 5k under our belt ahead of time and the Dedham Trails 5k served as just that.

In any event, let me just say that our experience with this 5k was great! Now, in its 6th year, the Harvard Pilgrim Finish at the 50 is produced by DMSE Sports in partnership with Patriot Place, the shopping center adjacent to Gillette Stadium, the home of the New England Patriots and New England Revolution.

The Finish at the 50 event hosts a multitude of activities for the whole family to enjoy! We talked about the pre-race fitness expo which is held the two preceding days, and includes Race Day as well. During the expo, participants, as well as families have the chance to partake in family-friendly activities as well as sample some goodies from event sponsors. Since we all love free things, we really had a great time and enjoyed the samples from KIND Snack Bars (some yummy granola bars) as well as juice and iced tea from Purity Organics and Lily enjoyed face painting and playing the sand as well as balloon animals, playing on inflatable bouncy houses, appearances from the Patriots Cheerleaders and more! There were also some fitness events where you could participate in Zumba, Yoga and other Fit-by-the-Field sample classes (more on that in a separate future post)!

Registration was a breeze. We wanted to get the whole “game day” experience so we registered on site, which couldn’t have been easier, and got the bib right away! The guys from DMSE sports were awesome and made the process SO easy! They have tons of experience with running these events as they are the same crew that help to put on the Boston Marathon!

In leading up to the 5k you all know that Emily and I have been going on training runs as part of the Couch-to-5k program and complemented those runs with some great group Zumba classes that are offered every other monday right outside of the Patriots Proshop at Patriot Place on the NRG Plaza. For the pre-race fitness expo, the NRG Plaza was totally transformed and hosted the race registration, gathering area for the race day as well as Super Heroes which the kids really seemed to enjoy!

The kids run started a few hours before the 5k race and had all of the kids start in various groups based on age. The littles ones (toddlers) could run with their parents and finish at the 50, followed by the older kids.

For the 5k, we gathered at 5 pm with a scheduled start time of 6 pm. Thankfully, it wasn’t scorching hot as in past years and there was a slight breeze. They also added additional water stations based on feedback from previous years. We were thankful for all of the snacks - especially the Muscle Milk and a new product called Power Crunch, a protein-filled snack wafer which tastes amazing!

Now for the race recap! We started to gather at 5:45 and they had difference pace groups separated by the minute. There was the starting line, followed by a 6 minute mile, then 7, 8, 9 all the way to 11. We met up with our friend Heather who was running the race when we were roaming around the starting line crowd. Wouldn’t you know it but they didn’t have a 14 minute mile (which some people said was walking pace) so we just stood around the 9 minute mark. I’m just happy that I got to the starting line! As one of my wise running friends always says “Finish Lines over finish times!”

We saw the people starting to move so we hopped in the group around the 8 minute mark but we didn’t realize that the line was just compressing for the start of the race. We quickly laughed it off and started to run. The start was an easy gradual up-hill jog by Showcase LIVE! and then we turned right and ran around the entire parking lot surrounding Gillette Stadium. I enjoyed running past the security shack that I used to drive past every day when I worked there 10 years ago!

Then we passed around the back of Gillette Stadium on the ring road and the first water station was perfectly placed! We stopped and grabbed some water and then started the ever so slight uphill run past the Patriots Practice Fields which fans can see during Training Camp. 

We passed the Dana Farber Field House which is also near where the Cheerleaders practice facility was (if I remember correctly) and as we passed it, a few cheerleaders who were running the race passed us. We said hello and kept running. We came up around the road by Bed Bath and Beyond and then turned right towards the Stadium’s uBid.com gate. We came upon the gate and a water station! We grabbed a quick drink and continued on the length of the stadium until the Bank of America gate which was located right near the BW/MGH Health Care Center at Foxboro and we entered the stadium right near the ramps. We proceeded to run right up the ramps all of the way to the 300 level and I found that it wasn’t as long as I expected…. Once up the ramp and halfway across the concourse, we took a #MidRunSelfie and also had someone take a photo of us and then grabbed some more water. One thing we really enjoyed is that they had four water stations total with two of them offering chilled bottles of Aquafina! It was great! :)

After we grabbed a bottle of ice cold Aquafina, we kept running around the 300 level concourse, we took some great photos and then some more water and then down the ramps all of the way to the main concourse on the 100 level.

We enjoyed the fact that by this time, we were at the north end of the stadium and got to run across the iconic bridge and under the lighthouse that Gillette Stadium is known for as they are reminiscent of various New England landmarks. As we crossed the bridge my parents and Lily were cheering us on! It was awesome!

We kept running around the rest of the concourse and then down the back ramp to exit the stadium and a quick left turn and we ran right through onto the field! It was so cool because we got to run right through the same inflatable football helmet that the Patriots run through before each home game!

By this time we were SO jazzed and psyched that we didn’t realize we were on the field until the 10 yard line! It was a quick trip from there to the finish line at the 50 yard line. We grasped hands and held them high as we finished the 5k! We quickly got our medals and then took some photos with Pat Patriot (the team mascot), some cheerleaders and the Patriots’ Nate Solder who was high-fiving race participants as they finished and was kind enough to take a photo with me.

It was such a great experience and we look forward to making this race an annual occurrence! 

After the race, we ate some great snacks that were provided (banana, Ocean Spray cranberry drink, water, KIND bars) and then had dinner at Capriottis before watching some amazing fireworks that started once the 10k finished and the sun went down. 

Getting out of the parking lot was a breeze since the folks that handle parking know a thing or two about having a few thousand people in the parking lots. It was really well done and we can’t wait until next year!











with the starting line crowd

mid-race selfie

another mid-race selfie


finally done!






Dave with Nate Solder of the New England Patriots.



NOTE: We were provided with complimentary bibs for the 5k and Kids Fun Run. While we had an absolutely great time there was no promise of a positive review. All opinions and commentary are our own.

Thursday, July 2, 2015

Finish at the 50 5k tomorrow!

So, I know I should be asleep by now but just wanted to post a quick note...

We picked up our race bibs for the Harvard Pilgrim Finish at the 50 5k and Kids Fun Run happening tomorrow! The kids all get race bib #1, which is a nice touch and for us adults, we're in the 3,000 numbers so it should be a lot of fun running with a few thousand of our new friends!

The folks at Patriot Place really know how to take care of their runners and have a whole slew of deals that they offer for pre-race meals. We took them up on the offer of an Orecchiette Pasta with Spinach dish for just showing your race bib at the Twenty8 Restaurant at the Renaissance Hotel by Marriott at Patriot Place. It was SO delicious!

They also had a really neat pre-race expo that started yesterday (Wednesday, July 1) and lasts throughout the race day tomorrow, July 3. There were balloon artists, caricatures, face painting, photo booths, appearances by Slyde the Revolution Soccer mascot, and bounce houses from the Revolution! They have a lot for kids to do. We tried our hands at a bean bag toss from the 5Wits! folks and got these really cool Spy sunglasses which let you see behind you - those may come in handy tomorrow during the race, to see if anyone is trying to pass us! ;)

All in all, we had a great time and it was really easy picking up our race bib, t-shirt and some great food samples from Purity Organic beverages and the great folks at KIND Snacks. We're looking forward to running tomorrow and hopefully getting a personal record!

Even though online registration is closed, if you are still interested in running, you can register on-site!

Sunday, June 28, 2015

The Harvard Pilgrim Finish at the 50 - 5 and 10k - THIS FRIDAY!

Hey everyone!

I'm happy to report that my weight loss is going well. I'm now just over 17 labs lost overall since I started this journey. It's been a while since I"ve seen the scale below 210, but it's now there! I hope I can keep going in this direction.

To that note, Emily, Lily and I are all still preparing for the Harvard Pilgrim Finish at the 50 5k this Friday at Patriot Place. Tonight, I went for a run in the misty weather and it was quite refreshing. Now, I can run for 5 minutes straight without getting winded. That wouldn't have happened just a month ago!

If you'd like to join us, you can register online through Wednesday, July 1 at http://www.finishatthe50.com

There's a great Kids Fun Run starting at 3 pm, where the kids can all run around the stadium field and finish at the 50 as well. They will get a special finisher medal, too!

There's also great deals available for runners throughout Patriot Place and you can also browse the Fitness Expo each day. There will also be some great fireworks right at dusk.

NOTE: We have been provided with complimentary entry to the Finish at the 50 5k. There was no promise made of a positive review... Can't wait to see how we do!

Thursday, April 30, 2015

So happy it's Thursday... NOT.

So, today was filled with a few doctor appointments and no work. It was also the first day since I started Weight Watchers that I wasn't really feeling it in terms of getting 10,000 steps in... that is, until I went to a different meeting since I missed my scheduled meeting due to the appointments.

In any event, I knew I was going to go out to eat a meal with the family, so I planned and ate a lighter breakfast, some snacks and was mindful during the meal to not eat until I was stuffed but rather think about what I was eating and how full I was.

To that end, when I got home I also thought about getting in my 10,000 steps. I realized that I had only walked around 4,000 steps so that meant I had to get in 6,000 steps before calling it a night. So, I started walking and wouldn't you know it?!?!? I'm happy to report that the streak is now on to 10 days! Woo hoo!!!! It was wicked hard and after 8,000 I was starting to feel it but my goal of being healthier and losing weight needs to keep me in check.

If you're still reading this, don't forget to enter to win $20 worth of stonyfield coupons!