PRODUCT REVIEW: SLS3 NEON RUNNING SOCKS 8/11/2016 0 Comments I received a pair of  SLS3 Neon Running Socks for free from the manufacturer in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion of the socks, or the content of my review... I bought a new pair of dress shoes for work (bear with me, it has relevance to my sock review).  As much as I’d love to always wear fancy, stylish shoes, I have a half mile walk into work, which makes practical shoes always the clear winner when deciding what I should wear on my feet. I decided to forgo all common sense and purchase a pair of wedges that I absolutely loved. I find that wearing shoes is somewhat similar to dating-at first, everything is great, you feel good and are quite happy with them.  If after a while, you aren’t getting rubbed the wrong way, frustrated or wanting to toss them out the window, they are probably worth keeping. ​Sadly, my wedges and I are going to break up.  Fancy shoes are no longer fancy when you have 17 Band-Aids on your feet.  I was really regretting my decision to wear these shoes, since it was Tuesday- Six03 Pub Run night! (see my previous post about my newfound love of group runs)  ​By the time I got home, the last thing I wanted to do was put on socks and running shoes ​It was then that I remembered I had new socks from SLS3! ​My immediate reaction was, “Clearly I haven’t learned by lesson-how about I stick to one new piece of footwear per day?” Again, against my better judgement, I decided to give them a try.  A lot of times, I have difficulty putting on socks similar to these-most are tight, and not stretchy.  These were soft and fit perfectly (for reference, I wear a size 10 W and I received a pair of medium socks).  Even though I had cuts all over my feet from the wedges, the socks did not rub or hurt AT ALL. They were the perfect mix of comfort, breathability, support and style (I chose neon pink and yellow).  These socks are well made, fit perfectly and I don’t foresee them having any hot spots that may lead to blisters with prolonged wear. I really enjoyed receiving these socks and plan to purchase more!   If you are interested in purchasing some through Amazon, you can buy them here.    SLS3 has provided us with a discount code to share – Use code DKJIJERK to receive $5.00 off a 3 - pack!

FAVORITE RACE PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS ANNOUNCED

8/3/2016

0 Comments

Bibs2Bags Would Like to Thank All Who participated!
Please join me in congratulating these awesome athletes!

1st Place - Steven B
I Love This Photo Because...
​This Was Taken at the
2016 Boston Marine Corps Honor Run.
Throughout the Race, Veterans Along the Run Route
Thanked Me for Running With the Flag,
And It Was Me Who Thanked Them For Their Sacrifices.
I Love This Photo Because It Allows Me to Show My
​Thanks and Gratitude To Our Veterans, and My Love of Our Country.
​

---

2nd Place - Maricel S
I Love This Photo Because...
I Need to Step It Up Because I Can See The Finish Line

---

3rd Place - Laura B
​I Love This Photo Because...
It Involves My Running Family.
These Photos Make Me Smile When I Want to Frown and They Make Me Want to Be a Better Runner.
I Have Been Talked into Some Really Stupid Things by These People, Like Running UP a Mountain for Fun or Running 48 miles in Disney,
But I Wouldn't Change Any of the Experiences for a Million Dollars.
​Without Them I Wouldn't Be Where I Am Today.

---

---

Other Entries

Emily G I Love This Photo Because... ​It's Authentic. I Do Not Run For Time, I Run To Be Happy and Free.This Displays My Motto on Life,"Life is a Journey, and Only You Hold the Map"

---

Kimberly G I Love This Photo Because... ​It Shows the Pure Joy When You Can See the Finish Line in Sight. Also This Was My First Time Running the ​Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Half Marathon!

---

Ann L ​I Love This Photo Because...  This Was The First Time I Won First Place In My Age Group. The Race Was Miserably Hot and I Seriously Questioned My Sanity During It, But The Ending Was Worth It. I've Never Been So Proud of Myself. Plus, I Was Confident Enough to Run in Shorts, a First For Me!

---

Mary Beth H I Love This Photo Because... 1st Boston Marathon. Bucket List -Check That Off The List!!

---

Pat M I Love This Photo Because... It Was My Nephew Sean's First 5k. ​He Was So Excited & We Had a Blast!

PRODUCT REVIEW: SLS3 COMPRESSION SOCKS

7/7/2016

0 Comments

I received a pair of SLS3 compression socks for free from the manufacturer in exchange for an honest review.
This, in no way, affected my opinion of the socks, or the content of my review...

I Love Compression Socks in General.  At First, I was torn on how they looked with my running skirts.  Did they give off that cute school girl look? Or Do I Look like a Geriatric Patient Who Needs to Wear Compression Hose to Reduce the Swelling in my Legs?  I chose to believe the former and have happily sported them ever since.

I Also Like Them For a Few Reasons Other Than Fashion.  I view them as a transitional piece of clothing.  There are those few months where, in my opinion, it is too cold to wear shorts to run, but I definitely don’t want leggings.  Capris work, but since I need the pockets that my Sparkle Skirts provide, compression socks give me the perfect leg coverage during these 40-50 degree days.

As I have aged (gracefully of course), I am finding I am more prone to injury and take longer to recover after running events.  I have found that wearing compression socks during a race, or even after, has helped my legs feel more refreshed and recover faster than not wearing them.
​
I was very excited to receive my socks from SLS3!  I chose black with pink butterflies (I love butterflies!)

1. The first thing I noticed when I put them on was how soft the material was.  All of my other compression socks are much more “stiff”. 
2. In addition to being significantly softer, I had zero trouble putting them on.  With many of my other compression socks, I truly struggle to get them on. 
3. I also found that these socks fit my foot part perfectly-some of my other ones are too big on my foot, but need to be that big to accommodate my giant calves.  (Cheers to all of the woman who struggle to find tall boots that fit over their muscular calves!)

My first concern was since they were so soft AND so much easier to put on, would they provide the compression I needed?  
I decided to wear my socks around my house post run.  As much as I wanted to wear them for a run, there was no way I was sporting knee high socks in 80 degree weather.  So I happily pranced around my house, wearing the socks.  They definitely provided the same amount of compression that my other socks do.

I really enjoyed these socks and would recommend them, especially since they are priced much lower than other competitors’ socks.

Overall Summary:
For the price, comfort and compression level, I would highly recommend these compression socks
Pros: 

• Super soft material
• Cute design
• Easy to put on
• Provide adequate compression
• Fit well

Cons:

• Always looking for some cool/funky designs that complement my skirts, so my only wish would be to have more color or design options.   

---

ANDY SCHACHAT CELEBRATES 20 YEARS AS THE VOICE OF RACING! I (Lisa) and the Bibs2Bags team would like to extend our Congratulations to Andy Schachat on his 20th  year of announcing events. Anyone who runs in NH, Maine, and even parts of Massachusetts, knows his voice. I have told  Andy this story, but wanted to share it with you as well. Back in October of 2006 (so I am celebrating my 10th year of running this year!), I decided on a whim to sign up for my first race ever-the UNH Homecoming 5k. I had never run before this, and honestly I hated running. As a child, I would cry for weeks prior to running the mile in gym class.  Running had always been a source of stress for me, so the fact that I was signing up for this race, untrained, was pretty outlandish. Not having trained, having had a baby earlier that year, and knowing nothing about running at all, I spent the entire time feeling out of my league and swearing that I would never run another step again. As I headed toward the finish line, completely defeated, I heard the announcer call my name.  I had never participated in sports, so this was the first time something like this had ever happened  to me. His enthusiasm made me feel like I had won the race! I am 1000% sure that if it wasn’t for this “announcer”, I would have never run another race again. This voice is what made me want to run again. This voice belonged to Andy. ​I remember running my first Boston Marathon as a charity runner. I was beyond nervous.  Not only was I about to take part in the most prestigious marathon in the world, I was concerned  I’d let down all of the donors who were so generous in helping me raise the money I needed in  order to run. As I approached the start line, trembling, I heard that familiar voice. It was Andy on  the microphone, doing the announcing before the race. I immediately felt more at ease hearing  his voice. It was nice to have a bit of home away from home. You cannot think of running without thinking of Andy. I’m actually bummed when I run a race where  Andy isn’t the announcer. I race a lot, so for the most part, I don’t have friends or family running or  cheering me on at every race. But it’s so nice to know that when you run a race where Andy is  announcing, you always have a cheerleader, and a friend, waiting for you at the finish. And each  time, he makes you feel like a rock star. As runners, we may not always say it, but Thank You for always being there for us at  the Finish Line. ​Congratulations on 20 Years, Andy, and Here's to Hearing Your  Voice for 20 More!!

PRODUCT REVIEW: PR HYDRATION 3 BOTTLE RUNNING BELT BY SLS3

5/23/2016

0 Comments

I received a SLS3 fuel belt for free from the manufacturer in exchange for an honest review.
This in no way affected my opinion of the belt, or the content of my review.

Fuel belts.  It wasn’t until recently that I could understand the need for one.  The majority of my races have been road races, where water stops are plentiful.  And while marathon training, I usually just plan my long runs so I pass by my house numerous times so I can get a drink.

But lately, I feel like I can’t “trust” that some of my races will provide me with what I need.  After one too many events where water/cups have run out, Gatorade has not been mixed correctly, or water stops have been miles apart and the temperature has been 90 degrees, I decided I needed a better solution.

I now own numerous hydration devices.  I have a used Nathan belt I was given off of Freecycle, an Amphipod Hydration Pack that sits on my lower back, a handheld bottle and a newly purchased vest, which I plan to use for my fall ultra (yet to be tested).  The Nathan belt is old and bounces like crazy when I run.  The Amphipod bottle sits oddly on my lower back and has a tendency to leak, which makes it look like I couldn’t find a port-o-potty in time.   Since I hold my iPhone when I run, the handheld bottle is relatively useless for me.

I was excited when I had the opportunity to try the
​PR Hydration 3 bottle Running Belt by SLS3. 
When it arrived, one of the first things I noted was that instead of the typical belt fastener, this one was Velcro.  I liked that feature, as I find that as I run, I often need to adjust the waist size of fuel belts, and this method would make that a cinch.  It contains 3 7 ounce BPA free bottles, all of which are dishwasher safe.  There’s a nice zipper pouch, which would be great for keys or a GU packet, especially if you were running in shorts or pants that didn’t have pockets.
​

I tested the belt on a 6 mile easy run. (Since the run was so short, I cannot comment if this belt causes chafing or rubbing on longer runs.)  It felt lightweight; so lightweight that I quickly realized I no longer felt the belt.  Because of the location of the bottles, I didn’t have the dreaded hitting of the bottles every time I swung my arms. The bottles did not leak and there was ZERO bounce of the belt.

During my run, I tried taking each of the 3 bottles out.  Both end bottles went in and out rather easily (I didn’t need to stop running to accomplish this).  The middle bottle wasn’t as easy, but still doable while running.  The only other concern I had regarding the bottle holders is the plastic that holds the bottles.  I wonder if over time, will they break or stretch so much that the bottles are no longer able to be held as firmly as they currently are. (Time will tell!)

Overall Summary:  
For the price/100% money back guarantee, I would highly recommend this fuel belt.

Pros: 

• No leaks
• Lightweight
• No bounce/stayed in place
• Easy on/off with Velcro attachment
• Bottles are BPA free and dishwasher safe
• Don’t hit bottles when swinging arms
• Zipper pouch for keys or fuel

Cons:

• Middle bottle a bit more tricky to take out (although still rather easy)
• Wonder if plastic that holds bottles will last long term
• Excessive back sweat (although described as “Breathable backing wicks moisture away and keeps you cool”)

I Would Use It For:

• Mid/long training runs 
• Short runs in hot weather 
• Well supported races as a back-up (half marathon or less)

I Would Not Use It For:

• Marathon or further (due to only providing 21 ounces)

---