2019 Athlete Gift Giving GUIDE

(NOTE: Check their websites as many are offering BLACK FRIDAY specials)


It's officially after Thanksgiving, so now it's time to shop for your athlete, runner, swimmer, cycling, or mountain biking friends. I have compiled a list of gift giving options that any of them would love to find wrapped as a gift for them. 

Some of these ideas can be a gift themselves or maybe a small stocking stuffer. 

For starters, participate in Small Business Saturday by supporting your local running store. If not to purchase that pair of running shoes they have been wanting, buy them a gift certificate. Let your athlete return after the holidays and pick out their own pair of shoes or favorite running apparel. 

Visit 

Queen Creek Running Company

KINeSYS sunscreen is a favorite of mine. With an SPF of 30 and water resistant for up to 80 minutes in the sun you can't go wrong. The great smelling, Mango scent, and alcohol and oil free clear spray will help protect anyone enjoying the outdoors hiking, fishing, training or just relaxing by the pool. 

KINeSYS

Keep them on track with the Suunto Spartan WHR. This sweet GPS with optical heart rate monitor will gather workout data that can later be looked at and tracked.

The Orange Mud Hydra Quiver is perfect for keeping anyone hydrated out hiking or running and even mountain biking. This great hydration pack can hold more than just a bottle, it can hold numerous items including gels, nutrition, cellphone, keys and much more. Check out their site for other hydration carrying options. 

ORANGE MUD

Maybe another pack from Orange Mud might be a better fit. With the bumps and dips along the mountain bike trail, maybe a two liter bladder holding Endurance Pack (version 2.0). There is 4 liters of cargo space. 

It's perfect for running or mountain biking. There is plenty of room for nutrition and large pockets up front for cell phones, nutrition or adding more hydration options.  

The pack high on your back and stays put, after proper adjustment. Not sloshing around like a backpack while riding a mountain bike. 

It comes with the 2 liter HydraPak with drinking hose.  

Or maybe Orange Mud's transition wrap! This too is on their website.  Perfect for bringing to the pool and using to dry off. The newest version 2.0, of this is now softer than ever. Pick your athletes favorite color out of the ten they produce the transition wrap in. 

Use it to protect your car seat inside your vehicle, or even use it to wrap around yourself to quickly change out of wet swim trunks, without fear of getting a ticket for indecent exposure.  

Cat-Ears will keep your cyclist safe by letting them hear others around them while riding. These simply strap onto any helmet's straps, placing them in front of the ear.  Air Streamz by Cat-Ears
are proven and very affective. For winter riding outdoors they also produce a great ear warmer/sound reducing Ear Cover, check them out and order them in a combo pack.

Cat Ears

Ear Cover, perfect for winter riding outdoors! 

THESE ARE THE BOMB at keeping your head warm, yet not over heating like a skull cap would in winter riding. They still allow your head to vent your heat. 

A great stocking stuffer for the runner on your list with Lace Lockers

Get Arctic Cool wear for the golfer, runner or any athlete in your friends or family circle. Sure there is the popular crew workout shirt, but they also have polo shirts and tank tops made with the same material and various colors to choose from. Keep them cool during their workouts. I know it may be cold outside, right now where you are, or even snowing, but the summer heat is guaranteed to be back. 

ARCTIC COOL

And last but not least, maybe for the runner on your shopping for that suffers from plantar fasciitis. The compression cold therapy decreases recovery time for athletes. Use it on your knees, ankles, neck or back.  Help joints recover fast with Frozen Peaz!  Theses can be used or either hot or cold therapy. Simply keep them in your freezer and apply after a tough workout. 

These are perfect too for treating headaches! 

How about keeping their muscles loose and workout tight knots. The better than you typical foam roller, are Rumble Rollers. Check out the Rumble Roller itself or the new Rumble Roller GATOR and even the Rumble Roller BEASTIE.  All sweet products from Rumble Roller. 

RUMBLE ROLLER

and even Olbas essential oil to use as Aromatherapy or massage oil. It works as both. 

OLBAS OIL

and finally recovery faster using this percussion massage gun 

PhysioProX 2019 Pro Massage Gun for Athletes

The cordless PhysioProX has six speeds and comes with four attachment heads. 

Here is a link to the product on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VT5Q1TL

Suunto Spartan WHR software update to version 2.5.18

Suunto Spartan WHR software update to version 2.5.18

Check out this video. Looking to do more videos this year and keep up my updates on the software improvements on Suunto Spartan. 

I love to newest update they have done. Also the update is moving your smartphone away from using the MovesCount app to upload your watch. Download the Suunto app and synch your watch with it. 

Cool new features include creating custom fields and what information you are looking to view looking down at your watch. 

Please, "Like" and "Subscribe" to my YouTube channel. 

2018 GIFT GIVING GUIDE

(NOTE: Check their websites as many are offering BLACK FRIDAY specials)


It's officially after Thanksgiving, so now it's time to shop for your athlete, runner, swimmer, cycling, or mountain biking friends. I have compiled a list of gift giving options that any of them would love to find wrapped as a gift for them. 

Some of these ideas can be a gift themselves or maybe a small stocking stuffer. 

For starters, participate in Small Business Saturday by supporting your local running store. If not to purchase that pair of running shoes they have been wanting, buy them a gift certificate. Let your athlete return after the holidays and pick out their own pair of shoes or favorite running apparel. 

Visit 

Queen Creek Running Company

KINeSYS sunscreen is a favorite of mine. With an SPF of 30 and water resistant for up to 80 minutes in the sun you can't go wrong. The great smelling, Mango scent, and alcohol and oil free clear spray will help protect anyone enjoying the outdoors hiking, fishing, training or just relaxing by the pool. 

KINeSYS

Keep them on track with the Suunto Spartan WHR. This sweet GPS with optical heart rate monitor will gather workout data that can later be looked at and tracked.

The Orange Mud Hydra Quiver is perfect for keeping anyone hydrated out hiking or running. This great hydration pack can hold more than just a bottle, it can hold numerous items including gels, nutrition, cellphone, keys and much more. Check out their site for other hydration carrying options. 

ORANGE MUD

Maybe another pack from Orange Mud might be a better fit. With the bumps and dips along the mountain bike trail, maybe a two liter bladder holding Endurance Pack (version 2.0). There is 4 liters of cargo space. 

It's perfect for running or mountain biking. There is plenty of room for nutrition and large pockets up front for cell phones, nutrition or adding more hydration options.  

The pack high on your back and stays put, after proper adjustment. Not sloshing around like a backpack while riding a mountain bike. 

It comes with the 2 liter HydraPak with drinking hose.  

Or maybe Orange Mud's transition wrap! This too is on their website.  Perfect for bringing to the pool and using to dry off. The newest version 2.0, of this is now softer than ever. Pick your athletes favorite color out of the ten they produce the transition wrap in. 

Use it to protect your car seat inside your vehicle, or even use it to wrap around yourself to quickly change out of wet swim trunks, without fear of getting a ticket for indecent exposure.  

Cat-Ears will keep your cyclist safe by letting them hear others around them while riding. These simply strap onto any helmet's straps, placing them in front of the ear.  Air Streamz by Cat-Ears
are proven and very affective. For winter riding outdoors they also produce a great ear warmer/sound reducing Ear Cover, check them out and order them in a combo pack.

Cat Ears

Ear Cover, perfect for winter riding outdoors! 

THESE ARE THE BOMB at keeping your head warm, yet not over heating like a skull cap would in winter riding. They still allow your head to vent your heat. 

Udderly Smooth body and foot cream will keep your runners feet and skin smooth or buy them a jar of Udderly Smooth's Chamois cream to keep them chafe free on long training rides and races.  Check out there full line of products. 

UDDERLY SMOOTH

Give them a little squeeze year round with RecoFit's calf compression sleeves. These are great for runner or cyclists. Recovery has never been so easy. 

How about the very innovative See.Sense smart front and/or tail lights.

Keep your athlete safer by getting them these extremely bright and driver noticing cycling lights. 

The See.Sense 2.0, the ICON or mid 2018 the release of

 the

 ACE.  Intelligent 

technology, motion gesture control smart tail lights with

 CREE LED’s provides a 180 degree light pattern. 

Check them out at 

SEE.SENSE

The See.Sense 2.0

 The See.Sense ICON, connect to your smartphone with a blue-tooth app. 

Get Arctic Cool wear for the golfer, runner or any athlete in your friends or family circle. Sure there is the popular crew workout shirt, but they also have polo shirts and tank tops made with the same material and various colors to choose from. Keep them cool during their workouts. I know it may be cold outside, right now where you are, or even snowing, but the summer heat is guaranteed to be back. 

ARCTIC COOL

And last but not least, maybe for the runner your shopping for that suffers from plantar fasciitis. The compression cold therapy decreases recovery time for athletes. Use it on your knees, ankles, neck or back.  Help joints recover fast with Frozen Peaz!  Theses can be used or either hot or cold therapy. Simply keep them in your freezer and apply after a tough workout. 

How about keeping their muscles loose and workout tight knots. The better than you typical foam roller, are Rumble Rollers. Check out the Rumble Roller itself or the new Rumble Roller GATOR and even the Rumble Roller BEASTIE.  All sweet products from Rumble Roller. 

RUMBLE ROLLER

and even Olbas essential oil to use as Aromatherapy or massage oil. It works as both. 

OLBAS OIL

The Spruzza 

Keeping your cyclist cool with the Spruzza mist system. Forget dumping water over your head to cool off next summer in the heat.  Simply mist yourself.  It sprays your head, neck and chest to keep you cool while riding. Don't believe me? Check out my blog when I first tried it out. 

Spruzza Mist, trying it out and YES it works

So there you have it.  A ton of great gift options for the athlete in your family or your group of friends.  

Xterra trail run at San Tan Mountain Regional Park Race Report

I was actually able to get a good nights sleep, the night before. In my head I just kept my thoughts calm and acted like I was just going into another long training run in the morning. 

I arrived early, as I still needed to pick up my packet/number/shirt etc. 

It was cold outside for me, so I dressed in a long sleeved shirt and warm up pants. I also had a coat on while walking around and stretching. 

While walking around I started drinking my pre-workout supplement about a half-hour before the start. 

I knew the weather was suppose to stay cooler, but I wanted to make sure I didn't over dress. So I opted for just my Arctic Cool shirt and my running shorts. I stashed two energy bars and two gels in my Orange Mud hydra-quiver along with a water bottle with some electrolytes in it. 

I planned on using what I was carrying for emergency purposes, and using the water and other nutrition from the four aid stations they were going to have on the course. 

The race started on time. It took me about two miles to warm up and get in a groove. There was one incline during the portion of the trail, and I kept running a pretty good pace up it. 

The next part I would encounter on the trail, was the part I got lost on during a training run, two weeks prior. The course was marked really well with ground markers on stakes and tied in the branches of trees. This portion of the trail is mainly in a desert wash. This made for tough running, like in sand along a beach. There was a four mile stretch of this, at times, thick sand. 

Climbing up out of the wash, I knew the trail was going to be more single track and hard packed trail. 

I was feeling good and was monitoring my heart rate, to not go out to fast and blow up. 

My upper legs were feeling tired from the motion of having to pick them up so high from the sandy wash area. 

The rest of the trail after coming out of the wash, I knew what to expect elevation-wise. When to rest up and walk if needed and when the down hill run could help me gain some time. On the backside of Dynamite trail, I know is a good 1.5 mile downhill before heading up the Goldmine trail. The saddle at Goldmine trail hits at about mile 12.5 and a good downhill from there to the finish line. 

I ended up fast walking up Goldmine trail. I was happy after getting to the top, knowing I was within two miles from the finish. 

I beat my person goal by almost 20 minutes to finish the 14 mile trail run. 

I plan on taking some time off, but know where I need to begin to get faster and improve myself overall for my cycling, mountain biking and running in 2019.