Summer Running Helpers – Reviews & Giveaways!

I hate to even write these words as I am sure I will eat them soon enough but… we have been having a remarkably temperate summer here in Chicago so far. Aside from a few very hot days (weekend of Gospel Run and Chicago Women’s Half for instance), it has been pretty cool. As a Chicago runner, I am always on the look out for summer running aids to help me to stay cool and hydrated. I finally got to use some of the “summer running helpers” that I have been sent for review (or won in the case of the Nuun). So check out my “summer helpers” and enter to win some of these awesome products to try yourself!


I love Mission Athletecare’s Anti-Chafe creme and lip balms. When I contacted them, they asked if I would be willing to try some items from their new Enduracool Instant Cooling line. I tried their cooling towel last year and now they have a new “mesh” version. They sent me a pair of Enduracool Instant Cooling Sleeves and an Enduracool Instant Cooling towel – Mesh.

Enduracool Towel and Sleeves
Enduracool Towel and Sleeves

Initially, I was wondering why I would wear arm sleeves in summer. Their site has some good rationale for trying them:

“Protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun while cooling key pulse points to help you feel cool and go harder. The Enduracool™ Instant Cooling Arm Sleeves instantly cool when soaked with water, wrung out, and then snapped in the air to activate the cooling properties. The patented technology, Powered by Coolcore™, works by absorbing moisture and perspiration into the fabric core where the unique radiator-like fiber construction circulates water molecules and regulates the rate of evaporation to create a prolonged cooling effect.”

They sent me white sleeves that are “one size fits most”. I have fairly large arms for a girl. Not sure that these would fit “most” men but probably “most” male runners! I decided to try them in the Disco Dash 5K. It was over 90 degrees when we got there (and then we got drenched in the rain). I took the rain-wetted sleeves and “snapped” them as instructed and they did immediately feel cooler. However, the race was delayed and the sleeves dried. By the time we started running, they were not too cool and I was left wondering if these made sense for me. Well, I realized that there was some MAJOR user error. I should have wet the sleeves more and closer to the time of the race. I tried them again (and actually followed the instructions!) and they stayed cool for much longer. These arm sleeves would be great for triathletes – protecting them from the sun and keeping them cool on the bike and run (the bike especially I would imagine.)

The Enduracool towel cools off quickly. I like it to cool off (and wipe off) after a run. It is like having a towel that was sitting in ice water, even if you don’t have any ice water available. I am not sure how these work, but the technology is pretty cool – pun intended. These are good for running, athletics, gardening and pretty much anything warm!

Want to try Enduracool? Mission Athletecare offered to send a pair of sleeves or a cooling towel to the winning readers. You can enter the giveaway in the rafflecopter at the bottom of this post. Keep Reading!


I normally tote my phone in a pocket or Spibelt for running, but I wanted to use my phone to get training guidance and tracking from the Run BSX app, so I tried an armband. I hated it! Then, I tried to win an HB Tune “hand band” handheld “case” from a bunch of bloggers. I did not win! So I contacted HB Tune to see if they would send me one to try. They did and they will send one to a lucky winner, too!

HB Tune and "in action" - needed phone to take pic - but that is fit!
HB Tune and “in action” – needed phone to take pic – but that is fit!

HB Tune is made of neoprene and is “sweat-resistant”, the phone can be used/controlled through the plastic, there is a snap to hold in phone and an adjustable strap. The HB Tune comes in several sizes (for a variety of smart phones) and is intended to fit even large cases (mine is too tight so I had take it out of the case.) Another cool thing is that it is “handed”. I got a right handed case. The fit is very comfortable and running with it was really effortless. I really liked it and barely noticed it after a while. It worked well with my Run BSX app, too. I was able to start and stop it with no problem and it did not disrupt the program. They also point out on the site: “If you currently wear an armband for running, you will no longer have to twist your head or take your eyes off the road to access a running app or change a song.” The outside and strap are a sueded material so I was a bit worried they would get icky from sweat,  but so far so good! Not icky at all after half a dozen runs in the warm weather. The product also comes with an extension arm strap – not sure how to work it!

HB Tune is a small company, but they offer free shipping and returns and exchanges if you get the wrong size or orientation. This is a really cool product that I will use and do recommend!

Want to try it? The folks at HB Tune are offering one lucky reader the HB Tune hand band of his/her choice. Enter the giveaway in the rafflecopter below.


I won a Nuun giveaway of three new flavors from Krista @ Read.Bake.Run.Repeat.

nuun

What is Nuun? Electrolyte enhanced drink tabs to keep you hydrated! These fizzy wonders are not just for running, but are great to improve the flavor of your water and to replace some of the electrolytes you lose on hot summer days. Nuun products don’t contain any sugar, they are less than 8 calories per tab and they are also gluten-free. I won three new flavors: Cherry Lemonade, Lemonade and Watermelon.

I already have 2 additional flavors in my cupboard, so I will share the flavor of the winner’s choice (of the 3 shown)  with two winners. Enter the giveaway at the bottom of this post.


is stretch
Me stretching with my Infinity Strap!

Last thing, the summer heat enables some excellent stretching. Since my Infinity Strap review and giveaway was so popular, I decided to add in a medium stretch Infinity Strap for one lucky reader to try! I got a credit from Open Sky where they have some special deals, so I will pass that along!  Check out my post for more information. Also, Maureen created a brief video and instructions for a few stretching exercises that she likes with the Infinity Strap that are perfect for runnersCheck it out on her blog HERE.

I will send one lucky reader a medium stretch  Infinity Strap.


You can enter the giveaways using the Rafflecopter widget below. Please don’t forget to click the green button on each entry you choose. If you already like my page on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter, click that button on the Rafflecopter and get credit! The giveaway is open through the end of the day on Wednesday, July 10th. I will select and notify 6 winners on Thursday July 11. One prize per winner. Only valid for participants in the US at this time. Please note that all products for review and giveaways were provided by the respective companies (or by me), but all opinions and comments are my own.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy 4th and Happy Running!