We have an ENERGYbits winner…and ambassador!

Last week Chick Vic shared her thoughts on testing out ENERGYbits – 100% Spirulina algae, vegan and a chemical-free power food.

For the past week, we’ve been hearing from you — asking to learn more about the bits and asking if you too can be #poweredbybits.

Well, today’s the day!

We received hundreds of entries in Scoot a Doot’s latest giveaway for a sample-sized tin of ENERGYbits. Thanks everyone for all of your questions and comments.

AND we received some exciting news in the past few days! Chick Vic was asked to become an ENERGYbits ambassador! Woo! She’s super excited and happy to help YOU and the rest of the Chicks learn more about bits!

Vic is super excited and happy to help YOU and the rest of the Chicks learn more about bits!

Without further adieu, our winner is:

energybitswinner

Congratulations Leslie! The Scoot a Doot Chicks salute you. If you haven’t heard from us already, please email us at scootadoot AT gmail.com and we’ll get you all set up with the fine folks at ENERGYbits to receive your prize.

So what if you didn’t win and still want to try some bits?

For a 20% discount, type ScootADoot into coupon box at checkout at the ENERGYbits website.  The code will knock nearly $25 off the price of a bag of bits!

What’s your go-to power fuel? Have you tried algae?

ENERGYbits review and giveaway

I’ve been hearing about ENERGYbits for months, but I really wasn’t sure what to expect.

I knew the bits are 100% Spirulina algae – and a power food with more than 60% protein. In short, it means consumed ENERGYbits quickly turn to glucose after taken…. And as a result give you a steady stream of energy sans chemicals.

I knew they were completely natural – organic, vegan and gluten-free. All of which really appealed to me since so many seemingly healthy products add chemicals or sugar to the mix.

And I knew people raved about them.

Enter the ENERGYbits social media team, who were kind enough to provide me a sample to try and a second sample FOR ONE LUCKY READER! (More on that below.)

My sample tin contained enough bits for two tests.

20130630-205238.jpgENERGYbits in my hot little hand

I decided to test two scenarios – a long run and at the start of a potentially long work day. After all, these would likely be two scenarios I’d be using said bits.

I tested both out last week, and I wasn’t disappointed.

A serving size of ENERGYbits is about 30 tabs. Each bit is a speck smaller than an Advil. They went down pretty easily for me when chased by water. I split them into two handfuls.

On the run
I swallowed a handful of bits at about 30 minutes before my long run last weekend, a hilly 6-miler in Mendon Ponds Park in suburban Rochester, NY. Since this was my first attempt in swallowing bits before exercising, I was a little concerned they might not stay down. (They did, for the record.)

I knew I’d need a little extra oomph as I ran Saturday since I tackled rolling hills with my running pal Traci and a large community running group. For me, it was the first week of my fall marathon training plan, hence the short mileage.

We headed off and I felt great. I was chatty, which as my running pals know, is a sure sign that I am feeling strong.

As we hit the halfway point of our route, I was still feeling fantastic! I was strong, steady and on a mission. I actually passed our group’s pacer twice. He politely  reeled me back in with some wit and a smile.

Once finished, I was still feeling good. Yes, of course I felt like I ran 6 miles, but I felt as though I could keep running. Since the skies were about to open up, we drove back home. And the skies opened up moments later.

I had an abundance of energy though, so I ran errands!

On the job
I ate the bits at the start of what ended up being a rather long work day. I’d love to tell you I has super strength and laser-like focus all day, but I’d be fibbing. I DID however, not feel tired or interested in a second cup of coffee. I also didn’t snack all morning. I felt very full, which is not my norm.

Ask my colleagues, I’m a snacker.

So… score two for the bits.

bitsA tin of bits, hanging on my keyboard

I was pleased with my test experiments and am definitely planning to buy more ENERGYbits. The lone drawback is the price. It’s $115 for a bag of 1,000 tabs. That said, that settles out at 33 servings of bits for about $3.50 per serving.

When I do the math it seems way more reasonable.

Plus, discount codes are aplenty. For a 10% discount, type BLOG into coupon box at checkout.

Still too rich for your blood? The company offers a sampling program. Just reach out to them via Twitter and tell them of your interests (and that the Scoot A Doot chicks sent you). Or send a note to Jonathan at jlevitt AT ENERGYbits.com and he’ll share the details.

The giveaway

One lucky reader will receive a sample tin of ENERGYbits. Just click on the Rafflecopter image below to enter.

rafflecopterenergybits

Click the pic to enter

Scoot a Doot’s ENERGYbits giveaway begins 7/2/13 and ends 7/10/13 at midnight. Winner will need to provide their name, address and email to us so we may pass it along to ENERGYbits.

What do you eat for fuel before a long run? Have you ever tried eating algae? Tell us in the comments!

Rocking the socks – The Sox Box Giveaway Winner

Or should we say WINNERS?

Yes, we should go with the plural. But we’ll get to that in a moment.

The response to the giveaway for these socks has been tremendous! We’re guessing it’s because you all love words on socks just as much as we do. Perhaps it’s because 20% of each purchase at The Sox Box goes to the Independence Fund, for wounded military veterans. Or maybe it’s because you know these socks are Made in the USA.

All good things!

In the comments, the run away favorite socks were…

hotmesssiteChick Jess picked these as we often refer to ourselves as “hot messes” and many of you can relate to that!

RUNseries

These RUN quadruplets were also big faves among the Scoot readers and we definitely understand why.

We’re thinking it would be fun to get a whole slew of socks and then switch them up. Mix and Match anyone?

HOT COFFEE

RUN TIME

ZOOM FAST

The possibilities are endless!

The Sox Box folks were great to work with and have graciously said we can award not one, or two, three, four but FIVE pairs of socks. Awesome!!!

Our winners are:

soxboxwinners

Congrats Cassie, Katie, Ramona, Cherie, and Jeffrey! We salute you! The Sox Box will be contacting you soon with all the deets on your free socks.

As a special thank you to our readers, use the coupon code SCOOTD10 to get 10% off at The Sox Box, now through July 15th. What are you waiting for? Scoot on over there!

The Sox Box Rox!

One of the things we Scoot a Doot chicks have in common (besides a love of Tim Riggins. Oh, and running too. Ahem…), is a fondness for words. We like to talk, we like to write and we really, really like to read. Then we love to talk and write about what we’ve read. We consume words. So, it’s not surprising that we jumped at the opportunity to test a pair of socks from The Sox Box.

The Sox Box socks are brightly colored knee socks that feature clever phrases on each pair. These cool socks aren’t just for Crossfit anymore! There are several sayings that are perfect for us runners.

Not only are these socks made in the USA, but the company also gives back with every purchase. From their website:

“We honor those service men and women who sacrifice their lives in the name of freedom and justice. Their pledge and honor for their fellow service members and country is unparalleled and for that we must both rock and salute them! Our pledge is the lifetime donation of 20% of all Sox Box profits to the Independence Fund, a non-profit group that directly supports the wounded ill and injured service members. Silliness abounds at the Sox Box but we remain serious in our commitment to our brothers and sisters who gave the most for their country without question.”

Look good. Do good. But how do they feel? Chicks Brooke and Jess each tried a pair of socks. Here’s what they had to say:

Brooke:

I picked the “Run Faster” version to remind myself that faster mile times are ahead as long as I keep moving.

I couldn’t wait to wear these socks! I actually put them on as soon as they arrived in my mailbox, even though I was just lounging around with the kids. They have a nice cushion on the bottom and feel snug but not too tight around the calf. They’re definitely made for chicks (and dudes) with muscle! I wore them for a weight lifting session with my trainer and they felt great.

Luuuuuunge. Feeling tough. Looking tough!

Luuuuuunge. Feeling tough. Looking tough!

These socks washed beautifully (no fading) and then I wore them for an outdoor run on a humid morning in Florida.

My girl wanted blue socks to match mommy! You can see them under her (also matching) fancy slippers. This is her FAVE color so if my socks go missing, I know who to question first.

My girl wanted blue socks to match mommy! You can see them under her fancy slippers.

Again, I was impressed. I thought that they’d be too hot, but they’re very breathable. And just plain fun! I’ve already ordered another pair.

Jess:

I was super excited to try out these socks for two reasons:

1. They have such fun sayings on them. Who doesn’t want to run with “hot mess” emblazoned on their calves?

hotmesssocks

Okay, some of you might not. I loved it! You bet your sweet booty I’m a hot mess (but in a cute way).

2. Sox Box donates 20% of their profits to The Independence Fund, a non-profit group that supports wounded servicemen and women. I LOVE a company that knows how to give back, and it makes me feel good to get AND give.

Now for the lowdown: I did a brisk walk in these (someday I will run again) and these socks stayed put. I mean, they didn’t move an inch. Awesome! I also felt super supported in the calf area, like everything was held in where it needed to be.

The fabric mix is perfect here – Sox Box are breathable with just enough stretch. I never felt hot in them and when I took them off my skin wasn’t clammy at all.

All in all, I really loved these socks. They’re cute, they work, and they support a great cause. A true triple threat!

See more Sox Box knee socks on their website and in action on their Facebook page. Tell ’em you heard about them from the Scoot a Doot chicks.

Thanks to the generosity of The Sox Box, we have socks to give away to a lucky reader! Simply click the box below to enter.

Click the pic to enter!

Click the pic to enter!

Which pair of The Sox Box socks would you pick to rock during a run, Crossfit, or just lounging about the house?

The winner will be required to share their full name and address so The Sox Box can send you a sweet pair of socks! Giveaway begins 6/19/2013 and completes 6/25/2013.

Disclaimer: We received two complimentary pairs of socks from The Sox Box for review. All words and opinions are our own.

SPIbelt winner

Earlier this week, we played a little game on Twitter. Mer stuffed her SPIbelt with as many GUs as she had available and you all got to guess the amount.

Why? Boredom and curiosity, my friends.

stuffthespiThe winner won… well, nothing. She won bragging rights. Litgirl84 at Read Hard, Run Harder can now tell all the world that she very closely guessed GUs in a SPIbelt. That is a life skill that isn’t to be taken lightly! No siree!

Beth guessed 9 and as you can see, there are 8. Take one down, pass it around!

Beth guessed 9 and as you can see, there are 8. Take one down, pass it around!

We also had people share pictures of what they’d stuff in their SPIbelts. Amanda shared a picture of her super sweet polka-dotted SPIbelt! (Which is awesome and now we all want polka-dotted SPIbelts, too.)

We bet that’s not why you’re here though. We know, we know, you want to know who won the SPIbelt. Many entered, but only one can win. Shall we meet our winner?

spibeltwinner

Congratulations to Tanya for being our SPIbelt winner! The Scoot a Doot Chicks salute you! You’ll be getting an email from us within the next couple of hours so we can get all your info. 🙂

Thanks to everyone who participated!

What’s in your belt? SPIbelt giveaway

What essentials do you need while running?

Recently, during one of our (many) long emails threads, the Chicks got to chatting about the must-haves for training runs and races.

Which naturally lead to us talking about how we carry said essentials because the little pocket in the back of our pants or skirts can only fit so much, like a singular key or some cash.

spibeltbrooke

See that little pouch on Brooke? That’s the SPIbelt and it’s what quite a few of us use to hold our stuff. It’s like the mom of running gear – shove everything at it and you’re good to go!

A runner’s spin on the “dump your purse” pictures, we decided to dump our belts.

Some of us, like Brooke, don’t need much.

spibeltbrooke2

Brooke’s minimalist approach.

While others need everything and the kitchen sink!

spibeltvic

Vic’s stash includes her expired driver’s license and extra pins.

spibeltmer

Mer’s non-minimalist approach. She has an order of placement too; the money is always tucked in the very back.

And still others want more…

Brooke's husband, Josh. Okay, fine, you can't fit wine bottles in the SPIbelt. We've tried.

Brooke’s husband, Josh. Okay, fine, you can’t fit wine bottles in the SPIbelt. We’ve tried.

SPI stands for Small Personal Item belt and what we love about these are that the material stretches to fit quite a few items. The belt snaps on and off easily and holds the pouch to you snug, so nothing is bouncing around. Additionally, SPIbelt sells toggles so you can attach a bib to the belt.

We picked our SPIbelts up in 2011 (at the Philadelphia Marathon expo) and have been happily using them ever since! The SPIbelt saved Mer’s phone during a tropical storm run.

broadmerrun

Happy Mer runs on Broad St. in Philly.

After we emailed (ahem… fanmailed) SPIbelt to tell them of our love for their belts, they contacted us and offered up an Original belt for a giveaway to our Scooters! Super stoked? Yep, us too!

Check it out and let us know in the comments what essentials YOU bring along on a run. And hey, if you want us to dump our purses too, let us know in the comments and we can probably work that up for you.

Click the pic to enter!

Click the pic to enter!

The entries for this giveaway begins 5/30/2013 and completes 6/4/2013. An Original SPIbelt will be mailed to the winner so that person will need to provide their address when contacted. The color of the SPIbelt will be chosen at random.

Are you a PRO Compression Socks and Sleeves winner?

procompression

Holy guacamole! We had an absolutely fantastic response to our PRO Compression Socks and Sleeves giveaway.

Some of you are tried and true PRO Compression fans, some of you want a chance to give them a whirl for the first time, and all of you are enthusiastic, which we adore.

According to the comments, the most owned colors are Purple, Black, Blue, Green, and Pink.

The most wanted colors (in addition to the ones listed above) are Orange, Pink Argyle, and Yellow.

Lots of you want patterns; we saw requests for chevron, stripes, polka dots, multicolored, American flags – the works!

We are all winners here, however, the winner of the PRO Compression socks is:

socks

And the winner of the PRO Compression sleeves is:

sleeves

A round of applause goes out to Jill and Evelin – the Scoot a Doot Chicks salute you! You’ll be getting an email from us within the day with all the details on how to claim your socks and sleeves.

redsocksIf your name isn’t Evelin or Jill, don’t forget that our coupon code PCBLG will give you 40% off and free shipping on purchases of Marathon Socks and Sleeves. (Free shipping applies to US sales only.)

PRO Compression Giveaway and Coupon Code

pro1Marathon compression socks. Photo from PRO Compression

Hey Scooters! We’ve got another fabulous opportunity for you. We have partnered with the fine folks at PRO Compression for a giveaway!

The California-based company makes socks for endurance athletes, to be used before, during or after exercise such as running or golf.  The idea is for enhanced blood flow in your lower extremities.

What’s all that fancy talk?

Here’s the skinny: The socks make your legs feel great during or after a long run.

sock1Chick Vic’s first PRO Compression socks.

We’ve been fans for a few months over here at Scoot Central. Chick Vic ordered some Marathon socks in March, after hearing friends rave about them. At first, she wore the socks only for recovery.

Vic wore the socks while doing yard work, after a long run. She also wore them to her cousin’s bridal shower last month, held hours after she ran a hilly half-marathon.

kshowerVic’s cousin Kristen gets a Harry Potter-style broom as a shower gift. Vic (on right) is hiding her PRO Compression socks under skinny jeans.

Earlier this month,  several Scoot chicks ran the Broad Street Run in Philadelphia. And when we heard that race organizers wanted participants to wear red socks, as a loving nod to our friends in Boston, we immediately ordered ours from PRO Compression.

broadstreetredsocksSome of PRO Compression red socks at the Broad Street Run.

The company offers three running styles – Marathon (our fave), PC Racer and Trainer Low – in a variety of colors. For folks who prefer calf sleeves, PRO Compression has those too!

bdst5Brandi, Sean and Vic display their socks post-race

Thanks to the generosity of PRO Compression, Scoot a Doot has two great items to share with our readers! We will be giving away one pair of sleeves and one pair compression socks (winner can choose what style he or she wants).

How do I enter, you ask? Click on the photos below to enter the giveaway of your choice. Or enter both! Note: winners can only win one prize. If the same person comes up twice, we’ll pick a second winner for the second giveaway. And we’ll advise you to play the lottery!

If you can’t wait to get your hands (and feet) on some PRO Compression gear, coupon code PCBLG will give you 40% off and free shipping on purchases of Marathon Socks and Sleeves. (Free shipping applies to US sales only.)

rafflecoptersocks

Click the pic to enter to win PRO Compression socks

rafflecoptersleeves

Click the pic to enter to win PRO Compression sleeves

*Winners will be required to share their full name, address and sock or sleeve size so we can share the details with PRO Compression. Sock winner will also be required to pick a sock style.

Philadelphia Chocolate Tours Giveaway Winner

PhillyChocTourwinner

From the response to our Philly Chocolate Tours Giveaway, it is clear to see that you all love chocolate just as much as we do! White chocolate apparently doesn’t get much love (although a few like it but all say it’s not chocolate!). You all love your dark and milk chocolate just fine, thank you very much.

Ready to meet our winner? Ready to befriend our winner in hopes that they take you along with their companion ticket?

chocolatetourwinnerKimberly is our lucky 87 and the winner of the Philadelphia Chocolate Tours giveaway!

Congratulations, Kimberly! We at Scoot a Doot salute you and hope you enjoy your tour.

And hey, if you need someone to join you… we’ve got a couple of volunteers. Just saying.

Philadelphia Chocolate Tours Giveaway

Back in March, Chicks Vic and Mer treated themselves to a Philadelphia Chocolate Tour after running a 5k.

vicmer

Mayhaps you remember reading about the snowy run and the delicious tour in Philly. Despite the weather, we had chocolate and when we have chocolate, we are happy campers!

vicchocolate

Om nom nom!

The good people of the Philadelphia Chocolate Tours thought that our readers would enjoy checking out the sights and tastes of Philly and generously offered up two gift certificates for free walking tours. (See, that’s sort of work out related. Plus, there’s health benefits associated with chocolate!)

Since we know that chocolate is always better with a friend, we’re keeping the pair together.

Who could resist?

Who could resist?

Grab your bestie, grab your significant other, grab a group and split the difference of the remaining tours, grab a stranger (just make sure they’re consenting to all this grabbing) and try your luck at our Scoot a Doot Philadelphia Chocolate Tours giveaway! Encourage them to sign up, too, and increase your chances – woohoo!

This giveaway starts today, May 9th, and goes until midnight on May 14th.

What’s your favorite type of chocolate? And do you consider white chocolate to be chocolate? This is a very pressing matter!

rafflecopterchocolate

Click the pic to enter!

This giveaway is for a pair of gift certificates for the Philadelphia Chocolate Tours. You are responsible for getting to and from the event. If awarded the winner, we will require your mailing address so we may send you the gift certificates. You are responsible for contacting Philadelphia Chocolate Tours to set up your tour date, based on availability.