Here is a short list of my favorite things in 2011. Things that made me happy, kept me healthy and that challenged me personally and as a runner. There is also a theme through these products, they are all from people who are highly passionate about running and sports!

Agloves Touchscreen Comfort

I fell in love with my Agloves the second I put them on. They have been the perfect cold weather companion while running and even when walking to work. The silver nylon thread conducts the bio electricity from your whole hand so that you can easily use any touch screen device.

Agloves are great for cold weather running!

New this season is the Agloves Sport. Designed to keep you warmer on active days, the snug-fitted cuff seals the wind out, while the 15% silver-nylon traps heat in. Also check out the stylish Bamboo variety. Order online and they will even gift wrap it for you! Tell them I sent you :)

Agloves.com   @theagloves

Membership to All Sports Recovery Club

For the cost of just one massage or a PT session, you can have unlimited access to top of the line recovery tools like the Nortec MVP compression boots, self administered cold-lasers and ultrasound, free massage sessions and a bevy of other tools to keep you running healthy. Also on hand are experts in massage, MRT, Chiropractic and eastern medicine to get to the root of what ails you. I’ve been a particular fan of the inversion board lately and sipping a warm mocha while sitting in the compression boots.

AllSportsRecovery.com    @AllSportsRec

Run on the Moon: Alter-G

The new Alter G treadmill at High Altitude Spine and Sport

You may have heard of many elite runners such as Dathan Ritzenhein and Kara Goucher running on the Alter-G treadmill when they are injured or safely looking to increase their mileage. Now there is one available to the public at High Altitude Spine and Sport where they also specialize in treatment & rehab for sports injuries using ART/Graston/Kinesiotape. The pressurized chamber around the treadmill effectively reduces the effects of gravity, safely allowing you to run with less impact to manage your injuries. The less body weight the more it resembles running on the moon allowing you to focus on form and leg speed without worrying about impact.
Buy a punch card of 10 or more sessions, you can even try it out for 15 mins for free.

HighAltitudesportsrehab.com  @drRichardHansen

Convert to Skirt

Since its inception 5 years ago, Skirt Sports has been inspiring and empowering women to get out and run, support each other, all while having fun and looking good. With such great programs as Kick it Forward and their fun Skirt Chaser 5k race, its easy to support such a great company.

SkirtSports.com  @skirtsports

Check out the Marathon Girl Ultra a lightweight medium length skirt that will have you running faster while looking good.

Running the Edge

Former CU Buff superstar Adam Goucher and teammate Tim Catallano teamed up again to write a different kind of book about running. The book reveals key characteristics of what it takes to be a successful runner and how to carry that success in to all aspects of our lives. Adam and Tim have filled the pages with honest insights and fun stories from their own experiences as well as great quotes from other high level athletes. You too can become a running Maven!

RuntheEdge.com    @RuntheEdge

Discover the Secrets to Better Running and a Better Life

Building a Better Runner DVDs

Want to become a stronger, more efficient, faster runner? Of course you do! These DVDs detail out multiple exercise routines to help you gain strength and symmetry, while decreasing the chance of injury. Each DVD is also a DVD-ROM and contains both iPod/iPad/iPhone compatible videos as well as Windows Media compatible files. They also include PDFs of each routine, with sequential photos of all of the exercises which you can print out and take with you anywhere.

Co-developed by Coach Mike Smith and Coach Jay Johnson, also a former CU Buffs harrier. Coach Jay also does the tip of the week NikeRunning.com and has great content on his blog at CoachJayJohnson.com

RunningDVDs.com  @RunningDVDs

Building a Better Runner DVD

The Feed Zone Cookbook: Fast and Flavorful Food for Athletes

Boulder residents Dr. Allen Lim and chef Biju Thomas have worked with some of cycling’s most elite teams and athletes including Lance Armstrong, Levi Lephiemer and Team Radio Shack. While noticing that athletes had been under-performing on bland fare and processed bars and gels, they looked to make eating delicious and practical.

The Feed Zone Cookbook includes

• 150 delicious recipes illustrated with full-color photographs
• Allen Lim’s take on the science and practice of food
• Portable whole foods, including Lim’s famous rice cakes and more
• Dozens of quick-prep meals for before and after workouts
• Shortcuts, substitutions, and techniques to save time in the kitchen
• Gluten-free and vegetarian alternatives to favorite dishes

Find exclusive content and sample recipes at FeedZoneCookbook.com or order online at Velopress.Competitor.com

Good Quick Food for Athletes

Breeze Bars
Breeze Bars are a healthy, tasty alternative to heavy energy bars. Gluten, Wheat and Dairy Free. Made by local cyclist Breeze Brown, she knows first hand what athletes need.
BreezeBars.com   @BreezeBars

Mix 1
All natural protein shakes made yummy right here in Boulder.
mix1life.com  @Mix1

Whole Foods Boulder
The defacto place to go for a quick healthy bite to eat after a hard workout. You just can’t beat the variety of healthy whole foods and people watching.
@WFMBoulder

Honey Stinger
From our friends up in Steamboat, CO. Delicious protein bars, energy chews and Organic Waffle Stingers!
HoneyStinger.com  @honeystinger

Picky Bars
Although not from Colorado, they are created by elite runners Lauren Fleshman and Steph Rothstein and are Gluten & Dairy Free, All Natural, AMAZING Tasting Energy Bars. Hey, how can you not love that?
PickyBars.com  @PickyBars

What are some of your favorite things that you can’t live without or are looking forward to getting?

Running moms deserve some pampering this Mother’s Day. Here are a few ideas from local vendors and active Mom’s to get you started.

Run

Who needs breakfast in bed when you can start off your Mother’s Day with fun for the entire family?! Join in the fun at the 9th Annual Mother’s Day Title 9k+ Race at the Boulder Res, or the Mother’s Day 5k in Wash Park, Denver.

Looking Good

Mom’s should look good and feel good while out on the run. Skirt Sports has just the right mix. Perhaps its just the thing for her to do her own Happy Butt Dance.

Running Skirts and more from Skirt Sports

Moms can travel to and from the race or group run in style with a messenger/mommy bag from oh My Bag which offers ample storage, outside bottle and carry anything pockets, a nylon liner, and a long fixed strap all in a unique style that’s all her own.

Messenger Bag from oh my bag

Recover

Book an hour and a half with her favorite pair of hands, or book an appointment with a Massage services shops which have grown in popularity over the last few years. Usually their hours are very flexible for busy people and they employ many therapists who often specialize in different forms of massage, whether its sports specific, or just to relax and de-stress. A few of those businesses that support the local running community in Boulder are Massage Specialists, Elements, and Life Sports Chiro.

Local athlete and mother Susan Eastman Walton, was looking for a product to combat her aching legs during and after a run. Her answer was the RecoFit compression sleeves. Made of high tech fabric and even fitted to left and right calves, wearing them aids in recovery and is like a mini massage.

RecoFit Compression Sleeves

Give her some quite time

Local Author Dimity McDowell co-wrote the wonderful  Run Like a Mother: How to Get Moving – and Not Lose your Famil, Job, or Sanity which offers both inspirational advice and practical strategies to help multitasking women make running part of their busy lives.

Run Like a Mother Book

——–

If anything, just get out on a walk or hike with Mom on the hundreds of miles of trails in Boulder’s Open Space and enjoy the day and the wildflowers.

What gifts do you have in mind for your favorite running mother?

Last Minute Gift Ideas

Sometimes no matter how hard you try, the final weeks leading up to the holiday just seem to slip away and you are left with a few days left for finding gifts for loved ones and friends.

Here are suggestions from some of Boulder’s best.

Boulder Running Company

We are offering $20 off any online purchases over $100 by Dec. 25. – via Twitter

in-Step

Most everything in the store is 20% off now…come on in and see us! – via Twitter

Fleet Feet Sports

If you’re still searching for gifts this holiday season, think local and shop at Fleet Feet. We’ve searched the store for some of the best gifts and here are our recommendations for everyone on your list:

There’s still time to fill out a Wish List card that we can send to the people you choose so you get what you want. At Fleet Feet, you always get FREE GIFT WRAPPING.?? And don’t forget about our Gift Card Promo: for every $50 gift card you purchase, you’ll get some free stuff for yourself — a pair of Fleet Feet running gloves, a sport-inspired holiday ornament and some tasty Shot Bloks.

• Pistil Millie hat — hunting inspired but with a twist, the Millie hat is fashionable and warm, sized specifically for women. Also available in brown. Check out our other Pistil hats, and if there’s a little one on your list, come see our collection of Smartwool baby hat and glove sets.
• Crescent Moon snowshoes – perfect for the snow enthusiast, local Boulder company Crescent Moon makes quality snowshoes in a unique teardrop shape. Available in several models.
• Breeze Bars — available in original and chocolate flavors, these all natural bars are made locally and designed for endurance. Perfect for winter activities like nordic and alpine skiing, and snowshoeing. Create the perfect nutrition gift by pairing Breeze Bars with energy gel, energy chews, and hydration powder.
• Compression apparel — from full length tights to calf and arm sleeves, we’ve got compression gear from Recofit, CWX, Skins, Zensah, and Sugoi, all designed to encourage blood flow and faster recovery after a tough workout.
• Therapy accessories — whether to help with injury recovery or just provide a better stretch, we’ve got massage sticks, foam rollers, and support products for a variety of body parts and conditions.
• Gear bags — give the gift of organization with one of our Brooks or Sherpani gear bags that fit all the essentials, and then some.
• Cold weather and visibility accessories — think gloves, hats, headbands, reflective jackets, vests, and headlamps to keep your friends and family warm and let them be seen when they exercise.
• Sweet socks — everyone needs socks, so why not give them a few pairs from our collection of Balega, Smartwool, and Asics. And yes, we even have kids socks.

Outdoor Divas

Invest in fun this season.

At outdoor DIVAS you can find all the gear you’ll need for winter adventures. Choose from the best selection of women’s specific products like Patagonia outerwear, Icebreaker baselayers, Rossignol skis plus much much more.

It is not just about the gear, it is about how the gear makes you feel. The sales associates at outdoor DIVAS are genuine and really enjoy the outdoors themselves.  You can talk shop with them about the sick powder they’ve skied or the cutest winter beanies out this season, from function to fashion they can help. For them it is about the enjoyment that the equipment can allow you to have.

Newton Running

With a purchase of $200 of more you are automatically entered into a drawing to win a free pair of Newton Running Shoes and a Grand Prize of a Free trip to Boulder, CO for Natural Running Form Coaching with Danny Abshire http://www.newtonrunning.com/holiday-2009-rules

Plus they are offering 50% off 2day or Overnight Shipping

or Free Shipping through 12.31.09 on Standard UPS Ground Only.

http://www.newtonrunning.com/newton-products/the-shoes

Bobby McGee

If you are still looking for that perfect gift for the runner in your  life be sure to check out Bobby’s books on our website: www.BobbyMcGee.com

• Magical Running is THE book to help your runner get to the next level mentally. It includes a year’s worth of mental skills training and tips.
• Run Workouts for Runners and Triathletes is the way to go for the “self coached” athlete . This book contains detailed run training plans for 5km, 10km, Half Marathon and Marathon as well as Olympic Distance, Half IM and IM run plans. Each plan has three levels to choose from. In addition there are tests and workouts to challenge and take your training to new levels.
• Running Sports Essentials = the ultimate Drills book is sold out. A new and updated version will be available in 2010. Rumor has it that the Boulder Running Company has a few copies left.

Core Power Yoga

Holiday Gift Bundles are the perfect gift for the new or experienced yogi in your life.
Yogitoes + $25 gift card for $75 ($90 value)
Yogitoes are a yoga necessity. They provide a nice, soft buffer between you and your yoga mat – and prevent slipping. Don’t let your favorite yogi practice another day without one!

Use a CorePower Yoga gift card on clothing, yoga mats, accessories, yoga packages and even Lifestyle Programs

Massage

Giving the gift of massage is wonderful for this time of the year. Use it to recover and restore after the holiday season.

Buy Gift Cards from  Massage Specialists or Whole Body Balance