Lifefactory glass water bottles

Lifefactory is a new company to me and a relatively new family in general (launching in 2007).  Pretty cool story actually, with founders being a pediatric physical therapist and feeding specialist and an architect designer -

check it out here:

Anyway, probably the first thing you noticed was "Glass" and wondering why in the world I'm reviewing a glass water bottle.  Well, I like glass a lot as it is basically an endless natural resource, it's easy to clean, and it doesn't leach flavors (from other drinks or soap...) but, glass is... well breakable.  

Enter one of the big reasons for this review:

Now, the bottle is awesome, the caps are really cool (more on that in a minute), the company has a neat story, but what makes this all work is the sleeve!  These bottles have "carbon hex" silicone sleeves on them that "helps prevent breakage and provides a nonslip grip".  

Now, I'm quite sure it's possible to break these things, but I did Try to break it under normal use, ie I rolled it off my bar on the hardwood floor, dropped it straight down like a pencil on my linoleum covered concrete slab, even pushed it off the tailgate of my truck onto the asphalt sidewalk, and (best torture test ever) handed it to my 5 year old and told her "it's not breakable - go nuts" and it survived.  

The thick silicone sleeve is awesome.  Also helps that this is not a drinking glass - it's quite thick (my 22oz model with the straw cap weighs in at 1.2#).

This particular model is from the brand new Straw Cap Collection

There a couple of things that I Love about their particular straw cap design.  First off, it's got a nice handle that pivots out of the way when you're wanting to drink, you can open and close it with one hand (so if you're on a stationary bike you can maintain stride and grip with one hand the entire time - this same thing holds true for being on a treadmill but... why would you be on a treadmill, go outside!) the glass itself has a nice wide mouth (under the cap) that allows for ice cubes, protein powder, etc. and the Best thing about their straw cap design is the straw.  I know, sounds simple, how can you mess up a straw, right? But people do.  

Lifefactory uses a soft medical grade silicone flexible straw - not the pencil stiff plastic ones that I've always found in normal straw lids.  Why it took someone so long to figure out that was a good idea is beyond me, but awesome job Lifefactory.  Another big bonus?  I'm not a fan of using reusable straws forever, while these are great, flexible, easy to clean, and dishwasher safe, I still like to replace mine and you can buy a 3 pack of replacement flexible silicone straws straight from Lifefactory for $1.99.

The people over at Lifefactory have this awesome concept that they call Cradle to Table.  What this means is that they actually offer this exact design (nice, thick glass bottles with silicone sleeves) for babies to adults.  Seriously, they have nipple bottles in 4 and 9oz sizes, then they have toddler versions in 9oz with sippy-cup lids, and then they have "kid" ones in 9oz with screw on flat caps.  And (best idea yet) all the baby/toddler/kid lids are interchangeable on all 4 and 9oz bottles.  

Then for the adults they come in 16oz and 22oz and they have flip top lids (which are pretty cool - it's a small opening to drink out of with the ability to take it off and have the large glass top opening for putting in ice, powder, mix-ins, etc.), screw-on flattop lids, and these new straw lids (like the one I have):

"The NEW Straw Cap is designed for upright, spillproof sipping (no tipping required). The Straw Cap is perfect for the treadmill and yoga class. The pivoting handle provides a great way to carry the bottle and stows out of the way while drinking." 

So you have 

• Stage 1 bottle nipple
• State 2 bottle nipple
• Sippy-cup lid
• Screw-on flat lid
• Flip top lid
• Silicone straw cap

I honestly got to test this bottle for about 48 hours before my wife saw it and stole it (I knew I should have snagged 2...).  She has carried it around in her purse and diaper bag, which are about as organized as a filing cabinet that rode 3 counties in a tornado, and it never leaked a drop (her most important test criteria) and now she's decided she wants to get some for our daughters (one bottle age and one lunch box age).  

Verdict:  I really do like it.  It's well made, responsibly made, American made (sleeve and cap are made in America, glass is made in France, and assembly takes place in America), stylishly made, cool story (which you know I'm a sucker for), and neat concept (the Cradle to Table design).

Be on TV! (Spartan Race on NBC)

Alright guys, so about a couple of months ago I brought you word about Spartan Race and their insane obstacle courses (see blog Here)

Well, now they're really outdone themselves with a new deal and awesome new promotion:  Spartan Race is being aired on national television, on NBC, bringing adventure/obstacle racing to the forefront for the first time.  Many times in the past (paintball, Crossfit, BMX, X games, etc) an NBC/ESPN airing has brought a fringe sport into the mainstream

Check out this interview with Spartan Race CEO Joe DeSena on CNBC:

Now, here's the even Cooler part!
YOU can be on TV with them.  Spartan Race is running a campaign to get a couple of professionals and a few average Joes to have their story shared on NBC
Check out this page for details:  Your Spartan Story..... On TV!

NBC will be filming 8 professional athletes and 4 everday Spartans (that'd be most of you guys!) at the Spartan Race World Championships in Killington, Vermont next month on September 21st for a 90 minute TV special.

And Anyone can register for this event and go run the televised race in Killington (in Beast and Sprint distances).

Now for the final part of this little piece, you can use

This Code to get 15% off Any Spartan Race!

OR you can reply here, send me an email, or message me on Facebook why you want to run a Spartan Race and you could
win a FREE ENTRY code to ANY Spartan Race
(including the televised race or the race I'll be running in November!)

Superlatives:

Over the past few years I've reviewed dozens of products on this blog (more new ones coming in all the time - in fact I'm working on reviews for a new water bottle and a new line of truly minimalist dress shoes right now).

I'm currently working on a piece that I'm pretty excited about - I'll be laying out the "Best of the Best" in several categories from all the products that I've tried over the last 2-3 years.  Many of the ones I would have felt sure would have been winners when I first got them in didn't even make the list 2 years later.

That's what I like about this:  all of us have had products that we LOVED when we first got them, and then 3 months, 6 months, 2 years, heck, 2 Weeks later they were completely disposable again.  So this takes the quick reviews (I wait 2 months to post reviews so I have enough time to fully test to try to cut this down as much as possible) and shows where the products Really stack up 2 years later.

The categories:

Best road specific shoe

Best trail specific shoe

Best Crossfit/gym specific shoe

Best boot

and the "If I could only buy ONE pair of shoes to do EVERYTHING in" shoe

Best compression company

Best non-compression apparel company

(am I leaving anything out?)

Coming soon:

Hey guys - busy summer as always, and my wife gave birth to our second baby girl and that has kept us Quite busy!  I now have a newborn and one about to start Kindergarten in a couple of weeks!

I still get in an occasional road run but am in one of those seasons where the road has grown more monotonous than joyful so we're taking a break from each other for a while.  I'm still pushing Crossfit and really enjoying programming my own workouts.  My running is being done on mountain bike trails

Getting back to trails has been so good for me!  It's my meditation in motion.  It kills the 'runner's trance I find myself in 5 minutes on the road.  Forces me to pay attention, look around, to forget perfect pacing, ignore breath cadence, and screw exact stride length - it gets me back to Just... Running (and the Joy of it all)

I'm planning on running the Virginia Creeper in September and The Spartan Beast 15 mile obstacle course in November 

In the next week or so I'll have a few new reviews coming up plus I'm Very excited about finishing up my 2 years in the making Superlatives!  

I'll be writing up my picks of the best if the best, after 2 years of use:  best road shoe, trail shoe, compression gear, clothing, and more!

Vote for an inspirational athlete!

hey guys, EVERYONE TAKE A SECOND, 

Really, just a sec, and click this link, and vote for Kyle Jeffrey Kranz:  

https://www.facebook.com/SuuntoMovescount/app_387772117996057

Very cool story:  my man has lost 80 Pounds and transformed his entire body (life, soul,) into a lean mean Ultramarathoner. He got on a mission, lost all that weight, AND finished a 100 mile ultra marathon and an iron man! 

Take just a sec and Show him some love!

Regular link (for if you're on a PC/laptop):  https://www.facebook.com/SuuntoMovescount/app_387772117996057

Mobile link (for phone/tablet/etc):

http://bit.ly/12rzP7h

You can vote from both (different IP addresses), 3G/4G, wifi, etc.
(and can also vote every 24 hours) - let's get this guy the win!

Adventure/obstacle/mud racing - Spartan Race!

Alright, so I keep getting requests for write ups and/or suggestion on adventure races (ie mud runs, obstacle courses, etc.).  I have never done one, so my brother and I made it our mission to find the websites of every adventure race, big small, near far, and find THE best one.  If it has more than 3 people in it and it's not held in someone's cousin's back yard (and Maybe even then), we've probably studied it.

Each race has some good stuff, some bad, and some stupid (such as "The toughest course you've ever run in your life, you'll never finish, was invented by Navy Seals!" and it's a 5k).  We then compiled a list of our top 5 or so and really started digging in, finding everything we could, reading race reports, watching helmet cams on YouTube, asking friends and fellow crazy people, anything we could find.  What we found surprised us.  See, we expected to find the top half dozen, have no real way to differentiate them, and then just try a couple and see what happens.  We were wrong.

Introducing:
 

Holy wow!  Alright, I can go on and on about why this is so awesome and what all they have (and I will), but nothing else matters until you watch this 4 minute video  -  seriously, it's that good.  If this video doesn't get you fired up, you need to check your pulse!




Ok, now that you are sufficiently fired up and ready to run through walls and jump through fire - here's what Else we found that make Spartan Races look so amazing:

Spartan Races are held all over the USA and also 5 additional countries.  The locations make it where there will always be one within a reasonable short drive of you, the obstacles are tough, numerous, and varied, and, the coolest thing of all (other than the Eric Thomas video you just watched) is that the Spartan Race is offered in 4 different distances - and all races include a t-shirt, a completion medal, after party, and awards for top 3 male and female finishers:

1.  The Spartan Sprint:
      Spartan Sprints are muddy 3.1 MILES / 15+ OBSTACLES course races. The challenging sprint races are a great way to get off your couch and start living. Beginners to hardcore warriors, and marathon runners alike come out to test themselves on the insane obstacles! This 5k race is comprised of mud runs, obstacles, trail racing, physical challenges and mental challenges all in a 3+ race. 99.9% of all people who try this event will finish, and 100% will have their thirst for mud fully satisfied!

2.  The Super Spartan:
      The Super Spartan obstacle race provides an 8-10 MILES / 20+ OBSTACLES battlefield of insane mud running with 20 or more obstacles to test your physical strength and mental resolve. This mud fest of a race will have many trials to push you to your limits that any man or woman with resolve can complete! This endurance race conists of mud runs, trails, and both mental and physical obstacles and challenges. The good news is that after you complete your painful journey, there will be live music and a catered meal to soothe your aching joints

3.  The Beast:
     13-15 MILES / 25+ OBSTACLES - An obstacle Race from Hell. 
If you have done any race anywhere in the world: whether a mud run, fun run, olympic run, bike race, death march or any kind of event claiming to be the "toughest race on the planet" you will be happy to know that this is where it ends..THIS IS THE SPARTAN BEAST... Step up and get out of your comfort zone on our 13+ mile beast of an obstacle course race; many will arrive, but very few will finish!

*4.  The Death Race:
        This is highest level of Spartan Challenge. Not widely marketed (with a website that is "www.youmaydie.com")The death race is designed to present you with the totally unexpected, and the totally insane! Traditional physical challenges will make giving birth look like a walk in the park. This endurance race is comprised of mud runs, obstacle racing, trail racing, physical challenges and mental challenges all in a +48 hour adventure race. 90% of you will not complete this endurance race. Please only consider this adventure style race if you have lived a full life to date.

The races look amazing and I highlighted the... uh... important parts ;)

So here's the deal, you've got to get in on this somehow, check the events page  and get signed up for one and let me know which one you're doing!
I'm going to do the Carolina THE BEAST obstacle course in November (I think this around is a little over the 13 mile mark and, according to Spartan, is the toughest course in the country, The hardest race course they offer short of 48 hour Death Race, so... who's in!?

Join my team, we'll take the weak, the strong, the crazy, the racers, the casual, come on out and have some FUN with team "What Was I Thinking".

Not only that, but shoot me an email or facebook message about Why you want to run a Spartan Race (bonus points for pictures and/or videos) and you just might win a FREE race entry!

Also, EVERYONE Gets to use this link (http://bit.ly/spartanwarrior) to get
15% off ANY Spartan Race registration
(and the prices are always cheaper the earlier you register so get on it!)

blisters, porta-potties, and heat strokes: And then there's the Other runs....

Bloggers love to write about the good runs.  Those runs where you feel like you're floating, like you're feet don't even touch the ground, the breeze is blowing, and always behind you, cars slow down to look at you because you're going so fast (and you're running in the woods), you channel barefoot Ted somewhere in India and he answers...

and then there's the Other runs.   

Last night I left my truck at work and rode home with my wife (who I had met to watch my 5 year old graduate pre-k) so this morning I ran to work.  

1.  We have a newborn and are getting no sleep and Nothing crushes a run (mentally or physically) like no sleep.  A mile out of the gate and I knew my pace sucked, but what the heck, it's just a fun run to work anyway, right?  (self talk, self talk, self talk)

2.  There's a section of down hill that's literally 1/2 mile all down hill.  Awesome!  I LOVE downhill running more than anything else - That's how you fly!  Unless of course you're running sockless in a new pair of shoes that you've never tried before that happen to be a little long.  Half way down the hill I started to smell something -- "I thought someone was bbqing!.... but oh lord, it's a FIRE!" -- on the front pads of both of my feet.  I'm pretty sure they were melting.  Yay blisters.

3.  I get to the bottom of the hill, turn the corner to the flat for the next couple of miles and they show up.  Runners cramps.  Now, I'm not talking about those adorable little 'stitches' you get in your ribs when you're first learning to run, no no, I'm talking about nether region cramps where all of the sudden it feels like the Tanzanian Devil is declaring war on your colon.  Fabulous.

About a 1/2 mile up the road there's a porta-potty.  Now, I know what you're thinking, "gross!" and "it will never have toilet paper in it", and while you would normally be right, this particular porta-potty was  at a tennis court, and unlike runners, and soccer, baseball, and football players, tennis people have these things called "standards".  Score.  So I make it to the porta-potty and I find it pristine cleaned and freshly stocked, however there's another problem.  As you may know, running cramps of this nature don't give up (pass on) particularly quickly so I was now faced with 2 options:  get off the porta-throne before I really 'want' too and risk another attack in the next 2 miles to work OR pass out from heat stroke because we live in TN and if Satan himself had been sitting in this particular porta-john he would have been screaming to turn the air on.

I crawled out of the big blue incubator and back into the TN sun (which now felt like December after sweating off 10 pounds in last 3 minutes) and resumed my run, which caused me to face number 4:

4.  So now what?  I'm Really in a hurry to get where I'm going (namely an air conditioned facility at work) so I should run there as fast as I can -- BUT (no pun intended), the thought of bouncing and sloshing my volatile guts around by running seems less than ideal so maybe I should walk... which will then take longer... I really should have driven my truck home.

SO, the next time you have a less than ideal run, just remember this epic adventure of blisters, porta-potties, heat strokes, and the other 'runs' (see what I did right thur?)  and feel better about yourself ;)