December StrideBox - Amazing Customer Service!

Normally, I wouldn't review a StrideBox, especially considering I haven't tried a single one of the products yet.  But this one looks absolutely amazing, and I'm so so excited about it.  Everything in here excites me!

I started getting my StrideBox's in June.  Some have been ok.  I've found a few products that I really liked, a couple that I've even bought, but none that I've been this excited about.  

But, I also wanted to tell you about the experience I had with StrideBox.  Every month I get my e-mail like clockwork that my (well, my boyfriend's) card had been charged, then shortly after my shipment notification.  On December 9th, I noticed I hadn't gotten the e-mail that I was charged, even though my package is usually shipped by then.  I checked my account, and sure enough my last charge was October 24th, and next scheduled one wasn't until December 24th.  I e-mailed StrideBox to ask them about it.  They had done an update to their system the week I was supposed to be charged, and think it must have just skipped my card.  That made sense to me.

However, what really impressed me was that they sent me this box for free!  I was expecting a sorry, you'll have to wait until next month; or even a sorry, but we'll charge your card now.  Instead, I got amazing customer service that I'm seriously impressed with.  And an amazing selection of things to try at that!

I just wanted to let everyone know about this great experience.  And let you see how pretty the packaging was!

Everything included this month

Such a cute sticker!

I didn't want to photograph everything individually, but these reflective laces are cool

I couldn't resist showing you the snowman, and the "maximum cheer"!

On a completely unrelated note, I made this tutu today!  And while you can't tell it's a mix of normal white and sparkly white tulle.  It's going to get some peppermint candies and candy canes added to it for an 8k tomorrow.  I'm just excited about it, and can't wait to show you the finished product and the sparkle tomorrow!

 

What company has impressed you with their customer service?

Lauren

Savannah Bridge Run Race Recap

On December 7th, Ray and I ran the Savannah Bridge Run.  We ran the 5k, although they have 10k and Double Pump (5k then the 10k) options.  However, we had never conquered the bridge before, or any hills for that matter living in Savannah, so we opted to just go over it once.  According to the race website, the bridge itself is a "5.5% grade and 1.4-mile span" and then of course 1.7 miles after that (which had many smaller hills included!).  

Many people dress up in costume, a lot of which are shown below.  We didn't dress up, but his mom was Wonder Woman, along with the women from our local Moms Run This Town (also below).  And none of these at all are stolen from the professional photographer..... 

Like with the Pickle Run a few weeks ago, the race itself was hard, but the community was so amazing.  I had so much fun, and we might even do the Double Pump next year.  We'll certainly dress up.  I don't have all too much to say about this race.  We did complete it in 45:15, and my Garmin measured it long at 3.17 I believe, so about the same as the Pickle Run.

We did just join a local running club, and every Sunday morning they run the bridge, so that will be really helpful!

Did I mention it got to almost 80 during the race?  He took his shirt off about halfway through.

These are our war faces.

Has it been unreasonably or unusually warm for anyone else lately?

Lauren

Pickle Run Race Recap

On November 30th, my boyfriend Ray and I participated in the Pickle Run 5k on Tybee Island.  

This is the story behind it, posted on their Active.com registration page from 2012- "On November 25, 2008, Dylan Robert Hall was born here in Savannah, Georgia. Despite a healthy pregnancy, Dylan suffered meconium aspiration along with 2 other bacterial infections during delivery. The doctors weren't sure he'd survive his first night. On Thanksgiving Day, two days after his birth, Dylan had shown enough improvement so that mom and dad could hold their baby boy for the first time. As the days went on, "Dyl Pickle" proved to be a strong healthy baby that just happened to be born very sick. During the two weeks Dylan spent in the hospital, the Hall family discovered how lucky they were to live in Savannah where the level of care their baby required was just down the street. Many of the families had to drive long distances to visit their children in the Neonatal Intensive Care Nursery. This is where the Ronald McDonald House comes in. Established in 1987, the Savannah Ronald McDonald House has provided a "Home away from home" for more than 5,000 families. The House has 10 bedrooms with private baths, a communal living room and kitchen, dining and laundry areas. Each night volunteers from the community provide a home-cooked meal for the families to share. To celebrate Dylan's 4th birthday, the Huc-a-poos and Hall families invite you to participate in the 4th annual Pickle Run to support our local Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Coastal Empire."

This was a great cause to support.  I was also involved in RMHC a few years ago as part of a bake-off (shameless self-promotion - I took first place in the cake division with Boston cream pie cupcakes).  The one here in Savannah is especially in need right now because it has a mold problem, and they aren't even open right now, so they're desperately trying to re-open.  

According to my Garmin upload, it was 43 degrees and felt 38, but I think it felt much colder.  It was also overcast and very windy.  The first mile or so was on roads starting from Hucapoos, a local restaurant and the main sponsor of the race.  Then we hit the beach, and turned right into the wind!  It was almost bone-chilling cold, as it was humid so the water in the hair was freezing as well.  We tried to stay on the hard-packed part of the beach as much as we could, but it was still difficult.  With around a quarter of a mile left, we got back off the beach, onto gravel, and finished back at the restaurant.  The course ended up measuring 3.18 miles for me, and we finished in 45:27, a 14:18 pace.  I was shooting for under 15 mm due to the beach, so I'm decently satisfied with our time. 

After the race, we had breakfast pizza (Hucapoos is mostly a pizza place) and beer.  Each person also got a raffle ticket with registration, with the option to purchase more at $1 a piece.  They raffled off probably about 20 items from a wine basket, to a Yuengling sign, to paddleboard rentals.  Many many local places get involved in this race and donate, and it was an awesome community to be in.  I definitely want to do this each year they have it.  

I'll let the pictures try to show you how mean the wind was, and how sad the ocean looked.  And yes, that is a 6 pack of PBR in front of us.  But it's ok, we beat them!

What's your favorite local 5k?

Lauren