The Daily Feed: Sites We're Searching 6/29

The Hayward track four years ago today. Credit: Schmuelick

I've been waiting for Friday to arrive all week. TGIF! Hooray for the weekend! But the last thing I'm doing is jumping for joy.

I couldn't wake up to run with Liz this morning, something I'm sorely regretting hours later even with the extra rest, and I may have mistook the ache in my leg for more than what it is (after three weeks worth of bum runs I'm almost scared to have a good day). I missed the swim practice with my neighbor that we purposely planned for after my run. I'm staring down one heck of a crazy training schedule while worrying about the seven hour drive to Northern Wisconsin I'm going to be making tomorrow. And there's a storm brewing outside my window that's made the sky as dark as dusk--and it's only 11 a.m.

This might sound crazy but I started cruising around online to help me find a happier place--basically by living vicariously through others. And here's what helped lift my mood:

Happy Birthday to Our Favorite Fit Friends

Yesterday, I forgot to wish two people happy birthday. Oops. So rather than do that again, I'm not going to wait until the actual day of this birthday. It's always an easy one for me to remember too, I think because my wedding anniversary is on the day of their first post back on May 19, 2008. And lucky for me, the Fit Bottomed Girls don't want me to either--they've been hinting at their birthday celebration since last week, if not earlier, and started celebrating on Monday.

What that means is a week of best-of's and giveaways from the Fit Bottomed Girls of all things fitness related. So far they've had an impromptu workout DVD giveaway, two workout outfits from ALO, and other workout DVDs--and that was Monday and only part of Tuesday. Now the latest is they're offering up what they deem the perfect gym bag--and three can win. See? I told you it was good--if you have a lucky strike in you, that is (I never win anything, I swear)--and it's only supposed to get better during the week with even more giveaways.

The reason I'm getting excited about this birthday is not entirely because the FBGs are turning three--which is pretty darn cool--or that they have all of these options to at-random win something. Nor is it because I've had the privilege of meeting three of the FBGs--Erin, Jenn and Tish--at two Nike events and a Luna Chix summit. Privilege, I say, because they were nice enough to talk to me, even after they learned that I run marathons on a regular basis, did an Ironman a month before (and then had finished two when I saw Tish last October), and probably knew too many random facts about female Winter Olympic athletes (yes, the skier in me came out in Vancouver). And that I squeezed in a run before we were supposed to catch the bus to dinner--in my defense, I had a marathon to run a few days later, which I PR'd.

The answer to my excitement is that in celebrating their triumph, I feel like I have a little victory of my own. Excuse the sentimentality, but Liz and I probably never would have started Fit-Ink if we hadn't met the Fit Bottomed Girls because they proved to us, or me anyway, that this dream could become a reality. Even though they do share one word--fit--the sites certainly aren't the same, but that's a good thing. I love the Fit Bottomed Girls content because it always brings me back to Earth from my crazy endurance bubble--I'd rather read first-timer triathlon stories or conquests of the road bike before the sad state of my Facebook feed with its training ruminations.

But, I digress. Happy Birthday to the Fit Bottomed Girls and to many more! Off to read the Fitties.


Photo grabbed from synx508 at flickr.

Three More for the Feed

Well, it looks like I spoke too soon for today's Daily Feed. Because when I needed a writing break this afternoon--let's just say my fingers stopped working--I stumbled across three more Feed-worthy links. Here they are:

• Fit Bottomed Girls' Kristen just made my day--she's training for a triathlon. I love it when someone tries a tri!
• Chelsea Clinton made news when she got married last summer, but I have to say I expected her to be hitting the airwaves for a pending pregnancy before this. 
• Here's a contest I wish I knew about before the winner was already selected. Even if the giveaway is over, you'll find a solid review on some Yakima gear.

Happy Birthday to the FBGs

This week is exciting for anyone who's into fitness. Friday is Bike to Work Day (although Chicago likes to have a separate holiday next month). Today, Wednesday is the Ride of Silence to commemorate those who've lost their lives on bicycles. Last weekend held several marathons, half marathons, shorter races and triathlons, and next weekend promises to do the same. But the happy news that we're sharing here? The Fit Bottomed Girls turn two today. Why we like that? They were our inspiration for starting Fit-Ink, proving that you can make a go at a fitness-focused website.

Tune into FitBottomedGirls.com for lots of goodies. Yes, some of them are already done--sorry about the delay on my end for sharing the news--but there are still plenty more before the week is out. On Monday they unveiled new partnerships and FBG features. The Fitties, awards going to their favorite fitness products for the year, came out on Tuesday. Today you can check out the Noshies, more awards, but this time they go to the best bites of the year. Thursday you can read about the Fit Bottomed Girl of the Year; last year it was swimmer Dara Torres. On Friday you'll get a peek at the most popular posts of the year. And Saturday, be sure to tune in for the "How Well Do You Know the FBGs" quiz.

And among all of these great reads, you also have a chance to win some prizes from some of their sponsors like Nike, TRX, lucy and Vega. Check them out--I love these girls!

Tweeting for Fitness Fun

It's safe to say that Twitter is taking social networking world by storm. It's easy to learn and quick to post--it's just that I'm guilty of being terrible at sharing info (you can follow Fit-Ink with @fitink but I can guarantee that the updates are few and far between at the moment). I'd prefer to read rather than write--after thinking about posting here and other writing I do, my fingers need a break now and again.

So it's always through the reading portion of my day where I'm sifting through Twitter in hopes of valuable information. On numerous occasions this year I've found Twitter to amount to some good beyond random updates by those who find it important to share their every waking moment with the world. From articles in Women's Health to Kara Goucher's marathon schedule to Robbie Ventura's adventures in France during the Tour de France, my mind would fill with snippets of information. And admittedly I learn something I couldn't track down elsewhere.

Well, Twitter has gotten me once again. Except this time the reading has something that benefits our readers too. One of our friends in the blogosphere, Fit Bottomed Girls, is offering a contest via Twitter where one lucky winner can win a Fitness magazine prize pack and a Fit Bottomed Girl T-shirt. The catch? You have to get your thinking caps on and arm yourself with your best wordsmithing arsenal to devise the next great saying to be printed on a Fit Bottomed Girl tee. Read more about it here, but the basics to remember are clever, original and fitness-related when creating your saying, motto or phrase. Then tweet it to the FBGs by Friday at 1 p.m. eastern time and you're in the pool to see your handiwork on the mainstage.

Good luck! Photo grabbed from the Fit Bottomed Girls. Posted by Kate

Contests, Giveaways and a Special Celebration

We're all about sharing the blog world love here at Fit-Ink. Without some of our favorite reads online--half of which we probably still have to share with you all as it's been a busy month now that the weather's getting nice--we'd be a fledgling idea with nowhere to go and simply something that Liz and I would talk about over e-mail or during bike rides (which we're hoping to start up again soon, if I could get over my fear of taking my bike out for the first ride of the season). And we like to think there'd be no Fit-Ink without some blogs preceding us in cyberspace--and we hope we're not stepping on any toes with content and such.

Anyway, one of these inspirations that proved to us that starting Fit-Ink was indeed possible is celebrating a birthday this week--Fit Bottomed Girls. We met one of the gals behind Fit Bottomed Girls last October while at the Nike campus for the launch of the Sister series shoes and some cool new women's training gear. By chance, I shared a ride to the airport with Erin from FBG, learned about their start, and by the time I was boarding my plane back to Chicago, I was convinced that our ideas had to move beyond paper. But the cool part is that the Fit Bottomed Girls are celebrating their one-year birthday this week. Yay and congratulations! And the best part is one that we can all benefit from. To celebrate their site they're offering some great giveaways all week long, and some fun posts to look back on their first year. Check out the schedule for the week and try to score some of the awesome fit items. I'm gunning for the TRX system--I tried it at a class earlier this month (stay tuned for a write-up in the June issue of Windy City Sports if you're in the Chicago area) and was hooked. And if I could win it...I'm all for freebies as I've hinted or stated before.

The Schedule at fitbottomedgirls.com:

Monday:

Post: The Fitties

Giveaway: The Firm Balance Ball

Tuesday:

Post: 2009 FBG of the Year

Giveaway: Reebok EasyTone Sneakers

Wednesday:

Post: Fun FBG Stats

Giveaway: Anchor Bay workout DVD packs

Thursday:

Post: Best FBG One Liners Taken Out of Context

Giveaway: A lucy outfit

Friday:

Post: What Would You Like to See More of?

Giveaway: Nike gym bag

Saturday:

Post: Most Popular Posts on FBG/FBG's Fave Posts

Giveaway: Acacia Workout DVD packs

Sunday:

Giveaway: A TRX Home-Training Bundle and 3 FBG tees

Photo from Fit Bottomed Girls. Posted by Kate