Shop Me a Bargain: Cyber Monday Fitness Finds

Skip the bags, it's online shopping on Cyber Monday. Credit

First it was Black Friday. Then it was Small Business Saturday. Now it's Cyber Monday. Sick of shopping yet? Not me! So I hit the gym instead of the mall on Friday. And Thanksgiving put me more than 1,000 miles away from the stores that I would have shopped on Saturday. But come Monday, which is set to be online's largest shopping day of the year, I'm raring to go.

Give me a computer and an internet connection and I'm a happy camper. No lines. No crowds. No store hopping across town--or bundling up to deal with Chicago's cold. I can shop in my pajamas. I can have multiple "stores" open at once. I can shop before and after the retail shops close. And I can pray that the items I really don't want to pay full price for, putting an even larger dent in the wallet, are in stock and on sale.

Here's where we'll be shopping:

Shop Small, Shop Local, Shop Small Business Saturday

I didn't wait in any Black Friday lines. I didn't score any Black Friday shopping deals. And this year I didn't even push my way through the crowds at the Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza. 

I slept in. I worked out. And I learned that the best Black Friday deals I'd want to score happen on the fitness front--unless I was glued to my smartphone while braving the mall. Life Time Fitness had a membership deal that comped the joining fees--so did the YMCA (the Colorado Springs branches). Real Ryder Revolution warned to watch for package bargains on Black Friday. Train Chicago Studios held a free four-hour--or two-hour if you couldn't cut four hours in the saddle--Computrainer bike ride on the Ironman Canada course. Shred415 offered discounts on its packages and retail, and Urban Athlete featured a $35 per month membership steal. Now those are my kind of deals.

But I'm saving my shopping bucks for Small Business Saturday. Here's why I'm a fan...

• I need running socks. I mud-ified my new Balega socks on a trail run (should have occurred to me to wear the older pair with the holes in them since trails have mud) and desperately want a replacement. Plus we all know socks make good stocking stuffers for the runners on your gift list, and you're not going to find the blister-free variety at the department stores. Or at least I haven't yet.
• I'd rather avoid the Mag Mile crowds. Fleet Feet is less than a half mile from where I live and I can just as easily ride my bike to Universal Sole (as long as it's not freezing). So whether I ride my bike or I walk, I can get there faster than I can get to the big stores along Michigan Avenue or State Street. Besides, do I really want sweaters, fancy shoes, and fine china? Not really...my eyes are on running gear this season. And with Chicago being such a big, spread-out city, surely there's a store you fancy not too far from your front door.

Cyber Monday Deals for the Athlete on Your List

You know the drill: shopping in the wee morning hours the day after Thanksgiving to score store specials. Or opting to skip it when the thought of crowds and fighting over the last Garmin or the only jacket left in your size and color makes you sick (that's me). Whether you get wrapped up in the post-holiday shopping fever that hits or not, these Cyber Monday deals can help you save some dough when shopping for the runners, triathletes, hikers, skiers and other active folk on your list. Or just a little shopping to stock your shelves.

• Under Armour. No matter what sport you play, or what type of activewear you need, you could probably find it in Under Armour's closets. Running shoes and gear, cold weather insulators, outerwear and underwear, compression tights and tops, and the list goes on. There's no shipping costs today regardless of the amount of gear in your cart. And if you want more savings, be sure to check out the outlet area--a great spot to stock up on warm weather wares.
  
• SkirtSports. Skirtsports might be built around the idea of running, cycling and racing in a sport friendly skirt, but they offer so much more--and with several items up to 80 percent off on Cyber Monday. Choose from tops, sports bras, tanks, tri shorts, and of course skirts in a variety of styles. Tri shorts for $11.99? You can't get much better than that.
  
• REI. Winter clearance ends today and you can save up to 30 percent on outdoor goods.
• Moosejaw. From tents to hoodies, technical packs to jackets, you'll find just about anything for active pursuits. Rolling with that theme, Moosejaw's savings run the gamut from receiving five times the rewards points on items purchase to later shop at moosejawrewards.com, to receiving a $51 gift card for free if you purchase a The North Face item more than $149. The site was down earlier and if that's still the case when you try to shop, you'll get another coupon for additional savings as a sorry-about-the-inconvenience.
  
• The North Face. You don't have to have a minimum order to qualify for free shipping today. Perfect for anyone in need of a warm jacket, a windproof running top, gloves, snow boots and more. Unfortunately, I can always find something I want--and definitely don't need as my mom and husband can attest--when I'm at the store.
  
• Garmin. Garmin.com may not be the retailer with the sale, but if you search online and check out Bing Shopping, you can find several retailers offering discounts on Forerunners--301, 201, 205, 305 and even the 405. Runners have claimed these pace, mileage and heart rate calculators have changed the way they run, and they're all-too-ideal for keeping you on top of your mileage when training for a race.
• Campmor. Campmor's Hot Deals section is on fire today with savings across the board from footwear to apparel to outerwear. But grab them before they're gone or you'll be out of luck when the cold hits (or for us in Chicago, that could be sooner rather than later).
• iPod or mp3 player. Know someone who could use some tunes while working out? It's back to Bing Shopping for deals in the music player category, specifically those that fall under $100.
• Keen. You don't need to be active per say to fall in love with these shoes that meet the eye of various consumers from urban to sporty to every criss-crossing combination in between (after all, there are definitely sporty urbanites and country fashionistas). And today, all purchases will score you a cute Keen harvest tote.
• SwimOutlet.com. Whether your swimsuits are shot from too many hours in the pool or you told yourself you'd swim more in the off-season after a summer wearing your tri suit in the lake, this site has plenty of swimsuits to choose from. Lots of brands, lots of sizes, lots of variety, you're bound to find something that works and at reasonable prices too--some suits cost as little as $19 to $20.
  

But time's a-wasting. Most of these deals are only good until midnight tonight, causing a mad rush online and pages taking longer than normal to load. But if you can find a deal on a gift, isn't it worth it? Meanwhile, I'm on the deal hunt for a Wii and Wii Fit--I'm the dork who's been wanting one for way too long. Photo grabbed from Images_of_Money at flickr. Posted by Kate

Fit-Site: More Bargain Shopping

So I jumped the gun a little with my previous post about the greatness (in my opinion) of shopping on Steepandcheap.com. While doing my usual perusal of outdoor bargain shopping sites--the typical rotation of Steepandcheap, REI Outlet and Campmor--last night, I realized that I neglected a few sites out in cyberspace similar to the Steepandcheap platform.

Before any retailers scream and shout, "What about me?", here's what I stumbled across. And if there are other sites out there, please show yourselves...I'm in need of all the online shopping I can get, especially pertaining to active gear.

• Tramdock. I spotted this link during one of my peeks at Steepandcheap and was mesmerized by the cheap skis being advertised (if they're $200 or less, my eyes light up). Turns out Tramdock offers gear for those in search of powder. According to their mission, you'll find sick deals on the skis, boots and ski-specific gear to get you out on the mountain or into the backcountry. Now that's my kinda shopping.
• Bonktown. Similar to Tramdock, this one is specific to bikes. Need a trailer or roof rack? How about a new frame or wheels? Bonktown offers all that and more (try a plug for removing your carbon footprint) at discounted prices.
• Backcountry. If you missed a deal at Steepandcheap--maybe too busy weighing the options of needing or passing up a deal--sometimes you can find that item offered at a not-quite-as-good discount in Backcountry's closets. After all, it's Backcountry that's supplying the Steepandcheap merchandise, plus even more gear than Steepandcheap could even fathom circulating during a day. And when shopping, you can view the inventory to see how many North Face Denalis are left in your size and color preference.
• Moosejaw. Based in Michigan, not too far from my hometown, Moosejaw is always a favorite in my book. Lots of gear, always a sale or discount, and tons of fave brands. BUT the discount site that I remembered Moosejaw starting--my hypothesis is to serve as a rival to Steepandcheap--no longer seems to exist. Moosejaw's main page featured links to The Lowdown, which featured one item at slashed prices for 24 hours. If you were too late and the gear was gone, you'd have to wait until the next day. Just because the 'deal of the day' didn't seem to fly, don't mark Moosejaw off your shopping list.

Time to go shopping! Posted by Kate

Fit-Site: Steep and Cheap

Who doesn't like to do a little shopping on the weekend? And save money on labels like Mountain Hard Wear, The North Face, Patagonia and Icebreaker?

It's even easier when you can do it from home. Check out Steepandcheap.com for its ever-changing inventory of merchandise for men and women. The site is partnered with Backcountry.com and pulls goods from Backcountry's closet to offer at a discounted rate--usually 50 percent off or more--for 30 minutes at a time or until the product runs out, whichever comes first. You'll find everything from camping gear and sleeping bags to jackets, graphic tees, sunglasses and trail runners. It's tough to not find something that suits your likes.

But be careful...it's addicting waiting for the latest gear and tempting if you can't turn away a sale. Or at least that's my problem. Posted by Kate 

Photo grabbed from capl.washjeff.edu.