Stay tuned for results and in August we will have a new contest and a feature you don’t want to miss.

What are we missing? Tell us what you want to see!

CONGRATS to IRIS!!!! Seemed to be a crowd favorite from the start. Looks like Iris should have no trouble finding someone to share the trails with. Thanks to everyone who participated.

Stay tuned for our March contest.

Only a few days left. Hurry and get your entry in….tick…tick….tick….

Here is the first contest for 2010. We are looking to offer 1 contest every month so here we go……….

Please post a comment below to be entered to win some SAAA-WEEEET Smith Optics gear!

In a busy fast paced world, social networking sites are really cashing in. Runners are notorious for lacking time for life’s other moments. Now, write us a great personal ad that you may see in the papers or on a dating site. It’s that easy. Obviously being creative and original helps. How would you, the runner, advertise or sell yourself to the opposite sex. Many start with ….I enjoy longs walks on a beach under a full moon while holding hands and sucking down my favorite EFS Electrolyte drink….errrr what????

You get the idea. Now stop what you are doing, go for a run and think about it. Deadline for entries will be February22nd. Winner will be announced on March 1st! Good Luck!!!!

(ii) Sloths have very large, specialized, slow-acting stomachs with multiple compartments in which symbiotic bacteria break down the foods they eat. While I probably don’t have multiple compartments to my stomach (I have never checked), I can break down most foods while running without issue or repercussion.

(iii) Sloths’ claws serve as their only natural defense. My black toe nails have been known to turn people into stone and, thus, are a great natural defense.

(iv) The main predators of sloths are the jaguar and the harpy eagle, both are fast and agile. My main predators are the fast and fleet of foot.

(v) Sloths move only when necessary and even then very slowly. Anyone who has seen me run comes away thinking the same thing about me.

(vi) Sloths are considered among the most somnolent animals, sleeping from 15 to 18 hours each day. While I rarely get the chance to sleep that much, I can go toe to toe with a sloth (regardless of whether we are talking about a two-toed sloth or three-toed sloth) on the sleep front.

(vii) Sloths are very sturdily built and rarely die from a fall. I often fall when I run and I have yet to die.

(viii) Sometimes sloths’ low level of movement actually keeps males from finding females for longer than one year. This is dead on with my dating experiences.

And the First runner up:
Up until this season I have always thought of my running as being similar to
a wolf. Like the wolf I enjoy running with a pack (friends) but I also
enjoy being a lone wolf from time to time, seeking solitude to cleanse the
soul and focus purely on the effort. I suppose that I occasionally hunt
down prey (mountain bikers), but my favorite hunting time is at the end of a
race, finishing strong and picking up places. Occasionally I do the scent
roll (falling down for me) like a wolf and I enjoy howling after a tough
effort. Also, like the wolf I can cover long distances with little
sustenance as long as there is a cold beer, I mean, food reward at the end.

This season is a different story though. Unlike the wolf I’ve been getting
lost. So now I would say my running is either more like a visually impaired
wolf or a bat (technically they’re not blind but real close). So there you
have it, I run like a blind wolf…

And the Grand Prize winner……..Marty Phelps
I run like a Mule! Really! I know there are times when I should not run! 5 below zero- lightning storm- middle of the night- work- but I run anyway. (all real runs, this year!)

I’m not pretty- I’m not real fast but like the the virtuous mule, I possess the patience, endurance and sure-footedness of the donkey, and the vigour, strength and courage of the horse. Having some limited experience with Mules, I have found mules preferable to horses: mules show less impatience under the pressure of heavy weights, and their skin, harder andless sensitive than that of horses, renders them more capable of resisting sun and rain- just like me!

Another notable characteristic of the Mule is it’s stubborness! Webster defines Stubborn: unreasonably or perversely unyielding : mulish (2): justifiably unyielding : resolute b: suggestive or typical of a strong stubborn nature 2: performed or carried on in an unyielding, obstinate, or persistent manner
3: difficult to handle, manage, or treat.
Also, if I don’t run and am difficult to handle, manage or treat- just ask my wife who begs me to run on “rest days”.

I am a Mule- not incredibly fast- but reliable- persistent- stubborn and crabby when not running. Give me a little nutrition, a trail and a guide and I will run with you until you say stop!

I promise there is a Mule inside of each of you! Rejoice the noble Mule the symbol of the modern endurance runner!

Congrats again to the winner and a very big THANK YOU for all that entered.
Please stay tuned for another contest to come….

*******For those who emailed- your are still eligbile. We changed the course and thought it would be great to post them for others to follow. Keep track…..

Thanks to everyone who sent an email or made a comment on the site. Stay tuned for our next contest, I am sure it will be neat-o…..

Step up to our poll (located on the right hand side of the blog) and vote!  Then comment on this post with your preferred brand, style, why you like it best, and your name.  We will draw a name out of a hat for the Nathan hydration set up of your choice – belt, vest, hand-held, whatever…  Check back on May 5th to see who won – it could be you!  The poll for this contest will close at midnight April 30th.

If this contest is similar to last month, your odds on winning are like 1 in 10. Those are great odds baby!  It could not be easier!  Ask Shad Mika from Colorado, he was the winner last month and now proud owner of some Smith Optics® Super Methods.