NCAA and Waiting for Spring!

I’ve been caught up in the March Madness basketball tournament the last few days due to a pool at work.  What a ride.  After the first round, I was sitting at 9th amongst my pool members.  A few good games, and as of yesterday, I was sitting pretty by 5pm at 4th, and then 3rd within a couple of hours.  I was optimistic when I saw VCU play and start to take control of the second half against SFA.  Had they won, my place would have moved into 2nd.  Alas, it wasn’t meant to be, and even with winning the rest of the games yesterday night, I’m down to 9th at the end of day.  VCU cost me big time.  They game went into OT after a VCU player fouled SFA with seconds left on the clock.  Egads!  Well, I wasn’t terribly surprised as in the last few minutes I felt that VCU was ‘phoning it in’, and trying to run down the clock with their small lead.  Hello VCU?  Your confidence in a win, smacked you out of the tournament.  I guess that’s why they call it March Madness.  On the good news, I only have one team out, aka Duke from my picks moving forward.  It’s a hit as I had them moving forward to round 4 of my bracket.  😦

In other news, Urban Running Girl has marked down all shrugs for the $20 Spring Sale.  If you are wondering, “Why a shrug?” Yesterday, a customer posted an article about shrugs here.  Thanks Wendy Bumgardner!

Coincidently, Spring has apparently sprung, or at least it has been officially noted.  I’m not sure if Mother Nature has gotten the memo yet.  As of this morning, I see fresh snow outside my window.  Old Man Winter is like the house guest that just won’t leave or perhaps like the boyfriend you broke up with, that won’t stop calling.  Ok, old man, you’ve worn out your welcome.  It’s time you move on.  We’ve dealt with the ice storm, reading about this polar vortex, and numerous days in sub zero temperatures.  I’m ready to burn my winter boots and slip on some lighter, brighter and definitely more comfortable foot wear.  Oh, this is cool.  Have you seen this?  🙂  Custom design New Balance shoes.

I hope where ever you live, the weather has improved with more spring like conditions.  For me?  I’ll stick to my treadmill.

Happy Running.

Black Friday Week – URG’s Biggest Sale

Black Friday week started today at Urban Running Girl.  All shrugs are now $20!  That’s right!  Just $20 til next Wednesday.

Save almost 40% off the regular price.  And since we can fit up to 3 in the same parcel for the same shipping cost, why not get two or three?  A shrug makes a great gift for that female runner who has every gadget and gizmo.

Shrugs are great for milder climates year round or as an extra layer for transitioning through seasons.  How many of you have found yourself taking off your jacket mid-run, and tying it around your waist?  Only to have it hang down to your knees.  A shrug won’t create that extra bulk that we’ve all experienced.

http://www.urbanrunninggirl.ca

Get yours today.

Happy Running!

Thank You

As a small independent online business, it can be a challenge to bring awareness to a product.  Of course, small businesses don’t have a gazillion dollars to advertise on a large scale.  As a result, if a business can’t get their name out, potential customers won’t know they exist to even begin looking for them.

Urban Running Girl has been extremely fortunate.  In regards to receiving additional blog and media exposure, the month of November has been AMAZING for Urban Running Girl. There have been two outstanding blog reviews from JillWillRun and The RUNiverse.  As well, the editorial content from Get Out There magazine and iRun has been fantastic.  I am most grateful for all the support, not only from the bloggers and the media, but from everyone who has taken a moment out of their busy day to read or comment on any of those blogs or magazines.  As well, those who have commented on URG’s blog, FB page, Tweeted or sent us a private email.  Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.  Your support has been awesome and I truly appreciate it.

As November comes to a close, there is one last blog review from Push.Pump.Progress. Push.Pump.Progress is our first Canadian blogger to review Urban Running Girl and the response has been wonderful.

I’ve copied most of the review below, however, the full blog can be read here.

MONDAY, 26 NOVEMBER 2012 – Blog Review from Push.Pump.Progress

Urban Running Girl Review & GIVEAWAY!!!
Hello Lovelies!

I hope you are all having a great start to your week and that you are all getting ready to participate in this weeks Frosty Fitness Challenge! As if you needed an excuse to work on your push up skills!

Since I just got engaged and since it is the Christmas season (a definite time for giving!) I thought it would be a great time to do another review and GIVEAWAY!!!

Last month a stumbled upon a local Toronto based company called Urban Running Girl. Urban Running Girl makes running shrugs…. yes that’s right RUNNING SHRUGS! I was very intrigued by this product so I contact the owner Deb to get more information. These shrugs are designed for active women! “The idea of a running shrug came about from the need to keep warm while warming up during an early morning run, particularly in the spring and fall. It’s too cool to start with only a tank top or t-shirt, but once warmed up and/or the outside temperature rises, it’s too warm for a long sleeve shirt or jacket.” How many of you have faced that problem when out for a run?? I know that I have on several occasions!

Wearing a jacket or long sleeve shirt over a tank top when running can be very frustrating. For example you start to over heat but don’t want to stop to take your jacket or top off, jackets and tops tied around your waste can really weigh you down, zippers and Velcro can chafe, and if you over heat during a race you have to re-pin your bib if you take off your top layer! Now all of those problems have been solved with this unique little shrug!

These shrugs come in a variety of colours: purple, black, pink, orange and turquoise. Deb sent me the turqouise running shrug and I love it! The shrugs are made of tech material that wicks sweat away quickly, it also has fold over cuffs that you can use

to cover your hands on cooler days. What I REALLY like about Urban Running Girls is that the shrugs are all designed and made in Canada!!!! I am all about supporting Canadian made products!

Catching up with Urban Running Girl

Wow!  Time flies!  I looked back at my last blog post and realized I’d better get cracking at writing something new!  This week has been a busy one.

Firstly, I’d like to give a shout out to my American cousins.  I hope you are enjoying a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend, and perhaps in the midst of all the festivities and good food, you’ve had some time to work it off with a good run or two.  If not, perhaps you are running around at the shopping mall, seeking out great Black Friday deals! 🙂  Either way, you are keeping active!  Woot!

This week I took some time to begin the big clean prior to Christmas.  I’ve been working up a sweat, moving furniture around, dusting, purging some items and getting my house in order.  A whole day was given to the pantry as I had to reorganize.  It really hasn’t been that long since I did this, but of course, I had to go through everything one by one, checking expiry dates on foods.  As well, checking our current baking supplies so we know what to purchase for the holiday season baking list.  Unfortunately, I had some expired Gu sitting in the back of the cupboard which I had to dispose of which didn’t make me happy.

I did get my Christmas tree up this week (without decorations) on account of this guy…..

LeChat

Don’t let him fool you.  He’s full of beans!  The tree went up as this will be his first Christmas with us, so I wanted to make sure he wouldn’t climb it and take it down.  So far, so good!

On a business front, Urban Running Girl has also been featured in the lastest issue of iRun magazine.

Urban Running Girl featured on page 50 of iRun magazine 2013 issue 01.

Close up of feature….

Urban Running Girl – Editorial coverage in iRun Magazine

Of course any additional coverage of Urban Running Girl in mainstream media makes me a happy girl. 🙂

Tonight I am off to see The Who in concert.  I don’t generally attend many rock concerts nowadays, however, this is one band that seemed to escape me.  Back in 1989 they played in Toronto and as luck would have it, on the exact same night, I had my high school graduation.  I’m sure they’ve played here since then, but of course, I missed that too.  So tonight, I get to pretend I am 18 again, and relive a moment I once missed!  However, with that said, I won’t be teasing my hair.  Hee hee!

I hope everyone is having a great start to the weekend.  Happy Running!

Jillwillrun reviews Urban Running Girl

Jill at Jillwillrun did a review of the Urban Running Girl shrug.  I’ve reposted the full text review here, however her site review looks so much better with pics! (a sample screenshot of part of the review is below)  Check out her site!  Jill has a ton of great information on running and product reviews as her blog goes back as 2008 when she ran her first marathon.  She’s also a certified running coach with the RRCA and coached 4 seasons with Team Challenge

URBAN RUNNING GIRL REVIEW

Shrug if you want to stay warm

November 15, 2012 | Filed under: Gear, Reviews | 3 Comments
Tagged with: arm warmer, runner, shrug, urban running girl
Review of: Urban Running Girl Shrug
Price:$32.99
Reviewed by: Jill
Rating:
5

Summary:
Awesome option to keep your arms warm on slightly chilly days or at the start of races. You can tie it around your waist without adding a lot of bulk. Made out of soft material that washes well and even includes a way to cover your hands for warmth.

More Details
I was initially unsure about the concept of the Urban Running Girl shrug. On one hand, it seemed like a potentially smart idea but on the other it seemed like a potentially strange idea. It wasn’t until I tried it that I truly saw the beauty of this product!

The Urban Running Girl shrug is basically a shirt… without most of the shirt! It covers the arms and shoulders, making it lightweight and easy to remove when you no longer need that layer. Plus, unlike arm warmers where you have to find somewhere to stash them once you’re done with them, this can tie around your waist without nearly the bulk that a jacket adds. This is perfect for cool morning runs (I live in Las Vegas, this could even be used for winter running!) and it’s a perfect option for races with cool starts. You can wear a tank or singlet and top it off with the shrug to stay warm. Your race number will stay expose while you stay warm until it’s time to remove the shrug.

It has handy little pockets at the end of the sleeves.

No, these pockets aren’t for storing stuff, they’re to tuck your hands into when you’re shivering in the starting corral or just need to keep your paws covered for a little while.

The shrug is a nice soft material and it washes up beautifully. On the back the website for UrbanRunningGirl.ca is featured… so others will know where to get one after they are jealous of your shrug!

You can use this for more than just running though. You could stuff it in your bag and pull it on in cold movie theaters (Does every place keep their movie theaters sub-zero? Vegas ones are cold!) You could slip it on over a t-shirt while working in the yard or just sitting in your office. (That’s been tested… it worked well!) I’m a fan, I think this is a smart design!

The business is based out of Canada and you can order from them online. Orders can be shipped to the US and Canada.

Get Out There Magazine – Urban Running Girl makes the Holiday Gift Guide

Urban Running Girl makes the cut!

Get Out There magazine 2012 – Holiday Gift Guide issue

Get Out There Magazine is Canada’s source for endurance sports, outdoor recreation adventure and play!  You can view online at GetOutThereMag.com

Get Out There magazine Holiday 2012 issue Page 20. Highlighting Urban Running Girl.

As well, Urban Running Girl was highlighted on Get Out There’s Facebook page for Day 10 of their Holiday Gift Guide!

Go check it out!

New Addition to Urban Running Girl

Autumn is in the air.  The leaves have changed colour, and Pumpkin Spice lattes seem to be on everyone’s minds.

Meech Lake, Quebec

Urban Running Girl is also inspired by the Fall colours.  Today we have added an ORANGE shrug to our family.  I love the colour orange.  There is something so festive and fun about this colour.  Definitely one of my faves!

Urban Running Girl-Orange shrug

Our orange shrug will surely get you noticed by loved ones as they watch for you crossing the finish line of your next race.

GREAT NEWS!! NEW COLOUR!

You asked for it, and we delivered!

We now have BLACK as a new shrug colour.

For more information, please see our product page

About Urban Running Girl

Urban Running Girl is a small e-commerce business based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  All running shrugs have been designed and manufactured in Canada.

The idea of a running shrug came about from the need to keep warm while warming up during an early morning run, particularly in the spring and fall.  It’s too cool to start with only a tank top or t-shirt, but once warmed up and/or the outside temperature rises, it’s too warm for a long sleeve shirt or jacket.

Wearing a long sleeve shirt/jacket over a tank top or t-shirt brings additional frustrations:

Wear it for the entire run and get too hot.
Take it off, and leave it by the side of the road (see this all the time in races).
Take it off, and tie it around the waist so it becomes additional baggage to carry. Also, jacket zippers/velcro could chafe against pants/leggings.

These frustrations seem unnecessary, so development started on a piece of clothing that would be light weight, and cover the shoulders and arms only… the running shrug.

Urban Running Girl shrugs can be purchased at Urban Running Girl

At this time, shipping is in Canada only.  We hope to be available to the U.S. market soon.