I’ve been meaning to get a post like this up for some time. I want you all to know why I review certain items and from where these items come. I will, regardless of where the items come from, always be 100% honest in my reviews. I do not want to read the standard line about items when I read a review. I want to know what the review really thinks.

Races

While I write recaps of most races I run, I have special relationships with some races. Usually, you will see an excited post that says “Yeah! I’m an ambassador for …”  and then I talk about a race, or as was the case last year a relay series, that I am representing. I take these opportunities very seriously and do not jump at all of them. I truly have to love the race to want to represent it when I am running in other locations and when I am here and in other spots online trying to convince you – my friends and readers – to spend hard earned money to run these same races.

Last year I was an ambassador for the Ragnar Relay series, specifically the Adirondack Relay. I love the Adirondacks and had run the race in 2013. It was not a stretch for me to tell people about this race or to explain how my team and I did in 2013. I enjoyed this immensely but did not, as I am moving this year, feel I could do it again in 2016. If you have questions about Ragnar, and the ADK race specifically, please ask me. I will not hesitate to tell you all about it.

I also was an ambassador – the group of us were called the UnstoppaBULLS – for the Bull City Race Fest, a half marathon run in Durham, North Carolina last October. I loved this race and fully intend to run it again and to apply to be an ambassador again.

For the last several years I have run and been a blogger for the Blue Ridge Marathon. My first trip to Roanoke was to run the full marathon in 2013. In 2014, I ran the half. I have not yet run the Star 10K but it is always a possibility. I love Roanoke,Virginia. The Blue Ridge Mountains call to me when I am in them. Roanoke was my first taste of this and I will be back there in April to race again. If you want to join me in Roanoke, you can use the code TOUGHIS to get 15% off the race.

I have also been an ambassador for the Asheville Marathon and Half at Biltmore Estate going on three years now. You can find my writings on the race’s blog. My most recent writing, about being a charity runner, is the most current blog piece. This race and the Asheville area have me packing, slowly, up my home and moving. While Roanoke introduced me to the Blue Ridge Mountains, the greater Asheville area is the area that I will be making my home soon.

Products

I will, on occasion, review a product that I have purchased myself and I love. I do this because I want to share products with my readers. Most of these are products that have to do with running and fitness but not all of them. Product reviews will have a disclaimer in them, usually at the top, that tells if I am reviewing the product through an association with a company or the product itself.

One such association is with Fit Approach. I became a #sweatpink ambassador a few years back. I enjoy the emphasis this group puts on fitness and the people who run the group. One of these days I have to let Rebecca, who does a lot of the emails about product campaigns for Fit Approach, know that she and I are sorority sisters.

I applied and received a place in the Honey Stinger Hive this year. I love Honey Stinger products – from their energy gels to their waffles. I will be telling y’all much more about these as the year goes by. I may even give some samples away as I want you to try these products, also.

I have been – gosh, it may be six or seven years now – a BzzAgent. Being a marketing major in college, I know the value of good word of mouth advertising. Bzz Agents create this buzz for companies. Surveys have to be answered and I am always pleased with what I am offered to review.

I am also an Influenster, which is another agency that sends out products to people who influence others. I will frequently let you know that I am in a campaign from Influenster and am reviewing this product for that.

Should you ever want to join any of these groups, let me know. I will be happy to walk you through the process.

Books

If you haven’t noticed before, I read voraciously. I will do book reviews here on my blog. Not all the reviews come from books I have received for that purpose. Frequently, I’ll review a book just because I want to review it.

You will see, many times, that I am involved in an author giveaway when I review a book. These reviews come through a company called Beck Valley Books. I love the offering of books available through this company. I also enjoy reviewing these books.

I also take part in First to Read from Penguin. I will frequently review the books I have read through this program on here.

Do you have any relationships with companies? What are they?