New Balance and Reach the Beach

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Tomorrow I'll be up at 4am on my way to Cannon Mountain in northern New Hampshire to run Reach the Beach with my team, Team SMURFS (Super Mega Ultra Running Freaks).

But TODAY I am headed down to New Balance headquarters in Lawrence, MA. I was contacted by New Balance a few months ago and asked to be on the 12-person blogger team they were sponsoring. I sooooo wanted to say "yes," but I had already made the commitment to my SMURFS and wasn't about to ditch them, even though the itinerary made me second guess that (hello Mt. Washington Hotel and Resort?!).

But they graciously invited me to participate in the events they had lined up for their blogging team as well as sent me a sampling of their gear and a pair of shoes. I get to tour the headquarters, get a peak at the "Shoe Lab" and see the factory in Lawrence with the other 12 ladies on the team.

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New Balance is the one running shoe that I have never worn. Ever. I've been running since 2001 and I've never laced up a pair of New Balance shoes. So I was eager to try their shoes and get a look inside the company, which is why I gladly accepted their invitation. I also love the fact that they are LOCAL. A New England company with strong New England roots: not only are they based in Massachusetts but they also have two factories just north of me in Maine. They might be a big shoe company, but local factories mean local jobs and livelihoods for the people who live in the communities around me. To me, that's important.

I'm looking forward to our tour and getting to know the company a little better. I'm a little disappointed that I won't be running with some of the gals on the team: Jess, Christine, Allie and Melissa not to mention all the other amazing gals that I'll get meet today. Be sure to check their Twitter and Instagram feeds follow their team Pumped Up Kicks!

And you can follow along my 200 mile journey with my team via my Twitter feed and Instagram. I'll be using the hashtag #teamSMURFS.

--Sarah

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