Giveaway: Smartshake Slim (new from Smartshake)

A quick blog post for a rainy Sunday. Who fancies a giveaway? Why not!

Smartshake have recently launched their Smartshake Slim shakerbottles – smaller, slimmer, tapered versions of their classic and ever-popular stacking shakers.

(I reviewed the regular sized Smartshake neon range here).

I have this blue Smartshake Slim to give away to one of you. I promise you’ll love it: I’m using a combination of the black/gunsmoke and pink ones and already can’t be without it. Look at it – that’s another thing I love about Smartshake bottles – you can mix and match all the components!

At 500ml and with a slim tapered shape, it’s the perfect size for travel or cardio. It fits car cup holders (most shaker bottles are too big), gym bag pockets, handmags (man bags?!) and even the smallest bottle compartments on gym cardio machines.

As with all Smartshake products, it’s BPA free, dishwasher safe, etc, and has the classic “extra” screw on compartment for the bottom of the shaker, so you can carry a serving of protein powder, or supplements (or food, or hair bands, or your jewellery…)

To enter, simply
1) like Smartshake UK on Twitter and
2) tweet a link to this blog post with my Twitter name (@thefitwriter) and Smartshake UK’s Twitter name (@smartshakeuk) in it.

Something like:

“I’ve entered @thefitwriter ‘s giveaway for @smartshakeuk NEW Smartshake Slim https://thefitwriter.wordpress.com/2014/04/27/giveaway-smartshake-slim/ “ (shrink the URL)
Closing date 10pm Tuesday 29th April – get cracking!

Giveaway: Smartshake Slim (new from Smartshake) is a post from the Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

TheFitDog hosts a running magazine giveaway

TheFitDog has a big head at the moment. And I’m not talking about the generous proportions he was blessed with by mother nature. He’s puffed up with pride, far beyond his wrinkly jowls and square brain-box.

Why?

He’s in a magazine again.

Eagle-eyed readers may have spotted him (and me, but that’s by the by) in the current issue of Women’s Running magazine. Remember when we went on a caniX training session? This article is the result*

Anyway, Frankie thinks that absolutely everybody should have the opportunity to gaze upon his handsome face and marvel over this athletic physique. So he’s offering one of you a brand new, slobber-free copy of May 2014 Women’s Running magazine.

To be in the mix – do these two things

1) share this blog post on Twitter (with my Twitter name @thefitwriter in your tweet somewhere)
or
share this blog post on Facebook (with my FB page link https://www.facebook.com/thefitwriter in the post)
2) leave a comment on this post to let me know you’ve done one of the above!

Frankie and I will pick a winner on Monday and get the magazine sent out to you ASAP.

Open to readers anywhere in the world 🙂

*In case you think I’ve gone a bit quiet with the “where you’ll find my byline this month” posts, I don’t do much journalism these days – it’s mostly copywriting. I put a fair bit of client news on my website newspage, when possible.

TheFitDog hosts a running magazine giveaway is a post from the Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

Giveaway winners – Kinetica Sports protein

Just a quick one to announce the two winners of the Kinetica Sports protein giveaway. Thank you to all of you who entered, I wish I had enough samples to send something to you all! Sadly only two people can win and they are:

colm bourke and Mattay Dunn

(I used an online random number generator thingy this time – Frankie says he is too tired to select the winners this time)

You both win a sample of the Complete and the Oat Gain.

Congratulations Colm and Mattay, please email me (there’s a contact me box top right on the blog home page) to give me your postal address.

Thanks to everyone for taking part 🙂

Giveaway winners – Kinetica Sports protein is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

Giveaway! Kinetica Sports protein

It’s cold, it’s dark and it’s Friday. Perfect excuse for a little giveaway!

The folk at Kinetica Sports recently launched a few new products and sent them over for me to try. Trouble is, a couple of them don’t quite “fit my macros” (as the cool kids say) so I thought you guys should have them instead. Simple!

The new products include:
– Pro-Release (a really smooth-tasting blend of whey isolate,milk protein concentrate, whey protein concentrate and egg albumin protein for fast, medium and slow digesting proteins) – I tried this in both strawberry sundae and chocolate brownie flavour and loved it. It’s a very smooth and rich casein blend, perfect for bedtime.
– a new banana flavour whey protein – I also tried this and wasn’t too keen on the idea, as I don’t usually like banana whey at all, but this was actually very nice, not overly sweet and a great flavour. Nice and thick too.
– Complete in banana smoothie flavour – this is a high-quality whey protein with organic virgin coconut oil, Creapure® (99.99% pure creatine monohydrate), a high-and low-GI carbohydrate blend and a digestive enzyme (Aminogen®)
– Oat Gain in orange and mango flavour – as the name suggests, this is more of a “mass gain” product, with plenty of carbs and cals from ground oats, MCTs (from organic virgin coconut oil) as well as a protein blend and Aminogen® digestive enzymes.

Giveaway

I wasn’t able to try the Complete or the Oat Gain myself but I’d love you to try them! Click through to the links to check that they suit your particularly goals at the moment. I have two sample sachets of each, so will send two readers one of both the Complete in banana flavour (30g), and the Oat Gain orange and mango (80g). You lucky devils!

To enter, follow Kinetics Sports on Twitter, tweet something like “I’ve just entered @thefitwriter blog giveaway to win @kineticasports samples” and include a link to this blog post. Then head back here to leave a comment letting me know you’ve done that, so I know to put your name into the hat.

That’s it! I’ll pick a winner at random on Monday 25th March at 9pm.

Giveaway! Kinetica Sports protein is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

Giveaway winner! Razzy roo hairband (don’t forget 20% discount for all)

Evening!

Just a quick one to announce the winner of the Razzy Roo hairband giveaway

Sorry I know I said I’d do it at 9pm but I’m not sure I can keep my eyes open!

I thought about doing some techy online number generator thing but opted for something much funnier (to me, at least): the canine name-selector.

Frankie donned his favourite Razzy Roo headband to survey the names.

Then swapped to another to select the winner (by lying down on the bits of paper with his nose on one).

I opened it to reveal:

FI! 😀

Well done Fi, please email me (top right of the homepage) or contact me any which way and I’ll put you in touch with the folk at Razzy Roo 😀

Everyone else – thank you for entering – and remember there’s a great 20% discount on offer to blog readers. Just put the code THEFITWRITER in at checkout (code will expire on 1st April 2013).

You can find razzy roo on Twitter and razzy roo on Facebook as well as their own website.

Giveaway winner! Razzy roo hairband (don’t forget 20% discount for all) is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

Giveaway! These are a few of my favourite things: the hairband edition

People will often ask me where I get my supplements, food, workout gear etc from. I have a few discount codes for some of my favourite companies, and am generously supported in one way or another by some others. Then there are the companies, brands and products which I just straight-up love, without discount codes or freebies! I thought I’d start a blog series telling you about these “favourite things” – and extending the discount code to you where one exists. All these “favourite things” posts are on one page.

Ladies (or metrosexual males!), I’ve got a giveaway for you today. Let’s brighten up this dreary drizzly day.

I rarely venture to the gym without some kind of headwear. It just doesn’t feel proper. A beanie hat, a peaked cap or, if I’m feeling particularly snazzy, a sparkly hairband.

My absolute favourite place to get my sparkly hairbands from is Razzy Roo. I don’t care that they’re in the USA. I love their hairbands and have loads of them. I’ve bought them for friends, for Secret Santa gifts and even for my sister (you know something’s good if it makes it onto the list of “Stuff I Give My Sister”.)

I sent one to my “Fitness” Secret Santa at Christmas, and she says, “I love mine thanks to you! So pretty!” Here she is having just completed “Hot Pursuit” – an obstacle course race – hair perfectly in place!

Take a look at the Razzy Roo website. They do thin, medium and thick sparkly glitter bands (my favourite!) and a range of patterned ones. I love wearing two of the thinnest sparkly ones together.

I love these hairbands not just because there are so many colours and patterns to choose from, but because they’re so well made. They’re elasticated (and none of them have lost their elasticity despite a lot of use), and the inside of the band is a lovely velvety material so it won’t snag or rough up your hair. And they keep your hair in place really well.

I always have at least one Razzy Roo hairband in my gymbag or handbag, and I’d love you to have one too.

Giveaway

The lovely ladies at Razzy Roo have agreed to give one blog reader a free band (of your choice) and they’ll ship anywhere in the world (although they do point out that international shipping takes a little longer than within the USA).

To enter, follow razzy roo on Twitter or like razzy roo on Facebook, then leave a comment on this post letting me know you’ve done so. If you’re on Twitter, tweet a link to this giveaway and put something like “I’ve just entered @thefitwriter blog giveaway to win a @razzyroobands hairband”

That’s it! I’ll pick a winner at random on Monday 11th March at 9pm.

20% discount

Everyone else can make use of an exclusive 20% discount on website prices – the code to use at checkout is THEFITWRITER. It will expire on 1st April 2013.

You can find razzy roo on Twitter and razzy roo on Facebook as well as their own website.

These are a few of my favourite things: the hairband edition is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

Byline in The Washington Post (and “Swim: Why We Love The Water” giveaway)

I don’t just train. I do a bit of work, too 😉 I work as a freelance writer, doing both editorial work (features in consumer magazines, mostly, but some trade/industry publications, too) and commercial work as a copywriter (content for B2B clients, B2C clients and agencies).

I don’t often blog about work (I probably should do so more often), in fact there are only a handful of work-related posts on this blog:

– Where you could have found my byline back in May 2010
– How to engage with fitness journalists and bloggers
– How I became a freelance writer (and other FAQs)
– More bylines
– My favourite commissions (at that point!)
– A few fitness copywriting examples
– And a few more here.
– The importance of quality content for fitness professionals

You can also check out some of my clients on my Pinterest board “my lovely clients” (cos they are all lovely – one of the benefits of being freelance is that you don’t have to work with the non-lovely ones).

On the whole, I am excited by everything I write. Every new commission still gives me a thrill, even after eight years. However, this one’s a bit special and I’d really like to shout about it. Indulge me, please. I promise we’ll be back to photos of my weightlifting belt and reviews of protein powders soon 😉

In March, I was contacted by someone who purported to be a commissioning Editor at The Washington Post. Yeah right, I thought. Ha ha! But… it’s not quite 1st April. So maybe this isn’t an April Fool. Sure enough, it was real. The Washington Post had been looking for a book reviewer for the book “Swim: Why We Love The Water” and had found me. (For those of you who have only known me, or this blog, since I took up bodybuilding, you need to know that I come from a swimming background and have swum the English Channel twice). The Editor had read a few of my articles, blog posts and online features about swimming and decided to approach me.

I was very excited. I mean, come on. The Washington Post?

The review came out and is still online here.

Would you like to win a copy of Lynn Sherr’s book, “Swim: Why We Love The Water”? Because you can. I have a spare copy here (not the review copy with my bits of paper stuck all over it).

To win, please:
1) “Like” “Swim: Why We Love The Water” Facebook page
2) Tweet a link to this blog post, including my Twitter name (@thefitwriter) and Lynn’s (@LynnSherr) and include the hashtag #SWIM in your Tweet
3) Come and leave a comment on this blog post to let me know you’ve done those two things… and then tell me your most memorable swimming experience. I’d love to hear about it, no matter where or when it was. Pool, sea, lake or lido… tell me 🙂

Byline in The Washington Post (and “Swim: Why We Love The Water” giveaway) is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

Competition winners! GOOD Hemp with Stevia

Thanks to those of you who left a comment on this post and on GOOD Hemp’s Facebook page in a bid to win one of five tubs of GOOD Hemp’s chocolate protein powder – now sweetened with Stevia.

*drum roll*

The winners, chosen out of a metaphorical hat, are:

ZoeS, Alice, Ildiko, Olivia B and Tara.

Well done! 🙂 Please email your postal addresses to me (nicola AT nicolajoyce.co.uk) and I’ll pass them on to GOOD Hemp who will ship your tubs of protein out to you directly. I really hope you enjoy them! 😀

If you weren’t one of the five winners, remember you can still use the 25% discount code GOOD Hemp have offered readers of this blog. Put the code GOODN1 in at the checkout and you’ll get a whopping 25% off the new Gym Shake with Stevia (one code per reader).

I hope everyone is having a great weekend. Please cross your fingers for my husband who is currently having his shoulder operated on (it was misdiagnosed as a dislocation a few weeks ago….!)

Competition winners! GOOD Hemp with Stevia is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

Competition time and discount code: new GOOD Hemp with Stevia

Morning all! My sponsors, GOOD Hemp nutrition, have just reformulated their chocolate protein powder to use Stevia as a sweetener (previously Sucralose). Great news, as Stevia is far preferable (read why in this blog post).

There are all sorts of reasons why GOOD’s hemp protein powder is great for you: as well as helping you reach your protein requirements (regardless of whether or not you’re a bodybuilder, or even “sporty”), it’s full of really “GOOD” stuff (see what I did there?) including omega 3, dietary fibre and all the EAAs (essential amino acids) your body needs. It’s also much less likely (than dairy-based protein powders) to cause any digestive issues or bloating. Plus it’s reallyreallyreally chocolatey and great for baking as well as just in a shake! The new formulation tastes great and it’s good to know that GOOD have pioneered the way in using Stevia as a sweetener. Be gone, Sucralose!

GOOD Hemp giveaway competition and discount code

To celebrate the launch of the new formulation, GOOD have kindly given me five tubs to give away to five of you! And, on top of that, an exclusive discount code for readers of the blog.

Put the code GOODN1 in at the checkout and you’ll get a whopping 25% off the new Gym Shake with Stevia (one code per reader). It’s currently on an introductory offer of £26.99 (1kg) so the code will make it….erm….*gets abacus out*…. £20.25 (?) And you’ll get loyalty points too.

To win one of the five tubs of the new formulation Gym Shake, leave me a comment telling me why you want to try the product, and then head on over to GOOD Hemp’s Facebook page and pop a post on their wall saying you’ve entered thefitwriter blog competition to win one of the five tubs. That’s it! (Make sure you comment here, otherwise I won’t know you’ve entered).

Entries close this Friday night at 8pm UK time and I’ll pick the winners at random over the weekend. 🙂

Enjoy!

– follow GOOD Hemp on Facebook (just click the link)
– follow GOOD Hemp on Twitter (click the link)

Competition time and discount code: new GOOD Hemp with Stevia is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

Competition time: win GOOD Hemp protein samples

I’m glad you liked the guest posts from Hey Joob!, girlontheriver and Protein Pow(d)er whilst I was away. If you didn’t catch them, take a look. Joob wrote about rising obesity rates, girlontheriver made a case for rowing and Anna from Protein Pow(d)er gave us a recipe.

Today I’ve got a competition for you. Yes, even you in the USA. Anyone can enter, hooray!

Up for grabs are several sample packs of GOOD Hemp protein powders – my favourites in fact. After reading my recent review of the GOOD Hemp range, the kind folk over there sent me a load of sample sachets of my two favourites: the Gym shake in chocolate flavour and the Fit Shake in Strawberry flavour.

I want to spread the love, so I am giving away five sets of the two samples, as well as a money-off voucher to use should you want to place an order at any point.

Do you fancy trying my two favourite protein powders? Both are great just straight-up, mixed with water, but the chocolate one is great for baking with, too. They’re definitely not just for bodybuilder, gym-bunny types. Anyone sporty could use them, and even anyone non-sporty. I sent my sister some recently and she loves them in smoothies.

Here’s how to enter. All you have to do is one of the two options below – then come back here and leave me a comment to tell me you’ve done it. I’ll pick five winners at random from the comments.

– follow GOOD Hemp on Facebook (just click the link)
– follow GOOD Hemp on Twitter (click the link) and tweet a link to this blog post (something like “I’ve entered @thefitwriter ‘s blog giveaway for @goodhempnutri samples [link]” should do it!)

Closing date is this Sunday – December 11th – at midnight UK time. I’ll pick the winners on Monday!

Competition time: win GOOD Hemp protein samples is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.