Thursday, November 5, 2015

2015-16 ASICS Ambassador - But Really For A Decade Now

ASICS is a way of life for me, ever since I traded a box of KOOLS for a box of ASICS and became a Central Park runner on Dec. 1, 2006. Now that I am about to start a year-long celebration leading up to my 10th runnerversary (!!!), I am PSYCHED to announce that my friends at ASICS have chosen me as one of 16 #TeamASICS Ambassadors for 2015-16.

What it will mean for you and friends who follow me here and @Marathoner on Twitter is...
the opportunity for more extremely cool #ASICS merchandise giveaways, and I will have more details on that later. I cut back on marathoning in 2015 to focus on finishing some personal projects, ranging from college to a hopeful bestseller to a blanket chest restoration. Now it is time to build back into marathon and ultramarathon shape in 2016 as I have Rome (April) and New York City (November) marathons on the calendar so far.

In the meantime, I just really want to say a heartfelt THANK YOU to ASICS for this past decade of running. To say that I am an "Ambassador" for this brand is like saying I am a red wine ambassador or a proponent of oxygen for all humans. ASICS is just what I do, as authentic as you can get. I have mixed in an occasional other brand here and there to test, as I think everyone does. But I just rely on ASICS because it means running. And I think to celebrate this occasion, I am going to show it to you, with help from King Bingley, our lovable English Bulldog who wants me to walk him right now.

A DECADE IN ASICS SHOES





Those are my current ASICS shoes after having donated double-digit pairs to Soles4Souls in 2011. Top row, left to right: My first-ever pair of ASICS GT-2110s bought at Times Square Foot Locker on Dec. 1, 2006, from a retail person who had no clue what they were for; worn in 2007-08, now mudders around the house; Kayanos worn in 2014 ASICS LA Marathon. Middle row, left to right: 2014 ASICS LA Marathon special-edition lightweights ; GEL-Cumulus 16 give to me for my 100th race, the 2014 Brooklyn Half; and GEL-Electros sent for review (I wear them to knock around all the time). Bottom row, left to right: GEL-Cumulus 17; Gel-Kayano 21; and GEL-Nimbus 17. What happened to QUANTUM-MAN, you ask? I gave the GEL-Quantum 360s to my son Josh.

A DECADE IN ASICS TOPS





Here is a video tour of most of my most meaningful ASICS tops. I would like to challenge other #TeamASICS members to post a Video Tour of Meaning clip that takes us through your running world through the importance of individual tops you have worn. I have tried to take great care of all my running gear in the past decade, and I will say that quality ASICS gear lasts forever. Watch:



A DECADE IN ASICS BOTTOMS

This is just part of the collection of shorts, tights and running pants that I have gathered. I don't know about you, but I have to load a huge clear bin twice a year with cold or warm running gear, and then I put the bin in our basement that season. I just brought up the tights and other cold weather gear.



Here is a closer look at the bottoms:



A DECADE OF ASICS ACCESSORIES

So King Bingley was especially curious about this stuff. It's again just a sampling of the wide variety of ASICS items that are compiled in nearly a decade of marathoning. So much to love.



Here is a tour of the accessories:



Please be sure to follow me on @Marathoner on Twitter, and just change the "o" to a zero and follow @Marath0ner on Instagram -- at least until I can figure out how to get that IG account. Also check out my Tumblr at finisher.tumblr.com -- and all of my stories on MLB.com.

3 comments:

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RoxyC said...

Congrats! That's wonderful. You sure have come far. Love the gear video- I love Asics! Apparel is always super comfortable (no chafing seams) the fabrics breathe well are easy to clean. Super happy on your all your running accomplishments. Kayano's and GT 2000 series are my choice in shoes...ps I noticed the Asics Paris socks...Yep I purchased a pair as well when I ran that race. Onward to the next adventure!!

Mark Newman said...

Hey Roxygen! Big Cats Forever! That's where it all started. Big Cats Running Group on MySpace, a pioneer way before social media. You and I are just doing what we do! :)

Yeah good eye on Paris Marathon stuff! I loved my Paris Marathon race shirt. Great expo! Can't wait to see what Rome is like. See you at a race one day!

Mark