A Viking, running

ORN:  This morning, I had a tough time staying out of bed once the alarm went off.  I was sorely tempted to sleep in and run during lunch, but my inner coach triumphed.  I made it to the track and ran a comfortably hard 6x400 workout.  Total mileage:  5.82 in 58'58".  I felt fine throughout, but if I had to do more than just the six repeats, I would have been in trouble.  I was dog-tired by the end.  But you couldn't tell from these splits, which were so close to my target time of 1'51" that I think you all ought to buy me an ale.  Something spicy and seasonal, please.  Check it out:

On to business.  The Federal Trade Commission has come down on hard on shifty-eyed, double-dealing bloggers like Yours Truly.  From what I gather, and I spent 3 whole minutes Googling this so I know what I'm talking about, I could be fined up to $11,000 for failing to disclose cash, freebies, or other swag I get for doing product reviews.  I was unaware that there was cash on the table for writing this fluff, but in the interest of staying out of trouble, let's set the record straight. 

 

The majority of the product reviews I have written on this site have been for products sent to me for free with the expectation that I review them.  I make no pretensions of being an objective journalist with ethics and stuff, at least not here.  I'm a cheapskate who likes freebies, so doing these reviews makes good sense for me.  And the companies that send me stuff make out alright, too.  They get the worldwide audience of millions this blog attracts.  It's a win-win.  As I have written these reviews, I've tried to disclose in plain language how I've obtained the items.  If it's ever unclear, let me know in comments before you go running off to the FTC.  I don't want you to think I'm both on-the-take and hiding it.  Still, I call them like I see them, giving props to good products and slamming things that I think are garbage.  I'm shamelessly on-the-take, but I try to be honest. 

 

Having said all this, I am disappointed that I have not been inundated with more free shoes, gadgets, and other gear.  Sure, I've gotten some socks, a crappy GPS watch, and a book once, but I'm sure there's lots more stuff I could write about.  Running gear manufacturers, in case you didn't get the memo, I am open for business.  Don't be shy.  [I'm looking at you, Stick people.]  I have, no exaggeration, more than twelve regular readers.  That's at least 24 additional eyeballs you could be reaching!  Send your freebies my way, and I will write about them honestly, giving you ounces of free publicity [or grams if you're a foreigner].  Include cash [really, some bloggers get paid to review swag? Inconceivable!] and I will write about them promptly and even use spell-check before I publesh.  I'm standing by. 

 

But readers, rest assured, I will always disclose what's going on.  This blog post was brought to you in Disney 3D by Garmin, Runners World Magazine, Burt's Bees, and John Conti Coffee.