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Top 10 COOL Father's Day Gifts for a COOL Dad

Posted on Mon, Jun 02, 2014

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Still don’t know what to get Dad for Father’s Day? We were having trouble figuring it out at MISSION, so we put together a list of what we think are the TOP TEN gifts for active, summer loving dads this year!

10. MISSION Athletecare EnduraCool Instant Cooling Towel

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Whether it’s a round of golf, an afternoon on the tennis courts or a day by the pool, what better way to keep Dad feeling refreshed than with one of these?! Did we mention that these come in Dad’s favorite NCAA and MLB team styles too? $14.99-$19.99 from Mission

9. Outdoor Speakers

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When Dad comes home from a long day at work and wants to relax or is looking for some entertainment while he swims laps at the pool, a set of wireless outdoor speakers can definitely get the job done! All he has to do is plug in his stereo or MP3 player and he is seconds away from filling your yard with the sounds of his favorite band. $149.99 at Brookstone

8. LED Lighted Golf Balls

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Maybe Dad likes to go out on the course to hit a couple of balls late at night? Or maybe he gets up at the crack of dawn to work on his swing? Either way he can be sure to never lose a ball again with a set of light-up golf balls! $24.99 on Amazon

7. Hammock

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Dad works hard and he deserves some relaxation in the fresh air! What better way to do this than with a brand new hammock? This will definitely let his worries drift away while starring off into the summer sky. $379.00 at Brookstone

6. MISSION Athletecare Sports Kits

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Does your Dad want to hit a hole in one like Sergio Garcia? Or maybe he wants to rule the tennis courts like Serena Williams? Either way MISSION has worked with our athletes to put together a survival kit for the golf or tennis player in your life! So treat dad to a perfect game and make sure he is prepared to play his best in the summer sun. $25.50 from Mission Athletecare

5. iGrill 

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What’s Father’s Day without a barbeque? The iGrill is the ultimate grilling thermometer that allows you to track four meat temperatures simultaneously all via Bluetooth on their app! Maybe if you give Dad his gift early enough you can enjoy a delicious steak for Father’s Day dinner. $99.99 from iDevices

 4. Flex Wireless Activity and Sleep Wristband 

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Help Dad stay in shape in the most convenient way possible! Flex is a slim wristband that tracks your activity and how many calories you burn during the day and your sleep patterns at night. The best motivation Dad needs to get going is smaller than the average watch. $99.95 from Fit Bit

3. Floating Pool Cooler

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It’s not good enough for Dad to just stay cool in the pool this summer, it’s important for him to stay hydrated too! Make sure his thirst is always quenched whether he is swimming laps or relaxing on a raft. $49.99 at Dick’s Sporting Goods

2. Backyard Games

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The opportunities for outdoor summer fun are endless with any of the backyard games that are popular this summer season! From $39.99 at Dick’s Sporting Goods

1. MISSION Athletecare Enduracool Father’s Day Towel KitMission_Athletecare_Fathers_Day_Gift_Guide_Enduracool_Cooling_Towel_Cap_Hat_Kit_Dad

Show your Dad why he’s the coolest! No matter what he does this summer people will know how great he is with any of our limited edition Father’s Day towels! Pair that with our Instant Cooling Cap and he is ready to take the heat. $30.00 from Mission Athletecare

 

 

 

Here We Go! Train Like a Pro, Part I

Posted on Tue, Jan 31, 2012

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As the editor of Mission's blog, I have the job of figuring out what comes next. Given that the Olympics are around the corner, we at Mission will be checking in with some of our athletes to talk training - a topic that many of you are interested in. Via Facebook and Twitter, you've shared news of your latest race, upcoming season, and personal fitness goals. In fact, more often than not, one of your comments leads me to a workout of my own later on in the day... But back to the Mission athletes. I figure their secrets will benefit us all. Before we jump in with their favorite workouts and tricks of the trade, I wanted to write a post about the preparation needed before one even begins training. Baby steps, if you will.

Before considering which race to sign up for this spring, I spent some time searching the web for sources that deal with the importance of training and came across a wide variety of opinions. The articles that I have included here offered some of the best advice, in part because they spoke to the fundamentals of training as an everyday endeavor for the everyday athlete.

In an article for xtri.com, Brad Stulberg breaks World Champion triathlete, Jordan Rapp's quote, "train as much as possible" into two parts. He writes:

"1) Train as much: More volume and more intensity is good, so long as...
2) As Possible: The body and mind are in a position to successfully adapt to the applied load."

His article, available here, made me reconsider the feet to the fire approach I initially thought was necessary to start training. The idea isn't to ambush your body. It is to first, be thoughtful, and second, act accordingly. As Stulberg writes, we, the training athletes, need to consider the rest of our lives - the amount of time we spend at work, the amount of time we sleep, the amount of time we would have to recover after working out - before we can commit to a training regimen. I completely agree.

Tip 1: Be realistic.

I found more valuable insight at the New York Times and Tara Parker-Pope's blog on health and wellness (one of my go-tos for insight re: fitness, health, food and the intersection of the three) where Nicole Kolata was writing about the limits of personal workouts.

Kolata sat down with University of Indiana's sports psychologist, John Raglin, to talk about a recent trend and the focus of his studies, overtraining. Raglin's advice to the everyday athlete is to take notice of your body. "You should feel tired... but if you do too much with too little rest, your performance gets worse, not better. Serious athletes recognize these issues — whether they respond to them or not is another matter. A lot of recreational athletes really have no idea.”

If you're not sure how to keep your workouts in perspective, Kolata suggests writing in a diary or taking notes on how you feel after training. The act of recording will help you stay atune to what your body may be telling you.

Rule 2: Take time to recover.
Rule 2.5: Take notes.

A little late to the race, I stumbled across ESPN anchor, Sage Steele's blog about preparing for her first half-marathon. (You can follow her on Twitter by searching #RUNSAGE.) In the latest entry, two trainers - both marathon runners and moms - Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea, give her some "sage advice," beginning with:

1. Don't think, just go. (For their other tips, read the rest of the article here.)

Perhaps more than anything, you and I, just have to start. Lace up the old Nikes and get out there. Reading these articles was step one. Onto step two and the actual running!

Stay tuned in the coming months as I'll be writing about our athletes as many of them gear up for the Olympics. I'll let you in on their training secrets and the Mission products they're using to keep them in prime condition. I welcome any of your suggestions as to what comes next. To stay in touch, visit our Connect page here.

Now, back to training!