Free is for ME!

 

“That’s not true,” my wife said when she saw the above saying on a car bumper sticker a few weeks ago.

Needless to say, the costs related to running and training can occasionally be an issue in my house, as I’m sure they can be for others. There are race entry fees, new socks, new shoes, the never-ending supply of energy bars, GUs, Gatorade, the latest, greatest compression socks and BodyGlide (that’s where the real costs add up. You can never have too much BodyGlide!)

That’s why, when the occasional freebie comes my way, I’m more than happy to say: “Free is for ME!” Today was the ultimate freebie day.

First, I’ll have to back it up a bit. Because my employer recently told all employees that we are only to use work-related social media accounts for work purposes (makes perfect sense), I created a new personal Twitter account just for running/triathlon training purposes. As I was adding to my list of people/companies/websites to follow, I clicked on TriJuice, a Minnesota-based Triathlon news and shopping site and added them to my “follow” list.

Unbeknownst to me, I became TriJuice’s 600th follower on Twitter. This is where the fun starts. Moments later, the website’s editor sent me a direct message telling me that they wanted to send me a “gift” for being lucky No. 600. It’s the gift-giving season after all, and who am I to say no. So, very soon I am expecting to receive my new Xterra Wetsuits Transition Bag.

*Blonde girl not included.

I’m pretty sure I will get tons of use out of this bag. As Clarke Griswald said: “it’s the gift that keeps on giving.” This gift is much better than the “Jelly of the Month Club” though.

I’m constantly amazed at how companies use social media these days to gain exposure and build customer loyalty.  I don’t know much about TriJuice as a company, but the reason I decided to follow them on Twitter is simple: I think it’s one of the easiest, most-effective ways to learn about such companies and websites. Giving away free stuff also helps! Needless to say, I have added them to the list of websites I will visit when looking for gear and news related to running and triathlons.

Believe it or not, my day of freebies didn’t end there.

Later that afternoon, when my local Starbucks didn’t have the milk I wanted for my grande Americano, they gave me a coupon for a free cup of coffee on my next visit. Cha-ching!

Finally, when I drove to my local grocery store to pick up a few items, a coupon popped out of the register for a free Gatorade Recovery drink.

Of course, I walked right back to the beverage section and picked one up. While I chug down lots of Gatorade products, especially G2 grape, I haven’t had too much experience with Gatorade Recover drinks. There’s one simple way to get me to try it — Give it to me for free!