Introducing ACHI Compression Socks

In case you haven’t noticed, over the past 6 months we’ve been hard at work to redesign our brand and reinvent our products based on the years of feedback we’ve received from our loyal customers (now called “Activists”) and our distributors (now called “Loyalists”).

We've re-written the rule book on how the technology, feel and design of compression socks should benefit you and launched a brand new line of compression wear, we simply call ACHI!

The Arrival of the Brand "ACHI"
After 2 years of particular consideration, a couple of glasses of wine and hundreds of possible names later, ACHI arrived.

A-"Chi" means vital energy!

• Secondly, "ACHI" was derived from the word "Achilles" as in the achilles tendon. 
• Lastly, "ACHI" is the beginning of achieve.
• ENERGY + ACHILLES + ACHIEVE = ACHI 
• ACHI for Activists is available in 15-22 mmHg performance compression socks and can be ordered online in 4 bespoke, designer styles.

ACHI Lightning Chevron	ACHI Floral Fade	ACHI Varsity Sock
	ACHI Rockin' Dot

Our ACHI+ line – only available through a certified and approved Loyalist clinic. ACHI+ compression is 20-30 mmHg and is available in 6 bespoke, designer styles.

ACHI+ Vibe Tech	ACHI+ PowerTech	ACHI+ Spirit Tech
ACHI+ BOFA Tech	ACHI+ Action Tech	ACHI+ Denim Cool

Over the last few years, our “Loyalists” have greatly supported our business and because of that we will continue to support them with great sales content, incentives and marketing tools to help promote our products at your clinic. We encourage you to visit our website and register your clinic to become a registered “Loyalist” and start carrying our products.

For our existing customer… or should we say… Activists, you can continue to expect the same great service and quality products as before. We also ask that you wipe the dust off our social media accounts and start engaging once again! Our social media links are listed below and we’ll be actively posting images, testimonials and inspiration from all our Activists showcasing our products!

Lunatik Athletiks
High Performance Gear With Extreme Personality
info@lunatikathletiks.com
www.LunatikAthletiks.com
Twitter: @IamLNTK
We're On Facebook!

Zuza Athletics Helps For World Record Train Pull

Take a 150-foot rope, 145-ton locomotive train and 12 competitive women, and give them 1.5 minutes. In an attempt to set a world-record, teams of 12 women lined up at the Allandale Go Station to pull a train as far down the track as they could in 1.5 minutes.  Of all the teams competing in this challenge our Zuza sponsored Athletes, Team Crossfit Resurrection 2, won by having pulled the locomotive 73 feet 6.

The event took place as part of the Helping Hands for Hungry Homes, 12 Ladies in a Tent Event. The women of this event will spent three days in a tent as part of a fundraising effort to help collect 150,000 pounds of food for the Barrie Food Bank.

CrossFit Resurrection & Zuza Athletics

The girls on their way to a record!

Zuza Athletics was proud as our athletes and those that help to raise funds and food for our local food bank.

Zuza Compression Socks and Crossfit

CrossFit is quickly becoming one of the most popular workout challenges known today. CrossFit recently crossed 5,000 affiliates worldwide, and has been doubling every two years. CrossFit athletes perform constantly varied functional movements at high intensity. Through a WOD (Workout Of the Day) you get a strength and condition workout that combines among other things weightlifting, sprinting, aerobics, body-weight exercises, rowing, gymnastics and other forms of training.

How Can Zuza Compression Socks Contribute to enhanced performance and a quicker recovery for Cross-fit Athletes?

Zuza athletics strives to produce cutting-edge, fashionable, graduated compression socks to enhance athletes training and speed recovery.  Wearing Zuza compression socks and sleeves during a workout will allow the CrossFit athlete to train harder by providing additional leg support, stabilization and greater blood flow. Zuza compression socks allow the athlete to have greater control over their muscles and bodies due to increase muscle stabilization provided by the 20-30mmHg of graduated compression therapy.

Increased blood flow allows for faster recovery from workouts, and reduces lactic acid build up after tough workouts.

Lastly, knee high socks are becoming a common trend in the CrossFit community. Possibly due to the additional protection from rope burn and injury. Zuza compression socks are the absolute funkiest, rockin socks you will find in the market today.

Lunatik Athletiks
High Performance Gear With Extreme Personality
info@lunatikathletiks.com
www.LunatikAthletiks.com
Twitter: @IamLNTK
We're On Facebook!

Zuza Socks Contest Giveaway!

Announcing the Zuza Socks Giveaway Winners

We would like to thank all the participants in the #ZuzaSocks giveaway! We've had a tremendous response both on facebook and twitter and unfortunately, there can only be 4 winners!

The lucky winners are:

1.  @evelinruns
2. Erin Serrault
3. Christine Hall Blackmon
4. @suzy399

Contest winners please email us with your desired sock choice as well as sizing and mailing address. You can view the product selection on our website by clicking here.

For all other participants, as a thank you, we have a special coupon code for you that you will receive by email. Simply sign up for our newsletter by clicking here. Your coupon code will be emailed out to you shortly!

Make sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more exciting contests and giveaways.

Lunatik Athletiks
High Performance Gear With Extreme Personality
info@lunatikathletiks.com
www.LunatikAthletiks.com
Twitter: @IamLNTK
We're On Facebook!

Introducing ZUZA

New ZUZA Compression Socks Line by Lunatik Athletiks 

 

We are extremely excited to introduce a new line of compression socks available for sale on www.LunatikAthletiks.com.

In order to appeal to the various markets (i.e., health care practitioners, crossfit, running community, various athletes that can benefit from compression socks) we worked closely with a marketing company to create a name that represented our vision, of a determined, committed "crazy" athlete, and the funky style of clothing to go with this personality.

We hope to create high quality clothing that makes sport participation fun, and exciting. Clothes that capture sport participants personality and a means of self expression.

Our graduated compression socks feature 20-30mmHg compression!

We wanted to create a name that we could brand. We envision expanding and creating a clothing line that can be worn both while participating in sport and everyday lifestyle wear.

ZUZA - Rainbow Electric

ZUZA - Vibrance

You can find out more about these socks by visiting the product pages here:

• Click here for Rainbow Electric
• Click here for Vibrance

ZUZA Socks Giveaway!

In light of this new product launch we're giving away 4 pairs of our ZUZA socks in a promotion to help spread the word on these compression socks and Lunatik Athletiks. Entering the giveaway is quite simple:


1. Make sure to follow us on Twitter and tweet the following. This will be your contest entry! You can tweet the following once per day to increase your entries.

"Enter me for the #ZuzaSocks giveaway by @IamLNTK"

2. "Like" Us on facebook at www.facebook.com/LunatikAthletiks and enter in our comments box "Enter me for the Zuza Socks giveaway by Lunatik Athletiks"

All the giveaway entries will receive a 25% discount coupon to use on www.LunatikAthletiks.com. The winners will be announced on Friday, May 10th!

Lunatik Athletiks
High Performance Gear With Extreme Personality
info@lunatikathletiks.com
www.LunatikAthletiks.com
Twitter: @IamLNTK
We're On Facebook!

Q&A With Canadian Triathlete - Claudia Johnston

We recently had a chance to have a Q&A session with Canadian triathlete, mother of 5 (not a typo!) and femme extraordinaire, Claudia Johnston.Claudia is one of the most successful Canadian age-groupers to have competed at the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii placing 6th in 2009, 3rd in 2010 and 3rd in 2011 with a time of 9:55:35!

Q: You’ve got so much on your plate and obviously triathlon doesn’t pay the bills, what drives you to train or commit to the sport?

A: Triathlon has given me so much in life. I will be forever grateful for C3 and Barrie Shepley for taking me on their team!! I have many struggles as everyone does, but this sport is something that makes me happy, it always pulls me back onto my feet. It throws me tough mental and physical challenges and I love to tackle them. There is a huge sense of accomplishment when you finish an Ironman.One thing that is very close to my heart is to show Moms and Children to never give up, no matter how tough a challenge, you can overcome anything!! Keep your head held high (I know it can be tough) and keep on going, follow your dreams!

Q: How do you balance training with family life and your 5 kids?

Claudia with her 5 kids

A: Many times my children train with me. I would say as they grow older, they are beginning to kick my butt! It is complicated to fit it in, so sometimes you have to let go and miss a workout. What is important is that the ones I do have to count!! The funniest training was this fall when I had to go to a hockey tournament with my son, so I was biking and running in between games, LOL, you should have seen our motel room, full of hockey equipment, (my son is goalie) my bike , bike trainer and running gear. I know parents on this team find me slightly insane, and that is probably the case.

Q: What’s your goal in the sport?

A: I want to be the fastest I can be in Ironman. I want to be the best I can be and I don't think I have found my fastest yet, or my perfect race. Hopefully next year things will come together!! It would be nice to finally win at the Hawaii Ironman World Championships!!

Q: When did you start in the sport?

A: I have been competitive for four years now. I did do a couple of races before, but nothing serious. But I was an Ultrarunner beforehand.

Claudia in her Rockin' Dots!

Q: What is your strength/background prior to triathlon?

A: My strength used to be the run, but my biking has caught up, LOL!! I was initially a ballet dancer, I know, hard to imagine, then I was very competitive in Showjumping and Eventing. Later I turned to Ultrarunning, I always loved to run!!





Q: If you could convince any triathlete of doing a specific workout or training session what would it be?

A: hmm, let's see; come to my spin class and then join me at circuit!!

Q: What’s your most memorable moment in triathlon?

A: 2010 Hawaii Ironman World Championship. My first Ironman under 10hrs. I didn't realize at the time how huge that was, but it is simply that I always strive for better!!

Claudia was featured in Triathlon Magazine Canada as a "Triathlete Of The Year" for age-group women.

You can follow Claudia on Twitter @Mamma2Five or on her website at www.ClaudiaJohnston.ca.

Lunatik Athletiks
High Performance Gear With Extreme Personality
info@lunatikathletiks.com
www.LunatikAthletiks.com
Twitter: @IamLNTK
We're On Facebook!

Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon Expo

We had the pleasure of getting our first event booth at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon Expo last week and what a blast it was! We've been looking for creative ways to show our amazing products to the world and we thought this event would be a perfect opportunity.

Our compression socks were a hit!!

Based on our signage and skirts hanging in our booth, we were expecting mostly traffic from women. Although our business started mainly to bring about running fashions to women with running skirts and stylish / funky compression wear, we do currently have some compression socks and sleeves available for men on our online store. We also have an exciting line up of training and racing gear in the works for both men and women so patience my Lunatiks! 

Surprisingly though, we had a lot of men come through and comment on our products and wonder why no other compression company adds "style" to their socks or sleeves. Our men's Velocious compression socks and our Edge compression sleeves were actually quite a hit and sold extremely well.

@marciomrqz with his Velocious

@mel_aka_momo with her Rockin Dots

The best part of the weekend was definitely meeting customers, participants in the race and other people hosting booths as well. Chatted with Deb aka @UrbanRunningGrl from www.UrbanRunningGirl.ca after originally meeting on Twitter!

The highlight of the weekend was definitely meeting 101 year old Fauja Singh who ran the 5k. For those who don't know him, he attributes his good health to eating a restricted calorie diet. Last year he was the oldest runner to complete a marathon! He drew quite the crowd.


Were you at this expo? Did you drop by the booth? Send over an email or write down some comments. We'd love to hear from you!

Next up, we will be at the Road 2 Hope Marathon the weekend of November 3rd in Hamilton, Ontario to do it all over again! If you missed the chance to try on some gear or get your hands on our compression socks or running skirts, swim by the event and come see for yourself!

Lunatik Athletiks
High Performance Gear With Extreme Personality
info@lunatikathletiks.com
www.LunatikAthletiks.com
Twitter: @IamLNTK
We're On Facebook!

Compression Socks or Compression Sleeves?

So you've done your research, read our blog post on the various benefits of wearing compression garments for training and racing as a runner or a triathlete and you're now ready to make your purchase. However, you realize you have the option to go with compression socks or compression sleeves.

So how do you choose?

The first thing you need to do is assess your needs. Socks offer a slightly better compression factor than sleeves because they also "hug" your foot as well as your ankles. Ask yourself the following questions which will help guide you towards the right direction.

1. Will you race and/or train in your compression wear?
Even though the benefits of compression wear are mostly for recovery (after doing exercise) there are some benefits of wearing compression socks or sleeves during longer races like a marathon, Ironman or any Ultra distance races. If you are a short distance runner (racer), you should consider your purchase of compression wear strictly for recovery, in which case either socks or sleeves would work for you. However, read the next questions before making your decision!

2. Are you "only" a runner or a triathlete?
As a triathlete, the last thing you want to do in T2 is put on a pair of compression socks. These are meant to be somewhat tight for them to work properly which means, will take some time to put on your wet feet! You could wear socks under your wetsuit, however, that would look a little funny and they would get damaged fairly quickly. That being said, sleeves fit perfectly under your wetsuit and leave your feet exposed for the elements of swimming.

3. What type of runner are you?
Are you a trail runner, a road runner or do you run barefoot on the beach? Trail running is usually pretty messy and wet so wearing a compression sleeve with a "quick dry" sock will be the best solution for your feet and for the longevity of your compression garment. Also if you are a barefoot runner or run with a "minimalist" shoe, a sleeve would be a better option for you since most of those shoes require no socks.

4. Are your feet sensitive to the type of sock you wear while you run?
Obviously if you are, the sleeves might be the best option for your situation. This leaves your feet exposed for you to wear your favorite running socks and for triathletes, don't interrupt your T2 routine for your usual socks/shoe combination.

Regardless of your decision, compression socks or sleeves are a great way to help you recover faster - getting you ready for your next training session and also help in injury prevention.

You can visit our website at www.LunatikAthletiks.com to see our line up of compression socks and sleeves. We're constantly adding to our inventory so follow us on Twitter or Facebook for product updates and new releases!

Lunatik Athletiks
High Performance Gear With Extreme Personality
info@lunatikathletiks.com
www.LunatikAthletiks.com
Twitter: @IamLNTK
We're On Facebook!