Kara Joins Team Nuun & Nuun Energy Giveaway

So… If you aren’t living under a rock, you probably already know that my fave runner Miss Kara has joined up with my fave hydration drink company, NUUN! Two of my favorites teaming up together?!! What could be more perfect??

Here’s a little snippet from the press release:

“Staying hydrated during a hard workout or race is important. But just as important is showing up hydrated and properly recovering afterwards,” said Goucher. “That’s why I love Nuun; for its versatile use before, during, and after activity. Better yet, I can then turn around and serve it safely to my child instead of some sugary soda or juice drink. I am ecstatic about this partnership and the opportunity to evangelize the brand.”

In a unique move, the partnership will go beyond the traditional elite athlete partnership model. Goucher will also be a Nuun stakeholder and collaborator on product development. After Boston, Goucher plans to come back into running and racing with summer road races and track meets along with a fall marathon while gearing up to make the US Olympic team in 2016.

I received the latest copy of Runner’s World last week and was super excited to see this (Kara’s take on Nuun… It’s like we’re best friends!):

Who’s your fave runner?

I asked you what would be more perfect earlier… well, how about a Nuun Giveaway?! 

Nuun has graciously offered to giveaway 2 tubes of Nuun Energy to one of my readers!! If you haven’t heard (and are still living under that rock), Nuun has come out with an energy tab that has about the same amount of caffeine as a half a cup of coffee!  If you’re like me and don’t like coffee… look no further for that energy boost!! I absolutely LOVE Nuun energy!! After a long day of work, I would head to the gym while sipping on a bottle of Nuun Energy and by the time I got there, I was ready to workout!

If you want to learn more about Nuun’s newest creation, I did a full review on Nuun Energy back in March!

Here is Nuun’s website too so you can learn more AND shop at the same time! ;) and now on to the giveaway…

It’s easy to enter the Nuun Energy Giveaway! All you have to do is follow the prompts on the Rafflecopter form below!! Good luck!!
This giveaway will end 6/18 at 11:59pm and winner will be announced later that week!

**The tubes of Nuun are being provided by the good people of Nuun themselves… I was not compensated in any other way for this post and all opinions are my own!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Vega Sport Protein Bar Review #FuelYourBetter

Sponsored Post

My life gets crazy sometimes… trying to work two jobs AND workout AND still take care of the house AND trying to fix at least one good meal during the week can get kinda crazy.  Which is why sometimes my recovery after my workouts is usually … NOTHING… then when I get home and finally get a shower, all I can think about is getting ready for another crazy long day and hitting the sack…

Which is why when Vega teamed up with Fit Approach and offered some Sweat Pink Ambassadors a chance to do a product review, I jumped at the chance and applied immediately!

 
I am super excited to officially be a Vega Blogger!! :)

Vega has launched a campaign called #FuelYourBetter and it focuses on helping you find out what holds you back and how to overcome that obstacle by helping you fuel better! Go click on what’s holding you back and check out their tips, advice, and products to help you overcome and get the best workout and best results! Vega also helps you create you’re very own personal Performance nutrition Plan!!

It was no secret to me what my setback was… RECOVERY… so I chose to review the Vega Sport Protein Bar! When it arrived at my door I was super excited, but I was also super bummed because it happened to be on one of my 14 hour long days and I only had 15 minutes to change between jobs and get out the door!!

My usual go-to recovery is a green smoothie, but lets be honest… that gets old real fast trying to make it before hand and think of a way to keep it cold throughout the day and not let it leak all over your gym bag! Gross!! That’s why I LOVE the Vega Sport Protein Bar because they are super easy to just throw in your gym bag, eat on the go, and completely mess free!! Not to mention totally vegan AND delicious!! (I was sent the Chocolate Mint flavor but I’m sure the Chocolate Peanut Butter and Chocolate Coconut are amazing too!! How could they not be?? They’re chocolate!!)

Check out what their website has to say about these bad boys:

Give your muscles the protein they crave. Recharge and repair with Vega Sport Protein Bar post-workout, so you can do it all again, sooner.

• 15 g complete, multisource, plant-based protein
• 2.5 g BCAAs
• 2 g glutamine
• 1 g Omega-3

Formulated by Brendan Brazier, vegan professional Ironman triathlete and bestselling health author on plant-based nutrition, Vega Sport Protein Bar is part of the three stage Vega Sport Nutrition System.

Non-GMO, gluten-free and made without artificial flavors, colors or sweeteners, enjoy Vega Sport Protein Bars in Chocolate Coconut, Chocolate Peanut Butter, and Chocolate Mint flavors.

They really are not like other protein bars I’ve had in the past… Even with 15g of protein in each bar, they still don’t taste chalky!  The texture is easy to handle and it really kind of tastes more like a candy bar!  Even my husband snuck some off in his gym bag and he’s picky about what he eats!!

Since I can conveniently take a Vega Sport Protein Bar with me to eat after my workout, I’ve noticed that I am less sore the next day and feel more refreshed and ready to go! It’s so easy to just eat it walking out of the gym or in my car on the way home!! Isn’t it funny what proper recovery can do?!  I’m so glad I found Vega’s Protein Bars!! Vega Sport also has other products that make it easy and fun to #FuelYourBetter!!! Go check them out!!

Disclaimer: As stated above, I did receive a free box of bars to review on my blog from Vega through my ambassadorship with Sweat Pink and Fit Approach. However… like always, my opinion was not swayed in any way and this post contains 100% my opinion!!

How do you recover after hard workouts?

Have you ever tried a Vega Product?

 

Frigo® Cheese Heads® Light String Cheese Review

Sponsored Post

Guess what guys?! I’m back!! I promise you I have a post coming on why I’ve been MIA … besides the usual working multiple jobs/60 hours excuse… ;)

BUT… that means I’ve got LOTS of exciting things to tell you all about!! First up is Frigo® Cheese Heads® Light String Cheese!  You all know I already LOVE their cheese sticks so when Saputo Cheese USA Inc. emailed me about working together on a review I was all like:

They sent me come coupons to try out their product and for agreeing to work with them, they sent me a blender bottle and GoStak!  How handy!! 

Before I really did any research for this review, I would eat just the cheese stick by itself… pulling it apart of course because who in their right mind would just straight up bite into STRING CHEESE?!
After a little time on their website, I found that Frigo® Cheese Heads® Light String Cheese could be used in many different ways!!

For example, I tried apples and cheese together for the first time ever… please tell me you’ve tried this?! It’s super delicious!!

I also cut a few up and put it in my spaghetti with some pepperoni for “pizza” spaghetti

AND made a couple ham, spinach, and cheese tortilla rollups!!  For more fun recipe ideas you can go to their website HERE!

So what makes Frigo® Cheese Heads® Light String Cheese a great snack?  Great question!!
(as if you needed any more excuses to eat cheese, right?!) ;)

Here are 4 HEALTHY reasons to eat cheese!**

1. 7 grams of protein in 1 cheese stick!

2. Only 50 calories! (Go ahead, eat 2!)

3. Just 2.5 grams of fat in each one!

4. Each stick has a high volume of calcium!

BONUS: Frigo® Cheese Heads® String Cheese comes individually wrapped so it makes a great “take anywhere” snack!
(I take mine to work, to the gym, to the park, in my car… there’s no limit!)

** These stats are only meant to be true about Frigo® Cheese Heads® Light String Cheese and may not be true about all cheese!

So go ahead… eat 2! This is a judgement free zone! ;)  And just in case the only thing holding you back from eating these tasty treats is the fact you don’t like mozzarella… Frigo® Cheese Heads® String Cheese comes in many other flavors!

Disclaimer: Saputo Cheese USA Inc. provided me with 2 coupons to test their product and a blender bottle and GoStak for working with them as compensation, however I was not paid for my opinion!  I ate Frigo String Cheese long before they contacted me and will continue to do so! :)

Heads Up… Spartan Up!! (A Book Preview)

A few weeks ago I was contacted by Spartan Race Media to see if I would like to read a synopsis of Joe De Sena’s new book coming out, “Spartan Up!”  I’ve never run an obstacle course race before.. Let alone a Spartan Race, BUT, um… read?! I LOVE reading!! Of course I said yes!! I received a 20 page synopsis of what to expect in “Spartan Up!” which is being released in 1 month on May 13th!

 

Ok, first things first… If you don’t know who Joe De Sena is, shame on you!! Just kidding… kind of ;) Joe is the founder and driving force behind Spartan Race! More about him from their website:

“An entrepreneur from 8 years old Joe has had a passion for life that moves the ball forward against all odds. Born in Queens NY to a yoga teaching, meditation practicing mother and an Italian father that was an uber-entrepreneur the author learned simple techniques for forging ahead no matter the odds.”

As I started reading the synopsis of “Spartan Up!”, I was immediately drawn in by his style of writing and the stories he told!  One thing Joe said in the synopsis that really stood out to me was “To reach full potential, you need to UNLEARN every important thing modern society has taught you” and that “success is a byproduct of delayed gratification” After reading that, I instantly knew that this was going to be a book that EVERYONE could benefit from, not only those who call themselves Spartans!  How true is it though?  Cheat days… product of wanting instant gratification!  Injuries… also a product of instant gratification (training to much/too hard, too fast because we want to see immediate results).

“Spartan Up!” will test your comfort zone and make you think about things differently!! From their website:

Spartan Up! is more than an insider’s view of the world of obstacle racing

It’s a manual for the Spartan way of life, including:

• Finding the will to succeed: The first half of a race you run with your legs; the second half you run with your mind. Turn your pain into an outboard motor to drive you forward.
• Tossing your cookies: The Cookie Test can teach you how to overcome the need for immediate gratification and help you prosper in the long term.

• Getting Spartan fit: Survival of the Fittest means training outside the gym for strength, endurance and flexibility for your entire body—and don’t forget those burpees!
• Moving mountains: Whether metaphorical mountains or the ones on which Spartans race, what you think of as your limitations can actually be a mere starting point for transformation.

Here’s a little audio snippet of the book to hold you over til you receive your copy! ;)

And an amazing video you HAVE to watch!! If you don’t want to preorder your very own copy after watching this there’s something wrong with you! ;)

Spartan Up – DNA Promo from SpartanRace on Vimeo.

Now the people over at Spartan Race Media have a special offer for you!!  If you preorder the book before May 13th, you can get 20% off if you use the coupon code: SPARTANUP

Otherwise, You can get 15% off of a 2014 Spartan event if you preorder now!! Just click the preorder image below!

* I was promised a first edition of the book when it releases May 13th in exchange for this preview. As always all opinions are my own and I was not paid for a positive review!  100% honesty is my policy and I only share things I think you guys would like as well!! :)

** If you are a company looking for a blogger to host a review/giveaway or to sponsor, please email me at runners.luck@hotmail.com

Nuun All Day and Nuun Energy Review & Giveaway

Sponsored Post

Hey R-Luckies! If you’ve been around my blog at all… even just for the past week, you may have read a little about Nuun! Case in Point! ha! If you’ve been living under a rock and have no idea what Nuun is, let me tell you a little bit about them! From their website:

“Nuun, pronounced “Noon,” was the first company to separate electrolyte replacement from carbohydrates. Before Nuun, if you wanted electrolytes, the result was a bottle full of sugar. With our simple, self-dissolving, sugar-free electrolyte tab, we revolutionized the sports drink forever.”

Recently I was given the opportunity to work with Nuun to bring you a product review of two of their products: Nuun All Day and their NEW Nuun Energy!

First up is Nuun All Day:

Nuun All Day is designed for just that… for you to drink all day, every day!!  It’s a natural hydration tab that provides zero sugar, under 8 calories per tab, and a blend of A, B, C, D, and E vitamins! I got to try out the Grapefruit-Orange and Blueberry-Pomegranate and although I really like the taste of both, I REALLY like the citrusy flavor of the Grape-fruit-Orange… it’s super refreshing!  I LOVE the fact that Nuun All Day has all those vitamins because, I’ll be honest, some days I really don’t get all the vitamins my body needs just from my food intake! AND just like all of Nuun’s products, it’s Gluten free and safe, fun way for your kids to drink more water!

Nuun Energy:

Now, some of you love coffee and drink a cup when you wake up and a cup an hour before your race, but what are those of us to do that hate coffee?!  *insert huge gasp from my readers*  YES… I confess… I hate coffee! I can’t even stand the smell of it!   So how am I supposed to get that edge and better athletic performance that caffeine gives you without drinking coffee?? At the beginning of March, Nuun came out with their newest product… Nuun Energy! Here’s a little blurb from the press release on March 4, 2014:

“Nuun Energy elevates your hydration with a scientifically proven formula that balances hydration and sustains energy for optimal performance. Nuun Energy has a unique blend of B Vitamins for energy metabolism, Caffeine for increased endurance output and cognition, and the same Optimal Electrolyte Blend as Nuun Active Hydration to keep you hydrated. Nuun Energy is staying true to its roots with an effervescent tablet that contains zero added sugars, under 12 calories and stored in the same popular, portable container. Nuun Energy’s mission is to redefine the energy drink market with a clean, eco-friendly alternative.”

With only 1/2 the caffiene of a cup of a coffee, Nuun Energy is safe to drink and will give you that boost your looking for! For more information I’ve snagged this picture from Nuun’s website for your educational purposes… to read it, just click the image and it’ll take you to Nuun’s website!

The tubes of Nuun Energy come with 10 tabs… they are thicker than the Nuun Active and Nuun All Day lines… my guess is the caffeine takes up more space! ;) haha!  I’ve put together a little diagram for you so you can see the difference between the three tab sizes: Nuun All Day comes with 15 tabs, Nuun Active comes with 12, and Nuun Energy has 10.

Even though Nuun Energy only comes with 10 tabs, I think it is well worth the money! At $24 for a pack of 4, it’s the same price as a pack of Nuun Active. I don’t drink it as much as the active and All Day, so I think it’s well worth it for the boost! I’ve tried out Nuun Energy in the morning and before I’ve gone to the gym… with a 60 hour work week and still trying to work out, I’m exhausted before I even hit the weights or pavement!! It really does have the same great light taste as the other Nuun lines and I felt like it gave me the energy I needed to get in a great workout!

If you order now through Sunday (3/23) you get a free Nuun Trucker hat with any purchase!

 

What are you waiting for?! Go #GetElectrolit with @nuunhydration #nuunenergy!!

And just because Nuun is awesome, they are offering one of my readers the chance to win a tube of Nuun Energy in their own choice of flavor!!
All you have to do to enter is use the rafflecopter form below! Giveaway will end 3/31! Good luck!! 
*I received 2 tubes of All Day for the purpose of the product review, I bought the Energy with my own money and my opinions like always are my own!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Apera Bags Yoga Tote Review & Giveaway

Sponsored Post

I was on the internet a few weeks ago looking for a cute way to lug around not only my gym stuff, but my yoga mat as well.  Now let’s just get something straight here, when I say “gym stuff” I’m not just talking about a Garmin and a water bottle… I’m talking like a whole wardrobe change AND the kitchen sink!! I seriously WAY over pack to get my workout on!! You can’t be too prepared right?! Let’s face it… those little tiny Nike backpacks just don’t cut it!! I mean, I can fit a pair of shoes and a piece of gum in that thing and that’s about it!! If I’m carrying my yoga mat, water bottle, and everything else I might need for my workout, that little bag’s not doing me any favors!! That’s when I happened upon Apera Bags! They were gracious enough to send me their Yoga Tote for a review and I’m super excited to tell you all about it!! :)

One thing that really stood out to me was all the pockets! It has pockets full of sunshine everywhere!! It quite LITERALLY has pockets inside of pockets!! No Joke!! It has a place for everything and it’s plenty big enough to hold everything I need to take to the gym with room to spare! (Although it’s not quite big enough to fit the kitchen sink, but you win some you lose some I guess!)  To tell you just how big it is, let me tell you what all I fit into my Apera Bags Yoga Tote:

    

~ Pair of size 9 women’s shoes (the bag has a separate compartment inside to keep the stench of my shoes from spreading)
~ Yoga Blocks
~ Yoga Strap
~ Ipod Nano with arm strap and earbuds
~ Eyeglasses case and contact case
~ Fuel: Clif Bar and Orange
~ Hydration: Nuun & Waterbottle (the yoga tote has a special place on the side for water bottles so your stuff won’t get wet if there’s a leak)
~ Workout notebook and pen
~ Workout Outfit: Shorts, a tshirt, sports bra
~ Backup outfit: Capris and tank (I told you I overpack)
~ After workout clothes: towel, sweatshirt, and a clean pair of socks
~ And of course my YOGA MAT!!

You may be thinking “how in the world did you fit all of that AND your yoga mat inside your gym bag?!”  Well my friends, that’s easy! I didn’t have to put my yoga mat inside the bag because it has it’s own special place on top of the bag!! The strap on the bag has a special “Y” shape that you can easily fit your yoga mat through! (OR your foam roller and friendly massage stick)!

 

Some other things I LOVE about Apera Bag’s healthier bags are:

- It’s antimicrobial to help prevent the growth of bacteria and yucky odors
- It has vented compartments to help air the bag out (which it definitely needs after my shoes are in there!)
- Wipeable lining that makes it easy to keep clean
- A separate washable insert to keep your stinky gross clothes away from your clean ones!
- Padded pockets for electronics such as garmin, phone, and ipod
- Not too big and not too small!! It’s the perfect size!!

Apera donates one bag to a Special Olympics athlete for every three bags they sell!

They only thing I wish were different about the bag is that the pockets were different shapes on each side!  Both side’s outside pockets look the same (size and shape) and I tend to open the wrong side first when looking for something! Besides that tiny little thing, I love my Apera Yoga Tote!!

A couple of weeks ago Apera announced some awesome sales! Right now they are offering 40% OFF their entire Blue line of bags (any style) including the Yoga Tote (making it about $72 instead of $119)!  AND if one sale wasn’t enough, their Duffel Packs in any color, are 40% OFF as well! Go Go Go!! What are you waiting for? That’s a great deal!! Make sure you come back though because I have not 1, but 2 ways for you to win your very own Apera Bag!

First chance, Apera holds their own giveaway on their website for a different style bag each month! This month is the Yoga Tote!!  All you have to do to enter is head on over and provide your email address for updates!  Here’s more info for you!

UPDATE:  March's giveaway will be an Apera Sling Tote in the color of your choice.

Second, Apera is offering one of my readers the chance to win an Apera Sprint Pack of their very own AND 25% off their bag of choice!!  Just enter below!!

**Apera sent me a bag to review on my blog, but as always my opinions are my own!! I was not compensated in any other way! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tommie Copper: Compression Tights Review

Sponsored Post

 

I’ve been able to work with Tommie Copper in the past and have really come to love and appreciate this company!! Just in case you haven’t heard of Tommie Copper before, let me tell you a little about them!

Tommie Copper was founded in 2010 as a natural solution for reaching peak performance, speeding muscle and joint recovery and finding relief from aches and pains. If one can use Tommie Copper and achieve a more active life, Tommie Copper hopes this positive change will spread to others throughout the world. (From their website here)

So why add copper?  Well the benefits may surprise you!!  They include:

• Increases oxygen transport in compression products
• Neutralizes "free radicals"
• Improves muscle tone
• Emits ions
• Has been used in medicine for thousands of years
• Is one of the necessary micro-nutrients found naturally in the body

Well, a few weeks ago I was excited to receive yet another email from Tommie Copper letting me review another one of their great copper infused products!! Have I mentioned I LOVE Tommie Copper?! ;)  After spending hours upon hours of contemplating which product I really NEEDED in my life (all of them really), I decided on the Women’s Compression Tights in Grey! You all know that I’ve been having some knee pain and have been wearing the Tommie Copper Knee Sleeves for relief, but let me just tell you… the Tommie Copper Compression Tights are amazing!! Instead of just covering the knee, they cover the whole leg, buttock region, and hips!!! All of which I believe are factors in my knee issue!

This week I had 2 days off due to extreme cold thanks to the polar vortex or something like that (it was –18 without wind chill!! Yikes!!) So what did I do?  I lounged around like a slobradoodle (coined by the witty Monica at Run Eat Repeat) in my Tommie Copper Tights!! After I had enough of being lazy I decided to get caught up on some of my yoga challenges and tested out the flexibility of my TC Compression Tights. I’m kinda jealous because they are more flexible than me! ;) THEN after I had enough of trying to be productive on a snow day, I pulled on my pjs over my tights and hit the sack! Tough life I know! ;) 

After giving them a try here are some things I LOVE about my Tommie Copper Compression Tights:

• They are super soft, light, and silky to the touch!!
• They regulate body temperature! LOVED that I didn’t get super hot when I had them under my pjs!
• Keep my legs feeling rejuvenated and fresh without the compression being as constrictive as a boa constrictor
• I didn’t have to wiggle my way into these and suck my cottage cheese in to feel the compression benefits!
• I’m 5’9 and am basically nothing but leg (my torso really doesn’t even exist) and these tights fit perfectly!
• LOVE that these are super versatile! You can wear them to lounge around, to workout, to do yoga, to sleep in, you could even be cute and fashionable (something I’m not) and wear these with a sweater dress and boots!! 

 
                  Showing me in LOVE with Tommie Copper         Difference in thickness between their tights (left) and Capris (right)

There was only one thing I would like to warn you about with this… ok 2 things:

1. I don’t know what the black tights would be like, but the grey are pretty see through when worn by themselves. I would recommend wearing a cute athletic skirt or shorts over them if you wear them to the gym!

2. you WILL fall in love with all things Tommie Copper after trying ANY of their products!!

I LOVE my Tommie Copper apparel!! All their products are reasonably priced, come in an assortment of colors, and are comfortable enough to wear 24 hours a day! If you are experiencing pain of any sort (arthritis, running related, fibromyalgia, everyday aches and pains and more), please head over to Tommie Copper’s Website HERE and see how wonderfully their products work for yourself!! :) Now is the perfect time to go on a Tommie Copper shopping spree because they have a great deal going on!! You can get 15% off by adding a certain item to your cart and using the corresponding Coupon Code below!!

You can also check Tommie Copper out on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

*I was sent a pair of free tights for the review.  All opinions are my own and exactly that… OPINION and were not swayed in any way due to receiving a free product. 

Have you ever heard of or tried Tommie Copper?

If so, what’s your favorite Tommie Copper product?

What Compression Item/company can you not possibly live without?

FrogFuel Performance Review And Giveaway

The people over at FrogFuel Performance contacted me and asked if I would do a review.  I told them I indeed would because I think that this product is something you all would like!! They also have an app as you can see in the picture above!  If you click on it it’ll take you to the app which includes:

• What Is Your Fuel Level? QUIZ! You know that unstoppable feeling you get 15 minutes into a workout? The adrenaline rush when you push through, dig deeper, touch the bottom of the ocean floor and reach the top of the mountain? Yeah, that’s your Fuel Level! Take the quiz to discover your Fuel Level! (I got a “Free Spirit” when I took the quiz… see what you get!)

• 7 Untouchable FrogFuel Workouts! – Use these 7 amazing workouts to help you get mean & lean for the summer!

• FrogFuel Fitspiration – Stay motivated and share Fitspiration on your Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

 

What I really like about FrogFuel is that it was developed by 2 Navy Seals!! How cool is that?! FrogFuel’s Slogan is “Everything you need, Nothing you don’t”… No need to put anything in your body that it won’t use!  Here is a video about the science behind FrogFuel:

 

Here is some info about the protein shot.  One thing I will warn you about is that it tastes a tad bitter, so don’t expect anything super sweet AND it is indeed liquid not gel:

The cool thing is that FrogFuel is giving away some samples to one of my readers! :)  Awesome!! All you have to do is use the Rafflecopter Form below! :)  Good luck! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

* Giveaway Rules:    ~ Giveaway will run from 7/18/13 through 7/24/13
                               ~ A winner will be chosen through Rafflecopter and will be notified via email by 7/26/13
                               ~ The winner must respond 72 hours after they are notified or winnings will be forfeited 
                               ~ Must be 18 years of age or older to enter or meet requirements of your state
                               ~ I was given a sample for free to test out but all opinions are my own