Kiss Me Organics: Matcha Review and Giveaway

Have you heard of Matcha Tea? I'll admit, previous to the sweet folks at Kiss Me Organics, I didn't know much about it. When they contacted me to test it out, I was intrigued because I'm already a fan of green tea. 

After I decided it was delicious and amazing, I started doing my research (yes, I know it's a little backwards, but that's how I roll!) and apparently this is a wonder drug. All the benefits of green tea but since you're consuming the actual leaves finely ground up, you get the MAX of those benefits. It's jam packed with anti-oxidants and is awesome for an energy and metabolism boost. It's also good to drink this pre-workout for max calorie burning. What's not to like?! 

Along with my order, they sent over a PDF filled with recipes that you can use Matcha for. Being the non-cook that I am, I've only ventured in making my own version of the Matcha Latte and let me tell you- it's delicious! Not only that, but the energy kick I got from it was surprising. Coffee doesn't even effect me like this anymore! It was great and even better that it's all natural.

I will say it has a strong green tea flavor (Duh.), so you'll enjoy it if you enjoy Green Tea. My favorite is adding milk and a tad of sugar to the Matcha in hot water. I've also read that adding the Matcha to boiling water brings out the gritty taste, so the suggestion is to wait for the water to cool. It's also a tad more expensive than coffee, so as much as I'd love to make the switch, I think I'm going to keep my matcha as a treat or for when I really need a pick me up.

Matcha Tea

Because I was such a fan, I asked Kiss Me Organics to let me give some to one of you to try. You can enter here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have you ever tried Matcha? Are you a Green Tea fan?

A Spartan Sprint (+ a race entry giveaway!)

Yesterday, I decided to go check it out the Spartan Sprint at Citi Field. I did not participate in the race, but I can tell you I was definitely regretting not signing up once I was there. I was extremely jealous of everyone who was getting ready to earn the title of Spartan. 

The race started on one of the stadium ramps and from there you ran back and forth and down and up on the stadium's upper seating area. The race was 3.1 miles in and around the stadium with many obstacles sprinkled throughout. I'm not sure about all of the obstacles, but the ones I saw were pretty intense:

Wall crawl, sword throwing and the Cirque tent- oh my!

You pick the ball up, you throw it down. You repeat.

These aren't your playground's monkey bars.

And just as you get back into the the field to run your victory lap, there is a rope climb, a wall climb and a net tower to get through before you get your medal. 

I'll be honest, I was extremely nervous about each obstacle that required upper body strength (because I have none) and the 30 burpee penalty (every time you couldn't complete the obstacles) is intense.  If I wasn't so worried about injuring myself for a couple of big running events I have coming up, I probably would have done it anyway. I love that there are no time limits for Spartan events- encouraging everyone to just get it done! Now that I've been to an event, I'm pretty convinced I need to do one.

LOVED the camaraderie!

This guy's team waited for him and gave him a badass welcome in! 

The winners! First time I've ever seen an awards ceremony. 

There was also tons of stuff for spectators to do as well. Being that this was in a stadium, you could see your Spartan a lot throughout their race. If you just wanted to hang out in the stands by the finish line, that's cool, too. The jumbotron and all the monitors throughout the stadium were showing clips of the Spartans at various places along the course. About once an hour they were shooting t-shirts into the crowd as well. It was a lot of fun! There were even kid races for your Spartans in training. 

Getting to watch the different obstacles on the jumbotron.

Check this site out for more information on Spartan races near you! 

Do you want to WIN a chance to earn the Spartan title? Well, lucky for you, the Spartans are allowing me to give away a free entry to any US 2014 Spartan Race! See below for more details.

Don't want to wait/ didn't win? Don't worry! Here's 15% off:  
http://bit.ly/spartanwarrior

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Summit Seeker: A review and giveaway!

While running even a 5k on a trail does not sound appealing to me, I'm thoroughly interested in those that do. If I wasn't so prone to being clumsy, trail running seems like the most natural way to enjoy running. I have friends who have run ultras, and friends who have crewed for those who have and the stories are just so amazing to me. I got the chance to volunteer for the NYC 60k a few years ago and seeing it for myself was extremely moving. That race was 9 loops of Central Park, I couldn't imagine what a 100 miler through mountains and streams would be like! So, when Vanessa contacted me about her book, I jumped at the chance to find out what running a 100 mile race would be like, or even running rim to rim to rim of The Grand Canyon! 

Book description on Amazon:

In The Summit Seeker, Vanessa Runs explores trail and ultra running on an emotional, psychological, and spiritual level. Vanessa started running to battle her demons, to heal her deepest wounds, and ultimately, to find her peace in the mountains. Her vivid descriptions of spectacular trails call you into wild places where you will find rugged beauty, expansive wilderness, and deep personal insights. Weaving her personal stories of struggle, hunger, and adventure, Vanessa tugs at our heartstrings and appeals to our most primitive drive as a species: to survive.

A little bit about Vanessa:

Vanessa Runs is an ultra endurance trail runner and journalist. She has written for UltraRunning Magazine, Trail Running Magazine, and Active.com A 100-mile nerd, an elevation junkie, and a mountain-loving nomad, Vanessa lives and travels in a Rialta RV with her boyfriend, dog, and cat.

If you want a great read about an inspiring running journey from non-runner to ultra-marathoner, this is definitely one you should pick up. It's a quick easy read, especially because you're probably not going to want to put it down. Vanessa's stories are written like you're there experiencing them with her. If I ever decided to run an ultra, she would definitely be a running partner I'd want on my side. 

In case reading her book isn't enough, you can keep up with her here:

Blog: Vanessa Runs

Twitter: Vanessa Runs

Interested in reading about Vanessa's journey as well? She was kind enough to offer a book for you! Check out the giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway I was given this book because the author thought it would be something I'd be interested in (and it was!) I was not compensated monetarily for this post. I enjoyed Vanessa's story and thought you might, too, so I shared. As always, all opinions are my own. 

Core Power Fit Kit Giveaway!

Recently, I was given the opportunity to try out Core Power, thanks to Fitfluential, and received the official Core Power Kit Fit:

The Core Power Fit Kit.

Inside this awesome gym bag was a yoga mat (that can be carried sideways- which makes me super happy!), a sweat towel, a CamelBak sports bottle, a balance ball, and samples of the Core Power protein shakes!

Chocolate (or strawberry) milk has always been my favorite way to refuel after a long run. It's one of the best sources of protein, helping to build lean muscle and recharge the body when consumed directly after physical activity. Core Power is the real-milk based sports recovery drink and contains natural whey and casein proteins found in milk - never removed from their original liquid state. Each bottle has about 26 grams of protein which makes for an amazing recovery drink! If that's too much for you, no worries. There is also a LITE version. The chocolate was delicious and I look forward to trying the vanilla and banana- Yum!

 

Core Power was recently named the “Official Protein Drink of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.” They have aligned with four top Sochi 2014 Team USA hopefuls, who will be featured on limited edition Core Power® bottles and across the brand’s different platforms. Core Power is available nationally, so look for it and the special edition packaging at stores in your area.

Want more information? You can check out the website- which includes delicious recipes you should try!

Do you want your own Fit Kit and a chance to try Core Power for yourself? Of course you do! Core Power has graciously agreed to give a kit to one of you. Enter below! (US Residents only, please!)

I was given the opportunity to test out this product thanks to Core Power and Fitfluential. I am not being monetarily compensated and all opinions are my own.  a Rafflecopter giveaway

(3 Things) Winning, NYC Half Lottery, WDW10k

First things first, Congrats Elle! She is the winner of my ENERGYbits contest. Thanks to everyone for participating. If you'd still like a chance to try some, please check out Tina's giveaway! 

It's been a lucky week! Due to a crazy coincidences, I actually won Elle's ENERGYbits giveaway last week (I promise nothing was rigged, everything was done through Rafflecopter), so now I can keep them in the routine, until I can buy some more! YaY! Karen had a Snowed in giveaway for a SmartWool winter headband that I won as well. I adore their running socks, so I think a warm headband for winter training would rock. Now I'm completely convinced that spot in my neighborhood (pictured above) really IS good luck. I think I should buy a lottery ticket.

Speaking of lottery tickets: The NYC Half drawing is today. Sending some good luck your way if you're in the drawing (please let me know if you get in!)! I have (non-complimentary) automatic entry for volunteering this year, so I'm in! I was debating heavily on whether I run this race or not, but after deciding The Glass Slipper Challenge would be for fun, I like that I can run this one for time (and I better! They have a strict time limit). . . who knows? Maybe even PR! This is my anniversary race. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. I need to actually DO speed/hill work, instead of just think about it. 

Waivers and Corral placements went up the runDisney website yesterday. Sadly, no corral assignments for the 5k or the 10k. Now I know what the 5k runners usually feel like! Anyone else think it's funny that WDW Marathon weekend is the only weekend where running a marathon isn't the most insane thing happening? I'm not sure how I'd feel about that if it were my first race of the distance, but I digress. Just because we aren't running an insane amount of miles, does not mean we shouldn't get the same treatment! All runners are rockstars in my eyes.

With the exciting energy in the air, I think I've safely settled on a costume (bonus: I already own everything I need!). If you follow me on Pintrest, I'm sure you have a pretty good idea who it is.
 

What's your favorite thing you've ever won? 

ENERGYbits: A review and a giveaway!

Right before the NYC marathon, I got the opportunity to sample ENERGYbits, the product that has been sweeping my Feedly. As soon as the company popped up on other blogs I follow, I was intrigued. Mainly by this graphic:

You had me at ONE ingredient. 

The fact that it's natural and packs a mean protein punch was awesome. Plus, I like having alternate training nutrition.

From their website:

The list of health benefits from our ENERGYbits® algae tabs is so long that we only have room to mention a few. They have the highest concentration of protein in the world (64% protein which is three times the amount of protein in steak), over 40 nutrients, and are just one calorie per tab.  Just a handful of 30+ bits will not only fill you up, they will meet most of your daily nutritional requirements, and all for just ONE calorie per tab. Even better, spirulina is a nitrogen based algae, and since nitric oxide opens up your blood vessels, taking our ENERGYbits® will give your brain and your body a steady and natural supply of oxygen and nourishment. That’s one of the reasons why they are such a great wake up and pick up. Once you try them, we think you’ll agree, they’re an energy dream come true.

I was nervous about trying anything new before the race, so I just tried them throughout the day for a regular supplement. For the first long run since my marathon, I wasn't expecting it to go very well. I took about 30 of them before and about 30 at the half way point of my 6.5 mile run. I definitely felt like they stabilized my energy and I was able to complete the run feeling really good (minus my knee pain, but that's a different story)!

I love the travel tin, but I will admit I was a little concerned on a few levels. How was I going to carry them? I have a method to my madness with what I carry on my run; and I carry A LOT. Everything has it's place and all the places are taken. Gels/Chomps are perfect on my running belt- adding anything to my running belt pouch is impossible. And I was also concerned about my coordination skills, with 30 tiny bits and gloved hands. But no worries, it all worked out and I was worried for nothing. Honestly, next time I'd probably put them in individual portioned small ziploc bags, so they can cram anywhere. Where there is a will, there is a way! I look forward to incorporating them into my next training season.

What more information? Check out there website! They also sponsor weekly twitter chats, so you can get even more information from other people who use them as well. Follow along with the hashtag #PoweredByBits

How about a sample for YOU? The awesome ENERGYbits people have graciously agreed to get a lucky winner a sample as well: a Rafflecopter giveaway  

I was given a sample of this product, but no monetary compensation. All opinions are my own.

A Journey Bar Giveaway!

Here's the thing, I don't really have a sweet tooth. When I first discovered Journey Bar through the Crowdtap Store, I was immediately intrigued. They hooked me with the fact that they were savory nutrition bars, as opposed to every other sweet one on the market. Personally, nutrition bars are the best route to go for long run breakfast (especially because it's a routine I can take with me on race-cations) but trying to choke down chocolate flavored anything at 5am before a long run does not appeal to me. When I read the co-founder, Marguarette's quote "I believe bars should taste like real food, not candy" and that these bars are naturally lower in sugar (only 7g!) I knew this was something that would be perfect for me. I contacted the company and they agreed to send me some of their products to try.

From their website:

what is a savory nutrition bar, you might ask? well it's unlike any bar you've ever seen before! the most obvious difference is the savory, instead of sweet, flavors, which are inspired by cuisines from around the world.  journey bars are made from organic whole grains and other all-natural ingredients, which makes them a great-tasting, healthy alternative to the typical sweet bars.  our bars are also gluten-free, non-gmo, vegan, and soy-free.  

Sea Salt- a truly global flavor, our sea salt bar is about as simply savory as it gets.  just a hint of sea salt is used to bring out the natural flavors of the almonds and whole grains.

Rosemary- one of the most common spices used in delicious French cooking found its way into our bars. with rosemary’s warm and earthy aroma, we realized it's the only flavor we needed for this wholesome bar. sometimes less is more.

Seasame Ginger- inspired by the healthy cuisines of japan, toasted sesame is blended with whole grains to create a mild and warm flavor, while a hint of ginger is used to add freshness. you’ll find this flavor truly delightful!

Don't expect your taste buds to be accosted with which the powerful flavor names suggest. Just like they said in all their descriptions, the flavors are hinted and the taste is very mild (i.e. perfect for long run breakfast) which to me was a good thing. I also wasn't expecting the bars to be on the softer side. They were really good and very filling. The pizza marinara, cocunut curry and parmesan romano flavors sound really tasty, so I will have to go hunt those down and find them. I will definitely be incorporating them into my breakfast routine during training.

How many of you are ready to try them, too? Lucky for you the fabulous peeps at Journey Bar provided me with an extra set that I'll be giving away! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway What's your favorite pre-run meal?

Journey Bar was generous enough to provide me with their product to try and to host a giveaway. All opinions are always my own.