Product Review: Noxgear Tracer360 visibility vest (Or how a little, light weight vest could light up my life!)
If you haven't had a chance to check out the Tracer360 from Noxgear, check out this video:
360 degree illumination
Full Color Spectrum
360 degree reflectivity with 3M Scotchlite reflective waistband and the edge of the light source on the back
Unit will alert you when batteries need replaced. When you power on and off, a green blinking light indicated the battery life is good.
Vest is able to be worn in all seasons. It is rain proof, snow proof and pretty much Oregon proof. Everything I need.
It is super lightweight an comfortable! 6.5 ounces and feels like it is hardly there.
The vest is tubing that illuminates and attached to a light source (to be worn on your back) and a stretchy waistband with the 3M reflective strip. As you can see above, the flash on my camera picks up the reflectivity.
This vest is very comfortable and lightweight, extremely easy to navigate and adjust size with no chafing, bouncing or any other undesirable issues while wearing it.
The possibilities are endless for this piece of "running gear". Maybe you aren't a runner, but need to be visible while riding your bike in the twilight hours? Ultimate glow frisbee at night? Maybe you are participating in a night race or glow themed event...
I'll be sporting this at Hood To Coast relay along with my team mates.
I can't express enough how much I love this. My neighborhood is surrounded by 3/4 mile with no sidewalk. The shoulder gets a little thin at times. I want to be seen. Most of the time I stay on areas with sidewalks and I've noticed cars slowing down and moving over... even with me on the sidewalk. Bicyclists ask me where they can get one. I can't wait to post more pictures from Hood To Coast with my team lighting up the race course!
To check out more of the features and size options, check out Noxgear's website HERE. and when you are ready to pick one up, I have a 15% off discount code posted below... but hurry! You want to get one before the code expires September 30th.
With cool summer runs in the evening, relays at night and the sun slipping away into shorter days with Pacific Northwest winters and rain, I am looking forward to using this vest year round.
As with any review, the opinions expressed are my own. I offer my review and input of running gear and related products now and then and offer advice if it is something you should consider investing in.... Check this out:
As the video above mentions, this safety vest is highly reflective, no batteries, cords or extra nonsense to deal with and comfortable to wear. I have not had any bouncing or shifting on the several runs I have used it on.
I can't think of a single "con" with this product. If you can't hear your music over traffic or other noise in your surroundings, that is probably a good cue to check out your surroundings. I can hear everything around me and still hear my music. If the traffic is loud or there are lots of people around me, then I should probably be listening to that instead anyway.
As with any piece of running equipment, order the proper size and you will be good to go! The vest is reflective, light weight, easy to take on and off and speakers are positioned at the shoulders, so music can be easily heard without anything in the ears. The price is perfect for what you are getting. The vest is water resistant and the company knows what kind of downpours we get in Oregon! Speakers and output cable are easily removed so that the vest can be washed.
This is the perfect solution to running safer on training runs or for a race that discourages headphones/earbuds.
THE MOTHER OF ALL RELAYS IS ALSO THE MOTHER OF INVENTION.
OUR FAVORITE 24 HOUR RACE OF THE YEAR REQUIRES RUNNERS TO WEAR A REFLECTIVE VEST FROM 6:00 PM TO 7:00AM. IN 2010 THE RELAY BANNED THE USE OF HEADPHONE/EARBUD TYPE DEVICES. RUNNERS ON OUR TEAM THAT USE MUSIC FOR MOTIVATION AND JUST PURE ENJOYMENT CAME UP WITH DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS SUCH AS SPEAKERS ATTACHED TO SHIRTS. THESE JERRY-RIGGED MUSIC PLAYERS COMBINED WITH SAFETY VESTS ADDED ADDITIONAL COMPONENTS, BATTERIES, WEIGHT, WIRES AND HASSLE. THIS LED TO THE CREATION OF ROADNOISE. THE RUNNING APPAREL THAT COMBINES SOUND AND VISIBILITY. WITH INTEGRATED SPEAKERS RIGHT BELOW YOUR EARS YOU HAVE THE SOUND YOU WANT WITHOUT ELIMINATING THE SOUND AROUND YOU.
PROBLEM? SOLUTION!
WHEN WE TESTED OUR FIRST MODEL WE WERE HOPING TO FIND A GOOD SOLUTION TO A SPECIFIC RACE ISSUE. WHAT WE DISCOVERED WAS AN ENTIRELY NEW AND PLEASANT WAY TO ENJOY OUR RUNS, DAY OR NIGHT. ROADNOISE VESTS GIVE YOU THE ABILITY TO HEAR YOUR FOOTSTEPS, YOUR BREATHING, AND YOUR SURROUNDINGS ALONG WITH YOUR FAVORITE MUSIC.
Without a doubt you can completely hear your surroundings, your foot falls, oncoming vehicles, bikes, other runners trying to pass behind you. I have tested it in several environments and with the speakers at my shoulder, I can have my music on the lowest volume setting with my MP3 player and no one else will hear it. You can't even tell it's a vest that plays music!
Now I can listen to music again!
"Again?" You ask?
Well, last summer I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings and was in a situation that put me cold turkey on listening to tunes. Music that helped get my heart pumping and get my moral boosted.
The story: 6 months into my running hobby, I was bebopping down the sidewalk with my earbuds in... It was twilight hours and most people were in for the evening. I hear a huffing and clomping runner behind me. I ignored it as a concern and thought it was another runner trying to run in the cool of the evening. I aslo figured with my slow pace that they would pass me soon enough. But I have a competitive spirit and I *might* have picked up my pace a little to make them work to pass me.
CLOMP CLOMP CLOMP
"What gives? Pass me already."
This person was right behind me in order to be heard over my music and my app spewing off splits. (But I assure you it wasn't loud to begin with... I knew to keep one ear bud out, listen to cars... etc etc. Still. He wasn't audible until he was on my heels.)
I turn around to see a guy who is clearly not a runner right behind me. (In 80 degree weather wearing dark clothes, a hoody with hood on and boots instead of running shoes.) I should have been paying better attention. I squared my feet, looked him in the eye and raised my arms like I was going to give him a bear hug. I have no idea why I did that. He struck the same pose.... actually.... I'm not sure who did it first. After a millisecond (that felt like time had stood still.) He turned around and ran away from me.
I was lucky. But I stopped listening to music all together (along with taking some self defense classes).
This frustrated me because I have read lots of studies about how listening to music you enjoy will boost your endorphins and help you emotionally and physically through something that is physically arduous. Running was/is not easy for me. (The studies given to me years ago by my Doula when preparing for a medication-free childbirth. Music was an anesthetic for the soul, so to speak. At least a good distraction when facing some "discomfort".)
Anyway, to the point:
After a year has passed, I can now enjoy the guilty pleasure of rocking out to Snoop Dogg "Sweat" (David Guetta remix to be specific) or singing along to "Let's Get It Started" by Black Eye Peas while also being safe, alert, completely hearing my surroundings and quiet enough that no one has to know if there is a sugar pop tune on my playlist. Thank you Roadnoise!
Check out the website here for more info, sizing chart or where to buy your vest: http://www.roadnoise.com/
A couple months ago I found myself chatting up a professional makeup artist with my smelly woes. I have incredibly sensitive skin. I mean really. Being in the sunshine for more than 30 minutes has me a heap of red, blistery misery. Anyway...
I can't even wear deodorant without a stinging circle of red, irritable, angry, pain appearing. I just stopped wearing deodorant all together. My social life has suffered for it I'm sure. Well, at least I hope not but my self confidence has. I'm always trying to check my pitts if I'm smelly and if I am any fun to be around or if people are going to run for the hills.
That's on a normal day.
On a day that required any cross training or running I needed to also promptly run off to the shower and clean up before I offended anyone or caused some poor person to pass out.
Harmony, the patient makeup artist who listened to my smelly woes, could relate and suggested a natural deodorant.... I scoffed and rolled my eyes before she could finish. I had been down the "natural" road before. Don't get me wrong... actually a lot of the natural brands and companies have in mind the things that are important to me. Cruelty free. Paraben free. Phthalate free. No needed extra dyes and other weird chemical concoctions and preservatives. No unneeded stuff that could potentially hurt my skin.
She smiled at my disdain and explained that she was skeptical at first too but she gave this deodorant a try and would never go back to anything else. Okay. What is it? If I don't break out in a killer rash with armpits so swollen that I can't lower my arms, maybe it'll be a keeper.
Well, guess what. Not only is my skin happy. But it works. It keeps me smelling like a smell-good person on an awful, hot day. On an awfully awful hot day that had me going from a long run straight to a crowded children's birthday party with no shower in between. People stood next to me at the party and still smiled. I still smelled like ylang-ylang and calendula. I kid you not!
This stuff is amazing. It's natural, the company has a philosophy I can get behind, and I'm supporting local with an Oregon based business. Made in the USofA with natural ingredients.
I've been using the product for over a month now with no issue at all with my skin. It smells divine and I have had two instances where something has come up or I had poor timing and went from a sweaty workout to a social gathering without a shower. I still have friends. No, really. I didn't stink the place up and people are still inviting me out. (With my skin issues and not being able to wear deodorant before, this was an issue for me.)
It's not your typical stick or spray.
Step 1. Remove a small amount of product with spatula provided with the jar.
Step 2. Roll the removed product into a pea-sized ball.
Step 3. Place a pea-sized ball under each arm and allow to warm up to body temp for a few moments. (You can do this by clamping your arms down to allow deodorant to melt a bit or put it on a saucer and heat in the microwave for 5 or so seconds. Do this at your own risk as you don't want to heat it for too long in the microwave and burn your (sensitive) skin.
Step 4. After rubbing in the warm deodorant like rubbing on lotion, bask in the greatness that is your new smell. You will smell fantastic!
Schmidt's offers several great scents (and a non scented option) in their line and I love them all. (I especially like my husband to wear the Cedarwood and Juniper.)
You can click here to find a store near you that carries this product. Go and try a sample if there is a tester jar... or at the very least go smell it and fall instantly in love. If there isn't a store near you, take my word for it and give them a try by ordering online. It is so worth it. I can not fully express how happy I am to find something that works against body odor, is nice to my skin and doesn't stain my clothes (like some of the DIY versions I had been trying was doing).
This deodorant will be going to Hood To Coast with me. I have no doubt it will stand the test against a relay race and a van of smelly runners. It's what I use everyday... so why not race day?
The fuel belt is not a terrible solution, but it does tend to move around, chafe, and generally get annoying on a long run. Hand held bottles seem to get in the way of an efficient stride. How about a bottle that does not need to be placed in a fuel belt or held continuously? This is the promise of the Simple Hydration bottle that was provided to my Moms Run This Town chapter to review.
Review by Mariah Jeffery: The bottle works by tucking the lip into your waistband. I couldn't believe it would stay but for the most part, it did. I tried it on a "brick" workout day of a 12-mile bike ride and a 5K run. My bike does have a water-bottle holder, but occasionally on long rides I run out of water in the single bottle, and I wanted to try this out as a possible solution for carrying a second bottle. I made sure to wear drawstring shorts, per the instructions, and tied them tightly. I thought to myself as I got going "There's no way this is going to stay on." It actually made it through the entire bike ride except for two occasions. Once was going over a train track. When I hit the very large bump, it did fly out and I had to stop and retrieve it. The other time was after I removed it, and I had difficulty returning it to the proper position with one hand, so it came out because I didn't have it in there will. After I stopped and retrieved it and got it in the right spot, it stay put for the rest of the ride, the transition, and the entire 5K run. It was certainly easier than a fuel belt although not 100% foolproof. I'm not sure that I'd use this for a race because I'd be worried about losing it, but for a long run when it's no big deal to turn around and retrieve the bottle once in a rare while, I definitely would use it again.
Review by Angela Sellars:
For me , a newbie runner, sport water bottles were
not an issue. I drank before I left the house and when I got home from
runs . Most of these runs were shorter than an hour. But now I have my
sights on a half marathon and realize longer runs mean drinking water on
the go.
I decided to give the
Simple Hydration water bottle a shot during a 15k run, knowing I would
need water to wash down my mid run gel pack. The first thing I noticed
was how nicely it fit in my small hands. I placed it in my spandex
running tights at the small of my back. After an initial learning curve when the bottle seemed to slip and slide, I found a way to tilt it a bit and keep my
pants up! The next 3 miles went well, save some odd bumping and jostling
as I ran downhill. 45 minutes into my run, and I needed some water to
drink with my gel pack. I was able to open it with my teeth without too
much resistance. I placed it back in my pants and it slipped out and
fell on the ground, forcing me to stop to pick it up and wipe it off.
The bottle stayed in place for the remainder of the run and I was happy
to have some water to sip as I walked home.
In conclusion, I will
use the Simple Hydration water bottle again, but not for races or
fast-paced runs. It will be handy for easy jogs on hot days and for
walks and hikes with the family.
Simple Hydration has a 50% off discount going on right now! Head on over to their Facebook page and check it out. Discount good until June 8th.
Robin will be ordering hers to use on long runs training for Hood To Coast and read about how the bottle's design has versatility to be tucked in a sports bra (sorry guys!) or in a flip belt, spibelt or the like.
VFuel Review by Mariah Jeffery I have tried several fueling methods and I'm still trying to figure out what works for me. Gu seems to be hard on my sensitive stomach. I decided to give VFuel a try on my 13.1 mile "tune-up" race in preparation for my last half marathon. I tried Maple Bacon flavor, just because it sounded intriguing. It was actually not bad! The taste was a bit on the "savory" side but not overwhelming, and also a bit sweet at the same time. I noticed caffeine on the ingredient list, which is good because caffeine does seem to help my performance in endurance events.
VFuel did not cause any of the GI distress issues I have had in the past with other gels. It seems to be easy to tolerate. I did make sure to drink it with plenty of water, though, which seems to be key for me. I tried the Peach Cobbler flavor last week during my speed session (8.75 miles including a magic mile and 8x400's!). I took it at around the 5 mile mark and definitely felt a bit of a pick-me-up right when I needed it. I would not hesitate to use VFuel again for my fueling needs. I have my first triathlon in just under 2 weeks and one of these packets will be stashed in my bike bag!
I
am fairly new to the fueling process, but training for a half marathon
means learning to nourish and hydrate my body. So I gave VFuel a try. I
started my 15K long run with one pack of Peach Cobbler and then had
Citrus at the 45 minute mark, just as the packaging recommends. The
Peach Cobbler flavor is mellow and sweet and viscous enough to swish
down with water. I preferred the Cool Citrus however. It was milder and
reminded me of Lemon Meringue pie. The VFuel gel warmed up against my
body as I ran and was easier to swallow than the room temperature
packet. While I did not notice any GI distress during the run, I did
experience some mild gas and cramping post run.
I used these same
flavors of VFuel before my speed workout and weight training as well. No
GI distress occurred and I was able to complete and perform better
compared to the same workouts done without VFuel. I noticed a boost of
energy about 25 minutes into the workouts and faster reaction times .
Afterwards I felt less muscle soreness than usual.
Overall, I like the VFuel gels and will continue to use them to improve my performance and endurance.
Head on over to their website and see the great flavors they have available. Have I mentioned they have "Maple Bacon"? Because it's about time we had the option of something not too sweet.
Runningluv has generously provided me with a free sample to use and review and will send one of my lucky readers one of their own.
A fellow sole sister first casually mentioned "Runningluv" to me while I unceremoniously rubbed my nose from my elbow to wrist. I know. Classy. This is also the running partner who has had to provide me with a tissue mid run or post run on a couple of occasions.
My nose is a leaky faucet made worse when I run.
Runningluv to the rescue! Runningluv is a lycra band that fits around your hand and wrist with a bamboo/organic cotton terry blend towel-and-tissue attached.
The lycra band is moisture wicking and a very light material. It is very comfortable and easy to forget about while running.
The "towel-and-tissue" is soft and I love the bright colors offered. My "running color" is yellow, so I LOVE the festive yellow one I used on my last race (a 10K last weekend). It did take me a couple miles to get used to the towel wrapped around my hand, but I soon forgot about it and was glad to use it in these freezing January weather runs (which makes my nose even more snotty).
You can wrap it around your hand and tuck the tail under the lycra band or unfold the towel as pictured above for more surface area. I need to work a bit on my tucking technique, but it is fairly simple.
This versatile piece of running gear has helped me get the sweat from my face before it runs into my eyes, blotted my drippy nose during my race and on a short run with Bugaboo and Squeakers, it has served as an emergency snot rag or a "napkin" when Squeakers over squeezed her pouch of baby food.
We've all had a reason or two to need something like this on a run...
Your nose drips or runs (like mine).
You sweat (or glisten, or sparkle... whatever you call it, you'd like to wipe it off your face).
Your eyes water (or you're crying in joy because you smashed an old PR).
Your sweet (and messy) kids are on the run with you and need a napkin-tissue-towel.
Your Garmin is fogged up (or covered in precipitation like mine from the lovely Oregon rain) and needs wiped clean.
What would you use yours for?
Head on over to their website (http://www.runningluv.com/) and see the colors and combinations available! And if you'd like a chance to win one from my blog, enter below:
I’m feeling incredibly blessed to have such amazing sponsors
for our running group, Moms Run This Town! We recently merged with another chapter, and this past
Saturday night we had a social so that the ladies from both groups could meet. Since
there are an unusually high number of ladies in our group who are gluten free,
vegan, or both, we have a very difficult time having food that works for
everyone at our gatherings. I had the idea to reach out to a restaurant that
offers both vegan and gluten free food. When I read some reviews online and saw
that Mama Mia Trattoria was rated as
one of the top Italian restaurants in Portland, and they had many vegan and
gluten free menu choices, I decided to reach out to them. The owner immediately
got back to me and offered to donate food for 25 for our event!! He made it
clear that there would be no expectations of any marketing or any other strings
attached to his gift – that it was simply a gift.
The food was absolutely amazing. They provided two types of
pasta – typical spaghetti noodles for the non-gluten free members of our group,
and rice pasta for the gluten free members. Even though I’m not gluten free, I
tried the gluten free noodles. They had nothing to hint that they were
different from a "regular" pasta dish other than the label on the
lid. The taste was not altered in any way and I had no idea that the noodles
were made with rice. We also had salad with pecans, baguettes, garlic bread,
and plenty of dipping sauces. Our favorite was the caprice! For dessert, we had
a cheese cake that was to die for.The amaretto in it was not so subtle that it left
you wondering if it was there or not. The flavor was rich, creamy and the amaretto
danced on our taste buds. It’s a good thing we are runners because we
certainly consumed plenty of calories that evening!
The best part, in my opinion, was the meatballs. I couldn’t
believe how moist they were, especially considering they were gluten free so no
breadcrumbs were used. Luckily there were a few leftovers so I took some home
for my husband to sample. His input: “So good, they made my tongue slap my
brains out!” Well, at least he has an excuse.
In summary, Mama Mia Trattoria’s is the perfect place for a
great meal or to carbo load before a big race. Our group will be visiting them
before our big races! Here is a photo of the food that was donated to us.
Another of our amazingly generous sponsors was Impact Signs
in Hillsboro. They offered to print our club’s banner because “We’ve got to
take care of the Moms!” Aw, how sweet. They took our logo and info we wanted on
the sign and actually designed the sign for us to work with the 3’x5’ sign.
When one of our members picked it up, they were incredibly nice. 3’x5’ doesn’t
sound that large until you see it in person.
Thanks Robin for letting me be a guest blogger! I wanted to share some info on a product I recently tried.
While visiting family in Orlando I had the opportunity to
attend a social event with the East Orlando chapter of Moms Run This Town. The
ladies in the group introduced me to a product called Cocogo, which is a powder
that you mix with water to create a sports drink. I really liked the product
and I was lucky to get my hands on some samples for the ladies in my local
chapter to try.
I have had experience with a few different fueling methods
so I will compare and contrast Cocogo to some of the more common ones.
Nuun – I use Nuun, but my biggest problem with it is that it
is messy. I’m not sure if it’s just me, but when I put the tablets in the water
bottles that go in my fuel belt, even if I wait 5 minutes before putting the
lids on, liquid starts shooting out of my bottles and random intervals. It
continues to shoot out throughout my run, at times making it look like I peed
my pants. Not cool. Plus it has a bit of a salty taste that I’m not especially
fond of, so I find myself needing to drink about 2/3 Nuun, 1/3 water to wash it
down.
Gu – I don’t have a particularly sensitive stomach, but Gu
can make me a bit queasy if I take in too much at once, so I suck on the packet
very slowly over a period of time. This makes it awkward to carry the packet.
Also, this may be TMI but I get a lot of snot when I run and the
strawberry/banana Gu looks suspiciously like my snot, so I’m always a little
bit grossed out by it. Overall it’s not a bad option, but personally I prefer
something I can drink out of a bottle.
Cocogo – Cocogo is especially tasty, which helps because it
makes me want to drink more. It comes in grape, raspberry, and lemon lime. It
doesn’t have a strong taste, however, like some other sports drinks, so I don’t
feel the need to wash it down with water. I like that the ingredients are
natural. I was surprised to read the label and see that it has sodium in it. It
doesn’t have a salty taste at all. Cocogo has 37 calories per serving, vs. 8
with Nuun, so I like that I get a little more ump out of the Cocogo.
To summarize, Cocogo has all of the advantages you look for
in a sports drink – good tasting, natural, easy to digest and doesn’t leave a
bad after taste, and has a good dose of carbs. I used Cocogo on my 13.1 mile
New Year’s Day run with no other fuel besides water, and I did just fine – no
bonking!
I also happened to come across a couple of discount codes for Cocogo: 40% off when you use code 40COCOGO or free shipping with code FRSH4COCOGO at store.cocogo.com checkout. Enjoy!
I was recently contacted by The Protein Bakery to do a review of their products and a giveaway on my blog. While I received free product for this review and free product to giveaway, my opinions (as always) are my own.
The packaging was very pretty!
The classic combination of peanut butter and chocolate will always be my favorite, so without hesitation, this was going to be the one I tried! The Peanut Butter Brownie mini is a solid 1oz. of pure sweetness.
You can't do peanut butter and chocolate wrong... I was just hoping for a little more flavor. The sweetness and the goodness isn't going to punch you in the face, and maybe my sweet tooth is a bit of the "sock it to me" type.
This is a subtle sweet that is a little bit more amaretto than chocolate. I don't know why I thought that, but that was the first thing I jotted down in my notes. Then reading the label I see that the chocolate used is chocolate liquor. Maybe that's what I was tasting?! I'm such a foodie. Or maybe it was just the pure vanilla extract?
The label also says "corn starch from non genetically modified corn." Get out of town! I'm in love with you.
The brownie is very soft and very dense. I microwaved the goodie for about 15 seconds and it was just enough to make it warm without being too melty. The texture is smooth and very delicious. 1 oz is gone way too fast. But don't worry! That's just the "mini" there are lots of products to choose from! Cookies, Brownies, Blondies, Minis and assorted gift sets.
The Protein Bakery says they've found the secret to happiness: Balance. “We chose the name Protein Bakery, for a good (and healthy) reason. Muscle-building protein is a huge component in all our delicious cookies, brownies and blondies. Every delectable, guilt-free bite is high in dietary fiber, low in gluten, and delivers up to 5 times more protein than the average baked treat”. They also say: “Our trans-fat free, preservative free, and wheat flour-free recipes are also nutritionally balanced. We combine natural ingredients like heart-healthy rolled oats, light brown sugar, and the finest chocolate”.
These little treats are trans-fat free, made without wheat flour and very low in gluten, higher in dietary fiber to satisfy hunger, and higher in muscle building protein. However, my gluten free friends or vegans would not enjoy these treats so much. "Contains eggs, milk and soy. May contain wheat..."
My sweet 1 0z treat was 100 calories, 70 from fat. Sugar 2g and protein 4g.
That being said, this is a prefect bit of "junk food" to not feel terribly guilty about after a long run.
I am excited to give them a try post workout and interested to hear what you think about them too!
The Protein Bakery also has a giveaway going on too.
They'd like for the winner of my giveaway and for any others who have purchased their products to enter their giveaway: "Show us your muscle!"
Submit a photo of you holding the product and making a muscle! Email it to info@proteinbakery.com for your chance to win a free Bakers Pick gift set plus a t-shirt. They also will highlight the blog that you learned about them through. ;-)
Click HERE to enter my giveaway for your chance to win: one "Wicked mint Brownie" (3 oz.); one Black & White Blondie Mini (1 oz); and one package of Peanut Butter White Chocolate Chip Cookies (2 oz.).
Last week I had a bit of issue sneaking in a morning run.... You know how it goes... the day just starts slipping away and by the time the baby is down for her nap and everyone is dressed and I'm ready to go, someone wakes up early from nap or an appointment comes up... You get the idea.
Anyway.... We decided that a family picnic style dinner at the park would be an enjoyable evening. And i could loop the park to get in my miles while my husband was playing with the kids.
I got a mile and I had this TERRIBLE pain in my foot! It felt like the knuckles on my middle toe was being rubbed by the neighboring toes. It sorta felt like there wasn't enough room on my foot for that toe!
I should probably preface this post that when it comes to my shoes, I'm sorta "the princess and the pea". I have to sweep out my shoes before they go on and examine the socks for any strange snags or anything that's going to "rub weird" (like the sock seam at the toes!).
That's why I'm sorta surprised that I didn't notice this issue sooner, like when I put my sock on! But I thought I was just being too sensitive and powered through it. After that one mile, I wandered to the picnic blanket and took my sock off to adjust it.
My toe was trapped in thread loops like a little hammock!
Champion "Duo Dry" Socks
After trying another mile, it hurt too bad. Another examination on the blanket, and it became obvious that I had cuts on the toe from the threads rubbing. I purchased these Champion Duo Dry Socks on the cheap at Target, and now I know toavoid them!! When I got home, I turned every pair inside-out and all of them have this loopy issue. Ick. As if my life doesn't already have little things to stress about and big things to worry over, now I have to cut the loose threads out of my socks? No thank you.
I first purchased some Fitsok socks at Portland Running Company, and now I know that there are some things it's just best not to skimp on. Love you Fitsok! Thanks for not cutting my toes off!
At least the injury was short lived. Today I got 10 miles done! In the pouring rain. I loved every minute of it. Sometimes it's just good to get out and get a run in.
Any painful gear lessons you have endured? Please share them with me! What kind of socks have won your heart or helped your feet?
PROBAR sent me some of their CORE Protein Bar to sample and review... and the best part? To give away!!
PROBAR has this to say about their CORE bar:
Looking for a protein bar that resembles nature rather than a science experiment? Good. Because we've packed 20 grams of plant protein and plenty of real, recognizable ingredients into this bar. And it does more than build your strength – it boasts chia seeds for hydration and recovery too.
Well, let me tell you a little bit more about them.
Flavors include:
Cookie Dough
Peanut Butter Chocolate
Brownie Crisp
Mint Chocolate
As you can see, the bar has a chocolate coating. I think of this bar as a "recovery food" for post workout and intense runs. Maybe it's best that this bar is waiting for you at home or at least out of the hot sun and not in your fuel belt or fanny pack. After carrying the bar with me and the mild temperatures of a May morning run in the Pacific Northwest, my coating was a tad bit gooey. It left my fingers with a light coating of chocolate. It wasn't as bad as a Hershey's bar, but I'd hate to see what would happen if it was left in a hot car after a trail run or something like that.
Aside from this characteristic of the bar, it has some pretty neat things going for it. First off, they are Vegan and certified Gluten-Free. Each bar has at least 20g of plant protein (soy isolate protein. There are 21g for the "Cookie Dough" bar). The high protein makes this bar ideal after a hard workout or a long run as a "recovery snack".
The "Mint Chocolate" was packed with flavor, and each bar is also packed with quality ingredients. Each bar contains chia and flax seeds that have a long list of health benefits including providing a source of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids.
However, one of the things on my long list of ingredients to avoid is palm kernel oil and other palm oils. You can click HERE to read some examples why, but that is a whole other soapbox for another day. Back to the point...
The average calories for these bars is 290 ("Mint Chocolate is 280 calories), 17-14g of sugar from sources such as organic tapioca syrup, organic dried cane syrup and organic agave syrup. That's a lot of sugar! At least the sources are organic, however I'd love for them to be certified organic. (The PROBAR Fuel is certified organic, and you better believe I'll be buying a pack of those! So, stay tuned for that review...) Overall, the bar is very delicious. I tasted the "Mint Chocolate" and found that it was true to it's name. There is more mint to it than chocolate. The bar is chewy, without being tough like many protein bars out there. The texture is more of a crisp type of "chewy", like eating a chocolate covered rice cake or something like that. I loved it, but I have my eye on the "Peanut Butter Chocolate" in the future. Is there a better marriage than P.B. and chocolate? I don't think so....
Have you tried a PROBAR CORE bar or other PROBAR products? Tell me what you thought of them. If you have a favorite "recovery snack" post race/long run or workout, I'd love to hear about it. I'm always looking for new product recommendations I can learn about and share with others.
Now for the exciting part! Enter HERE if you'd like to try and win a PROBAR CORE Bar. Can't wait to try them yourself? Well, my lucky readers get a 40% off discount your first order. Visit PROBAR and type in the code you see in the rain puddle below at checkout.
I am so excited to share with you a product review and giveaway!! Nathan Sports has sent me a QuickShot Plus and a Triangle to review and giveaway... How exciting is that?! I chose to try out the hand held and giveaway the awesome hydration belt!
As you may have read on Nathan's website about the QuickShot Plus, it is a 10oz bottle that is BPA free, has a convenient pouch on the handstrap to store your fuel, keys, driver's licence and whatever goodies you like to have within reach!
Palm-side. Just grip the bottle and squeeze for a shot of water!
Thumb hole in the handstrap makes this a completely grip-free hold. This side also features a small pocket good for your house key or other small items.
I've had the QuickShot Plus on every run this week and two races (and a fundraising walk. May is kind of a busy month!). Let me just say that I love it! It took me a little getting used to it at first... but I was over and adjustments and trials within the first run.
I don't normally run with things "in" my hands. But this really isn't something you are holding on to. Okay, so maybe you can't pick something up with that hand (or not very easily) but it is still very comfortable and something I just got used to- I hardly noticed I had it. The hand strap is adjustable and easy to secure so that you don't hold the bottle, except when it's time to grip it for a little squeeze. I said little. First time, I squirted myself in the face. :-) I bet it was hilarious! Then as I was removing it, I pushed too hard on the bottle to my palm as I was messing with the strap... I squirted my 3year old in the face. She thought it was hilarious, so it wasn't all bad. This makes for easy hydration, since you don't have to mess with a cap or any other nonsense.
On my first 5k with it this last week, the weather was a scorcher. Or, I am spoiled in my cloudy weather... but 81 degrees was more than my comfort level cared for. I am grateful for the handheld water bottle, because the water station was out of water when I got there. After a short distance of 3 miles in that heat, the remaining water I had in my bottle was a bit warm. But seriously? That would be my only complaint, and that isn't even something that would be Nathan's fault. Come on, Nathan! Bring the rain and cool temps back to Oregon! ;-)
The pouch is very handy. It isn't quite big enough to hold my smart phone, but it holds everything else you could need on a run! I definitely will be bringing it on all my runs and would recommend it to anybody.
The weather is warming up, and as it does... please stay hydrated. I have been hospitalized more than a few times for dehydration. It isn't fun.
So with that, check out the specs on the Triangle and enter the giveaway for one in "Nathan Blue" color.
