Protein Bakery Review and Giveaway!

This has to be, by far, the most delicious giveaway I have done on this blog.  If you haven't already be introduced, let me introduce you to the pure deliciousness of The Protein Bakery!

First off I want to let you know about a promotion The Protein Bakery is doing right now called "Show Us Your Muscle."   Anyone who orders a product and sends them a photo of you holding the product and making a muscle gets entered to win a free baker's gift set and t-shirt!  Pictures should be sent to
info@proteinbakery.com  .  If you win you will get their biggest gift set, the tshirt, and your photo featured on their website.  Even better, you are eligible to enter this contest using the goodies you win from me! 

The box I got.  You will notice the mini black and white blondie is gone.  It didn't last 5 minutes!

The Protein Bakery has lots of goodies like brownies, blondies, and various cookies!  In the box I got, it came with 1 mini Black and White Blondie, 1 mini Peanut Butter brownie, 2 packs of Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies, Chocolate Chocolate White Chip Cookies, and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, and a large Black and White Blondie and a Walnut Brownie.  So far we have sampled everything but the Walnut Brownie and I am saving that for my cheat day this weekend!  So far everything has been soooo good but I have to say that the Black and White Blondies were by far my favorite and I was very glad there were 2 in the box! =)

Yummy, delicious Black and white blondie- the large version

I had to share with The Husband so we each tried each one.  One night after dinner, when it was a cheat night, this is what he found.

He was glad to try 2 kinds that night =)

Why should you want to try these goodies? Well, there are a bunch of reasons but the ones that jumped out at me the most are from the info I got from the Protein Bakery:

 Higher In Muscle-Building Protein
Whey protein is more easily absorbed by the body.
Preferred by most nutritionists and healthy living experts.
Some of our baked goods have more protein than an egg or a glass of milk.

and

Higher in dietary fiber to satisfy your hunger
Some of our treats have as much fiber as a bowl of oatmeal.
No wheat flour used and very low in gluten
Many people have an intolerance for white flour and gluten.
And for everyone else, it's just a healthier bite.

Those are very high points for me and these are seriously good! Not what you would expect of some of the products out there that are low gluten/gluten free.

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Even the minis aren't that small!

The winner of this giveaway will be getting a taste of Protein Bakery (an assortment of 2 brownies/blondies, 2 cookie 2-packs and 2 mini's) $45.00 value with shipping!

Enter below through the rafflecopter.  Sorry but we can only ship within the mainland of the US and not to PO Boxes or APO addresses.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**Disclaimer: I was not compensated in any way for this giveaway.  I was provided product for review and all opinions are my won.** 

Giveaways Galore!

So, since I have gotten behind on posts, I also have a couple giveaways that are due.  I JUST realized yesterday that I never did a race recap on the Biggest Loser 10k I ran on June 29th so I plan to do that tomorrow.  I had held onto these giveaways until that point because that was the day I was intending to try both products and time just got away from me.  Anyway, for the Biggest Loser race I decided to try out my Spun Compression socks as well as Energybits!

ENERGYbits

Coming into this race I had been having terrible runs with a capital "T."  About 8 days before this I had switched over to a low carb diet and the one long run of 5 miles I had completed left me drained and out of whack very quickly.  I am assuming my body was still adjusting? I am not sure but they were bad.  I had high hopes that the Energybits would get me through this race.

It is recommended by the ENERGYbits people that you use 30 bits prior to activity so about 15 minutes before the race start I took 30 bits.  To begin with these smell very...green.  Since they are 100% algae that is completely expected.  While there is an option to chew these in reviews I had read before, I knew to just swallow them whole.  They are the size of maybe an Advil, so it was fun to swallow 30 of those, but it was doable.  During the race I did feel more energy that I had felt on my last run.  I made it farther than I expected based on my previous performance in the week so that was good as well.  The great thing about these is that they are all- natural and they are a FOOD and not a supplement.

From the ENERGYbits website:
Made from 100% organicallly grown spirulina algae and loaded with 40 nutrients, ENERGYbits® algae tabs have the highest concentration of protein in the world (64%) all for just one calorie per tab. Endorsed by the United Nations as the most nutritious food on earth, spirulina algae has been a favorite of Olympic gold medalists for decades and is a super food in every sense of the word, delivering instant and enduring energy to your brain and body.

I think that I will give these another go soon as my general level of energy has continued to come up over the time since the race.  I would like to try these again when I am having normal runs and not terrible ones like the week I did manage to try them.  Want to try them, too? Enter the giveaway at the bottom of the post!

Those entering in the giveaway will win one sample pack of ENERGYbits!


Spun Compression

It was very humid and the temperature was rising quite a bit the morning of the race so I decided to wear short socks during the race and save these socks for the long ride home after the race.  Like I mentioned above, I had a terrible run and my calves were kind of achy.  I jumped in the shower when we got back to the hotel and put my Spun Compression socks on right away.  I am always worried because I seem to have large calves so I tend to wonder if they are going to be too tight.  These actually felt great on my legs.  I didn't have any issues with them being too tight and they put just the right amount of pressure on my calves.  I kept them on for the whole ride home and then a couple more hours after we made it home.  I was definitely glad to have them!

One great point about these compression socks?  They are much cheaper than many others you will find out there.  Regular price they run 34.99. Why?

From the Spun Apparel website:

Spun Performance Apparel was born out of necessity.  When our founders began searching for compression apparel to aid them in their performance and to speed up their recovery, they shared a common sentiment, "Why's this stuff so expensive?"  So, they set out to try to find the answer.  There were a few factors that led to most legitimate compression apparel being so expensive:

• It's sold through retail locations, so there is an extra level of markup, sometimes as high as 200%;
• Many compression apparel companies pay athletes to wear their gear;
• It's worth it.

While we share their sentiment on the final point, we wholeheartedly disagree with the first two. 

Why drive to a specialty running or cycling store to try something on for a minute or two in a cramped dressing room when you can order online and try it on in the comfort of your own home.  If it doesn't fit, we'll pay for you to ship it back to us.

I plan on also getting these in green soon!

Enter the Rafflecopter below to try to win these awesome products!! There will be 2 winners for this giveaway.  Giveaway runs from August 21-31, 2013.  Winner will be announced in a blogpost on Sept 1! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lock Laces Winners and an Announcement

Hey, all! I am really stinking at this blogging thing since summer has kicked into gear! The kiddos and I have passes to our local waterpark and have spent some time there as well as family get-togethers and I have had my nose stuck in a book some, too. =)

I drew the winners for the Lock Laces giveaway yesterday and want to say a big congratulations to Alicia Orozco and Carrie Hughes! Both winners have been contacted and responded! You ladies will be in #winnevertie spirit very soon! I will get them in the mail tomorrow or Wednesday!

Another announcement I have is that I am doing a Virtual Race Series to benefit the Laced Up Foundation which is a new foundation The Husband and I have started.  Laced Up will be providing new shoes to children in need in our local area and we are organizing many events to raise money.  We are doing a local 5k Labor day weekend in our town and I have organized this virtual race series.  

The series is a "Wizard" themed race and the first in the series, the Scarlett & Gold, is open to sign ups and is set to be run from September 1-30.  If you have not heard of a virtual race, it is where you choose your place and time and run (or walk, or skip..you get the point =) ) for a really awesome medal which will be mailed in the month of September.  The reason I chose this theme is #1 my supreme geekhood and #2 since this is a children's race it is a theme that many children can get behind!  It is a great intro to running for kids and is set as a 5k/10k/or Half Marathon- runner's choice! This is the first race in the challenge with 3 other houses following.  There is a final "House Cup"medal for those who complete all 4 races in the series.

First Medal in the series

 I am hoping that this race has a great turnout and we can buy lots and lots of shoes for local kids!  I chose September for this race so we can get the first shoes to children by the time it starts to get cold this winter.  If any of you would be interested in signing up for one or all of the races follow this link: 
https://runsignup.com/Race/OH/Anywhere/HouseChallengeRaceSeries 


Happy Running!

Lock Laces Review and Giveaway!

Hey, all! It is that time again! I have another great giveaway for my awesome and amazing readers.  I have had this in the works for awhile but for some reason I have just felt SWAMPED and not able to get my thoughts together to do this.  But, here it is!

I have heard the wonders of Lock Laces for quite some time.  Never tie, great fit every time, quick and easy to get out the door but I had yet to get any.  Then I won a pair from a giveaway on another blog.  Those were quickly snatched by my then 4 year old son for his play tennis shoes.  He loves to be able to come and go when he feels like it between the house and wherever my husband happens to be working outside without having to come find me to help him with his shoes.  Putting the Lock Laces on there has saved many unfinished chores in the house ;-).  I would show you a picture of his play shoes with the lock laces on them but if any of you know little boys they are about as clean as a pig in a wallow so.... Here's a stock photo =)

[Source]

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So, then I buy a pair and the Husband gets them! He promptly puts them on his running shoes and hasn't looked back.  They were so easy to put on and literally took just a couple of minutes before we took off for a run. (Directions taken from Lock Laces packaging.)

1. Lace the shoe up like you normally would.  You get the best fit in the end with your foot in the shoe.

2. Squeeze the lock and thread each lace through it.

3.Cut your laces 2-3 inches below the lock. ( You are welcome to use something other than children's safety scissors, of course. =) )

4. Insert laces into clip and press to close.

 

Since everyone else seems to love them I really need to get on ordering myself some.  Maybe this time I will get to keep them!  But, I have 2 pairs to give away to 2 lucky winners.  

All you have to do is enter through the Rafflecopter below.  For this giveaway I am partnering with Aph over at Aphalicious Bliss who is a fellow Sweat Pink and Girls Gone Sporty Ambassador and highlighting this giveaway on her blog as well for her big birthday extravaganza! Giveaway will run from July 2-July 8! Good Luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*I was not compensated for this review in any way.  Lock Laces provided me with 2 pairs to give away but all opinions are my own**

I'm Back! and KT Tape winners!

Hey, all! I made it back in from vacation last night and we are settling in and getting all the dreaded laundry done! We had a great time, though, and I can't wait to share about all the things we did, and of course the runs I took along the beach.  However, I am pretty exhausted this evening and just wanted to drop in and announce the winners of the KT tape giveaway!

Karen Orozco and Zaneta!!

Congratulations and check your email! =)

Happy Running!

KT Tape Review and Giveaway!

If you are anything like me then you have had some running related injuries.  Bad knees run in my family (I think my mom has had something like 7 surgeries on the one knee) so almost as soon as I started running my left knee started acting up... then my right.  I am noticing some relief as I continue to lose weight so hopefully this isn't a forever thing!

Then my left foot was acting crazy and I self-diagnosed as Plantar Fasciitis.  If you have read my past posts of whining about this it was driving me NUTS! It was way worse than the mild knee pain I was getting so I started searching what I needed to do to make the pain stop.  Enter KT Tape.

Common sight in my house.. Pretty Pink KT Tape

Everywhere I looked, I heard about KT tape.  I was pretty skeptical about how this tape could be of any help.  I held onto that skepticism clear up until I applied it.  As you are putting it on, it doesn't really seem to be doing anything at all. But let me tell you that as soon as I started walking around, and running, with the PF application on my foot I could tell a huge difference.  I didn't have the sharp pain in my arch that I had been dealing with and it felt very supported and I didn't even notice the tape was there! It was my wonder solution!  Now, if I start feeling any discomfort at all in my foot I am pulling out the tape!

The great thing about KT Tape is they have multiple videos showing you all different applications for many injuries and those videos show you how to tape yourself.  Also, they have forums where you can post your area of pain or issue and the wonderful people on there will recommend an app for you complete with picture showing how to apply it.

The crafter in me really loves the little container it comes in!

The tape is very sticky and I have had applications stay on easily for 3-4 days (this can be up to a week in areas other than the foot).  It stays on pretty well in water and you can swim in it! Important for summer but I am sure those tan lines would get interesting! =)

Another thing that I love about this tape is that it is precut into strips that easily tear off the roll.  No need for scissors (unless you use one of the apps that has you cut a strip in half.)

This is one of those things that are going on my "runner's essentials" list!

So, you are excited to try KT tape out as well aren't you? 2 lucky winners will get the chance to! Just enter in the rafflecopter below.  The drawing will run from now through May 9th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Open to US residents only. I was not compensated by KT Tape in any way and all opinions expressed are my own.

Notes on Weightloss and a Spartan Race Entry Winner!

This post is one that has been rolling around in my head for awhile.  This is something that I have struggled with for probably most of my life.  Right around the summer between my 8th grade year and high school I started gaining weight.  My mom had major knee surgery and I spent a lot of time on the couch with her that summer.  It was not good for my weight AT ALL.  I spent most of my high school years being overweight.  I was pretty miserable.  Then, at the beginning summer my junior year I found out that I was got into college a year early and I would be attending a local university in the fall rather than my high school.  I took that as my chance.  Mom and I both took the summer to work hard and lose the weight we had gained and we both did it!  I started college as a new person and felt so much better about myself.

Me in the back. Christmas 1998. Right before the summer where I started gaining.

Unfortunately, that was not the last I would see about that weight.  See, I was always losing my weight on crash diets that would help me lose fast but I would gain back just as fast with usually some more tacked on. I have been on a path of gaining and losing over and over since that summer before my senior year 11 years ago.  Just last year at this time I was closing in on my goal weight once again, The Husband left to work out of town, and in the 11 months he was gone I gained everything back I had lost plus 10lbs.

Junior Prom May 2002- about where I was all of high school weight-wise.  Also right before I started losing.

I am DETERMINED that this is the last time I am going to see this weight.  I have finally spoken with the right people and I am doing this the right way.  No more crash diets for me, I am now eating my BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) and doing well.  I was very skeptical of eating the amount of calories my BMR suggested.  Back in the end of February/beginning of March of this year I was eating anywhere between 900-1100 calories and I was well into my half marathon training program.  My weight loss had stalled and I was feeling frustrated.  I spoke with some people who told me about BMR.  In case you don't know, it is the amount of calories your body burns on a daily basis just doing things it HAS to do like digestion and breathing.  Basically, it's what you would burn if you just laid in bed all day and existed.  These wonderful women figured my BMR for me and set me on the way of eating almost 1600 calories a day.  I was so worried I would gain eating that much.  I mean who eats more to lose weight?! I gave it 2 weeks.

October 2005- Healthy weight I had maintained since 2002

August 2009- About a week after my 2nd baby in 16 months was born

That was almost 3 months ago and I am still continually and consistently losing with this program in addition to exercise. I have had some setbacks and fluctuations here and there but when I am watchful I am getting a steady loss. I am glad that I am finally focusing on healthy eating and lifestyle changes rather than quick weight loss that comes right back. I am now less than a pound away from hitting the 20lb weight loss mark this time around.  20lbs I hope to never ever see again!  Only about 30 more to go.

 

May 2011- 15lbs from goal weight

November 2012-beginning of this round of weight loss

May 2013- Most current picture.

Sorry for all the pictures! I am trying to document this for myself as well and remind myself where I never want to be again!

And now for the WINNER of the Spartan Race Entry!! Congratulations...Teresa Daujotis Millstone! Go conquer the Spartan race! Please check your email!

Has anyone else struggled with weight loss?
What's the craziest fad diet you have heard of? 

Rock City Skirts Winner!!

Just another quick post to announce the Rock City Skirts winner!  I have a few things batting around in my head that I want to write about but I am in vacation planning overdrive and every spare moment lately has been spent finding things to do, making lists, and gathering things we need.  I will be posting another giveaway before we leave though so stay tuned for that!

Back to the point of this post.  The winner of the skirt is.......

Laurel Cedarblade! 

Congratulations, Laurel!!!!

Frog Fuel Giveaway Winner

Hey, All! I am about to go lay out what to wear for Run For Your Lives tomorrow in this CRAZY cool weather we are having but I wanted to drop by to announce the Frog Fuel Winner.  The odds were really good with only 6 comments (not including my own). Since I didn't use a rafflecopter for this one I went to the trusty Random.org.

So it was the 1st comment which was Karen Orozco! 

Karen- I have contacted you!


Congratulations, Karen!

Don't forget to enter my Rock City Skirts giveaway (ending 5-26) and the Spartan Race Giveaway (ending 5-28)!

Happy Running!

Frog Fuel Giveaway

Ok all! I hope to be back to regularly scheduled blog posts soon ( I also have a couple more giveaways in the wings) BUT this one has a timestamp on it and I need to have a winner to them by 5-26.  I was contacted today by Frog Fuel with the option to give away a 3 pack of their 1oz protein shots.  While I have NOT used this product so I can not post a review before doing a giveaway- I am looking at this like one of the subscription boxes such as Stridebox or Runnerbox.  It is an opportunity to try a new product for after workout fueling that you may not have tried on your own.

 :
 From the Frog Fuel email I received:

Why use FrogFuel?

1. It's hydrolyzed. Faster absorption means better performance and quicker recovery!
2. It's a Pure Collagen Protein - Improved skin, muscle mass and tone, increased joint flexibility, healthier bones, arteries, hair, nails and eyes.
3. Contains Taurine - Help rebuild muscles faster!
4. You can toss it in your go bag.
There are no banned substances, sugars, fats, carbs, gluten, cholesterol, lactose & excess ingredients.

Sounds pretty good, right? 


They have also developed a quiz to determine your fuel level.  It is posted below.  Since this is on such short notice I am going to use the comments rather than the usual rafflecopter.  Post in the comments what the answer to your fuel level was from the quiz OR your favorite workout/fitness tip to be entered! I will draw a winner on 5/24 to give time to get the winner's information to them by the 26th!  Good luck!


Note: This giveaway is only good in the US and they do not ship to PO Boxes.  I was contacted by Frog Fuel to do this giveaway in promotion of the above blog app and was not compensated for this post.

Reebok Spartan Race! (It's a GIVEAWAY!)

So, The Husband and I are venturing into the world of mud running for the first time this weekend.  We are really excited to get muddy and try out some obstacles.  However, it's not the Spartan Race, and this thing looks AWESOME! What a better way to test your limits than the race that was rated the #1 obstacle race by Outdoor magazine??


This series looks TOUGH.  They have 4 different levels: The Spartan Sprint, Spartan Super, Spartan Beast, and the Spartan Death Race (Sounds intimidating, huh?).  It should, this is their description from their FAQ page.

"What's the difference between Spartan Sprint, Super, Beast, and Death Races?

There are some staples in our repertoire. There are also some venue specific and terrain inspired obstacles.
We will not, however, spell it out for you. As well, you will get no course map to inspect. There is fire, mud, water, barbed wire, and occasionally Hell on Earth.
There WILL be obstacles to catch you off guard. Curve balls, so to speak.
Get over it.
We’re here to rip you from your comfort zone. If you need a road map for each step of the way, then maybe this race isn’t for you." 

 Basically it boils down to:

What is a Spartan Sprint? 3+ MILES / 15+ OBSTACLES
What is a Super Spartan? 8+ MILES / 20+ OBSTACLES
What is The Spartan Beast? 12+ MILES / 25+ OBSTACLES
What the #$%! is The Death Race?

source
 

 Their mission is also one that I am on board with!

"Spartan Race is on a mission to get you active, healthy, excited about change, and return to our ancient roots where running through woods, getting dirty, and facing adversity was part of everyday life. Our events are all about challenging today’s perception of normal."

Think that you have what it takes to push your boundaries and be a Spartan? I think you do! And what better way to celebrate that super strength than with a free entry to a Spartan race near you! Enter below in the rafflecopter to win a free entry to a race that has not sold out near you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


**Disclaimer: I was contacted by Spartan Race to do this giveaway.  I was not compensated in any way.