NOW Sports BCAA Blast and Effer-Energy Review

March 25, 2020 by 43 Comments

Disclaimer: I received NOW Sports BCAA Blast Powder (Natural Raspberry) and NOW Sports Effer-Energy tablets (Tropical Punch) to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews!

I use a number of NOW Foods supplements, so when the opportunity to try NOW® Sports BCAA Blast and NOW® Sports Effer-Energy tablets came up I was super excited to try them out!

Sharing my experience with @Nowfoods BCAA Blast & Effer-Energy products #nowsportsbr #bibravepro #nowgetfit #bibchat Share on X

Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are the essential amino acids leucine, isoleucine, and valine, which support building muscle and post-workout recovery. BCAAs can be taken before, during or after a run or workout. I have actually used NOW’s Branched Chain Amino Acid capsules and found them to be helpful so I was curious to see how the BCAA Blast would compare.

I used the BCAA Blast before both my runs and Orangetheory workouts and definitely felt I got an extra energy boost – especially on those late afternoon OTF classes. Each scoop of powder delivers 5 grams of BCAAs and 100 mg of natural caffeine. I really appreciated that I felt energized without feeling jittery, an experience I’ve had with other brands. It was also super easy on my stomach, which is so important, especially when using it before a run or workout! I definitely plan to continue to use the BCAA Blast for a pre-workout supplement.

The Effer-Energy tablets are an electrolyte supplement designed to support energy and recovery. I tried the tablets post-workout but, to be honest I struggled with the taste. I played with increasing the amount of water beyond the 16 oz that is recommended, and it did seem to help, but overall this just wasn’t a good fit for me – perhaps a different flavor would have worked better.

Both the BCAA Blast and Effer-Energy are soy-free, vegan/vegetarian, nut-free, dairy-free and egg-free – a win for those with various food allergies.

Interested in trying these or other products in the NOW Sports nutrition line?

Use code NOWSPORTS20 for 20% off your purchase of NOW® Sports products at nowsportsproducts.com.

Offer valid 2/1/20 through 11:59 PM Central Standard Time 4/30/20. Offer valid only on products found at https://www.nowfoods.com/sports-nutrition/sports-nutrition-all-products. Prices are as shown. Some exclusions apply. Must use coupon code NOWSPORTS20 in the Promotion Code field at checkout while supplies last at nowfoods.com. This offer does not apply to applicable taxes or shipping & handling. Offer cannot be used on previous purchases. NOW Health Group, Inc. has the right to end any promotion at any time.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

And be sure to check out the reviews of my fellow BibRave Pros:

Kim
Shannon
Lacey
Stephanie
Sarah

Do you use any pre- or post-workout supplements?

I’m linking with Debbie, Rachel, Deborah, Lisa,
Smitha and Jenn for the Runners’ Roundup.

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Filed Under: #BibRavePro, BCAAs, product reviews, Runners Roundup

Keeping Corona-craziness at bay

March 22, 2020 by 25 Comments

Happy Sunday my friends!

Everywhere we turn it feels like all Corona news all the time – it can feel overwhelming to say the least. And, while I fully admit that at times I have just wanted to pull the covers over my head, keeping up with my workouts has helped to keep the craziness at bay.

Here’s how this week’s workouts went down:

Monday — Rest day
Tuesday — Strength workout with resistance bands
Wednesday — 3.8-mile run

Thursday — Yoga
Friday — 2-mile power walk
Saturday — 4-mile run plus #see10do10 pushup challenge (Thanks to Pam for tagging me)

Nice to see some signs of Spring!
Sunday — I’ll be heading out soon for another power walk, followed by a T25 core workout.

Focusing on the positive…

With the Portland 10 Miler finally conceding this week and moving the race to a to-be-determined date in the fall, I’m making the adjustment to having no training plan for a while. On the positive side, this will give me a chance to focus on PT exercises. It’s also nice to just run without any focus on prescribed distances or paces.

I’m also enjoying the positives of having both boys home! My husband J is also working from home so we’re really embracing the extra family time. We’ve enjoyed some spirited games of Monopoly and Mario Party, watched some movies and enjoyed lots of laughs over meals.

This was supposed to be the beginning of week 2 of their spring breaks, but both schools have now tacked on an additional week of break before online classes begin in April. Thankfully, we picked up a wi-fi extender to help counter a couple of dead zones in our house so when the time comes we can spread out to the four corners of the house and take care of work and classes.

So tell me how was your week? What positives are you focusing on?

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

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Filed Under: Coronavirus, Weekly Run Down

What a week!

March 15, 2020 by 26 Comments

Adjusting to DST…packing up students…apocalyptic shopping…and cancellations abound. To say it has been one helluva week would be an understatement! Here’s a brief run down on this week’s workout.

Monday — Yoga. The combination of Sunday’s Orangetheory workout and adjusting to DST had me dragging so time on my mat was the perfect solution.


Tuesday — Rest day.
Wednesday — Orangetheory. Power days are some of my favorite workouts and this one did not disappoint!
Thursday —  Unplanned rest day. My oldest was due to come home for Spring Break but in light of everything he was advised to pack up as if he would not be returning for the rest of the semester. I followed up 3 hours in the car, with a trip to our local BJs warehouse with J – it was utter madness! We spent 20 minutes shopping and over an hour in line. Thankfully the people in line around us were pleasant and chatty.

There are registers somewhere up ahead

Friday — Orangetheory – Friday the 13th edition. So many burpees, plus some quick power rows, and long treadmill blocks. I really needed this sweat sesh!

Saturday — 2 miles. My legs felt like lead from Friday’s workout and I just couldn’t get my head in the game – but a couple of miles was better than none.

Sunday — 3 miles.  Sunshine and quiet roads was a nice way to start the morning.

In other news…

At the urging of my massage therapist, I finally broke down and went to see my doctor about my lingering quad pain and hip issues. While the combination of massage, acupuncture, and the compression sleeve have helped quite a bit, the discomfort still comes and goes.  It was much faster to get an appointment with the nurse practitioner and I was totally fine with that – she’s a runner (as is my doc) and we definitely click. We chatted about races and her assessment was quadriceps tendonitis. Additionally, she ordered an x-ray just to make sure we weren’t missing anything. The verdict – a little arthritis. So it looks like I’ve got PT in my future. She referred me to an awesome sports doc and I’m just waiting to get my first appointment lined up.

Cancellations everywhere…

At this point, it is starting to feel like it might be easier to announce what is still open vs all that had closed or been canceled. Oddly, the Portland 10 Miler, my next race, has announced they’re proceeding as planned. It’s 6 weeks from today so I think they’re being wildly optimistic! I also have to say I found it just a little annoying the runners on their social media commending them for “not giving in to the panic”. Trust me I understand no one wants to have their race canceled, but it’s better to be cautious and safe, isn’t it?

Have you had a race canceled? Are your kids home indefinitely?

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

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Filed Under: Weekly Run Down

Weekly Run Down – A very long week

March 8, 2020 by 28 Comments

I know I mentioned it over coffee but it bears repeating, this was a l-o-n-g week! Here’s how my workouts went down.

Monday — Rest day though there was not much resting as I spent a good chunk of the day on the road for work.
Tuesday — 3-mile run.


Wednesday — I woke up feeling less than stellar so I took a pass on my usual OTF class and opted for some yoga.
Thursday — 4-miles. This was a tough run. I just never found a groove, but you couldn’t beat the sunshine and mild temps!

Friday — Orangetheory. It was a strength day so it was heavy weights on the floor and lots of inclines on the treadmill. This was a challenging workout, but I felt pretty good throughout. Definitely a nice change after feeling off for most of the week.

Saturday — 4.6 miles. The wind was gusting all morning and I kept hoping it would settle down, but no luck. So I opted to skip the wind and layers for shorts and a tank on the treadmill. It was definitely the right call as I was rewarded with a great run!


Sunday — Orangetheory. The studios were running a special promotion for Daylight Saving – bring a guest to class and get an extra hour back in the form of an extra class. My husband J has been curious to check out a class so this was the perfect chance to get a workout in together. It was an Endurance, Strength, Power (ESP) day and I was really happy with how good I felt today. J seemed to enjoy the workout so maybe he’ll consider signing up.

It was definitely nice to see the week’s workouts end much better than they started! Hoping I can carry this momentum into the new week!

How was your week?

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

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Filed Under: Weekly Run Down

Ultimate Coffee Date – March Edition

March 6, 2020 by 8 Comments

It’s Friday! This has been one long week and I am so ready for the weekend!

I’m joining Deborah and Coco for the Ultimate Coffee Date, so grab a mug of your fave hot beverage and let’s chat a little.

Ultimate Coffee Date – March Edition

Over coffee, I’d tell you that J and I recently went to see the Broadway preview of Plaza Suite with Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick. It was fantastic! It’s opening on Broadway soon – if you’re headed to NYC this is one to catch!

Over coffee, I would tell you that of late I feel like I’m running around like a chicken with my head cut off. There’s been so much to juggle at work and life on the homefront has been equally busy (hello school events!) – the days lately have felt like a whirlwind!

Over coffee, I would tell you that by the end of next week both of my boys will be on spring break. No big trip planned this year – J and the boys are going skiing for a few days, and then my oldest and I will be road-tripping to look at a couple of colleges. I still cannot believe we’ve reached this point!

I’ve shared this image before, but it really sums how fast the time goes by!

OK…your turn…what would you tell me over coffee?

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Filed Under: Ultimate coffee date

February Run Down and Hello March

March 1, 2020 by 29 Comments

Wasn’t I just writing a post on my February goals?! For the first time in a long time, the shortest month of the year actually felt short! Before we put February firmly in the rearview mirror, here’s how the last week played out.

Monday — 3-mile run and planking. Even though I had run on Sunday, I couldn’t miss another chance to run in 50-degree weather again. Especially knowing there was lousy weather expected later in the week.

Tuesday — Orangetheory and planking. It was an Endurance, Strength, Power workout with the Bosu and TRX featured in the floor block.

Wednesday — Orangetheory and planking. This was my first time attempting back-to-back classes, but I didn’t want to miss the 12-minute benchmark run. This class also had endurance rowing blocks and the evil ab dolly as part of the floor block. (Kim has nicknamed the ab dolly “the devil’s skateboard” and I think that’s pretty apropos!) I was definitely tired going into this class so I was happy to eke out 1.1 miles for my benchmark.

Thursday — Yoga, planking, and a massage!

Friday — Rest day & planking. There was a lot of time in the car, and a lot of walking, as it was parents’ day at my oldest son’s school. And, the best part is he came home for a weekend visit!

Saturday — 4-mile run & planking. This was the kind of run I’d like to bottle and pull down off the shelf again and again. My legs felt fresh and I ran faster than I have in a while.

Sunday — 2.5 miles & planking. While the quad is feeling so much better, I could feel the effects of pushing my pace yesterday, so I kept this run short and easy.

February Goal Review and March Plans

My February goals were:

  • Hit the 50-mile mark
  • Weekly Yoga
  • Daily plank challenge
  • Focus on hydration

And I hit all of these with exception of the mileage. As I did in January, I opted to keep the mileage low, covering only 36.1 miles, in an effort to let my right quad heal.

With my first double-digit race a mere 8 weeks away and the quad feeling much better, it’s time to increase the miles for March. And, although Marcia’s plank challenge is now over, I’m planning to stay on the planking bandwagon for the month ahead. But really, the big goal for March is consistency – I’d like to see each week include 3 runs, 2 OTF classes, a yoga session, and an active rest day.

So tell me, how was your February? Any big plans for March?

In case you missed it:

Body Helix Thigh Compression Sleeve Review

Some Runfessions for February

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

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Filed Under: goals, Weekly Run Down

Some Runfessions for February

February 28, 2020 by 10 Comments

It’s the last Friday of the month which means Marcia has opened the Runfessional. I’ve got a couple to share so let’s dive in, shall we?

By all accounts, this has been one of the mildest winters for the Boston-area in a long time….and yet I runfess that I’m over it. Last month I admitted that I had pretty much split my runs evenly between indoors and outdoors. This month while I’ve run outdoors more often, I runfess that I’ve taken to chasing the 40 and 50-degree temps, which has meant more mid- and late-day runs – anything to avoid an extra layer. I’m turning into a weather weenie.

I runfess that I’m bemused by the people at Orangetheory who are so possessive about “their spot” in the studio. I was practically trampled the other day by this one particular woman who felt she needed to beat me to the front desk to claim her favorite treadmill. I  got to the desk first and runfess that for half a second I thought of claiming her spot 😉

And speaking of Orangetheory, I runfess that I have learned the hard way that I must keep my reading glasses with me at all times. The other day I couldn’t read the card on the treadmill outlining the run/row workout block – thankfully, the woman next to me was sweet enough to keep prompting me so I could stay on track. Clearly, I cannot live in denial about my need for reading glasses any longer!

What are you runfessing this month?

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Filed Under: Runfessions

Body Helix Thigh Compression Sleeve Review

February 25, 2020 by 19 Comments

I wanted to put the Body Helix Thigh Compression Sleeve through its paces before sharing my review, but if you’ve been following me on Instagram or Twitter then you already know this sleeve has been a win for me!

Body Helix Thigh Compression Sleeve Review

I received a Thigh Compression Sleeve from Body Helix as a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews. As always, all of the opinions expressed here are my own.

A few weeks back I started experiencing a lot of discomfort in my upper quad. It seemed that I had strained it – not enough to stop working out, but it was definitely slowing me down. In typical runner fashion, I pulled out all the resources possible to keep my legs moving.  So when I was offered an opportunity to test out the Body Helix Thigh Compression Sleeve, I was all in.

According to the Body Helix website, the thigh sleeve is made of “medical-grade compression in the range of 20- 30 millimeters of mercury (or mmHg in the scientific community). The higher the number, the more pressure we feel. Research shows a drastic decrease in pain sensation when compression is applied to injuries.”

During my runs and workouts, I can say that my quad felt more supported and, as a result, I felt that my range of motion was better – I wasn’t altering my gait. Definitely a win! I also tried the sleeve as part of my recovery following runs and Orangetheory workouts and was happy to feel significant pain relief.

The sleeve fits like a glove, snug but not tight. And, once on, it stayed in place without any slipping. My one challenge was fitting it under my thermal running tights which are …well tight. While I could get my tights over the sleeve I felt a little bit like a sausage. However, I had no problem wearing it under my running skirts, shorts, and capris.

And, one more bonus – the sleeve can be machine washed and dried so it was always ready to go for the next workout.

So while my quad continues to heal this compression sleeve will most certainly be a key part of my arsenal.

Sharing my review of @body_helix thigh compression sleeve! #BodyHelixBR #BibRavePro #BibChat #movethroughit Share on X

Want to try it for yourself? Body Helix makes a wide range of compression gear to support everything from wrist and elbows to knees, calves, and ankles. Use code BH15BR for 15% off all products on their website now through 4/1.

And be sure to check out the reviews of my fellow BibRave Pros on the Body Helix products they tested:

Corey

Logan

Kim

Lissa

Emily

I’m linking this with Kim and Zenaida for the Tuesday Topics Link-Up

I’m also linking with Debbie, Rachel, Deborah, Lisa, Smitha and Jenn for the Runners’ Roundup.

 

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Filed Under: #BibRavePro, #BodyHelixBR, product reviews, Runners Roundup, Tuesday Topics

Old Fashioned Flat 5K Recap

February 18, 2020 by 11 Comments

This past Sunday I took on my first race of 2020 – the Old Fashioned Flat 5K.

This year was the 25th anniversary of the Old Fashioned 10 Miler and Flat 5K. I ran the 10 Miler years ago and was registered for it again this year, but a few weeks back Coach Marc and I agreed to keep my mileage super low-keyed to let my quad strain heal. When I mentioned to both my husband and brother about possibly doing the 5K instead they were both interested so I changed my registration and we were all in for the 5K.

After a couple of frigid and blustery days last week, we totally lucked out on Sunday with temps in the upper 30s and no wind. The race was a quick 15-minute drive from my house so J and I planned to meet my brother there by 9 (the race started at 10). Parking was super easy and well-organized with lots of volunteers guiding the way. The bib pick-up was also a breeze thanks in part to receiving our bib numbers via text message ahead of time. We picked up our goody bags stopped to enter the raffle for game tickets for the Bruins, Celtics, and Red Sox, and then made a quick trip back to the cars to store our gear. I had been debating the extra layer of a vest but decided to go without it – with exception of my hands I was already feeling pretty warm and we hadn’t even started running yet.

We made our way over to the start and settled in about mid-crowd – took a quick picture, the horn sounded and we were off!

Mile 1 took us on a loop through a residential neighborhood and back around to the main building where packet pick-up had been. Mile 2 took us past the finish line area and out for a long straightaway, before Mile 3 has us re-tracing our steps through the residential neighborhood, past the main building, and then into the finish area.

I felt great the first mile but got slightly derailed in the second mile by of all things having to stop to tie my shoe. My brother and I had been running together and when I had to stop I told him just to keep going and that I would catch up. But, when I stood up from tying my shoe, my quad was not pleased – ugh, seriously!  I got moving and it did eventually loosen up. While I kept my brother in sight for most of the rest of the way I was never able to close the gap. J finished just shortly after. We all collected our medals, chatted with some of the other runners and then headed for the cars.

There were so many positives about this race:

  • lots of friendly volunteers all along the route. Despite the fact that the roads weren’t closed, there were very few cars, and the volunteers and police did a great job of keeping everyone safe.
  • finisher medals with a medallion designating each distance
  • easy packet pick-up and parking
  • free race photos (waiting for them to be posted)
  • and, yes…the 5K course was relatively flat 😉

This is a great local race and I can certainly see running it again next year.

I’m linking this with Kim and Zenaida for the Tuesday Topics Link-Up

I’m also linking with Debbie, Rachel, Deborah, Lisa,
Smitha and Jenn for the Runners’ Roundup.

 

 

 

 

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Filed Under: Old Fashioned Flat 5K, race report

Mid-month Check-in – February’s Flying

February 16, 2020 by 24 Comments

Well for as slow as I thought January moved along, February seems to be flying along in a blink. How is half the month already over?  I’m still keeping the mileage low as I baby my quad, but did run my first race of the year today. Here’s a quick rundown of how the week played out.

Monday:  Rest day but continued the plank challenge. I had pushed the pace on Sunday’s run and the quad was screaming for a break!
Tuesday:  Yoga, plus plank.
Wednesday: 3 miles and plank.
Thursday: Yoga, plank, and a massage. The second day of yoga – who am I?
Friday: 3 miles and plank.


Saturday:  Another rest day (and yes planking).
Sunday:  Old Fashioned Flat 5K and post-race plank. (Recap coming later this week).

For a whole host of reasons, schedules were colliding this week and getting to a class was just not in the cards – so there were no OrangeTheory workouts. I spent time on my yoga mat not once, but twice this week – and I think my cranky quad thanked me.  Another win for the quad was the arrival of the thigh compression sleeve from Body Helix.

I received the sleeve as a BibRave Pro and will write a full review after a couple more days of wearing and workout in it. But, I will say so far so good!

I’m looking forward to having Monday off for President’s Day, and, in general, having a quieter schedule this week.

How was your week? Does your February feel like it’s flying by?

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

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Filed Under: #BibRavePro, Weekly Run Down