Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Gettin' Amp'd...

This weekend was a BLAST! :) So glad my two cousins and I were able to get away and just relax. There was only one night of mayhem but tons of good food and tons of old people at our resort. We went and played trivia night one night, and won two bottles of champagne and I was the grand prize winner of a bag of popcorn. Exceptional prizes I know. Over the weekend I also finished two books including Chasing Harry Winston and Ultra-Marathon Man by Dean Karnazes. Both are really good and it was nice to read two totally different books. I'll be posting a review of both once the holidays are over.

Unfortunately, I didn't get in as much running as I wanted to, but I did a bum busting workout yesterday and then again this morning that included a 3 mile, 6.5 incline run that I thought I would never finish. I also did some weight-lifting today and yesterday that made me sore today. Tomorrow I'm finally getting the chance to go back to Amp'd Abs and I'm stoked! I can't wait to get back into the swing of things and start training more hardcore for my half in February.

Here's one picture of my cousin and I, posing by a big pig in front of the BBQ place "Babe's" in Rancho Mirage. We didn't even eat there, but the picture on the pig was hard to pass up. I'll be posting a few more pictures when I get them from my cousins camera.

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So in the wide world of running I've come to realize that running more than five miles without a little energy booster is a drag, and that is why the gift of the day is dedicated strictly to these lovely little energy boosters. I've got a wide variety of reviews and where to get Gu's, shot blox, everything you can think of!


MMMM it's 10:00 am and now I'm hungry for sugar!


Gu has the "GU is simple. Simple is fast." slogan and they are quick, but I'm not one to rave about their consistency. Sometimes, on a nasty flavor, I've been one to gag. Anyways, GU Energy Gel provides just what you need for premium exercise fuel and none of the extras that slow you down. GU takes you where you want to go, fast. GU’s carbohydrate blend delivers high-quality, easily-digested and long-lasting energy for athletes in every sport and at all levels. If I'm running more than 45 minutes I down one of these bad boys.

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Outdoor Pros has the 6 pack GU Tri-Berry for $6.08

Jenson USA has many flavors for $.99 for a single shot

Lucky Vitamin has the 24 packs of single shots for $21.98



Clif Bar & Company has introduced my personal favorite, the CLIF SHOT Blox. They are the latest nutrition option for endurance athletes. Bloks come in chewable, 33 calorie cubes, making it easy to customize and track caloric and electrolyte intake during long outings and races. You can easily buy them right off their website too. They have tons of good flavors and I love the black cherry and strawberry, but Pina Colada is yucky. They have a 12 pack of blox and there are 6 blox in each pack. They are sold for $23.88 Check them out HERE!

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I am the hugest fan of Jelly Bean Sport Beans too. They are tasty, small, easy to handle and did I mention, like CANDY? They are $4.99 for 5 here, and you can look at all the flavors, prices and packets here. At REI, they are a steal for only a $1.00 a pouch. Go here to see the REI selection.


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Power Bar also has it's own offerings called the Power Bar Gels. I don't like these ones as much, but I have grown to love the Power Bar Gel Blasts. They are like the shot blox, in their small shape. The cola one is decent-tasting bite-sized energy chew. I have yet to try the lemon flavored one. They are $1.99 a bag and can be found HERE!

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Here's some more links just in case you were interested in other kinds:

Powerbar Gel from REI -$1.25 single shot


Hammer Gel from REI - $1.25 single shot


So gel up and get out there. These seriously have helped me get through my long runs, and even I didn't understand the purpose of them to begin with once I started using them, I realized they are so helpful! Enjoy the power of energy!


xoxo

24 comments:

Abbie said...

My favorite are the ShotBlox. Love those so much more than the beans or GU. They've gotten me through the last two 1/2's when I hadn't really trained.

Kim said...

My favorite is the Hammergel products. They are a great company too.

Glad you had a great weekend with the girls. That's a nice get away.

Jenn said...

Love the pic. :)

I've never tried a gel, but now that I'm running more, this is great advice. :)

No Longer Using said...

which ones do you use for long runs? and you have to take them all with water?? i need to figure something manageable out for myself... i don't carry water... :) thanks :)

X-Country2 said...

I don't like Gu much, so I'm a Hammergel girl myself. That and Shot Bloks. Mmmmm, raspberry!

J said...

3 miles at 6.5 incline!!! Yuu are freaking crazy girl! Way to go!

Marlene said...

Glad to hear you had such a good weekend. Awesome job on the butt-busting incline run too - oww!

I love the Cliff Shot Blocks, but find them hard to chew when it's cold or toward the end of a REALLY long run. Also love Gu.

Julianne said...

Your photos are always so cute! But then, it's probably because YOU are cute. Oh also, can you be my personal shopper? YOu're really good at this!!

Aron said...

CUTE pic!!!

i am on a gu kick again - i switched to luna moons for a while but love the not chewing part of gu :)

Janice {Run Far} said...

what a fun picture.

I am a Gu girl.

joyRuN said...

Love BABE!

I like the gels. I have as much success chewing as I do talking while running. I can't do either without keeling over from oxygen deprivation :)

~Mrs. Guru~ said...

Love the picture!!

BeachRunner said...

Glad to hear your weekend get away was a blast. The pic is great.

Perfect timing on your reviews, since my "long" runs are just now reaching over 5 miles. I am going to try those Shot Bloks, for sure. Thanks for the advice.

LyndsAU said...

Hey do you think that these are good to use before a workout. I do run daily at the gym, but only about 2-3 miles. Do you think that these are safe to take daily? Will they keep me up at night if I take it right before an afternoon workout?? I need something just like these :)

Steve Stenzel said...

"Bum busting" sounds bad.

Nice photo!

And Gus are the best!!

p.s. All your "Mangroomer" talk makes me think you like hairy men...

Denise said...

I'm a fan of the cliff products. I took the gels during the marathon but also ate the margarita flavored bloks because they contain extra salt. They weren't too bad.

Unknown said...

I love the Sport Beans and Shot blocks, but it is tough if you don't have water. I find if I am really tired, I have a hard time chewing/breathing simultaneously!

Billy said...

You JUST finished "Ultramarathon Man" and didn't rush out the door to run 20 miles each day? For shame Danica...

I will forever remember that book as the one that got me inspired enough to sign up and run in my first marathon.

And as far as energy supplements are concerned, I've tried a wide-array of products but always seem to find myself coming back to the tried and true GU products. On long runs, I down one every 5mi-10K and they keep me goin!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for posting all the products. I need to figure out my race day fuel.

Sounds like a fabulous girls weekend. Cute picture.

Hollie said...

thanks for the review of energy boosts. I'll be running a 15K for the fourth time in March (but my first time since having a baby!) and will definitely use one of the ones you suggested. I don't use them but think I should start. I hope to run my first half marathon in '09 if all goes as planned. We'll see.... I really just wish I could skip the half and go straight for the full......in my dreams!

Felice Devine said...

Pics with pigs are always hard to pass up :-)

rUntoNamAste said...

Chocolate Outrage GU is amazing. Tastes just like brownie batter. Yummy!

Sarah Ring said...

Mmm! I need some of those jelly beans!

Marathon Maritza said...

That picture is super cute!

I'm partial to Gu because it's got no milk products....which this lactose-intolerant girl loves!