Product Review: Nuun- Nathan Face Off

Everyone knows that I love nuun!  So when I decided to do this product review, I was doubtful that any electrolyte drink tab could compete with nuun. Nuun is fantastic, but everyone loves a little competition, right?  Here is what I found:

What's in this stuff?
Nuun:
Calories: 3
Total Fat: 0g
Sodium: 180mg
Potassium: 50mg
Total Carb: <1g
Sugar: 0g
Protein: 0g
Vitamin C: 31% (19mg)
Riboflavin: 15% (250mg)
Calcium: 1% (6.5mg)
Magnesium: 3% (12.5mg)

Nuun has everything you need to get through a tough workout

Nathan Catalyst:
Calories: 0
Total Fat: 0g
Sodium: 135mg
Potassium: 60mg
Total Carb: <1g
Sugar: <1g
Protein: 0g
Vitamin A: 4%*
Calcium: 2%*
Vitamin E: 15%*
Riboflavin: 25%*
Vitamin B12: 15%*
Vitamin C: 25%*
Iron: 10%*
Thiamin 20%*
Vitamin B6: 15%*
*Actual milligram amounts were not available

NC is jammed packed with vitamins to get you to the finish line.

How do you use it?
Nuun: Each tablet makes 2 servings (16oz) of nuun.  To use, drop 1 tab of nuun in a 16 ounes of  water. Let desolve and enjoy.

Nathan Catalyst: Each tablet makes 3 servings (24oz) of Nathans Catalyst.  To use, drop 1 tab of NC in a 24 ounes of  water. Let desolve and enjoy.



How expensive is it? Nuun: Each bottle of nuun contains 12 tablets.  If you purchase nuun from http://shop.nuun.com/Nuun, you can buy a 4 pack of tubs for $24.  ($6 per bottle, $0.50 per tab)

Nathan Catalyst: Each bottle of NC contains 16 tablets.  You must purchase Nathan Catalyst from your favorite running/biking/tri/sporting goods store or you can order it from Amazon.  If you order from http://www.amazon.com/Nathan-Catalyst-Electrolyte-Drink-Mix/dp/B005CB7P5A, each tube ranges from $6.89- $9.99 depending on the flavor.  ($0.43 - $0.62 per tab)

Does it work?
Nuun and Nathan Catalyst: YES!  Both products provide a less sugary subsititute for a Gatorade and other similar products. 

And the winner is?
Nathan Catalyst is great, and it cetainly put up a fierce fight.  It is packed with vitamins and gives you the electrolytes your body needs to get through a workout.  However, I must say that I prefer nuun.  Nuun comes in more yummy flavors (11 flavors v 3 flavors) and I prefer the taste.  Now, please don't think I am saying that NC is not yummy.  It definitely is.  My taste buds just prefer nuun.

I guess I will always be a NUUN girl. :) :)

NUTRILITE Endurance Cube Review

A couple weekends ago I decided to switch out my Honey Stinger organic energy chews for some berry flavored NUTRILITE endurance cubes before my long run.  I love Honey Stinger chews, but the endurance cubes gave them a run for their money.  Here are the facts:

Check me out!

Round 1: How much cash do I have to shell out?
NUTRILITE Endurance Cubes: $2.25 per packet of 10 chews (when you purchase a box of 12 packets)
Honey Stinger Chews: $1.87 per packet of 10 chews (when you purchase a box of 12 packets)
*Both of these products are slightly more expensive than Shot Bloks which retail for about $1.66 a pack when you purchase a box of 18, but these are definitely worth the extra cash!

Round 2:  What am I putting into my body by eating these things?
NUTRILITE Endurance Cubes: 1 serving (5 cubes)
Calories- 90
Sodium- 70 mg
Potassium- 40mg
Sugar- 14g
Carbohydrates- 22g
Protein- 1g

Honey Stinger Chews: 1 serving (10 chews)
Calories- 160
Sodium- 80 mg
Potassium- 40mg
Sugar- 27g
Carbohydrates- 39g
Protein- 1g

Round 3: Do I get to pick my flavor?
NUTRILITE Endurance Cubes: Yep!  You can pick between berry and fruit burst.  I tried the berry cubes.
Honey Stinger Chews: Yep! Pink lemonade, orange, berry, pomegranate and fruit smoothie.

Results and Conclusion: 
NUTRILITE Endurance Cubes:  These cubes definitely did the trick.  They gave me plenty of energy to get through the second part of the run, and did not upset my stomach. MAJOR PLUS!  I tend to get nervous when I switch my mid-run snack.
Honey Stinger Chews: These are my go to fuel.  They also give me plenty of energy to finish my long runs.

It all comes down to personal preference. The NUTRILITE Endurance Cubes definitely do what they are supposed to do and they have NUTRILITE's C-Lenium blend in them.  What does that mean?  They have a special mix of vitamin C and selenium to help fight free radical damage. Yay for getting your vitamins while fueling during your run. :)  These endurance cubes are definitely worth a shot!  So click on over to Leah-Kate's website http://www.k2imarketing.com/ and see for yourself.

Happy Training!!

Tommie Copper Rocks!

Happy Monday!!  I hope everyone had a great weekend.

As a lot of you know,  2 1/2 weeks ago, I reached out to Tommie Copper to see if I could do a product review for them, and within a couple of days I received my package of compression gear.  Totally awesome, right? But what is really awesome is that this stuff WORKS!  If you take nothing else from this post, please check out their gear.  It is absolutely awesome, and I am so happy that I was able to try it!

I received my gear right before Luray, so I thought I would put it to the test right away.  After swimming 1500 meters, biking 41 kilometers, and running 10 kilometers, I put my calve compression sleeves on immediately.  It is normal for me to be super sore after racing, so I was not sure if wearing TC gear would help.  Much to my surprise, it really did!  I am always super sore after racing, but when I woke up on Sunday morning my legs felt really good. My hamstrings and quads were still a little sore, but my calves felt great.  Maybe I need to invest in a pair of the compression shorts? Or Tommie Copper could you please start making tights?  :)  I would love to train in them in this winter.

Lauren and I after Luray.  Check out my SEXY sleeves!

Yesterday, Lauren and I set out on a long ride from DCA out past Leesburg, and back.  We were on our bikes for a little under 5 hours and logged 83 miles. Go us! Even though Lauren and I both set distance PRs and it is pretty awesome that we rode so far, I was really worried that I was going to feel awful today.  WRONG!  I used my sleeves yesterday after the ride, and woke up feeling much better than I expected.  In fact I didn't want to take them off this morning, so I wore them to work under my pants. :)

Cute and professional, right??

 Long story, short- Tommie Copper gear works and it is comfortable! Go buy some. :)