Bulu Box Review

As a sweat pink ambassador I was given the opportunity to review a Bulu Box.  As stated on their website," Bulu Box is the first health, nutrition, and weight loss discovery box designed to help you feel your best.  Each month, you'll get a custom box filled with a new mix of 4-5 premium samples from top brands to try.  Every sample is sufficient enough to decide if the product is right for you."  The cool thing about Bulu Box is the Reward Points program.  Basically you are given an opportunity to fill out a brief survey on each of the samples and earn 10 rewards points per sample for a total of 50 points per Bulu Box.  For every 50 points earned you get $5 to use at BuluBox.com toward a regular size item.  So you test the samples, review, get points and earn cash...easy peasy right?  So here is what was in my box and what I thought of my samples...

Up first was Mediterra, the Mediterranean Nutrition bar.  Mediterrra uses all-natural ingredients including nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables along with fiber-packed grains and seeds.  Mediterra nutrition bars come in different flavors and what I thought was interesting was in addition to sweet nutrition bars (ones made with yogurt, fruit, honey, etc), they make two savory bars- Sun dried Tomato and Basil and Black Olives and Walnuts.  My Bulu Box had the Sun dried Tomato and Basil bar.  I was super excited to try it, because I have never tried, let alone heard of a savory nutrition bar and the fact that I love sundries tomatoes and basil was just an added plus.  Okay, what did I think....


I'm sorry to say I was not a fan.  I found it to be really salty...like super salty.  The texture was that of normal nutrition bars and it had bits of sun dried tomatoes in it which I thought was just weird.  I actually couldn't eat the whole thing, because in my opinion, it just didn't taste good.  This is all I could manage to get down.  So would I buy these???  Not this particular flavor and after sampling this one, I would probably stay way from the Black Olive and Walnuts one too, but it doesn't mean that I wouldn't try or buy the sweeter flavors.

On my way to the trails

Up next were the Movit Energy Gummies.  These little gummies "use power-boosting ingredients like guarana, CoQ10, and folic acid to combat fatigue and help you perform your best!"  As stated on the package, for optimal results, consume 1 package approximately 20 minutes prior to activity then another for every hour of activity after.  I have always been one that couldn't eat much prior to a long run so I was eager to give these a try.

I had a 10 mile trail run planned for the weekend and thought this would be the best time to give these a try so I ate them in my car on the way to my run.  I thought they were pretty tasty and easy to eat...unlike other gummies I've tried that are thick and hard to swallow.  They actually had a consistency that reminded me of my daughter's fruit snacks.  The Movits were not too sweet so eating all 11 was easy.  And I have to add, the smiley faces on the gummies is a cute touch and made me smile on my very, very early morning.  But besides the cute smiley faces, good flavor (I had the Citrus flavored ones), and easy to consume consistency, these Movit Energy Gummies were fantastic.  I felt energized through the whole run which lasted just over 1 hour and 15 minutes.  What I liked most about these gummies is that I didn't have that crash down feeling and automatic "zonk" after an hour of running.  After my run, I still felt energized and probably could have added on a few more miles :) Would I buy these??? Yes, I think these are great.  They taste good, are easy to get down, and give good energy.  Thumbs up!

After a long run, it's important to recover and refuel your body.  I usually have chocolate milk, coconut water or a protein shake.  I was given 2 packets of Quest Protein Powder to sample in my Bulu Box so I decided to use one them for my post run shake.  The night before I sliced up a ripe banana, put it in a zip-lock baggie and stuck it in the freezer.  After my run I added the frozen banana slices to the Quest Protein Powder, added a little milk and a splash of water and blended in my nutri-bullet...the results were a delicious, super yummy, high protein smoothie.  And I have to say, I am usually a chocolate protein powder girl, but the peanut butter flavor was delicious!  And it tasted great with the banana.

Also in my Bulu Box was a sample of the Yerba Prima Fiber Plus Powder.  It's sugar free (sweetened with Stevia) , contains 9 grams of fiber per serving and helps gently detox your body by moving waste material through the colon.  You mix 1 heaping teaspoon of the powder with 8 ounces of water, 1-3 times a day.  It's recommended to start with one serving a day and gradually build up to 3 servings if needed.  So what'd I thing???  It tasted pretty good and was easy to drink.  I did experience  minor bloating which the label said can occur and suggests reducing your intake, but all in all, not bad.

The last sample I was given is Earth's Care Anti-Itch Cream.  This cream is meant for relief from skin irritations such sunburns, poison ivy, and minor cuts and scrapes.  Now because I didn't have any of these skin irritations, I wasn't really able to give a full review.  What I can say is that it's got a pretty strong smell, has no oily residue and leaves your skin feeling (must be the methol).

So there you have it friends.  I would like to give a special thanks to Bulu Box and Sweat Pink for the opportunity to sample these products.  If you are interested in trying out Bulu Box, use promo code SWEATPINK at check out to receive 50% off a 3 month subscription!

Bitten by the trail bug

So I've been a runner for about 9 years now and most of my running, races included, were done on the road; however, I've recently been exposed to and have fallen in love with trail running.  I've wanted to get into trail running for quite some time for many reasons.  One of the biggest reasons is that I aspire to be an ultra runner.  If you're unfamiliar with what an ultra runner is, it is someone who runs distances further than the 26.2 mile marathon.  Ultra marathons range in distances from 30k, 50k, 50 miles, 100 miles and even further and most of these races are done on trails.  Another reason I wanted to get into trail running is it makes you a stronger runner.  I'm not sure what exactly it is, maybe the terrain; regardless of what it is, I have been told by many that running trails makes you stronger and faster...and what runner wouldn't want that?  Lastly, to run trails and be an ultra runner would mean pushing far beyond my comfort zone.  It will test me both physically, emotionally, and mentally.

About five months ago my family and I moved to Orange County and to my delight, we live right by some beautiful and beginner friendly trails.  At 2 weeks post baby I was not allowed to run just yet  so I hiked the trails just behind my apartments.  Gradually I started to jog them and at 5 weeks post baby I felt good enough to run.  I fell in love with the trails immediately.  I loved the challenging up hills and the feel of the dirt beneath my feet...which was much softer than asphalt I must say.  I gradually built up my miles and so far, my furthest trail run has been 7 miles.  I also did a super fun 5 mile trail race with Renegade Racing.

Over the summer, Renegade Racing does a trail race series that consists of 3 races-one in June, July and the last in August and all races are approximately 5 miles long.  Unfortunately due to scheduling conflicts, I was only able to do the last one.  It's a really great race.  The course is beautiful...and challenging and the thing I enjoyed most was the after race festivities.  There is a bbq, raffles, and the whole thing is at the park so you can bring a blanket, have your bbq and chat with your fellow running friends.

Fought hard up a very large hill to earn this view.

INKnBURN ambassador love.

Renegade Racing does some really great races and I've participated in quite few, but I have to say that this was my favorite.  I will be back next summer to complete all three trail races in the series.  This year, you got a special medal for doing all three and what runner doesn't love bling, right?

I still have a lot to learn in regards to trail running and eventually getting to my goal of being an ultra runner, but I think I'm on the right path.  For now, I will continue to build mileage, ask advise from those much more experienced than me and run on!  By the way, if you're wondering about my running streak, it's still going strong and I am closely approaching 50 days! More to come on that, but for now, take care and as always...Run Happy!

Keep Calm and Run On

I did it!  Today is day 25 of my running streak!

If you are unfamiliar with what exactly a running streak is, the United States Running Streak Association, Inc (USRSA) defines it as "to run at least one mile within each calendar day."  The run can be done on the road, trail, or treadmill.  Sounds fairly simple right?  I mean you must be thinking, how hard can it be?  It's not like you are required to run 5 or even 3 miles a day.  One mile is a piece of cake, who can't run one mile everyday... well let me say, it's not as easy as it sounds.  For me, it wasn't about the actual run, it was finding the time to get it done.  Life is busy and the days go by fast.  As a mom of two (one being a newborn nonetheless) and working full time, there were days where all I could fit in was one mile.  There were days where I was super exhausted, lazy, and just did not want to run, but I was determined and knew that regardless of how I felt before, I always felt great afterwards.

So where do I find time to run you ask?  First let me give you a little background on what my schedule is like.  4 days a week, my husband and I are like passing ships in the night.  He works during the day and I work in the evening and I don't get home till about 3am.  By the time I get home and get into bed, I have about 4 hours before my toddler is up and ready for the day...and by the way, those 4 hours are not straight sleep, let's not forget I have a newborn who likes to nurse all night long, because he's missed mommy while she was at work.  Bottom line, I'm pretty much exhausted so I don't always have time during the day to get my runs in.  It's also been pretty hot here so the thought of running with my double stroller, just doesn't sound fun for me or the kiddos so I have become a lunch break runner.  On the days I don't get my run in before work, I make sure to pack a lunch, eat it at my desk while I work so that I can run during my lunch break.  It's actually not bad.  I bring my running clothes and change back into my work clothes afterwards.  Since I work late at night...and my work is not in the safest of areas, I run in our parking lot where there are security guards. Our parking lot is pretty big and according to my Garmin, it is about a quarter of a mile around...just like a track.  I've done anywhere from one mile to 6 on my lunch break.  Sometimes I just do a nice easy run or I'll even do speed work.  I've got quite a few half-marathons coming up in the fall and have a goal time in mind so it's time to amp up the training.  Today's lunch break speed workout looked like this:

1/2 mile warm-up
8 x 800s at goal half marathon pace
1 minute rest (light jog to walk) between each 800
1/2 mile cool down

Ultimately it would have been nice to do a full mile warm up and full mile cool down, but I wasn't sure if time would permit it.  Also, eventually, I would like to add 2 more 800s making it 10 x 800 at goal half marathon pace. 

So there you have it, 25 days have come and gone and here is to the next 25.  Have you ever thought of doing a running streak?  Or are you currently on a streak and have any suggestions for me? 

As always, run happy!

I'm Back!

Wow, it's been nearly a year since my last post so brace yourself, this one is gonna be a long one.

 If you read my last post back in August 2014, I was 50 days into a running streak with the goal of getting to 100, but I'm sad to say that shortly after hitting 50 days, my streak came to an end; not because of injury, pure laziness, or some other bad reason.  I actually got pregnant (it was planned :) )and was hit with all sort of nausea and tiredness in my first trimester that sadly, I could not continue to streak.  Plus, I knew that after the baby came, I wouldn't be able to run for a while so I decided it was best to end the streak and start it again another time.

With my first child, I hardly ran.  I stayed active through walking and spin, but for some reason, I was afraid to run.  I think I let people like my old school mom scare me into thinking that pregnant women shouldn't run and running would cause some sort of harm to the baby.  After my daughter was born, I didn't run till she was nearly 6 months old and I struggled, but eventually I got back into the rhythm and 10 months post baby, I ran a half-marathon.

So now here I am, 11 months from my last post and 3 1/2 months post baby and things couldn't be more different.  This second time around I talked to my doctor about running during pregnancy.  That was my first mistake with my first child.  I never talked to my doctor, because I just assumed that I probably shouldn't be running, but my doctor assured me that because I was already a runner and ran regularly, I could continue as long as I didn't overdue it and made sure to stay hydrated.  So with the doctor's "OK" I continued to run and made it all the way to 37 weeks.  Not bad, right?  Of course I was slower and my mileage was low, but hey, how many moms do you know run well into the third trimester.  I was pretty proud of myself and it felt good. 

36 weeks 2 days pregnant.  Still running and still rocking my INKnBURN running apparel.

My beautiful baby boy was born at 38 1/2 weeks and he is perfect! Like my daughter, he was born via c-section so we all know what that means right?  No strenuous exercise for at least 6 weeks.  You can only imagine how much that was killing me.  I think that because I had remained so active and ran throughout my pregnancy, the thought of 6 weeks without running seemed like an eternity.  Within a couple weeks, I was longing to lace up and run and to be honest, at 2-3 weeks post baby I was feeling pretty good to say I had just had major surgery.  I had minimal pain and didn't even need the pain meds that the doctor sent me home with.  I can honestly say that I think my recovery from a c-section went so well, because I remained active throughout my pregnancy.  If you follow me on Instagram, you know that not only did I run during this pregnancy, but I often ran pushing my 2 year old in the jogging stroller!  Okay enough I am mom, hear me roar, let's move on. At about 2-3 weeks post baby I began walking and light hiking by my house.  It was nice just to get out, but again, I just wanted to run.  I would voice via social media about how much I missed running and how it killed me to have wait before I could run, but then a friend of mine said something that really made me think.  My friend said, "6 weeks is for regular people,YOU are a runner!"  Now, I am not trying to under mind my doctor in anyway, and I don't advise or suggest that anyone go against doctor's orders, but for me,  I was feeling good, I had healed quickly and dammit, I AM A RUNNER! So at 4 weeks during a hike I decided to lightly jog the down hills.  Then at 4 weeks and 4 days post pregnancy, I ran.  I had only intended to run 1, maybe 2 miles slow, but I ended up feeling so good I ran 4 miles...and let me add that the first half was up hill.  Of course I was careful not to push to hard, but man did it feel good!  After that it was over.  I started slowly and am now on my way to building up mileage again and working on speed. 

At 15 1/2 weeks post baby, I have run 2 10ks at pretty decent speeds and my longest training run has been 13.1 miles which I did at 13 weeks post baby.  I've got quite a packed fall race schedule which includes a couple 10ks and several half marathons.  To make things even more interesting, I have signed up to run a full marathon 9 months post baby in January 2016.  I'm pretty scared about that and question whether that was a good idea since I haven't run a full marathon since before having my first child back in 2012.  I got to 13.1 pretty quickly and easily, but the thought if 26.2 seriously terrifies me.  So that's where I am now.  Oh and I've tried to take another shot at that running streak.  I kicked it off on July 4th at a 10k race and am now 24 days into it.  I would love to do a full 365 days on this streak, but for now, I have set small goals to hopefully get me to the end.  My first goal is to get to 25 days, after that we'll see. 


Laguna Hills Memorial Day 10K - 8wks Post Baby

Freedom Run 10k- 13 weeks Post Baby





 

Phew that was a long one.  If you read the whole thing...thank you!  There is still so much more to say, but no need to cram more in this post.  I'm hoping to blog regularly about how my training is going and how I can fit that into life with 2 kids!  OMG, I am a mom of 2 kids.  I sold my single BOB stroller and now own a double...and it's a beast!  I hope you will come back and visit my blog to see how things are going.  Until then...Happy Running!!! 

Streaking challenge complete...now, let's keep it goin!

If you've been following my blog you know that mid June I gave myself a challenge to do a 50 day running streak.  Well, this past Sunday (Aug 3rd) at the OC fair 5K fun run, I completed that streak!  I'm pretty excited to share my race recap along with my streaking thoughts so here goes... 

The Orange County Fair hosted a 5k fun run which goes through the fair and has several "Detours to Fun" along the way.  I did this race with my hubs, my little babes, and a few of my cousins.  The plan was to make this a fun family run, so pace and time were not a concern.  I didn't even wear my Garmin...what runner doesn't wear a Garmin during a race right?!?!  Anyways, there were loads of families and lots of people with jogging strollers.  I was surprised and excited to bump into fellow INKnBURN ambassador Tam.  Here we are sporting our awesome INKnBURN attire.

We started the race at 8:00am and had my little one in the jogging stroller.  She usually does pretty well in the stroller and I can get anywhere from 6-7 miles with her, but Sunday was another story.  Maybe she was distracted by all the rides, giant stuff animals, and runners, because after about a mile and a half she wanted out.  We made it to the first Detour to Fun which was a giant slide.  My little one was too small to ride so she stayed back with my husband while my cousins and I went on "The Giant Euro Slide."  

Right next to the slide there were a couple games open where you could win a prize, but the lines were long and my little one was  getting impatient so we continued on the course.  By now, my Little Babes would scream bloody murder anytime we attempted to put her back in the jogging stroller.  She wanted to be out and run amongst the runners and who am I stop her.  She is totally my child... and runner at heart :)

We finished the race, got our medals then waited for the fair to open.  I have lived in Southern California all my life and I'm ashamed to say that I have never been to a fair.  So we hung out for about a half an hour then went into the fair to try all the deep fried goodies that I am always hearing about.  We sampled the deep fried Twinkies, Snickers, and Oreos.  My personal favorite were the Oreos...so nomalicious!  We didn't stay too long as the Little Babes was starting to melt down and was in desperate need of a nap.  All in all, it was a great and fun race and we had a great time.  It is definitely a relaxed, fun, and family friendly event.  Would I do it again...absolutely!  

Getting our OC fair 5K bling...

Alright, now let's talk about the running streak.  I have to say that 50 days came and went in no time.  Like I've said in earlier posts, I have always been a runner and usually ran anywhere between 3-5 days a week so it wasn't too much of a challenge.  On days where I would usually have  rest day I would run a very easy 1-2 miles.  I have to say that I really enjoyed doing this.  At first, I struggled and there were lazy moments where I just didn't want to get out there, but once I got started, I was always glad.  It felt good to be and do something active everyday, even if it was a slow, low mileage run.  So, what's next for me you ask???  Well I've decided to extend the streak and do another 50.  After that who knows.  I plan to continue the streak until it no longer seems fun.  So we'll see.  This next 50 days will be interesting, because we will be going to England for a couple weeks in September to visit family.  So wish me luck and I'll keep you posted!  Thanks for stopping by :)

Distance Yourself with INKnBURN

I am so excited to announce that I have been chosen to join the INKnBURN ambassador team.  If you follow me on Instagram (runchelrun), you know that my choice of running apparel is INKnBURN; not only are the clothes comfortable, breathable, and moisture wicking, but the designs are beautiful and unique.

Have you ever been at the starting line of a race and seen at least 10 people wearing the exact same thing you are???  This is actually how I found INKnBURN, I was immediately drawn to the beautiful designs and art work that stand out against all the other running clothes.  INKnBURN is not just another clothing company that simply puts their logo in the corner of a racer back tank or at the bottom of shorts.  The elaborate designs include coi fish, cherry blossoms, and one of my personal favorites is the flutter design which is an abstract of butterfly wings and flowers.  Another great design and one of my other favorites are the denims.  I have the denim camisole which practically goes with everything and the dark blue denim shorts.  The denim shorts have to be one of my favorite pieces as in once I've worn them, they are immediately thrown in the wash so I can wear them again.  These shorts are light weight, don't ride up and they really look like denim shorts, which make them great for bopping around town.  The shorts, sports skirts and camisoles have small pockets to hold your gels or keys.  I have even comfortably put my iPhone in the pocket of the sports skirts during runs with no problems.

Here are a few pics of taken from my Instagram sporting my INKnBURN apparel...

Flutter Sports Skirt

                                             Run or Die Roses Camisole with Britney Sports Skirt

Drifting Petals and Lust Camisole with Britney Sports Skirt

Patriot Singlet Tank and Rock 'n Roll Run or Die Singlet Tank with Denim Shorts

Denim Camisole and Cherry Blossom Sports Skirts

Current Camisole with Denim Shorts. Fellow Ambassador Tam in Rock 'n Roll Run or Die Singlet.

INKnBURN is for people who want more from their clothes and life.  You will pay a little more for, but as the saying goes, "You get what you pay for."  The clothes are well made, beautiful, and well worth what you pay so, check out the website at www.inknburn.com and use my discount code: INBchel14 on your first purchase.  Enjoy!!!

Product Review - Aveeno Positively Radiant Targeted Tone Corrector

I was super excited to receive the Aveeno Positively Radiant Targeted Tone Corrector complimentary from Influenster.  This skin care product is suppose to help reduce the look of stubborn dark spots all while improving your skins radiance in just two weeks.  I definitely have some discoloration and uneven skin tone which I attribute to every day sun exposure and old acne scars so needless to say, I was all for giving this product a try. 

 

It's been just over a week and I have been using the product as directed which is to apply once in the morning and once in the evening before applying my moisturizer.  I have to say that I am actually starting to see a little change in the discoloration on my face, especially the dark spots on my cheeks.  This product is pretty awesome and smells really good.  It goes no smooth and leaves my skin feeling great.  It's also oil free, but doesn't leave my skin feeling dry.  If you're looking to improve your skins overall radiance give this a try.  I'm glad I did!