#MissionApolo Will #BuildIt With Chocolate Milk!

Disclosure: The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK.

I told you a little last week about the benefits of recovering with low fat chocolate milk. Not only does it taste amazing but it has the right balance of protein and carbs for optimal recovery!

Low fat chocolate milk facts (read more about how low fat chocolate milk is backed by science HERE):

• A natural source of high-quality protein to build lean muscle.
• The right carb-to-protein ratio scientifically shown to refuel and rebuild exhausted muscles.
• Vitamin A to support a healthy immune system and normal vision.
• Electrolytes including calcium, potassium, sodium and magnesium to help replenish what’s lost in sweat.
• B vitamins for energy.
• Fluids to rehydrate.
• Calcium, vitamin D, phosphorus, protein and potassium to build and maintain strong bones and help reduce the risk for stress fractures.

I make sure to recover after my long runs with a glass of low fat chocolate milk within 30 minutes of finishing my run. It tastes so good that I always feel like it's a treat when I'm drinking it!

Not only do I recover with low fat chocolate milk but so do many elite athletes! You may remember me telling you all about #MissionApolo where the speed skating champion Apolo Ohno and Women's Health editor Jen Ator have been training for the 2014 IRONMAN World Championship in Kona. They have been recovering with low fat chocolate milk for their entire training. Well...their day is almost here! Apolo and Jen will be conquering the IRONMAN THIS WEEKEND on Saturday, October 11th! I cannot wait to follow along!!!

To celebrate the upcoming event, Got Chocolate Milk wants you to enter their sweeps (Oct. 6th-12th) for a chance to win awesome swag from @TYRSport, @NewtonRunning, @VeloStop, @trekbikes, @trainingpeaks, #FuelBelt, and @2xu_usa. All you have to do is snap a picture of yourself completing the daily challenge and share it on Twitter (tag @GotChocoMilk) or Instagram (tag @GotChocolateMilk) and include #BuildIt. What an awesome opportunity to win some great gear!!!

Be sure to catch up on all the #MissionApolo episodes! I've LOVED watching them! You can watch the latest episode (episode 6) below!



Be sure to follow Got Chocolate Milk Online:

• Website – GotChocolateMilk.com
• YouTube – http://www.youtube.com/GotChocolateMilk
• Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/GotChocolateMilk
• Twitter – http://twitter.com/GotChocoMilk
• Instagram – http://instagram.com/GotChocolateMilk

QOTD: Are you BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK?

#BuildIt With Chocolate Milk!

Disclosure: The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK. 

As a runner I know that recovery is important. Recovery is just as important as the training itself. And now that I am run streaking...I definitely have to recover well so that I can get back out on the road the next day.

After a run you will always find me stretching, rolling and icing. But I also know how important it is to refuel my body. My favorite way to refuel is with lowfat chocolate milk. I know what you're thinking...chocolate milk after a run? Yes! It tastes AMAZING after a run! And even better...it has all the nutrients and vitamins my body needs to recover.

I know for sure that lowfat chocolate milk is the perfect way to recover because it is backed by science. There have been more than 20 studies that support the benefits of recovering with lowfat chocolate milk after a hard workout or long run. Studies have shown that lowfat chocolate milk helps athletes gain lean muscle and lose fat! That's why even on my weight loss journey I have continued recovering with lowfat chocolate milk. I truly believe that recovering with lowfat chocolate milk helped me attain my 19 minute PR at the Talladega Half Marathon!

Lowfat chocolate milk...

• … is a natural source of high-quality protein to build and repair lean muscle after strenuous exercise.
• … has the right carb-to-protein ration scientifically shown to refuel exhausted muscles and help return muscles to peek potential.
• … provides fluids and electrolytes – like calcium, potassium and magnesium and sodium – to replenish what was lost in a tough workout.
• … has B vitamins that help convert food into energy.
• … has five bone-building nutrients: calcium, vitamin D, phosphorous, protein and potassium.

Chocolate Milk is the Official REFUEL Beverage of Men’s USA Hockey, Women’s USA Swimming, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series, IRONMAN U.S. Triathlon Series, Iron Girl, Esprit de She, Life Time Fitness Cycle Club and the Challenged Athletes Foundation®. Not only do everyday runners like myself recover with lowfat chocolate milk but the elite runners do as well! You better believe I will be grabbing lowfat chocolate milk after I run the Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans Half Marathon in January! 

Speaking of amazing athletes, BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK launched a marketing program and online documentary series called Mission Apolo: BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK. World Champion short-track speedskating legend, Apolo Ohno, accepted the mission to conquer the 2014 IRONMAN World Championship Race in Kona-Kailua, Hawaii on Saturday, October 11. He has joined Women’s Health editor Jen Ator for a six-month training and recovery program with sports dietitians and elite professional coaches 8X IRONMAN World Champion Paula Newby-Fraser and 3X World Champion Craig “Crowie” Alexander. And WE can follow along on Ohno and Ator's training journey! We can follow along through the eight-episode series that features behind-the-scenes content and training tips from Ohno and Ator at www.gotchocolatemilk.com.

I'm really enjoying the series and watching Apolo and Jen's journey to become an Ironman! You can watch the series trailer below!



All the other episodes can be found at www.gotchocolatemilk.com or on YouTube.

Be sure to follow Apolo and Jen as they conquer the Ironman on Saturday, October 11th! Use the hashtag #MissionApolo. And be sure to follow Got Chocolate Milk on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

For more information on how you can #BuildIt With Chocolate Milk, join me at 8 PM EST October 2nd for a twitter chat about post-workout recovery. There will be prizes! Got Chocolate Milk is awarding 4 BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK gift packs! Use the hashtag #BuildIt to join the chat!

QOTD: Have you ever recovered with lowfat chocolate milk?

WIN Detergent Review

Disclaimer: I received this product free to review through a FitFluential campaign. I received no other compensation. All opinions in the post below are mine and mine alone!

Since I started my run streak the laundry has increased significantly! Running 7 days a week means lots of dirty, sweaty, and smelly laundry! 

Have you ever washed your running clothes but they still come out of the wash with a "smell" to them? I know I have! I've always wondered why my regular detergent wasn't getting the stinkiness out of my running clothes. 

Luckily I was able to review a sports detergent made specifically for athletes and their stinky laundry! I received two bottles of Win Detergent to review! One bottle was the regular detergent and the second bottle was their Win Green detergent which is dye-free and fragrance-free!

So what makes Win Sports Detergent work? Here's "the science" behind the product as described on their website:

WIN Detergent is specially formulated to get persistent, sweaty smells out of the synthetic materials used in today’s workout apparel.

• Synthetics are great because they wick moisture away from your skin.  But those same properties trap and hold onto oils.
• Those oils bond to the fabric, and that’s where the stinky smell comes from.
• WIN is optimized to break those bonds, removing the source of the smell and truly cleaning the garment.
• The result is your gear not only smells great, but it works a lot better without all those oils in the way!

Win recommends that you wash your garments on warm and tumble dry on low or hang dry. I wash most of my running clothes on cold so this was different for me. I hang dry my precious running skirts for sure!

So here was my test! I filled an entire basket full of my dirty, stinky running skirts, shirts, socks, and sports bras. I tried the regular Win Detergent first.

I added the detergent and clothes to my washing machine. I set it to wash in warm water. Clean, baby, clean!

When the clothes were finished, I tumble dried the shirts and socks on low and hung up my running skirts to dry. The result???? They actually smelled CLEAN!!! No more of that stinky smell!!! Yay!!!

The next time I washed running clothes I tried the Win Green. It did the job but I prefer the regular Win because I liked the fragrance. 

Be sure to check out Win Detergent for all your running and athletic fabric type clothes! I'm a firm believer in this stuff!

You can connect with Win on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest!

QOTD: Do your running clothes still smell after you wash them? Have you ever used a sports detergent?

Koss Fit Series...Perfect Gift for Active Women!

This post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Koss.

Are you wondering what to get an active woman in your life for Christmas? Well I'm going to tell you about one of my new favorite and must have products!

Koss FitClips and Koss FitBuds!

When I run alone I love to listen to music. So I'm always on the lookout for the best ear buds I can find. Most of the ones I've tried have not impressed me. Until Koss. They are amazing!

I always have a problem with ear buds hurting my ears after I've worn them awhile. But Koss did not...even after hours of running! I was very impressed with how soft they are! And I love that they are made for women by women! Koss' female designers teamed up with Olympic medalist Dana Torres to create these ear buds!

Another problem I've encountered in the past was the ear buds slipping out once I got sweaty. Again...Koss did not disappoint! They stayed in my ears and I didn't have to adjust them even one time! That's amazing!

And the sound coming out of them was some of the best quality I've heard in an ear bud.

FitBuds in my ears after a very humid and sweaty run!

The Koss Fit Series has two designs: FitBuds and FitClips.

FitBuds:

• 33% smaller (than any other Koss earbud)
• Sweat resistant
• 3 different sizes of ear cushions are included for the perfect fit

FitClips:

• Don't fall out
• Sweat resistant
• 3 different sizes of ear cushions are included for the perfect fit

I've never really liked ear buds with clips around my ears but these aren't too bad! They fit perfectly!

Another cool thing...FitBuds and FitClips come in FIVE colors!!! Love it!

So how much do Koss FitBuds and Koss FitClips cost? They're only $29.99! But since it's the holiday season and Koss knows you are on the lookout for great deals...they are offering them at select retailers for only $19.99! This price is available at the following retailers:

Wal-Mart

Best Buy

Walgreens

Kmart

Sears

Be sure to check out Koss on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest!

This is truly a gift that an active woman will love! You can't go wrong with Koss!

QOTD: Do you listen to music while you run or workout? 

I WILL

This post and my participation in the What's Beautiful Campaign is sponsored by Under Armour through FitFluential.

Last week I got some pretty exciting news! As a FitFluential Ambassador I am participating in the Under Armour What's Beautiful Campaign! This is Under Armour's third round of this campaign and I am so thrilled to be a part of it!

Are you wondering what the Under Armour What's Beautiful campaign is all about? It's about "redefining the female athlete by setting epic goals and pushing past where we've ever been and where we thought we could go"...and doing this together!

How do you participate? You set a goal on the What's Beautiful site and complete challenges along the way as you crush your goal! You cheer on other participants (and they cheer you on as well) on the site to help you stay motivated and accountable!

Each week Under Armour will reward participants who are seriously getting it with Under Armour swag bags full of gear...sweet!!! They will also feature the profiles of the top performers on their home page!

The grand prize...the top 3 women will win a trip to Costa Rica to attend a four day yoga and surf retreat!!!

You all know how much I love to set goals so this challenge is right up my alley! And I love encouraging others to accomplish their goals so I'm so happy to be a part of this awesome community of women!

My What's Beautiful Goal: "I Will train, fund-raise, and run as a St. Jude Hero at the St. Jude Memphis Half Marathon." 

I will tell you more about this half marathon in another post. I have never done any fund-raising for a race before so this is a new goal for me. I know the What's Beautiful Campaign will help me stay motivated to train and fund-raise for this awesome cause...St. Jude Children's Hospital. 

I've also created a team on the What's Beautiful site...TEAM ROAD RUNNER GIRL. This team is for anyone training to run a 5K to a marathon! We will encourage each other throughout our training. 

So what are you waiting for? Join me in the Under Armour What's Beautiful Campaign! Sign up HERE and get to crushing your goal!!! And if you are training for a race...join my team! 

For some extra support and motivation be sure to follow along on Twitter and Instagram with the hashtags #IWILL and #WHATSBEAUTIFUL! 

QOTD: Are you going to join the What's Beautiful challenge? What's your goal?

#FitFluential and Energy Bits Giveaway!

Some of you may have seen this when I tweeted about it a few weeks ago but I wanted to officially announce it here on the blog. I was accepted as a FitFluential Ambassador!!!

So what does this mean? Well it means that I am going to have a lot more opportunities to help this little blog of mine grow! FitFluential is all about encouraging others to live a healthier lifestyle...and that's my main goal in writing this blog...to share my fitness and health journeys with you...and encourage you to live a healthy lifestyle.

Here is some information about FitFluential from their website:

FitFluential is a nationwide network of highly influential fitness enthusiasts sharing their journey both online and offline through multiple social media platforms. Founded in April of 2011 by Kelly Olexa, FitFluential was designed to connect health and wellness brands with their ideal target market through customized, long-term experiential and contextual marketing campaigns.

We deliver positive messages of health and wellness, but we also promote maintaining a healthy balance. Too often, people view fitness messaging as restrictive and harsh. We showcase how anyone can incorporate habits that will improve their overall health and well-being.

Fitness is all about fitting in to your LIFE. We’ll focus on four primary areas in everything we do: Eat, Sleep, Move, Enjoy.

• Eat- the fuel our body needs that tastes great and helps us reach our goals, whether it is weight loss, building muscle, or learning to eat a more sustainable diet
• Sleep – the importance of rest in getting fit cannot be disputed, and you must get enough sleep so your days are energized
• Move- from walking to bodybuilding, from Crossfit to yoga, let’s move and keep our heart and body healthy
• Enjoy- life must be enjoyed and there are times when a cookie or a cookout and a day off is just what you need.

By focusing on these four components of a healthy LIFE, we promote balance. 

I love those four areas and you will be seeing me post about them here on the blog and on twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!

I highly encourage you to check out FitFluential's website, follow them on twitter, and like them on Facebook!!!

I hope you are as excited as I am about this opportunity! FitFluential is all about fitness and the best brands to help you in that journey! I so excited to join this team of awesome fitness and health enthusiasts!!!

With that said...I have another giveaway for you today!!! You may remember reading my review of Energy Bits...if not you can read the full review HERE. Here is a cliff note version of what Energy Bits are all about!

Bits of Health Inc. is a company that has made a easy way for us to eat algae. Why would you want to eat algae? Because it has so many health benefits including protein, antioxidants, and vitamins! And algae increases your endurance, energy, and mental vitality! It also helps curb your hunger, make you feel less tired, and balances your blood sugar and lowers your blood pressure. Sounds awesome right? You wouldn't want to scoop up algae out of your pond so Bits of Health Inc. has put it into a small pill form that you can chew or swallow! Genius! There are four types of bits: energy bits, skinny bits, recovery bits, and vitality bits. Check out the Energy Bits website to read more about this awesome product!

source

The people at Energy Bits have offered to giveaway a sample of their Energy Bits to one lucky reader! Open to US and Canada Residents!

Enter away! And please make sure to be honest and follow all the requirements to enter...I DO moderate the entries and WILL remove your entry if you don't do what's required (sorry I have to say this but I've had some abuse of this in my past giveaways).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck everyone!!! Winner will be announced on Monday!

Don't forget about my Armpocket Giveaway...ends tonight!!!

Disclaimer: Energy Bits sent me samples of their product to taste and review. I received no other compensation. All opinions in the above post are mine and mine alone!