Disclaimer: I received Ultima Replenisher 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!

When the chance came up to try Ultima Replenisher, I have to admit that I had never heard of it.  So I headed to the website to check it out.

6 electrolytes plus support minerals, real fruit flavors and plant-based colors, vegan, nonGMO, no caffeine and gluten-free

Hey, that fit all of the new dietary restrictions I had just been hit with plus the flavors looked tempting.  I liked what I had been using but felt like it wasn’t really holding up in my marathon training.   Maybe it was time to branch out.   Plus Dean Karnazes is one of their ambassadors and who runs more than he does?  Sorry, fan girl moment.  😛

It arrived on a Friday- perfect timing for weekend running!  I tested the Lemonade and Raspberry flavors.  The Raspberry came in single serve packets, 20 to a box.  Awesome for portability, perfect for shoving in my purse, and my gym bag…and my car.   The Lemonade was in a little plastic canister and contained 30 servings.  It also had the cutest little scoop I’d ever seen.  Little things, right?  They also have a 90 serving canister.

I tried the raspberry at work the next day.  Having to work on a Saturday totally calls for electrolyte help right?   Not bad, kind of sweet but pretty good. Ok, truth moment- I don’t think I’ve ever had a real raspberry so I am not sure how close the taste is.  I later tried the lemonade on afternoon run.  Holy crap!  I drink lemonade every day why had I never tried  lemonade flavored drink mix before?!    Who knew?!

So those were my first impressions.  I kept using it and I noticed my flavor preferences changed.   I was loving the raspberry.    I was using it on all my shorter runs and for recovery.   The sweetness kind of makes me think of candy and I won’t lie- I have a sweet tooth.     😏

I tend to suffer from a lot of headaches- they tend to get worse after hot runs.    They did seem to improve after drinking Ultima on my runs.  Now that could just be because the taste makes me want to drink more than I used to but I’ll take it.   I was kind of skimpy about my water intake while running before.  Don’t get me wrong, the headaches are still there, they just hurt a little less.

My only real sticking point is the canister.   While I like the idea of a loose powder and the larger serving size, I cannot be trusted to not make a mess.  Maybe if I used a larger mouthed water bottle I would spill less.   The scoop, while adorable, is a little too small.  Or my hands are too big.    Both of those things are my quirks though.  😛   Also, the colder the water the more the powder tends to clump when first mixed.   This never bothered me as I tend to drink water at room temperature anyways.  And it was nothing a good shake couldn’t fix.

I liked my first box so much, I went through it pretty quick.  😢 So I ordered myself some more!   They have a combo pack which is awesome so I can try all the flavors- Raspbeyy, Lemonade, Orange, Grape and Cherry Pomegranate.  Orange is pretty much my favorite flavor in everything so I am hoping I like it as well.   Fingers crossed!!

Want to try Ultima?  Use code “BIBRAVE2016” for 35% off plus free shipping.  It’s a great deal!

How do you hydrate?

• Run!