Tag: Product Review

Carry All the Things

Disclaimer: I received a Gear Vest from Orange Mud 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!

I don’t always carry a lot when I run but I am very particular about how I carry it.  Then there are times that I feel like I am running with enough supplies for an ultra when it may just be 10-13 miles.  Which is funny considering I rarely fuel but I carry it!   So with that being said, I need someway to carry everything right?

Enter Orange Mud’s Gear Vest.

“]Gear Vest

Look at all the pockets!!!

3 on each side plus the bladder on the back? Score!  Once I had it, I couldn’t wait to take it on a test run.  And then a few more runs.  Every run since it came in the mail has been with the Gear Vest.   So I have plenty of thoughts.

Perks–

  • The front pockets are huge! My giant Iphone fits with no fears of it falling out.
  • If not carrying a bottle, I can fit a key, pepper spray, Buff, chapstick, and Honey Stinger chews in the other large pocket with room to spare.
  • My inhaler fits perfectly in one of the shoulder pockets.
  • The 1L bladder is a good size, not too big and not too small for those hot runs.
  • The bladder is much easier to wash than other bladders I have used- it is also dishwasher safe.
  • The pack seems very sturdily made- which holds true across all my Orange Mud packs- this is my third.
  • It fits a 600ML water bottle perfectly and the pepper spray fits in a trash pocket when I carry a flask.
  • I love that there are color options- like the white!
  • I have a tendency to stretch by bending at the waist and touching the ground- nothing falls out!!

Quirks–

  • The trash pockets- don’t put a small body glide in one.  It won’t stay in the pocket while running.  It bounces out.  I had to chase it down 3x before I moved up the other shoulder pocket.  It fits perfectly so I really hoped it would work.
  • My back is fussy right now so the bladder comfortable as it is is too much for it.  Flasks are how I carry water but unfortunately I can’t carry 2 flasks.  If I do I have nowhere to put my phone.  Let’s be real- my phone is the one thing I ALWAYS carry on any run.
  • The fit across my umm… chest. Ok, not to put it bluntly but I’m not small up top. Combine that with the fact that I am carrying more than a few extra pounds right now (it’s the truth, I know) and the pack and I were have some disagreements. I think I have it figured out now but I wish I could get the bottom chest strap under my ummmm chest but I can’t. I think that would solve my issues. So let’s see what happens if I lose a few pounds. I’ll let you know.🤞

Overall I really like the pack. I feel it works best for me for runs up to 10 miles or anything else supplemented with water. As the temps rise here, I will need to carry more than one soft flask. So I should probably keep doing those PT exercises for my back huh? Until then I’ll keep using the back pocket for a change of socks and some emergency cash. You never know when you might need one of those right?😀

Want your own? Use BRGV15 for %15 off!

How do you carry things on the run?

Light It Up

Disclaimer: I received Knuckle Lights 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!

My town has a lack of street lights and sidewalks.  The sidewalks that it does have tend to be very uneven and of abnormal heights.  Seriously- the city was actually sued at one point due to this.   Throw in the occasional mountain lion sighting and cranky dogs and I had plenty of reasons to not run at night.    All of which I embraced wholeheartedly but I really, really dislike the treadmill so something had to change during these dark winter months.   I ventured on one evening run last winter with a flashlight to guide my way.  Not bad but not great.    I tried again this winter.  Again not bad but not great.  Also I kept accidentally hitting the setting for the emergency flash on the flashlight.  Oops.


Enter Knuckle Lights.   These pint size puppies pack a punch!   They come with a charge right out of the box and I was unprepared for how bright they would be.  I saw stars for a few moments after I pointed the first one right at my face.  Oops.    Ok, so they blinded me in close quarters but how would they work on the run?


Freakin’ awesome!  My first time running with them didn’t end in full darkness so while I thought they helped cars see me in the twilight, I didn’t really feel like it was a good test of them.  My next run with them was after work and returning home so in complete darkness.   I geared up and set out for my run.  I was surprised just turning on one of the lights, I felt like I could see everything so much better, what would two do?  Holy crap, the night lit up.  Not only could I see the ground and the bushes and everything around me, I knew cars could see me.  In fact I was worried I might blind an oncoming driver!   Now, granted I haven’t asked one to stop to get their opinion.  😛


In fact I love the lights so much that I did something I thought would never be possible.  I ran after work in work town.   I always considered that route to be off limits in the dark- not anymore!    Now I didn’t go all the way into the state park because I do want to do a daylight check for downed trees thanks to all our recent rain but I got pretty close.  Yay for more running options!!

Now for some technical jargon from the website-

 

  • 2 LIGHTS PER SET: The 2 units are held comfortably on your hands with soft silicone straps. The straps are easily adjusted to fit any size hand and even over gloves. The units connect together magnetically so they can easily be stored when not in use. The units are super lightweight at less than 3 ounces each.
  • 280 TOTAL LUMENS: Each unit is 140 Lumens on high power, so you get a super bright 280 Lumens combined. The LED pattern is a WIDE FLOOD BEAM, so it puts out light in all directions, providing a steady, even light in front of you that does not bounce around, even with your arms moving.
  • 3 POWER SETTINGS: High, Low and Blinking.
  • BATTERY LIFE PER CHARGE: 4 Hours on High Power | 8 Hours on Low Power | 14 Hours on Blinking.

 

There a few things I wish were slightly different-

  • I like to run with pepper spray and have a free hand to grab it.  More often than not, I run with both Knuckle Lights in one hand.  They are super light weight so it’s not noticeable at all.
  • I run with a handheld water bottle so with my desire to keep a hand free for my pepper spray something has to lose and that is my water.  So far all my runs with the lights have been shorter and that has been fine but eventually I will need to figure something else out.
  • The order of the lights- Instead of High*Low*Flash, I wish it was Low*High*Flash.   Now, I have that preference because I start running at twilight or later so it gets darker as I run. I imagine that morning runners like the standard set up because it gets lighter the longer they run.

All in all, I love these little lights and wish I had them sooner.  I can see them lighting the way for my runs for a long time to come.  It almost makes me sad that the days are getting longer again.  Almost.

Want your own Knuckle Lights?  Use code “bibravepro” for 10% off your order.

Do you run in the dark? 

How do you light up your path? 

 

Shaking It Up

Disclaimer: I received Generation UCan Protein Powder 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!

I’ve been looking for a good protein powder for about 6 months now.   With all of my dietary restrictions I fall back on smoothies for lunch quite often however just fruit and veggies isn’t always filling.   Sometimes I’m hangry within an hour and end up binge snacking on chips and fruit snacks which is never good.   I’ve been looking for a protein powder to add some healthy bulk to my smoothies.  If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen my posts about my orders from The Feed.  I’ve tried numerous samples of various brands from them and also tried numerous samples of the bigger brands that seem to have a cult like following with no luck.

People, there are some bad tasting powders out there!   Like running to the sink to spit it out no way I could choke this stuff down bad.  And this is coming from someone who has had to drink some truly nasty medicine over the years for my litany of tests for my stomach condition.   I thought I could choke down anything as long as I had a straw.  Not true.


When the opportunity arose to try Generation UCAN’s protein powder, I figured why not.  I had heard great things about both their hydration mix and their SuperStarch drink mix, which I still want to try since I fuel horribly for runs but that’s another story.

Now, one thing about the powder is that it is whey based, so dairy based.    If dairy is a problem for you, you may want to keep that in mind.   Technically, dairy is one of my 5 million restrictions.  😛     So why would I do that do myself?    I can tolerate dairy in moderation which I’ve learned means I can handle it in one meal a day.  Whey protein for the win!  Whereas I’ve learned soy and nuts are not my friends.

ucan-nutrition

ucan-info

Ok, but what about the important part, how does it taste and did it keep me full?  I received both Vanilla Cream and Chocolate to try.   I won’t lie, I was a little scared to try the vanilla- I had a previous experience with another vanilla protein powder that tasted like dirt no matter what I mixed it with.    Thankfully, I did not need to be concerned.   I blended the Vanilla Cream with some Kefir, spinach, pineapple and peaches.    The first couple sips were a stronger vanilla taste than I had expected but it was pretty good.   Better yet- no snacking!   Next day, the smoothie was even better and still no snacking.  Yay!  My stomach was also happy.


Now for the chocolate.   I like the taste of the chocolate but I haven’t found the right smoothie mix for it yet.    I love pineapple in my smoothies but I wasn’t the biggest fan of pineapple and chocolate.    Granted the strawberry kefir could have been throwing it off too.    I like smoothies because I admit that I don’t eat enough fruit and vegetables on their own but blending them up is a good way for me to stay on track.    By itself it is fine but it is going to take some more experimenting to figure a good smoothie mix for me.    While the taste combo of pineapple and chocolate may have been a little off, all the pluses of no hangry-ness and no stomach crankiness held.    Sweet!


After months of searching, I finally found a powder I want to reorder!  Surprisingly though, I think I am reordering the Vanilla Cream- it really grew on me!   I hope my NutriBullet is prepared for the workout it’s going to get next year.  😛

I also have a discount if you want to try it-BIBRAVE – 15% off all UCAN products.  I know I will be using it.  😉

What do you put in your smoothies?

Any special ingredients?