Product Reviews

I mentioned that I got some fun loot at the Chilly Half Marathon in Newton last weekend, and I tried most of it out. Here's what I thought of these products:

GU Chomps (Strawberry flavor)

This trial-sized package came with 4 chomps, which contain 90 calories and 100% of your daily Vitamin C and E, as well as some caffeine. I didn't eat these mid-race, but I did eat them when I was feeling tired and hungry, about 20 minutes before I went out for a very hilly run. I thought the taste was pretty good, I like the strawberry, and they reminded me of fruit snacks, but were more like fruit snacks on crack. They were a little bit too sweet, but if you wash them down with water it wasn't bad! I think I would definitely try using these on long runs to refuel. Pat also tried them and he loved them.

Asics Technical Socks

Please disregard the fact that my feet are huge. I am very aware of their size. These socks are designed to cushion your heel and toes where the most impact occurs, support your arch, and provide comfort. I love the color of the socks, though I suppose that's not really the point! These socks felt good to walk and run in, but I didn't find a great difference between these and the Under Armor socks I typically wear, except for the fact that these socks retail for $12-$14 per pair, and my Under Armour socks cost me about $15 for 6 pair. So I'm happy for the free Asics socks, but probably wouldn't spend the extra money on them if I was paying.

Skinny Water (Goji Black Cherry)

This tasted pretty good, had zero calories, and tons of vitamins and minerals. I'm usually a little bit skeptical about how all of the great things get into food/beverages without any calories (makes me wonder how many chemicals I'm also taking in) but if I were in the market for a low calorie drink that provided all that good stuff, I'd definitely buy this. Personally, I'd rather eat lots of fruits and vegetables than to get my nutrients from supplements, but in a pinch I think this seems like a good alternative.

Kashi TLC Bar (Dark Mocha Almond)

This was not loot from the half marathon, but my dad did buy me several boxes of Kashi granola bars. These bars are made with 7 whole grains and have a generous amount of dark chocolate chips and almonds. The nutrition information is quite impressive, given how delicious and dessert-y these seem: 130 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 4 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein. I'm not a huge granola bar person, but I would highly recommend these to anyone. They're great to keep in your desk at work or in your car for emergency snacks.