reviews – French Fry Runner

I’m Obsessed . . . with Chocolate Peppermint Stick Luna Bars

I LOVE Chocolate Peppermint Stick LUNA Bars. They are the most delicious nutrition bars I’ve ever had (and I’ve had a lot). I discovered this flavor over the holidays, and I hope they stay around for a really long time.

I’m always a little apprehensive about nutrition bars. Sometimes they’re decent, and sometimes they’re not. I can’t eat a ton before races, so I normally grab a CLIF bar (which I think are pretty good) or some random thing I thought I’d try in my search for a good bar and choke it down. So when I saw this flavor on the shelf, I thought, “Okay, I love chocolate and peppermint together (hello, peppermint hot chocolate!), so I’ll give this a shot.” Fully expecting to be disappointed, as I often am with bars like these, I was surprised how good this little 180-calorie bar was. It’s no Snickers, but if I had to eat one of these every day, I wouldn’t mind. In fact, I stock up anytime I see them. They are 70% organic and have what LUNA (affiliate of CLIF) calls the “Core 4”: calcium, vitamin D, iron, and folic acid–4 important nutrients that every woman needs.

The texture is good, and the flavor is perfect–just enough chocolatey-peppermint goodness without tasting fake.

Bottom line: If you like LUNA bars, try this flavor. If you like chocolate and peppermint, try this flavor. If you’re looking for a nutrition bar that’s tasty, try this flavor . . .

Hopefully I’ve conveyed my love for these bars enough. If not, feel free to email me so I can try to convince you.

Cheers!

Color Run Review/Recap

Touted as “The Happiest 5k on the Planet,” the Color Run lives up to the hype, offering a fun experience for people of all ages and abilities. I had the chance to run the Color Run in Sacramento, California, on Saturday with my sister, and I can honestly say I haven’t had more fun running a race than I did while doing the Color Run. The 5k route started by going through Old Town Sacramento and then circled around downtown—all the while snaking through various “color stations” throughout the race—ending back in the heart of the city. It wasn’t timed, which added to the laid-back vibe of the whole experience. We partied at the end of the race, throwing our color in the air with thousands of other color runners and overall just having a blast! I would highly recommend this “race” to anyone looking to lay aside their dreams of PRs for an afternoon, rekindle the love of the sport, and enjoy the camaraderie the running community has to offer.

Pros: Pretty much the whole experience

Cons: The cotton/polyester-blend shirts didn’t hold on to color that well

“Run, run”: Spirit of the Marathon II Review

Here's (creepy) proof that I saw the movie. Woo! — Here’s (creepy) proof that I saw the movie. Woo!

I had the opportunity last Wednesday to see Spirit of the Marathon II, in theaters for one night only. First, let me say that the movie was great. It was really entertaining and made me want to run a marathon–which is definitely on the list of things I want to do in the near future. Little Rock Marathon 2014, anyone? Maybe? Anyway, the Engineer and I definitely were happy to have a date night, even if it was on a Wednesday. Made the rest of the week seem never-ending, but whatever. I digress.

When we walked into the movie auditorium, there were about 10 or so other lucky people. I knew right away that I was in good company because whispers of that morning’s run drifted through the theater: “Are you going to run tonight?” “Nah, I ran this morning.” I was beyond excited to be watching a movie with “my people.”

The movie chronicles two elites, two Americans, and three Italians running the Rome Marathon. I really loved listening to each runners’ story and couldn’t help but relate to them. Running truly is universal. My favorite runner in the movie was Domenico Anzini, a 73-year-old Italian who has run every Rome Marathon to date. He gave me hope that at any age, we can enjoy running and being fit. I want to be 70 and still running, tri-ing, yoga-ing, and so on. Heck , I want to be doing it at 80 and beyond. In his words, “Run, run.”

It was fun to see the elites’ stories and how much they are similar to you and me–not that I do two-a-day run workouts, am rail thin, or have a sponsorship. But they do run because they love it and feel that they’re making a difference.

All in all, I liked it better than the first movie because it interspersed the runners’ stories in with the Rome Marathon and the history of the marathon. I totally recommend it to any runner out there seeking to learn more about the way running can change lives and to gain motivation. Now I’m going to run a marathon . . . for real. Anyone want to join me?

Check out the trailer below.

Disclaimer: I was given two tickets to Spirit of the Marathon II in exchange for my review. I was not compensated in any other way or asked to convey a particular opinion. These thoughts are mine alone.