I'm Back! And have an ENERGYbits Giveaway Winner!

So, I fell off the face of the blogging Earth.  And kinda off the face of the real Earth too, if that makes you feel any less neglected.  Life got pretty busy the last few weeks with work and the holidays.  And honestly, I wasn't running or working out much at all so didn't have anything meaningful to talk about except random ramblings.  Sometimes those are fun too though.  Here are a few snapshots of things I have done over the last few weeks:

Twin Day!  I can't pass up a good opportunity to post a twin day picture.  I think when my blog gets super duper popular, I will start posting an outfit that everyone should wear and then you can all send me your twin day pictures.  Or it will just continue to be Grace and I matching from afar.  And on Wednesdays, we wear pink.

And while we're at it, Grace and I had another twin day while she was in town!!  Go Bears!

My cousins Katie and Kelly and I also had a twin night.  We wore our matching footie pajama onesies, decorated Christmas cookies, and watched Elf.

Christmas Eve with the Smiths is probably my favorite day of the year.  We had a lot to chat about now that 2 of the Smith girl cousins are engaged!!

We played a few games.  In this one, two people had one of each of their hands tied together and then had to use the 2 remaining hands to wrap a present and use ribbon to put a bow on it.  Katie and I won in 2 minutes and 9 seconds.  We were all very competitive.  Mom and Dad were a close 2nd.  I think they had an advantage since Mom is a lefty.

And we sang some songs.

And now it's almost a new year, things should be calming down a bit, and I have started to pick up the running again!  But I'll get to the running details in my next post, which I promise will be tomorrow and not in 2.5 weeks.

I FINALLY have a winner for my ENERGYbits giveaway!  I'm sorry it took my so long to announce, it was not an expected blogging hiatus.  I used the Excel random number generator and the winner is.....

Congrats Jackie, I know you will love them!!  Send me an email with your address and you will receive your sample of ENERGYbits in the mail  :)

Have you had a crazy busy holiday season too?

What was the best thing you did over the past few weeks?

ENERGYbits Review & Giveaway!!

I'm doing the Elf 4 Health Challenge (which I will detail in a post tomorrow) and today's challenge is "Pay It Forward."  So, what better way to pay it forward than hosting a giveaway!!

ENERGYbits sent me a sample of their very unique, new product to try.  They also sent me a TON of information on the product.  Here's some of the highlights I found interesting:

• no caffeine, chemicals, or sugar, or any artificial substances
• 1 calorie per tab
• ONE ingredient - organically grown spirulina algae
• 64% protein - they are a FOOD, not a supplement

Right when I read about ENERGYbits, I was super excited to try because of the no-calorie aspect.  I'm a girl, what do you expect?  There is nothing else that offers as much no nutrition and protein for so few calories.  If you've been reading my blog while I was training for the Chicago Marathon, you'll probably know that I really do love my chocolate-flavored GU Energy Gel because it's like having dessert while running and tastes delicious.  However, even though I've been fairly lucky with it, I am still nervous every time I take a GU gel while running because I never know what effect it will have on my stomach due to all the sugar.  ENERGYbits provide a constant steady stream of energy without stomach distress.

I was sent a sample of about 75 bits.  The instructions said to take a least 30 as one serving, which I did the first time, right before a normal 6 mile run.  With 45 left, I decided to spread the remaining bits across 2 runs - another normal run and the Schaumburg Half Marathon Turkey Trot.  In retrospect, I probably should've tried to use the 45 all right before one run to see a bigger effect.

One evening right after getting home from work, I pulled out all my ENERGYbits information, read it carefully, and took the bits as instructed - swallow a serving of 30 bits with water about 15-20 minutes before the workout, do not chew.  Actually, you can chew them but it's not advisable due to the taste.  After opening the can and getting a whiff of the bits, I made sure to swallow them as quickly as possible.  They smelled very strongly of seaweed/algae.

I chose this night to try the ENERGYbits because I was STARVING when I got home from work.  And as the information said, the bits are actually food and contain protein, which I figured should help with my hunger.  My stomach was still rumbling and grumbling for about the first mile of my run, but that soon subsided.  I think that is definitely attributable to the bits because normally when I get hungry during a run, there's no stopping my stomach until I get food in it!

The second time I tried ENERGYbits was a similar situation.  After work, I was going to meet a friend for dinner at 8pm.  I managed my snacking a little better throughout the day, so I wasn't STARVING by the time I finished work at 5pm, but I was still hungry and didn't want to eat a real meal because I needed to run and wanted to save my appetite for dinner anyways.  I really was not looking forward to this run because it was one of the first considerably colder days in Chicago and I was worn out - who isn't at 5pm after a workday?  But I took about 25 ENERGYbits and headed out in the cold for a 6 mile run.  I also hadn't ran in a few days, so I thought this run would be even more difficult.

But when I got out there on the lake path, I felt like a new person.  I was proud of myself for just getting out in the cold after work to get the run done.  I noticed I had a considerably higher level of energy than right when I had gotten home from work and even wanted to continue to run longer, but I couldn't cancel my dinner plans.

I saved about 20 bits for before the Schaumburg Half Marathon Turkey Trot last weekend.  This wasn't as much as the recommended amount to take, but I still think it helped.  I meant to also bring a GU Energy gel with me for during the race, but of course I forgot it at home.  I didn't end up taking any type of food or supplements during the race, so I am glad I had the ENERGYbits beforehand!  If I hadn't taken those and had no fuel along the race course, I really would've been in trouble.  I'm still not sure if I'll be able to swallow the bits WHILE running, but I suppose it's something I'll have to try in the future!

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If you'd like to buy your own ENERGYbits, you can use the code BLOG to receive 10% off!!  But you can also WIN a sample right now!!  Here's how to ENTER THE GIVEAWAY (each way will get you 1 entry, for up to 4 entries per person):

1 - Leave a comment below telling me what you use to fuel before or during your workouts.  If you aren't a runner/worker-outter, just tell me your favorite food :)

2 - Follow me on Twitter and/or like the CSmith Run Facebook page and specify that you did (or already do) in your comment.

3 - Tweet "I want to win a sample of @ENERGYbits from @CSmith_Run! #PoweredByBits"

*Entries must be submitted by 11:59PM Wednesday 12/11.  Winner will be chosen at random and announced Thursday 12/12.


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Every week ENERGYbits has a Twitter chat and you can join Tuesdays at 8pm EST.   See below for the info on tonight's chat and use the hashtag #PoweredByBits.

GOOD LUCK!!