AMRAP Review & Giveaway!

September 17, 2014September 16, 2014 / Anna @ Piper's Run / 6 Comments

Recently I was given the opportunity to review AMRAP bars. The bars arrived the day after I was supposed to post the review…what can ya do?!??! Anyway, they arrived and I’ve managed to taste them all without reading anyone else’s review(s), not an easy thing to do.

AMRAP creates food that is 100% Paleo, gluten-free, GMO-free, dairy-free, and unprocessed. Raw whole foods, like almond chunks, are a top priority in our bars because we know from experience it is clean fuel that feeds our bodies’ daily activity the best. Our bars have an optimal research-based combination of good proteins and carbs for well-rounded athletes. Recommended for a meal supplement or replacement, and especially a pre or post-workout snack.

Piper’s Review:

I had three bars to test out: Almond & Honey, Fig and Cacao, and Cashew & Vanilla. I brought them to work as I thought they looked fairly large that I couldn’t eat all three at once…or even in three days. My co-worker, Melissa and I tested them out and this is what we thought.

Food Facts on the Fig & Cacao

Bar #1: Cashew & Vanilla (we actually tried this one last)

It wasn’t great. The vanilla tasted weird and neither one of us could figure out why. We both felt the texture was weird and had a rush of sweet like cake batter when you bit into it.

Bar #2: Almond & Honey (middle of the pack)

The smell was awesome as soon as we opened the packaging. The nuts were still crunchy and it wasn’t dense like other protein bars. It wasn’t heavy. We both loved this one.

Bar #3: Fig & Cacao (we tried this one first)

It was good. You see all the ingredients lists and it didn’t taste artificial. Another one for the win!

Overall: We both really liked the Almond & Honey and Fig & Cacao but felt the Cashew & Vanilla just didn’t cut it for us. We’d both would buy these and recommend them.

They tasted home-made and didn’t look, feel or taste “processed”.

And now for the GIVEAWAYS…three of them!

There will be three winners.

Each winner will receive an 8-pack of AMRAP bards in a flavour of your choice (Fig Cacao, Almond Honey or Cashew Vanilla).

Winners can be from the US or Canada.

Contest starts Wednesday September 17th and ends Monday September 22nd, 2014.

To enter the contest please fill out this rafflecopter –>a Rafflecopter giveaway <–Must fill out to enter.

Good luck!

Have you tried AMRAP bars before?

Half Marathon Training Week #8 ALL DONE!

September 16, 2014 / Anna @ Piper's Run / 20 Comments

Ummmm, so I finished week #8 of my half Marathon training on the weekend and now only have four more weeks to go! I had such a ride this past weekend at Maritime Race Weekend, I think I’m still high from it all. Last week’s training went a little like this:

What was planned VS What happened

Monday: Stretch & Strengthen – 20 Squats. I was completely unmotivated to do anything, so I did 10 really good squats. And then after 5 minutes of nothing, did another 10 really good squats and called it a day! #trainingfail

Tuesday: 7k run – 7k outside with a 5k PB of 27:30 Had an amazing 7k run and the first 5k managed a new PB. I felt great.

Wednesday:40 minute tempo run – 7k outside. A little slower than Tuesday’s run but I ran the same route and loved it. I’m really not good at tempo runs but Tuesday nights run could have been considered a tempo run.

Thursday: 5k + strength – Rest Day. Packed our bags for the weekend, cleaned the house and hung out with my husband.

Friday: Rest Day – 5k Tartan Twosome 5k NEW PB 27:05 <–Read about it here.

Saturday: 8k – 10k Tartan Twosome, PB 55:58 plus 6k (36:22) for a total of 1 hour 32 minutes (16k). <–Read about it here.

Sunday: 16k long run – Rest Day (moved 15 wheelbarrows full of mulch from my neighbour’s house on a hill to our backyard).

Total mileage this week: 35 km

Total mileage training: 273 km (Since July 21st)

I feel like a BADASS MOTHER RUNNER NOW 🙂

Week #8 was 100% different and better than week #7…it’s amazing how your training can change from week to week! I felt comfortable and confident with my running.

Four more weeks to go of training and then my half marathon. I also signed up for another race…HA! The 5k BLT run in Timberlea with the Timberlea Tundra Pounders Running Group (October 25th).

Anyone training? How’s it going?

Tell me something that has nothing to do with running?

Are you loving the Fall weather where you live?

Check back tomorrow for 1 of 2 Giveaways open to US & Canadians 🙂

I’m Feeling Ready

June 23, 2014 / Anna @ Piper's Run / 15 Comments

Happy Monday!

We survived two birthday parties, a fever (still ongoing) and our first swim in the lake (for Lilly, not me) this past weekend. Somehow, I managed to get in two pretty good runs and learned a few things.

Watching big sis in the water

Friday night 9k on the treadmill 🙂 Pretty good run but for some reason I hate kilometers 1-3 on my runs. Summer running is sweaty running and cooling down outside after a treadmill run is fantastic!

Saturday (after two birthday parties) I managed 12k! My sister came to work her wonders in our front garden and my mother (who recently had shoulder surgery) came to visit and stay for a few days. Once I got the girls in bed, I quickly put on my running gear and went outside for a 7.2km run. IT.WAS.GREAT.

Gosh, I hate taking selfies (before I ran)

I ran by people out in their yards, a high school grad party (with a little too much booze), a cop talking to someone so I turned around to avoid them and then it started to rain and cool me off. I finished the 7.2k at my house and then ran 4.8k on the treadmill. I just wasn’t too sure about leaving my mom alone with the girls for too long … {a.k.a One-armed Grammy}… mainly if she had to deal with little Hilary if she woke up.

That last 4.8k sucked. It sucked so much….I hated it and just tried to get through each kilometer. One. At. A.Time. I was so happy to see the end of that run……100% soaked in my sweat and feeling pretty darn happy to get in 12k. Somehow, I didn’t hurt the next day {thank you PRO Compression socks) but by 5pm my energy level was crashing fast.

~~~~~

This Saturday is the BIG EPIC Canadian 1ok for me (you can also run the 5k option afterwards or any of the triathlon events on the Sunday). This is what the course looks like:

I’ll be honest…I’m scared! It’s looking pretty hilly and I’ve done very little, if not, zero hill training since the Bluenose 10k on May 18th. It’s going to be interesting … no wait… it’s going to be EPIC!

Sure, I’d love to get a Personal Best but I’m not going to put all my eggs in one basket.

I want to have fun.

I want to be able to laugh after that nasty looking first hill and think…piece of cake!

I want to cheer on my friends running.

And, I want to enjoy the moment {when I cruise over the finish line}.

I want to finish the race.

I vaguely know the course as I have run some of it before but it’s been a number of years since I did that. It’s calling for sunshine and rainbows….kidding, well – it IS calling for sun and a high of 22 {feels like 25}. The run is at 8 am so I am hoping for a little cooler temperatures.

My plan this week is to run Mon/Tues/Wed and rest Sun/Thurs/Friday!

Oh, and thanks for all your comments on my last post...sometimes you just have to “Think In The Moment”.

Other news: I have a review and giveaway coming up – stay tuned.

Anyone race last weekend/this coming weekend?

Do you “think/live in the moment?”

Anyone else devouring watermelon like our family these days?

Look Ma, No Running Jacket!

April 4, 2014April 4, 2014 / Anna @ Piper's Run / 14 Comments

Or hat, or gloves! It’s spring like weather today in Nova Scotia! I’d love to say it’s officially spring but that might not be true….give me a few more weeks and I’ll let you know if Spring has arrived.

Today I was supposed to run with my friend/coach but we had to postpone it until Monday, which I was totally fine with. The sun was shining, the sky was blue and the temperature was…. +5C (felt like +3C)…Saaaaaswweeet!

I planned on running today no matter what. All morning I fueled my body with water and food so I’d be ready to run at noon. I got my running gear on and headed out on the sidewalk for a run.

Pre-run fun!

It was a perfect day to run. No jacket, hat or gloves needed for this run. The plan was 5k.

I had to cross the street twice. Once at a cross walk and once randomly as the sidewalk ended. There were a few long inclines (hills) that slowed me a down a little but also sped me up on the down side 🙂 Bonus!

My run went like this (per kilometers):

5:41
6:03
6:00
5:55
5:24

At 4.51 km, I saw that I was just over 26 minutes and thought, holy shit I’m going to get a sub 29 – 5k…so I sped up. {insert mistake} I went too fast too early. Once I figured that out and was at 4.89 km I sped up again and pushed it to the end.

NEW PB!!!!

Needless to say, I was happy with my run. 29:34 (5k) – a NEW PERSONAL BEST by 5 seconds. I recently ran a sub 30 – 5k a few weeks ago which was a goal I’ve had for a while. I’m getting faster 🙂

I wondering if I didn’t have to cross the street/wait for traffic early in my run, if I could have run faster 🙂

Do you have to cross at cross-walks when out for a run?

Do you stick to trails only? (Our trails are still snow-covered)

Do you mix it up, trail, road, sidewalk?