PROBAR review and giveaway!

Bars, bars, bars! Let's give it up for bars!

I'm talking about energy bars, here . . . 

And right now I'm enjoying PROBAR protein and meal replacement bars. A big reason for my enjoyment is this:

Dairy free. Certified organic. Non-GMO Project verified. Made in the good ol' US of A.

All good stuff.

Another big reason is the taste. The PROBAR bars are really tasty. And taste matters, especially when you are on the go and rely on energy bars as much as I do (yes, I always carry bars with me wherever I go -- for me and for the kids).

I was given the opportunity to try out an assortment of PROBAR Core (protein bars) and PROBAR Meal (the whole food meal replacement bars). Both are good but PROBAR Meal is my favorite.

Oatmeal Raisin, Chocolate Coconut, Superberry Slam, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip . . . all good. And you know what? Pretty good ingredients. If I had to pick a favorite, I'd go with oatmeal raisin, which is a bit funny because I'm not much of a raisin girl. And yet, for real, the PROBAR Meal Oatmeal Raisin is delicious. Simply delicious.

OK, so I like the bars. And I like the fact that I get to share them with you.

How? Discount and giveaway, my friends. This just happens to be your lucky day . . . check it out:


The Discount:

I have a discount for you! If you'd like to try out PROBAR (any kind) just pop over to the web site and enter the code BLOGGER at checkout for a whopping 40% discount. No joke.

The Giveaway:

As if the discount wasn't enough, I also have a giveaway. One lucky reader will win a box of either the PROBAR Core or PROBAR Meal -- winner's choice! How fun, right? Right.

To enter, leave me a comment telling which type of bar you'd choose if you win (Core or Meal).

Additional entries:

As always, you can gain extra entries. Remember, though, you must complete the required entry first! And, yes, I'll check. (Leave one comment per entry for the additional ones to count) So, here's what to do:

• Follow me on Pinterest, or let me know that you already do (leave a comment)  
• Pin the image from this post to share the giveaway on Pinterest (leave a comment)   
• Follow me on Twitter, or let me know that you already do (leave a comment) 

• Share this post on Twitter using this tweet:

I just entered to win PROBAR bars from @TheHappyRunner http://tinyurl.com/cm3bzlw #giveaway

• Follow me on Instagram, or let me know that you already do (leave a comment) 
• Link to this giveaway from your blog  (leave a comment)  
• Follow PROBAR on Facebook (leave a comment)  

This giveaway will run through Monday, April 15 at 11:59pm EST and the winner will be announced on Tuesday.

Good luck!

Review disclaimer: I was sent an assortment of bars for review. I was not otherwise compensated and the opinions expressed are entirely my own.

My best run.

It was Friday afternoon and I had some unplanned-for time on my hands. The boys were at my parents' house, the weather was running perfect, I had some new kicks that I was dying to try out.

It was time to run. Outside.

So I laced on my new Saucony Kinvaras (check out the fresh color!):

And I headed out in my neighborhood.

I didn't know what to expect, wearing new shoes. And part of me worried that I was foolish. A week before a half marathon isn't usually when people decide to give new running shoes a good test. Who wants to risk injury from bunk shoes?

Not me. But no worries, you know from the title of this post that didn't happen.

Phew!

A few strides into my run, I still felt a little worried because I could tell that my stride was just a little different. I could hear my footfall as I climbed the first hill on my route and it sounded strange. Then I flew down the other side of that hill and something changed. I fell into a rhythm and my stride became comfortable.

I turned and climbed the big hill at the back of my neighborhood. I usually slow way down on that hill, but this time I didn't. I held strong and when I looked at my pace for that first hilly mile, it was 9:32.

I ran on.

The second mile of my run is flatter with a few downhills and only small uphills. I floated through it in 7:28.

Then I floated through the third mile, with its big uphill, in 8:20.

And then my last mile, mile 4, with yet another steep incline, as well as some nice downhills, was an easy 7:40.

I finished up with a quarter mile at a 7:20 pace.

Friday's run was -- by far -- the best run I've had in ages. 

I can't say exactly why, unfortunately. Maybe it was the pleasure of running outside on a weekday after so many treadmill runs. Maybe it was the freedom of having unexpected time alone to run. Maybe it was the new shoes. I don't know.

Whatever it was, I had a great run. I let my body "just run" and it fell into some speed. I never felt like I was pushing myself, I just felt like I was floating through my miles. It was the best feeling.

I hope to have many more of those runs this spring and into the summer!

Have you had a best run lately? 

Want to read about some other runner's best runs? 

Check out Miss Zippy's site for a whole list of them!

Thanks for stopping by!

PS: I was sent the Saucony shoes for review, free of charge. I'll be reviewing them in a future post.

Simply Snackin'

I've been so busy enjoying my latest review product, I forgot to post the actual review!

Whoops!

I was sent a big package of Simply Snackin protein snacks (beef and chicken sticks) to try out recently:

And try them I did. When I could wrangle them away from my 2 year old, that is:

He loooooves jerky and especially loved the Simply Snackin sticks.

Here's a little about Simply Snackin, from their web site:

"High protein, low calorie Simply Snackin gourmet dried meat snacks are the preferred choice of on-the-go people leading or adopting active, healthy lifestyles. Although often referred to as "jerky," Simply Snackin products deliver an experience unlike any conventional jerky -- bite after bite of moist, lean, savory chicken breast or beef sirloin is paired with flavorful mangos, apples, blueberries and other artisan ingredients."

To that, I say, "You write the truth, Simply Snackin web site people."

I am a fan. The flavor combinations are great: Sirloin with cranberries and blueberries, chicken with mango and papaya, sirloin with pineapple. And the texture is, in my opinion, superior and easier to eat than regular jerky.

Now, please know that I am a jerky fan. There is almost always jerky in my pantry and the whole family loves the stuff. So, in some ways, I was primed to love Simply Snackin. But the opposite is true as well. As a jerky lover, I could have been turned off by the ways in which it is different from jerky.

I wasn't turned off at all.

Here's what I love:

• The convenience of the individually wrapped sticks (so easy to keep in my bag!)
• The simple ingredients list
• The low (for jerky type snacks) sodium
• The texture
• The taste
• The taste
• The taste

It's true. I love the taste!

My favorite flavor? Dried Beef Sirloin with Cranberries and Blueberries. No question.

So, I'm sure you're thinking, "OK, Happy Runner, it's all well and good for you to write about how much you love your free beef snacks. But do you love them enough to spend your own money on them?"

Good question, friend. Glad you asked.

And my answer is, yes. Yes, I do. In fact, I already have. I ordered up the beef assortment, 24 pieces. I only wish I had ordered 48. Live and learn, live and learn . . .

You can treat yourself to some Simply Snackin by ordering on their web site, too.

Have you tried Simply Snackin? What did you think?

Thanks for stopping by!

Review disclaimer: I was sent a package of Simply Snackin meat sticks. I was not otherwise compensated and the opinions expressed are entirely my own.

March recap.

March was a full month. First day of spring. My longest treadmill run ever. My longest outdoor run of this training cycle. My first race of the season. Lots of sugar-free experimentation.

Overall, a good month.

I feel like my training for the More/Fitness half marathon in two weeks (gulp!) has gone fairly well. I've gotten in plenty of miles, even when the weather and my body haven't completely cooperated. I've been (knock on wood) healthy and injury free. All good things.

The only bad thing in March was that my treadmill started crapping out at fast-ish speeds. I still haven't had anyone look at it so I'm not sure what is the matter and I need to get on that. Fortunately, it works at regular running speeds so I've been able to use it almost as much as I've needed to.

Anyway, here's a look at the month that was.

Warming up for stroller running!

Runnin' of the Green with Bridget.

Snow at the beginning of the month. 

March stats:

Running (miles): 114.2
Racing: 1, the Runnin' of the Green (Island) 4 miles (not a PR, but a strong race)
Cross training: 8


Happy April Fool's Day, everyone. Hope April is a good month for you!