First of all, this review is a little different than normal. StrideBox isn’t a product so much as it is a service that provides products. The idea – which has existed in other industries for awhile – is simple. The customer pays a monthly fee – in this case $15 – and is delivered a box of surprise goods each month. The question I wanted to determine was if the $15 box was worth the price and got you more bang for your buck. In short, yes. I valued the contents close to $20-22 OTC, so you do seem to get more for you dollar (not to mention the huge number of coupons and discount codes for ordering the included products online later which could save you countless dolla dolla bills).

What I like about StrideBox is the idea you will be surprised each month with a package (yay for fun deliveries!) of various running themed items. You won’t have any idea of what you’re getting until you open the box. You could get products you’ve used before and loved, hated or are indifferent to. You could also get new brands that you’ve never heard of and surprise you. Being familiar with other similar services, there is a high likelyhood that some months you’ll score some major loot – I even saw StrideBox tease at possibly including compression socks at some point!

Click to watch the review above and don’t forget to subscribe to my youtube channel! (CLICK HERE TO SUB)

The Stridebox was provided by the manufacturer for review.

I got the chance to review the convenient and innovative HydraPak Softflask. It’s a simple, yet innovative device that allows a runner to carry multiple servings of gels in a single container without the heft or volume of a hard flask. It conforms to your hand or waist belt and adapts as it gets emptied. I love it. Click to watch the review above and don’t forget to subscribe to my youtube channel! (CLICK HERE TO SUB)

LIKED:

• Light
• Easy To Clean
• Clever Design
• Sizes

DISLIKED:

• No Strap

QUALITY: 4/5
COMFORT: 3/5
PRICE: 5/5
LOOKS: 4/5

TOTAL: 16/20

note: this item was provided by Hydrapak for review. The opinions are my own.

The Hydrapak E-Lite Hydration Vest is an extremely light weight hydration pack that has just enough room for all the essentials for a long trail run or even marathon. Sporting a 1liter bladder, the E-Lite vest gives you some piece of mind, knowing you’ll have enough fluid for those longer run days. It’s easy to refill, utilizing Hydrapak’s notorious bladder system. While not as robust or comfortable as far more expensive hydration packs, this one still fits comfortably on the upper-back, is SUPER light, and hits a decent price point to be very competitive with other packs. You may have noticed that I used it during the Point Mugu 11k, and I now use it for all my long trail runs.

Visit Hydrapak.com for more information and purchase links. Boom. Go get hydrated people!

Also be sure to subscribe to the Ginger Runner YouTube Channel here:http://bit.ly/subGINGERRUNNER

LIKED:

• Light
• Good Fit
• Storage
• Bladder System

DISLIKED:

• Capacity
• Magnet System

QUALITY: 4/5
COMFORT: 4/5
PRICE: 3/5
LOOKS: 3/5

TOTAL: 14/20

This pack was provided by Hydrapak for review.

ORGANIC HONEY STINGER WAFFLES

Honey Organic Stinger Waffle

Honey Stinger, based out of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, has been around since 2002 and makes it their job to provide natural honey based athletic fuel products. I was fortunate enough to get my grubby ginger hands on a box of Organic Stinger Waffles and Fruit Punch Energy Chews. Having read up on their Lance Armstrong inspired waffles (He’s now on the Honey Stinger ownership team), I knew I couldn’t wait until a run to try these bad boys out. I pretty much tore the shipping box wide open the second it arrived to taste these morsels. I was not disappointed. The Organic Stinger Waffles are ridiculously good. I’m not lying when I say that I devoured 4 within the first 2 hours of ownership. Yeah. They’re awesome lil treats that make ginger mouth happy.

Lance Armstrong working for his Honey Stinger Waffles

A big factor in deciding which products I use during my runs has to do with ingredients. I’m trying to stay away from processed sugars as much as possible. It’s not a long burning fuel and tends to do more harm than good during endurance events. The ingredients in the waffles includes organic cane juice which I’m also trying to stay away from. The good news is that the waffles’ sweetness is organic honey-based and honey is exactly like fruit. While I don’t plan on using these the whole race, I’ll keep one with me as a well deserved treat for my late/post-race nurishment.

These waffles, with their 160 calories, are a nice tool to use when you’re in that stretch of full body shutdown. The sweetness will wake your body up, the sugars will rejuvinate your system, and the carbs will keep your engine running. The only problem I encountered while training with them is their crumbly nature which makes it difficult to eat while running. Also, the blast of sweetness can be a turn-off to some. I do plan on carrying one of these tasty treats with me during the Vancouver marathon come May 1st. I know that once I hit mile 20, I’ll need something full of flavor and tasty to keep me goin all the way to the finish. Thank you, Honey Stinger, for makin a deliciously addictive fitness food! Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some waffles to gobble!

LIKED:

• Super tasty!
• Organic ingredients
• Honey-based sugar boost
• Affordable
• Only product like it

DISLIKED

• Ingredients include cane juice
• VERY sweet
• Not the easiest to carry on a run, more suited for a bike kit pocket
• Difficult to eat while running (crumbly!)
• I’m already out of waffles

Taste: 9/10
Does It Work: 8/10
Convenience: 7/10
Price: 8/10

TOTAL: 32/40

ORGANIC ENERGY CHEWS

Honey Stinger Organic Energy Chews

So, like the waffles, these bad boys taste awesome. But unlike the waffles, I doubt I’ll be carrying a bag of these with me come marathon day. To me, chews are convenient, but are awkward for me to chew while running to be instantly effective. I prefer to get my main source of energy from gels during a long training run or marathon (I’ll have to try out the Honey Stinger honey gels). Gels feel like they are easier to swallow and process rather than the gummy chews which taste good, but have ingredients that don’t seem necessary for in-race fueling (pectine, oil, carnuba wax).

Now where these chews DO excel is in their ability to boost energy before or after a race. I love to get a bag of these tasty nubs into my mouth before medium duration runs and I’ve noticed the benefits throughout my training. The boost helps get me started right away rather than having that first few miles being used as a warm-up. After a race, I enjoy shoving a bag into my gob just to get the energy back up. Love these lil treats.

I do plan on bringing a few bags of these up to Vancouver with me for the race, but I’ll be utilizing them before and after the big run rather than during. I’ll stick to gels and a carb/electrolyte/protein blended drink to give me that necessary nutrition.

LIKED:

• Super tasty!
• Organic ingredients
• Honey-based sugar boost
• Affordable

DISLIKED

• Ingredients include cane juice
• Easy to eat too many

Taste: 9/10
Does It Work: 8/10
Convenience: 8/10
Price: 8/10

TOTAL: 33/40

Overall, I would highly recommend any of the Honey Stinger products. Go to HoneyStinger.com to find out more information and to purchase your very own delicious organic, honey-based nutrition. You should also follow them on twitter and facebook to get some cool exclusive online deals they only offer their followers!

GU Brew Electrolyte Tablets

Yeah, I dunno about you but when I run, I sweat. Lots. Especially in the Los Angeles heat. So, I try to compensate for my loss of fluids by making sure to hydrate as much as possible every day by drinking plenty of water. Easier said than done. I’m also pretty stubborn. Drinking plain ol’ water can be boring and having to shove so much of the same liquid inside me makes The Ginger angry. GINGER SMASH!

Now during rigorous exercise, just drinking water isn’t enough. Not having enough electrolytes in your system before a big run (or ANY run for that matter) can result in the good ol’ “bonk”. I’ve bonked before during a marathon and it wasn’t pretty. Ever since, I’ve been pretty conscious about hydrating days before a big event or big training run by gettin’ in water and plenty of those lil electrolyte bad boys. The mistake most people make – myself included – is using Gatorade or some sugar-packed sports drink to hydrate. Wrong. I don’t think I need to tell you how bad sugar is for you. So it puts us into a dilemma of how exactly to get our electrolytes into our bodies. In steps companies like GU Energy Labs to the rescue!

GU Brew Electrolyte Tablets Comparison

A welcome addition to the electrolyte replenishment world has been GU Brew. A powder that you can mix up with water before, during, and after a race or run. It tastes nice and does everything it’s supposed to do w/ a minimal caloric impact at 100 calories. But now, GU Energy Labs was nice enough to send GingerRunner.com some samples of their new all natural product, The GU Brew Electrolyte Tablets. They offer the same benefits of the Brew powder, but in an amazingly convenient tablet form (and ONLY 10 CALORIES!). Drop one into a glass of water anytime to get those electrolytes runnin’ through your system or drop one into your water bottle during a race to have a gently flavored sports drink that’s easy on the stomach and tastebuds. The convenience of the tablet form alone makes these a big ol’ recommendation from me.

GU Brew Electrolyte Tablet Ingredients

In addition to throwin these tablets into my regular runs, I had the opportunity to use the tablets on my last 17 mile training run. They worked fantastically. My only real gripe was that I didn’t bring a second tablet to use when I refilled my water bottle! I’ve tried both the Lemon Lime flavor (yum) and the Peach Tea flavor (double yum!). The peach tea was my favorite because of the slight tartness they gave my mouth. It was a nice bonus every time I sipped some of the juice. At no point during the long run did I feel close to bonking or dehydration.

Now, remember, these are not meant to replace any sort of caloric burn during long bouts of exercise. Be sure to use in conjunction with your regular nutrition (ie Gels, Bars, Jellies). The good news is that since these tablets are so easy on the stomach you won’t necessarily have to worry about combining them with your regular nutrition and getting any sort of “complications”. I’d definitely recommend getting some for training before you just use them in a race to make sure your body knows what’s up. My ultimate thoughts: BUY SOME.

LIKED:

• Convenient Tablet form
• Peach Tea flavor
• Easy on the stomach
• Low in calories
• Affordable

DISLIKED

• Don’t carry a spare tablet when it rains (fizzes in yo’ pocket!)
• Only 12 per tube

Taste: 9/10
Does It Work: 8/10
Convenience: 9/10
Price: 8/10

TOTAL: 34/40

GIVEAWAY TIME!

Do you want some of these delicious tablets of your own to try? It’s EASY! I’m giving away a free tube of any of the 3 flavors you want. All you have to do is:

1. “LIKE” GU Energy Labs on facebook
2. “LIKE” Ginger Runner on facebook
3. Leave a comment on The Ginger Runner facebook wall telling me how badly you want some GU Brew Electrolyte Tablets (and what flavor!)
4. Follow us both on twitter (@TheGingerRunner & @GUEnergyLabs)

I will collect all of the responses by MONDAY APRIL 4th at 11:59pm PST and choose the response that I like the best (and gets the most laughter outta my ginger face). So get creative, get writing, and win yourself some FREE GU Brew Electrolyte Tablets, people!

*UPDATE* Congratulations to Bob Ross for winning the free GU Brew Electrolyte Tablets just in time for your half marathon! More giveaways coming soon, people!