I'm giving away a product I've come to swear by ... NUUN!*
I started drinking Nuun early this year for one completely silly reason: I'm a sucker when it comes to artificial banana flavoring.Really.
I love banana Runts, banana Laffy Taffy, banana Dum-Dums, even regular old bananas (but they aren't as good as banana-flavored things).
One day when I was at a local running store re-stocking my Sports Beans supply, I ran across BananaNuun and immediately threw it in my basket without a second thought. I had heard of people using Nuun during training and racing, but didn't know much else about it other than it came in a flavor that appealed to me. I quickly learned that it's a sugar-free electrolyte tab that dissolves in your water bottle, much like some of those old-fogey denture-cleaning products. Only unlike those denture-cleaning products, this product is good for your body and not your fake teeth. There's a ton of science behind Nuun, and instead of pretending like I understand chemistry, I'll let you read for yourself here.
Drinking Nuun at first was weird. It's more carbonated than water, but less fizzy than soda. It was a strange feeling to drink bubbles while running, but the artificial banana flavor quickly made up for any awkwardness and I never had any upset-stomach issues from the fizz. I then ventured on to trying other flavors that reminded me of sports drinks (berry flavors, lemon-lime flavors -- I haven't yet braved my way into the cola, ginger, or chai world, but maybe someday). Before long, I realized that this product was actually helping me during my marathon training.
Not only was I staying better hydrated, I was watching how much I was hydrating because it was hard for me to chug the product. With water, I'd easily drink way too much and then I'd have side stitches/sloshy stomach syndrome. It wasn't as easy to chug something mildly fizzy. And then there's that whole sometimes-you-need-more-than-water-when-your-body-starts-eating-away-at-itself thing. Nuun ended up becoming my trusty companion on my training runs, right there beside my Garmin.
AAAAND, if I haven't already written too much that you didn't even want to read in the first place, Nuun is easy to carry so there is seriously no excuse to not be hydrated. A tube of Nuun fits easily into my iFitness belt (although I prefer to just bring a few tabs with me), and one tube makes 12 water bottles worth of active hydration. Public water fountains just became a whole lot tastier.
So what's the giveaway already!?!!
My giveaway will include one tube of my all-time favorite BananaNuun (I can't believe I'm surrendering this), one tube of tasty Tri-Berry Nuun (which I drank during my PR at the U.S. Half Marathon last weekend), and one tube of Citrus Fruit Nuun (which I also promise is delicious). That's THREE tubes of Nuun! 36 bottles of hydration! *However many that equals* gallons of tastiness! Who will be the lucky person?
Yes, there are rules. They are simple.
- Part I: Leave me a comment about how you hydrate during your workouts -- running, biking, weight lifting, kayaking, rock climbing, flyfishing, boogie boarding, cartwheeling, etc. I'm interesting in hearing the hydration method(s) that work best for your activities.
- Part II: You better tell me why you want to use (or currently use and deserve more) Nuun. Creativity counts!
You don't need to follow my blog, although it is nice. You don't need to like anything on Facebook or stalk anything on Twitter since I don't care. Just leave me a comment about how you hydrate/what you use during working out and why you want this delicious product.
The winner will be chosen randomly based on my discretion, and I may or may not favor someone who can beat the "I stumbled across this piece of heaven because of a fake banana obsession" story. I'll announce the winner two weeks from today (Tuesday, November 23, 2010).
Good luck!
*I'm not being sponsored, promoted, or bribed by Nuun in any way -- I just really love this stuff and want to share the happiness. Bottles up!
Bam! Yes Im first. la la la! I know I dont win anything but it still makes me happy.. 5 hu? Im on top of it :)
ReplyDelete"I stumbled across this piece of awesome blog and I found out about her foe banana obsession"
Banana? Really? I find this hard to believe, I see the picture but you might be good, reaLLY good at photo shop.. I need to win so I can see it in real life...
I only drink water, but I do like the helping factor you mentioned "you cant chug it- no side stitch or sloshing" UH that's enough of a damn reason to try it!
I drink water, always.. Im not a soda drinker, UNLESS, its bubbly water for my gin and tonic... But Id deff. give this a try!
ReplyDeleteLove that I found your blog on my second week of blogging. I also love that I found a giveaway since I'm trying to figure this giveaway thing out. I'm guessing there are no real rules?
ReplyDeleteI stay hydrated mostly through water alone. I'd love to hear more about this Nuun because I'm thinking you've convinced me that I will love it and then I will write about it on my blog and then the Nuun love will spread some more. Hope I win! It will be my first giveaway win! And I'll blog about that too! Oh, and another reason this Nuun might be good for me is that I'm a busy mom of three that doesn't always remember to drink enough so that leaves me with some serious dehydration by the end of the day!
I'm a water girl! So far I haven't gone far enough that I need anything else. But I will!
ReplyDeleteWoo Hoo! We must be long lost sisters! I love banana flavored anything!! My friends give me a hard time about it because "it doesn't even taste like bananas"! No, and although I like bananas, banana flavoring is way better than the real deal!!
ReplyDeleteAnd banana runts - nirvana!
During past long runs, I've hydrated with plain water + HammerNutrition products - HEED for med-long runs and PERPETUEM for long-long runs. I'm still trying to figure out the perfect combo of how to maintain energy and stay hydrated but I do like the Hammer products, including the gels. I've never tried NUUN and didn't realize that they are electrolyte only.
ReplyDeleteIf you use NUUN then what do you do about energy? Do you take gels or beans or shots or is the electrolyte enough? Does it mean you can drink less water?
This whole fuel/hydration thing is my big research topic from last week to Jan 10, when I start marathon training (first marathon). On that note - Do you have any good books or websites that you recommend to guide people on how to figure all this stuff out? If you could share your fuel/hydration strategy for long (>13 miles) runs in a post, it would be very helpful. And of course, I would love to be in the running (pun intended) to win some NUUN to try, though it won't be until January that I'll be running long enough to need it.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletePArt I - I don't hydrate much while I run because I usually just do a quick 5-7 miles but I make sure I stay hydrated when I'm NOT working out. If my runs are longer or more intense then I either stash bottles or make sure my route goes past some fountains. (I hate to carry stuff.) I generally always follow my runs with a big glass of chocolate Carnation Instant Breakfast to get my vitamins and 4:1 carb/protein ratio for muscle recovery. Wow...I'm long winded!
ReplyDeletePart II - Why do I need Nuun? Because I'm a Nuun virgin and what better way to satisfy my appetite than with a Banana...NUUN!
ReplyDeleteP.S. Totally impressed with how many races you've done this year. Kudos!
I pretty much stick to the water:) Cool giveaway A!
ReplyDeleteI drink water both the spring and sparling. After a long race and if they have it....I will drink the power drinks. I have such a sensitive stomach and need to be careful. I have heard so many wonderful things about Nuun:)
ReplyDeletePart I: Almost always water while running and cycling. I've tried carrying Gatorade/Powerade while running, and it ends up a frothy mess. I do alternate water with one of the ades when I'm biking in hot weather over long distances. Before/after a run I'm a fan of chocolate milk.
ReplyDeletePart II: I don't tend to try anything new because water seems to work just fine, so winning might help break me out of my rut. Also, I'd spread the love because the only banana-flavored thing I like is bananas, so I'd pass on the banana Nuun to someone who'd use it.
For hydration, I usually just stick to water. I HATE having to carry my own if I don't have to, but it's often a necessity in the sweltering summers of New Orleans. When I carry a bottle, then I go with watered down Gatorade (it's TOO sweet) or water.
ReplyDeleteWhy should I win the Nuun? Here's my top 5 reasons:
ReplyDelete1. I'm poor.
2. As a poor medical student, I should be spending time saving babies (slight exaggeration) rather than debating which kind of hydration I'll use on runs.
3. New Orleans is HOT - Gotta replete those electrolytes from sweat somehow!
4. Little known fact, people in New Orleans like their alcohol. Particularly banana-flavored alcohol. (Ok... maybe another exaggeration, but you can definitely find it!) Water with electrolytes can help avoid hangovers in cases of dire need.
5. Running hungover is no fun.
I use Cytomax to hydrate during long runs. Not because it's my favorite or because I have some sort of partiality to it. I use it because I know that's what my marathon will be having at the water stations and I wanted to make sure my belly was used to it!
ReplyDeleteIf I'm cartwheeling, that obviously means I have been hydrating with a much higher-proof beverage.
I want to try this nuun because 1) I am lazy and it requires no rigorous stirring as does my Cytomax and 2) I'm cheap and this is free.
ReplyDeleteI drink water most of the time. I get sick to my stomach so easily and haven't found an electrolyte drink that doesn't cause ickiness.
ReplyDeleteI want to try Nuun
ReplyDelete1) so I can find an electrolyte drink that doesn't make me sick when I run
2) I can't afford to try nuun...3 kids means I don't get to buy a lot for me
I hydrate w/ water and the occasional gatorade, and use lots of gels
ReplyDeleteWould like to win Nuun b/c I have the world's most sensitive GI system and am always looking for products that work with it.
ReplyDeleteArtificial banana is my favourite flavour ever! I've never had it in Nuun, but I go for anything that's fake banana. Even better than real banana flavour.
ReplyDeleteI normally just drink water on my runs. On long runs during the summer, I'll through some Powerade in the middle, but generally just water.
I hydrate with water packed in my nifty (read lame) camel back fanny pack. Don't hate, you know you want a fanny pack like mine.
ReplyDeleteWhy I should win. Um, because my husband teases me for using the word hydrate (and "fuel" for that matter). I need to show him how serious hydration is through fun flavored tabs that fit in my purse. Won't he be surprised when I bust out my prize at a fancy restaurant and plop one in my tap water, right?!
ReplyDeleteI hydrate with water, and discovered Nuun this spring when I started training for my marathon. I LOVE Nuun. Love it.
ReplyDeletethere are two reasons I deserve Nuun...I haven't found the Banana OR Citrus fruit in the stores yet, and my taste buds want to try it. Secondly, I've got a bunch of miles left in my 1,000 miles in 2010 goal, and it would make me happy to have a new flavor while I chip away at them. : )
ReplyDeleteJust found your blog and I love it! I usually take my handheld filled with water when I run. For long runs I use watered down Gatorade.
ReplyDeleteAnd I totally deserve to win because I hate watering down Gatorade (but it's just too sweet) and, if I go through one bottle, I can't replace it during the run. I tried to get Nuun at my local running store and the guy looked at me like I had two heads. Some expert.
ReplyDeleteHey A!
ReplyDeletePart I: How I hydrate during my workouts...
1. A week ago I was catching snowflakes on my tongue during my run. Today, I was catching sleet on my tongue.
2. In the summer, I bring a water bottle on my long runs that I fill with water and powdered Gatorade. I like the powdered stuff because I can mix it to my taste. I like it a little watery during my runs.
3. On the bike, sometimes I drink hot chocolate because I have a mug holder attached to my bike. Usually, I am not working out and just commuting to school but sometimes I count it as my workout when I am biking through snow.
Hey again!
ReplyDeletePart II: Why do I want to try Nuun!
1. You had me at Banana! I didn't know they had Banana flavored Nuun...I could drink my morning banana and get hydrated while doing it.
2. I signed up for Grandma's marathon so I need something to keep me hydrated on my long runs. Who am I kidding, if I won it would be gone before I started training for Grandma's.
3. I really want to try the cola favored one but I am afraid that I would get addicted to it. Hydration by cola that sounds fabulous!
4. I am a grad student and I already spend all of my money on racing so I don't have any money to spend on hydration. Except for the occasional watery bottle of Gatorade, I am limited to drinking only Minneapolis tap water...mmmm, the Mississippi river water.
5. When someone says what are you drinking, I can say Nuun, of your business. (okay that is a lame joke...but I would probably say it)