Review! Nuun Hydration Tablets

Go to the store, right this second, and grab yourself some Nuun. You can get them online by clicking here! I LOVE THESE LITTLE BABIES! Order them today and they'll ship out to you within a week (: -- how great is that?

I love sports drinks, and I need them for the electrolytes, but a lot of time they can get difficult to carry, they can get expensive, and if you have food dye allergies (like me) they can get tricky. Nuun is different because what you are buying are the tablets to make an electrolyte drink. Nuun+16oz H2O+2minutes = an electrolyte enhanced drink! 

They are fast dissolving (none of that shake-the-bottle dance needed) and they taste amazing! A lot of flavor and a little bit of fizz. I hand them out to my friends like candy and trust me, we're all obsessed.

I don't know a lot about the science behind Nuun, I just know how they make me feel. They are great for the standard after run slump, but they are also my new substitute for coffee! While Nuun doesn't contain caffeine, it does contain a lot of electrolytes, which gives your body a boost! I love everything about Nuun, except their price and website. They are a little on the steep side (even though they are still cheaper than an average energy drink), and their website is difficult to maneuver. When I was looking at their products they didn't have a lot of the clothes/apparel that they had in graphics all over their website. Slight false advertising there, but it doesn't change the fact that Nuun is outstanding, and I highly recommend them!

Company:	3/5
Affordability:	4/5
Quality:	5/5
Usage:	5/5
Overall:	B+

Snowy days and the dreadmill

It's been snowy and a winter wonderland at my school for over a week now, which means a week of running inside. I know I could still run outside, but the idea of it truly scares me. I have reflective running gear but it doesn't really stand out against the bright white snow, and I never run in dark clothes.

So I've been running inside on the treadmill and it's just rekindled my disdain for long runs on a glorified hamster wheel. The only thing I like a treadmill for is to make sure that I am nailing times/splits during a workout. Other that that, I'm really not a fan.

So I've been running on one for a week and let me tell you, it's been rough. On mid distance runs (5-8 miles) outside I don't run with water. I stay hydrated enough during the day, and I just don't need it. But after only 2 minutes on the treadmill I reach for my water bottle, and I continue to do that in 2 minute increments for my entire run. That is why I don't like the treadmill, because I honestly feel like it makes me a mentally weaker runner. Instead of spending my run focused on my pace and internally training myself when to accelerate, reduce, or maintain my speed, I push buttons and then adjust my stride. It doesn't make me focused, it makes me lazy.

Another issue I have is finding the correct pace. Outside I can run around an 8 min:mile on a long run, inside it's at 9:40 min:mile. How is that possible? I honestly think it's because when I'm on the treadmill I shorten my stride without realizing and I cannot move as fast. And if I set the treadmill to 8 min:mile it's too fast. Because in a real 8 min:mile pace I naturally fluctuate because 7:50 and 8:30 as the terrain changes.

I really cannot wait to get back on the road and trails this spring. It's always so nice to run outside, it's like mentally stretching your legs or taking deep breaths. It has a calming feature that gym treadmills lack.