As I said the other day…and as that badge in the sidebar indicates, I’ve recently become a Brand ambassador for ENERGYbits.

What’s that? You haven’t heard of it?

ENERGYbits are 100% Non-GMO raw Spirulina Algae…they contain no sugar, no chemicals, no caffeine, no gluten, no soy, and no additives of any kind. They are a whole food, not a supplement or a vitamin!

I trust if you’re reading this, you can read all about them here. I’ll go into more detail about the nutritional content and some health benefits in my next post, but today I’m going to tell you what you really want to know: does it work?

I received a sample of this amazing product and couldn’t wait to try it. The first time I decided to eat 10tabs and see if I noticed a difference. The recommended amount is 20-30/day, but I’m smaller than the average person, and I wasn’t planning to exercise that day. I ate the tabs and waited about 10 minutes. Then I got stated on my daily tasks.
There wasn’t a huge surge of energy, and I didn’t know if it was working. An hour later I had finished the laundry, cleaned the kitchen and 2 bathrooms. And I didn’t need a second cup of coffee. I remember thinking “There might be something to this algae business.”

Time to try it on the run.

The next day I had a 12mi run scheduled with a friend. I didn’t have any coffee beforehand, even though I normally would, mostly because I want to get the full effect. I also ate half of a Luna bar an hour before we took off…normally I’d likely eat the whole thing with my coffee. The bits are more easily absorbed on an empty stomach, and they only provide 1cal per tab, so I knew I’d need to eat on the run.

We decided at the start we might as well just run the 13.1…for fun.Yes…we’re crazy adventurous.

I took a handful of bits at the start. Again I took less than the suggested dose, not knowing what would happen to my stomach. The trail was more than a little icy that morning and all the porto-potties have been removed for the winter. I know…taking chances.

Zero issues. I ate the second handful of bits at mile 6, and ate a Honey Stinger Gel around mile 8 (normally I would need one between 5.5-6mi). The pace was conservative due to conditions, so we were out there a little longer than expected. Despite my best attempts, “runner math” failed me again. I consider myself a math-nut, but don’t ask me to do any calculations on the run. I could write a whole post about that alone…another day.

We got back to our cars, and by then, the park was full of families sledding on the fresh snow. Time to get out of there and hit the showers.

I was prepared for the post-run crash. It didn’t happen. I was hungry, but not the “rungry” my friends and I usually joke about. No nap necessary either, which is great because I have 3 kids under the age of 9! I spent the rest of the day enjoying some soccer on TV and playing with the kids.

I was sold. But I had one more test in mind…Goofy.

I saved enough bits from my sample to eat on both days. I carried the small tin in my hydration belt…to the displeasure of my running buddy’s ears (sorry Laurie), and ate a handful in the corrals just before the start. Wake up was at 2am both days, and I easily stayed up until 9:30pm after the races. I had one cup of coffee prior to leaving for Epcot, and a second one when we got home. Pasta the night before both races, 1 gel during the half (same as the training half above), and 1 gel (mile 7), 2 halves of a banana (miles 11.5 and 18.3), and two pieces of chocolate (mile 22) during the marathon. That’s it! The recovery boxes prepared for us meant a mini-Clif protein bar, cheese and crackers, and…naturally…more chocolate. It is Disney World.

I was never starving, and certainly never exhausted. I ran the last three miles of the marathon on day 2 a full 2min/mi faster than I did the rest of the race. I have never had that much energy after mile 23 during the previous 3 marathons.

So, does it work? For me it certainly does. For you? Why not try it. Use the code 1MILE2GO to get 15% off your order!

You can follow @ENERGYbits on Twitter, and like their page on Facebook, and they even have samples you can buy right from their Facebook page.

If you’re local to Columbus, or really nice to me, I can hook you up with some bits to try as well.

Note: I was sent the mentioned sample at no cost. I have received no compensation for this review. All opinions are my own.

Tomorrow’s news: A Bit more about Bits