I was given free product but no compensation by the great people at Vega Sport. All opinions are my own:).

“Sweaty Selfie” after 6.5 miles in 80 percent humidity!

Most of the time, I am an early morning runner. In the summer in Texas, those mornings are even earlier because I want as much time as possible before the sun is completely up and the heat bears down. As a mom of three teenagers who like to stay up late, I don’t always get as much rest as I’d like before a workout and getting motivated to get out there at 6am can be tough! I’m normally a coffee drinker first thing, but over the last few weeks the thought of a hot cup of coffee before an early morning summer run was just making my stomach turn.

So the timing was especially good when I was given the opportunity to try Vega Sport Pre-Workout Energizer as part of Vega’s Fuel Your Better Campaign. It’s not an “energy drink” like 5 hour energy (I stay far away from those!), but more of a “mix-in filled with awesome stuff to get me up and motivated for my run”. I think that might be too long to put on the label, though;).

I like that the only caffeine was green tea extract and it contained other great things like Ginseng which helps with focus. And as a 44 year old working mom of three I can use all the focus I can get! And of course, as a vegetarian, the vegan component is a big deal as well.

The first time I tried it I skipped my coffee entirely and just used this. The first thing I noticed was that it actually didn’t mix in all that well. I think I need to get a shaker to really get that part right so I’ll take the blame there. The flavor was Acai berry and I liked it – not too sweet.

I was honestly expecting a headache mid-run and have to be honest, I was putting it to the “coffee replacement” test, but I’m happy to report that no headache came. That first time I tried it I felt great and my warm-up seemed to take less time than normal.

I’ve now used it for just over a week including two long runs, and I am definitely going to keep using it. I liked it so much, in fact, that I think I’ll order their other products as well. With this heat I think the mid-run and recovery drinks may be worth the money as well.

With training for my 5th marathon starting in just a few short weeks, I’m really working on any and all additions to my routine that will help me reach my full potential and “fuel my better” while keeping me away from any additives and garbage that will hurt my system now, or in the future. I feel like this might be just the ticket.

Happy Running!