In the 30 minutes following a workout, your body is hormonally primed to absorb nutrients and deliver them to cells for rapid recovery. Since it takes you several hours to digest solid food and benefit from the nutrients, a drink mix can be a more effective way to refuel immediately following a workout.

Each recovery drink mix is a little different when it comes to carb and protein makeup, and some include other components that are beneficial for recovery. If you don’t have time to try out all our brands, don’t fret. Our staff members have tried out plenty of recovery drinks, and here’s what we think:

For a hefty dose of carbs:

If you’re looking for a drink mix with a high carb count, try Endurox R4 (52g carbohydrate per serving) or GU Recovery Brew (52g carbohydrate per serving). Carbohydrate needs will vary from person to person and depending on the duration of your run. Play around with your post-run carb intake to figure out how many grams of carbs you need to fully recover and be ready for your next run.

For generous protein:

All of our recovery drink mixes include protein because it is critical for muscle recovery. If you want a drink mix with more protein, try Hammer Recoverite (10g protein per serving) or Endurox R4 (13g protein per serving). Remember that it’s important to limit use of recovery drink mixes to post workout, because protein can be difficult for the body to digest if consumed just before a workout.

For a little fat:

If you want a recovery drink mix with a little fat, try GU Recovery Brew Chocolate Smoothie (2g fat per serving) or Endurox R4 (1.5g fat per serving). Adequate fat in the diet can actually help to decrease muscle soreness and inflammation, and can also help your body to keep its glycogen stores intact. Read more…

Alice Running Accessories, Running Sport Endurox R4, Fluid Recovery Drink Mix, GU Recovery Brew, Hammer Recoverite, PowerBar Ironman Restore Sport Drink, recovery drink mixes, running recovery drink mix, running recovery drinks

As another way to thank our loyal Facebook fans, we’re giving away Running Warehouse gift bags this week. For this third and final day of the giveaway, you can win one of these:

• Women’s: Large Asics Core Singlet, Running Warehouse Hat, Nike Water Bottle, Medium Wigwam Socks
• Men’s: Large Asics Core Singlet, CEP Compression Sleeves, Nike Water Bottle, Nike Race Belt, 2 Pairs of Socks

This contest is now closed. Congrats to yesterday’s winners, Maggie in New York and Jesse in Texas!

Matt Running Sport

As another way to thank our loyal Facebook fans, we’re giving away Running Warehouse gift bags this week. Today you can win one of these:

• Women’s: Medium Asics Core Singlet, Nathan Fire & Ice Bottle, Nike Race Belt, Pair of Wigwam Medium Socks
• Men’s: Medium Asics Core Singlet, Nike Race Belt, CEP Compression Sleeves, Pair of Feetures Socks, Pair of Saucony Socks

This contest is now closed. Stay tuned tomorrow for another giveaway!

Matt Running Sport

As another way to thank our loyal Facebook fans, we’re giving away Running Warehouse gift bags the rest of this week. Today you can win one of these:

• Women’s: Small North Face Velocitee Singlet, Nathan Fire & Ice Bottle, Running Warehouse Hat, Pair of Wigwam Small Socks
• Men’s: Small Asics Core Singlet, Running Warehouse Hat, 2 Pairs of Wigwam Large Socks

This contest is now closed. Congrats to yesterday’s winners, Caroline in Connecticut and Jay in Minnesota. Stay tuned tomorrow for another giveaway!

Matt Running Sport

Apple pie? Nah. Puppies? Nope. Ain’t nuthin’ gonna top moms on the list of the world’s best things. And of course in our book, moms are even better if they’re runners. If you’re a running momma, big props to you. And if your mom’s a runner, here are some top picks from the moms at Running Warehouse that are sure to make her smile this Mother’s Day.

Click on the products below to learn more!

Moe loves the features of the Garmin Forerunner 210 Special Edition and would complete the look with matching Oakley Flak Jacket sunglasses. See All of Moe’s Picks >

Among Amanda’s selections are Hammer Endurolytes Fizz (“no sugar, tastes great”) and The North Face Velocitee Singlet (“lightweight and great for summer”). See All of Amanda’s Picks >

Tera wants a Garmin Forerunner 10 for Mother’s Day “so I won’t have to keep asking my friends how far have we gone when we’re out on the trail.” See All of Tera’s Picks >

The Asics Emma Racerback is Tami’s perfect running top for the hot summer weather that’s just around the corner. And the Nathan QuickShot will keep her hydrated. See All of Tami’s Picks >

Matt Running Sport mothers day running gift, mothers day running gifts

We’ve come a long way since the 1950′s and 60′s when women were barred from competing in many top races, but we may still have a ways to go. If people still question women’s ability to perform athletically the way men can, we may not be there yet.

As women, we might not have the same propensity for muscle development that our male counterparts have, but so what? Some of us grew up roughhousing and playing in the dirt. Some of us grew up as competitive, aggressive athletes who didn’t really like Barbie, thankyouverymuch. We’re not even sure how we feel about the phrase tomboy, because as women we can be tough athletes and there doesn’t have to be anything ‘boy’ about it.

Lauren Fleshman, pro runner for Oiselle and mom-to-be, touches on this subject in her first article for her new Runner’s World column, “The Fast Life”. Fleshman discusses her journey as a female athlete with wit and honesty, and her article had us rolling. Here’s her opening line:

I have a confession to make: I wish I had a penis. Just kidding. Kind of. Not really. Oh, boy. Let me explain.

Yeah. She went there. We dare you not to read the rest.

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The search for the perfect pre-race fuel never ends for a competitive runner. The starting point is easy, sure. You know you want carbs, and plenty of ‘em. But in what form, and with what accompaniments?

Many of the runners here at the RW offices have enjoyed their share of pre-race pasta feeds, but sometimes the plain old pasta thing gets a little stale. That’s why we were tempted to try the tasty Spaghetti Bolognese recipe that we found over on the Oiselle blog. Carrots in pasta? Count us in. The dish looks… scrumptious.

Take this recipe for a spin and tell us how it turns out for you!

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As runners, we are all familiar with injury, pain, and heartbreak. And today, our pain runs deeper than ever before. Still, we know that runners are some of the toughest people out there, and we know that the people of Boston, the marathon, and runners worldwide will come back even stronger.

Two of our own staff members ran Boston yesterday. We are grateful that they are safe. Others were not so fortunate, and we grieve deeply for them.

We encourage all of our readers to give support and assistance where they can. The immediate focus is of course on the Boston community and those directly affected by the violence. Runner’s World has compiled a list of help and support you can offer for Boston.

We also encourage every runner to find ways in local communities to make a difference. This tragedy reminds us how precious life is. Plan a run with your kids, your spouse, or a good friend you haven’t seen in awhile. Connect with a run club in your area. Schedule time at a school near you to talk about the lifelong joy that running can provide. It is up to each of us to make a positive difference.

As always, Running Warehouse remains wholeheartedly devoted to the running community. We are actively seeking ways that we can best contribute to the aid, healing and care of those affected. UPDATE: We’ve partnered with Hoka Running and the Plus 3 charity network to contribute up to $9,000 to One Fund Boston, the official charity set up to help people affected by the tragedy. Sign up here to turn your miles into dollars for this worthy cause.

Runners will of course race again, and we will all again share in the joy of competition. Our friends and loved ones will support us and cheer us on. We will come together and fight that much harder to be our best selves and to be the inspiration in others. We will run.

Matt Running Sport boston bombing, boston explosions, boston marathon aid, boston marathon bombing, boston marathon donations, boston marathon explosions, boston marathon support

U.S.A.! U.S.A.!

It’s kinda hard to believe that we have the scoop on Stephen Colbert, but we’ve found a race that will raise the flag of any genuine America-lover. We’re talking, of course, about the Run to Win America.

This ain’t your ordinary 5K. No, the reputation of the entire state in which you live is at stake. See, the Run to Win America is pitting all 50 states against each other (so much for the “United” part of United States) to see which state is the “fastest.”

As it says on the Run to Win America website, this race is “an experience and event that captures what America was founded on and what has made America the greatest nation in the world.” Who knew you could capture all in a 3.1 mile run? But here’s one thing that we can all agree does make America great: a national fascination with overblown generalizations and unchecked hyperbole.

In all seriousness, America does have many things to be proud of as a nation, one of which is the enormous amount of charitable giving to other countries each year. So it makes sense that a portion of proceeds from the Run to Win America series will be donated to Project Hope Worldwide, an organization devoted to improving the lives of orphans in developing nations.

Races will be taking place in all 50 states (though Arizona, Texas and Kentucky have already been run). Seven more states will have races before April is through.

If you’re really red, white and blue enough, head over to runtowinamerica.com and register today.

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As a runner, you have goals. Dreams. Aspirations, even. We all do. Maybe you want to qualify for Boston, or run a PR in your next half. Maybe you want to find the dedication to stick to a run training plan and improve your health, or be an example for your kids. We can all use our goals and dreams to motivate us through training sessions from one day to the next.

Track athlete Nick Symmonds gave us a fresh way to look at running goals in an article he wrote for Flotrack: the running ‘bucket list’.

We think this is a creative way to remind yourself of your running goals and motivate yourself to get out the door and train every day. Near the beginning of his career, Nick crafted a bucket list for himself, jotting down the things he wanted to accomplish during his running career. He’s altered and tweaked his bucket list over the years, but continues to use it to push himself to new heights.

His article inspired us and made us think about our own running goals. What’s on your running bucket list?

Alice Running Sport Nick Symmonds, running bucket list, running goals