Vital for Getting Up and Going is Vital4U's Screamin' Energy Max Hit

July 14, 2017 by Cazey Williams in Cazey's Column, Life In Your 20's, Richmond Brunch Review

As readers of this blog know, I have a caffeine problem. Only a year ago, I used to limit my caffeine intake so I wouldn’t be termed “addicted.” I would have coffee only every other day. Then I gave in because coffee is just that good. The slippery slope led to experimenting with pre-workout supplements (which often entail caffeine), and now I have reached the pinnacle of a caffeine problem where I am reviewing products whose sole purpose is to caffeinate you. Enter stage right Vital4U’s Screamin Energy Max Hit.

I only agree to review products that I’m sincerely interested in using. Besides simply enjoying the taste of coffee, I’m also an avid gym goer and always looking for something to give me a kick and pump. My typical regimen is mixing together some scoops of BCAAs, creatine, glutamine, beta alanine, and arginine before I hit the weights. (These are pretty standard supplements if you follow that stuff. Maybe one day I’ll write more about my #fitlife and become a fitness blogger. Probably not.) However, taking all those powders on the road can be a pain. When I heard about Vital4U, I saw a solution.

Grab a Pick-Me-Up with Rob Keller MD's Glutathione Rapid Boost

December 13, 2016 by Cazey Williams in Cazey's Column

If you’ve noticed, I’ve taken to reviewing sports products (WIN Detergent, Fuel100 Electro-Bites, and c2 running gear), and today is no exception. I got to try Rob Keller MD’s Glutathione Rapid Boost, otherwise called GRB, which is what I’ll call it because I’m not sure how to pronounce “glutathione.” I should probably learn how to, because it seems like it might be on the up-and-coming, just like quinoa, pomegranate seeds, and other “super foods” featured in listicles I find on Twitter. What most excited me about GRB is, this sports energy drink is caffeine-free. I’m always looking for a boost without caffeine, as my last blog post hints.

GRB comes in a box of 15 “pixie sticks,” which you break open and add to 8 to 12 oz. water and enjoy. (I did more water than that because I am not good at measuring and thought it tasted fine. Go big, or go GRB!) The only flavor currently offered is “Citrus-Berry,” which is more accurately “Sweet Tart.”

Never Again: Running a Marathon

November 21, 2016 by Cazey Williams in Cazey's Column, Humor, Life In Your 20's, life lessons

I write this narrative from my bed the morning after. People who complain about hangovers have nothing on my calves. You don’t know pain.

Leading up to the marathon, I tried to train. I mean, I did train. I ran twice a week. My friends, Ally and Emily, trained with an actual training team. I trained once with them. But back in September, at a half-marathon, a woman told me that to properly train one should run two miles more than the race distance aka 28 miles. But, like, betch, why would I run 28 miles and then go run a marathon? I would’ve already done it.

The night before the race, my friends and I went to Mamma Zu’s to carb load. And then I went to a concert. Yes, that’s right. I went out on the town. But it was one of my favorite bands, and I wouldn’t have been living my best life if I didn’t go see them perform live. I got home at midnight and then slept five hours

Running on Fuel100 Electro-Bites

November 16, 2016 by Cazey Williams in Cazey's Column, Life In Your 20's, life lessons, Makeup Sales

For the last several months, I’ve been training for the Richmond marathon, which I ran this past weekend. Because of this, I’ve tried out some running gear and workout supplements. The gear I tried out was the c2 leggings and pullover, which you can find here, and this week I’m reviewing Fuel100’s Electro-Bites.

Fuel100 sent me five packets of Electro-Bites to try: Apple Cinnamon, Pumpkin Spice (!!), Salty Vanilla, Simply Salty, and Salty Vinegar. I haven’t tried them all, but that’s probably because Salty Vinegar has me gagging at the thought. But Pumpkin Spice and Apple Cinnamon had me excited to try.

By the time I got these in the mail, unfortunately, my training for the marathon was over. All I had left was the war itself: the actual marathon. So this past Saturday I put a packet in my pocket (Salty Vanilla) and offered the packets to my two other runner friends with the condition they tell me their thoughts on the Electro-Bites. Instead of getting one review today, you get three-in-one. Even McDonald’s doesn’t give out deals like that.

Winter Workouts: Grab Some c2 Apparel

October 28, 2016 by Cazey Williams in Cazey's Column, Makeup Sales

As a blogger, I am occasionally presented with opportunities to review products, and this fall I jumped at the chance to try some workout apparel by c2. The performance tights and half-zip I got were made for cool weather, which is fast approaching here in Richmond. (Okay, some days it doesn’t feel that way. It was 80 degrees last week.)

Still. We know winter is coming. Jon Snow might even say it’s here. And I need to be prepared, especially since I’ve gotten back into running and I don’t want to be forced to run inside all winter.

c2 is a clothing brand developed by New England native. The founder wanted to create and offer clothes that would allow you to exercise outdoors long after the temperatures have dropped. Upon receiving my tights and half-zip, I knew they would keep me warm in the coming December and January winds. That said, it’s sort of hard to try them out in that weather here in Richmond. Anyone have a walk-in freezer I can borrow?

The Breakup- I'm Done with Gold's Gym Willow Lawn

Gold's Gym Willow Lawn

January 13, 2016 by Sara Woznicki in Life In Your 20's, life lessons, Sara's Column, Tweets and Mascara

I've been an unwilling patron of the Gold's Gym at Willow Lawn for the past two year. I say unwilling because I got locked into a contract that made it nearly impossible for me to leave. Rather than paying a meager $9.99/month with no contract, plus 3 months free, like they have been advertising on a billboard right next to my house, I pay $29.99/ month with a two year contract and 0 months free.

That billboard is a daily reminder of my angst with Gold's Gym.

I pass it every day to get home.

My anger began when I started going to yoga (isn't it ironic) and they don't cap the classes. Nor do they have a door-lock policy where you have to show up on time or not be allowed in. So not only is the class passed what I would consider capacity, but they continue to let people cram in halfway through class. How can I focus on relaxing when I'm getting jostled during my sun salutations?

Gym Offenders, Part III

December 30, 2015 by Cazey Williams in Cazey's Column, Humor, Life In Your 20's

This is hopefully the end of my list on gym offenders, but knowing gym goers, it probably isn't.

Offender 8: The Pack Hounds

Similar to the romantic couples that work out, these are the groups that work out together. Except "work out" is a generous term. There will be three or more dudes to one piece of equipment. One will be using the equipment and the others will stand off to the side or, worse, sit on another piece of equipment and not use it (that's an offense in and of itself!). I'm not even sure your cells are respirating.

Gym Offenders, Part II

November 20, 2015 by Cazey Williams in Cazey's Column, Humor, Life In Your 20's

When I originally started my post on gym offenders, I soon realized I had too much rage and too many examples for the post to be limited to a single list. So the rant continues:

Gym Offenders

November 09, 2015 by Cazey Williams in Cazey's Column, Humor, life lessons, Life In Your 20's, Leisure

In working out at the gym, I have encountered a few types of people that deserve a rant. So let’s chug a protein shake and rage about them:

Offender 1: The Rogue Runner

I don’t often run on the indoor track, but when I do, there are signs that point which direction you should run. Apparently the gym staff alternates the direction every so often. Something about wear-and-tear. Either way, they make it pretty obvious which way you should run. Even the illiterate should be able to interpret an arrow pointing left and/or everyone else on the track going clockwise around the track.

Let's Work it Out: My Gym Pet Peeves

September 25, 2015 by Sara Woznicki in Leisure, Life In Your 20's, Sara's Column, Tweets and Mascara

Since I'm committing to this healthy lifestyle thing, I've also been going to the gym consistently since January. I'm not quite a fan of the gym in general (I'm more of a fan of outdoor running or organized sport), but Gold's Gym is a special sort of hell. First of all, they have an outwardly sexist sign in the women's restroom, bragging about how "real men" go to Gold's. Slap on that their trainers stand on treadmills during busy hours and bitch when you ask them to move, it's really usually not an endearing experience. And then throw on top that Style Weekly gave them a damn award that they now flaunt, it's all really shoving my nose in the dirt.

But anyways, this blog post is supposed to be going into what people do at the gym that annoy me (because the people at Gold's also piss me off). So now that we're back on track, I'd like to build off this classic Cazey article about awkward gym encounters, and list out some of my pet peeves with the gym: