Chocolate #9 gel review and giveaway!

Happy National Running Day! In honor of the day, or in spite of it, I ran a single mile at the gym after strength training with my friend Diane. Diane ran more, of course. She's also my friend who gets on machines after me and always moves the pin five notches down, meaning twice or more the weight I was just lifting. She's rock solid!

With my toenails still throbbing, I'm really in no mood for running (or burpees!). The next couple of weeks I'll be lying low on the running front. That means only fun and short runs. This weekend we have wedding festivities to attend so that will make nixing a long run easy business.

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And here's a little treat that I've been saving for you for a special occasion like today: the most delicious gel you've ever experienced or will experience during your running life. At least I think so. And I once went on a Toblerone-only diet in high school when my science club was selling them for a fundraiser, so I think I know a thing or two about how delicious chocolate can be.

The gel I speak of is Chocolate #9. Simple name. Simple ingredients.

I first heard about these through Runnerbox, a subscription service that sends a monthly box of random and cool runner treats to your house. 

Why is Chocolate #9 different from other gels? (from their site)

• sweetened only with organic agave
• contains no refined sugar or other high glycemic index sweeteners
• won't cause sugar high or sugar low
• contains no mystery ingredients, colorings, or preservatives
• easy on the stomach

I love, love, love that there are only two ingredients: organic agave and breakfast cocoa processed with alkali. Here is more information about what alkali processing is.

Compare that to the mile-long (exaggeration, but slight) ingredient list of the a GU gel. 

I've had these with me on my most recent two 50Ks. Here I am carrying one in my sports bra purse at Rockin Choccolocco this past weekend. I love using these in conjunction with the whole foods (i.e. not gels) from the ultra aid stations. 

Also, I've used them as an emergency snack when I go too long without food and need something quickly. They're super easy to store in the car, and they are almost better after heating up when the summer sun turns your car into an oven. Served hot, they are like lava cake, without the gluten/sugar hangover the next day. If I were ever in the mood for a dessert but not wanting to cave to refined sugar, I could pop open one of these as my dessert mediator.

The other great thing about these, besides that they taste amazing, is that they are a low glycemic index food. This means that your blood sugar is less likely to spike with these. Chocolate #9 also sponsors Team Type 1, a professional cycling group created to "inspire people living with diabetes to take a proactive approach to managing their health and overcoming the obstacles often associated with the condition."

Want to try some? You can purchase them here or see if they are in your area by searching here.

Also Chocolate #9 is going to send one reader a large trial pack that includes seven gel packs. Yum times seven! Yet another time where I want to enter my own blog's giveaway.

To enter: leave me a comment telling me what your favorite race fuel is.

For bonus entries: These are completely optional! But if you do them, make sure to leave a separate comment for each so I can count them all.

* Like Chocolate #9 on Facebook. Leave a comment telling me you do.

* Like (or already like) Yo Momma Runs on Facebook. Leave a comment telling me you do.

* Follow Chocolate #9 on Twitter. Leave a comment telling me you do.

* Follow (or already follow) Yo Momma Runs on Twitter. Leave a comment telling me you do.

* Share this giveaway via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or your blog. Leave a separate comment for each share!

I'm going to choose a winner next Tuesday, June 11th, via random.org.

Disclaimer: Chocolate #9 provided a sample pack for me to try, and they are providing the prize for this giveaway. All thoughts and opinions and cruddy photoshopping are mine all mine.