Hey hey hey!!! How goes it? I’m doing well…although about ready to face plant into my pillow. I think I just may do that too. I have a long run tomorrow and we all know that busy life I lead needs some good rest. PS – Did you catch the giveaway in that busy life post? Hint hint. Wink wink.

Now onto the tough questions of life running etiquette. Yesterday afternoon I ran three miles. Whenever I run in the afternoon, my fuller bladder wants to go into overdrive on me. Towards the end of my run, I passed a gas station and really considered stopping in to use the facilities.

But then it hit me – I would only be stopping in to potty. I didn’t plan on buying any gas to go (have enough of that already) and didn’t even have any money on me.So, I told myself to keep it (the pee) to myself for another five minutes and wait to go at the end of my run. I had to stop in the store anyways to pick up some baby formula for B (that whole stopping nursing thing – which your comments blew me away over, so thanks!).

I almost faced a dire situation with my bladder bursting like a water balloon by the time I made it…but I made it. And felt reassured that I took advantage of a bathroom break where I planned to shop. Side note: You have no idea how good this wall of hydration looked after that run…

So, the dilemma – running etiquette: what are the parameters to using a public restroom? Help a girl out!

I do find it odd though that I worry about using the bathrooms but could care less about walking in to a public place smelling like a giant pit stain and looking like Clifford the Big Red Dog slobbered all over me.

I will force my overly rank state of body on you, but don’t worry – I will be polite about using your potty. Ha! Now, come to think of it, these places probably wish I would either a) not come by at all or b) use the bathroom…as long as I use the sink for a quick wipe down. You should have seen the cashier’s face last night when I walked up. I truly think he grimaced. Perhaps I should start thinking of that running etiquette too?  

On the bright side, I didn’t look completely like a drowned rat! I wore another piece from the Champion line of workout clothing I’m reviewing as part of their Shape Your Life program. You saw me hanging out in the clothes a bit earlier in the day, when I went to the park to play with the family.

The Champion Double Dry V-Neck T-Shirt worked so well for me. I love that it contoured in all the right places for a flattering fit. It also felt extremely light and breathable, which I greatly appreciated both while playing with the kids at the park and when on my run in the afternoon heat. And I can say without a doubt that the moisture wicking capabilities are top notch! I love not having to run with a heavy, soaked cotton shirt. I now kind of want one in every color – Acid or Sequin Pink, please!  

You also see me wearing the Smoothing Knee Pants in the above picture. I can give you my review of these real simply.

Favorite. Workout. Pants. EVER!!!!! They make the booty look gooood with a little smoothing and lifting action. They move so well with the body and are tremendously comfortable. They fit at just the right height for me in the waist – enough to tuck things in and keep things smooth….but without feeling like grandma. The pants do come in a bit thicker material, which can make them a little more warm (I didn’t wear them on my run, for example), but for in the gym or when it isn’t Hades outside, I can’t go wrong with these. I have to keep myself from not plucking them out of the dirty laundry! But that doesn’t surprise you considering earlier parts of this post, does it? Ouch.

• Running etiquette - what are the parameters to using a public restroom?
• Will you go in public places sweaty after a workout?

The review in this post is sponsored by Champion and I received monetary compensation for my participation, but my review and opinions are my own. I only ever participate in programs that I see naturally fit my blog and that allow for honest feedback. Thanks!

Thank you to LUNA Protein for providing me a LUNA Protein sample pack to review. The opinions I've expressed here are solely my own and represent my honest viewpoint.

News Flash – I’m a busy mom. A super busy mom. I won’t go through another full rundown of my daily routine in this post, but let me give you a glimpse into all that I carry on my plate right now:

• supporting my husband and enriching our relationship
• loving and caring for my children
• maintaining relationships with friends and family
• blogging and living out my dream/passion
• training for a half marathon
• facilitating two separate adult study groups in my church
• volunteering in M’s preschool
• studying to become a personal trainer
• having some fun along the way

I think busy mom just may be the understatement of the century. I juggle all of these things because I have four areas of my life in which I refuse to settle: my growth in my faith, my relationships with loved ones, my passion for blogging, and my personal health and well-being. Just because I have a million and one things to do in a day doesn’t mean I need to forget about caring for myself. And for someone who has battled binge eating in the past, part of caring for myself is making sure I fuel my body properly.

I try to ensure I sit down and take time for balanced meals at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But snacks? Those can pose a challenge. Those often require grab and go options as I head out the door to whatever madness awaits me next.

My preferred snacks will always be green smoothies (Chocolate Covered Strawberry por favor), yogurt bowls, handfuls of Love Grown granola, veggies and hummus, or fruit and peanut butter. When I need something fast, though, I resort to bars.

Recently I had the offer to try out the LUNA Protein bar line. I have loved the regular LUNA bars for a long time now and usually have a stash of them for emergency grab and go snacks. I know from experience that protein does help me feel fuller longer, so I welcomed the chance to try these out for my on-the-go hunger.

The bars come in five different flavors – Chocolate, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Mint Chocolate Chip, and Chocolate Cherry Almond. Each bar contains a dense, chewy center (that reminds me of cookie dough) surrounded in a light chocolate coating.

The bars contain 200 calories or less, 12 grams of soy and whey protein, and 3 grams of fiber. Other highlights I find in these bars:

• no artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup or trans-fats
• no ingredients from genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
• gluten-free (recently updated to gluten free bars earlier this year)

Now for the verdict?

I really enjoyed the flavors and texture of the bars. The Chocolate Cherry Almond and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough were my favorites! The bars were pretty small, but I found they held me over as a snack just fine for a couple of hours between main meals. I will always strive to choose natural, whole foods over processed snacks – but I can definitely see me buying these again for when I need something fast on the go. Let’s face it…it’s a must to have such options as a mom of two young kids!

Would you like to try some of these bars for yourself? LUNA is offering to giveaway a pack containing each of the five bars plus an extra small prize to FIVE winners! More chances to win equals more fun in my book. So let’s get started!

To enter this giveaway please leave a SEPARATE comment for each entry option.

• Leave a comment telling me what is your favorite grab and go snack OR which flavor you want to try of the LUNA Protein bars.
• For the Twitter lovers - Tweet the following: [ I’m trying to win this #cleverLUNA giveaway from @TinaFFF - http://bit.ly/pKHWt9 ]
• For the Facebook lovers – Like Faith Fitness Fun on Facebook or let me know if you already do!

US Residents only. One week to enter – ends Friday, September 3rd at 5 pm EST.

Please click here to learn more about LUNA Protein. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions are my own. #cleverLUNA