Quarterly Dean Karnazes RUN04

I was really looking forward to my first Dean Karnazes box from Quarterly.co. I really loved the idea of a box of running inspired items for runners. The man is a machine and has set so many endurance running records. He's really superhuman!!!! I was looking forward to some of his secret items to help the rest of us mere mortals. I haven't been able to find reviews of the previous boxes, but I saw a list of what was supposed to be some ... not all ... of the contents from the first two boxes on the Quarterly.co website. This fourth box in his curation was supposed to be about recovery and I had seen a spoiler for a Trigger Point T Roller and was happy.

I ordered the box for $99 and waited anxiously for the January delivery date...then, the early February delivery. I have recently turned Sorority Girl on to boxes and she ordered this one, so we were both excited when we had our shipment notices.

The box arrived and I could barely wait to tear into it. I will tell you what's in it before I describe my overall feeling about the box.

Each box from Quarterly.co includes a letter from the curator discussing the box. Seems this box was inspired by the story of the Shackleton expedition to Antarctica and the ensuing struggle for survival. I know the story well and really like the story, but ... Hmmm ... I understand, maybe, the struggle to overcome adversity when thinking about long distance running. But other than that I couldn't figure out how this had anything to do with running ... or recovery. The letter didn't make a lot of sense, but seemed to be working hard to tie the items into a Shackleton theme.

The primary item in the box was a hardcover copy of The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antacrtic Expedition... Sure, it's a great read of a great story, but still, I'm not sure how it ties into running, and recovery ... maybe rescue, which is related to recovery? Retail $35, but on-sale at Amazon for approximately $25.

Arctic Ease Cold Wraps: Yes, this I will use for recovery. The wrap is 4"x60" and can be cut to size. With proper care, the wrap can be re-used 4-8 times. Retail $14

Vitargo Carbohydrate: This is carbohydrate powder (flavor grape) that doesn't contain maltodextrin or sugar ... so no bloat. It's pretty high calorie and sticky. I am not a big endurance person, but maybe those who do run for more than 5-6 hours at a stretch will find benefit. Good for pre-workout, during workout, and post-workout to build and restore glycogen. Received a single serving packet and it has a lot of  powder in it, so we'll see how it dissolves. Found a 10-serving cannister online for $33, so Retail is about $3.

Sportslegs capsule supplements, 120 count: Supplement with a Calcium, Magnesium, Lactate, and a negligible amount of Vitamin D. Supposed to prime muscles with lactate so they make less lactic acid. Supposed to minimize the muscle burn with a hard workout. Recommended dose is 1 capsule per 50-pounds one hour before exercise. I am not a fan of capsules, or really any supplements, and 1 per 50-pounds adds up. For me, at 125#, they recommend 3 capsules. Since I have it, I don't want it to be wasted, so I'll give it a try. Retail $18

Trigger Point T-Roller: This is the item that will be most used in the box. I foam roll and use a runner stick and massage and use a lacrosse ball. I'm all about finding the painful spots and  finding another way to torture them with pressure to try to release the tightness. Retail $20

Aiya Matcha-to-Go Stick Pack (10): I've been hearing a lot about Matcha lately and the dense concentration of anti-oxidants. But, I don't have time for a lot of brewing and filtering. These are supposed to be easy ... just add to water and shake for easy dissolving. Retail $20

YumButter: It's a squeeze pack of Sunflower Butter with chia, hemp, and goji. Simple (all organic) ingredient list. Coconut palm sugar but no palm oil. Yea, it's vegan. I tried it to give a review. If you like sunflower seeds (I do) you will like it. It is a little oily, but that's not a surprise for any seed or nut butter. The squeeze pack is convenient for transport and I will use it. About 6 servings in the pack. Retail $17.50

Epic Bar Bison Bacon & Cranberry Bar: Ummm, No thanks for me. I almost gagged. Not in my vegan house!!! Will give away quickly ... or feed as a snack to my dogs. Sure, I suppose high in protein, but not for me. Retail $3

 Epic Hunter Gatherer: Again, NO. This is a dual pack with beef jerkey and a medley of almond, pecan, apple, and macadamia nuts. Will gift quickly. I understand the use for endurance events, but I can't do it. Retail $7

OK ... so my overall feeling ...

1. Total retail $120-$138 depending on if you pay full price or purchase on sale. I really want to have value that exceeds my purchase price in my surprise boxes. This didn't have a high value:price ratio. In fact, for half the price, other quarterly.co boxes have higher values. The other subscription boxes I have are about 1/3 the price with a higher value, so I was disappointed in the value:price ratio.

This is everything (except the Sportslegs Capsules which are sitting on my counter)

Is this really worth $99?

2. Theme of curation ... what? I'm still trying to connect Shackleton to running, endurance sports, or recovery. $25-$35 the value of this box was the book.

3. Curation itself ...I love to receive boxes to learn about new brands and items to try. But, if I wanted a food and supplement box, I would have gone with a food/supplement box. Half the value of this box was in food and supplements. While I don't mind a few samplings, I would really prefer to have 1-2 food-type items to try, and focus more on other products that I can use for more than just one sampling. I can't complain that food items weren't vegan, but the majority of the box was consummable. Not what I was expecting or hoping for.

Verdict: I'm disappointed. I doubt I will continue my subscription for the April box. I think I can spend my $$ more wisely. If Quarterly.co hadn't just changed their return policy in January, I would be returning this box and spending $20 to buy a roller. Sorority Girl was also not very happy.