Saturday, April 19, 2008

Gels and Powders and Bars. Oh My!

Race season is about to start and went out for 18 miles on this beautiful day that was supposed to be cold and rainy. Time to prepare for the best way to keep your body going strong for race day. Of course there is nothing like a spaghetti dinner the night before.

I find gels a bit awkward. Bought some Cliff Shot Bloks last year that I prefer and like to eat one after warming up before the race with something to drink. Of course while you're racing you don't want a chunk of gelatin or energy bar flying down the wrong tube. I see the wisdom of a gel and I'm sure I'll be using the gels frequently during any three hour races I can make it to this year.

I used to use 'Strive' in my water bottle; a Quixtar/Amway Global product that really boosted my energy and tasted very good. They don't carry it any more so I get an AIM product from a friend of mine, 'Peak Endurance', that contains Peak ATP along with a bunch of other good stuff, but it tastes bland. The results are equivalent.

The energy bar is often my breakfast before a race. I have a whole collection of bars and the free Cliff Bars from WORS are consumed eagerly before each race. Snickers had a limited edition CHARGED bar that contains caffeine, taurine and all your B-vitamins. I bought some up at 3 for $1. They'll make a good after race snack for my drive home since I seldom sleep much the night before a race. I also like to have a supply of various bars for hunting season. Something to put in the survival pack.

These drinks also from Quixtar have everything you need but the carbs including ginseng in its proprietary herbal blend. Goes well with my energy bars for breakfast or sometime before race prep. HIRO energy drinks with noni juice are good too, but you can always buy the noni juice and add it to any drink you like.
Now this stuff is liquid vitality, energy distilled, raise you from the dead make your wife scream kind of stuff. Blood soaked velvet antler with a slew of other good stuff. And like anything that is truly good for you it tastes like dirt. Each individual packet was well over $10 when we got these. Been sitting in the fridge awhile. Better use them up this year.

1 comment:

Phillip said...

I actually never used the velvet. It is still in the refrigerator. It was too old for me to risk taking and now, 2013 I hear that ir is banned in the NFL. It was left over from a trip I took in maybe 2003 before I began to bike. It was a long strenuous spiritual retreat and what you see was left over.