The Greenways

One of the things that I really like about Raleigh is the Greenway System (there's a link for a map on the right under the heading "Greenway Resources"). These are basically cleared paths or trails that are located around the city. Probably my favorite is the "Reedy Creek Trail" (aka the greenway by the Meredith College and the Art Museum) because there are cool designs painted on the pavement (I look down a lot when I run), and there is some artwork dispersed along the path (which forces me to look up... much better form). If you start at Faircloth Rd., it's a nice 5 mile loop out to the Art Museum and back. However, it is kind of hilly, which is not so nice.

I am also a fan of the Crabtree-Oak Park / Crabtree Valley / Ironwood / Shelly Lake trails. You can easily pick up this system from the Crabtree Valley Mall, and it's a good run out and around Shelly Lake and back (the loop around Shelly Lake is ~2 miles, and there's a water fountain there). The Lake Johnson greenway is also nice, and just a hop, skip, and a jump away from NCSU. There's a ~3 mile paved path around one side, and a dirt trail around the other (I think the total mileage of both sides is close to a 10k). Also, if you're looking to do 1k intervals, the dirt path (on the non-boat-house-side) from Avent Ferry to right before the path turns (you'll see a bridge on you're left) is about that distance. From Main Campus, Lake Johnson is ~3 miles away, and ~2.25 miles from Centennial Campus (if you head down Avent Ferry).

However, some of the greenways are kind of secluded, and I am a little nervous to run on a few by myself (I'm thinking parts of the "Rocky Branch Trail"... aka the greenway by Dorethea Dix)... so bring a friend! #20

Umstead State Park

On more than one occasion, I have recently been asked the question, "so where's a good spot to run in Raleigh?" (school started back recently and there are a bunch of new students). So, for the next bit, I thought it might be a nice idea to highlight some good running/biking/swimming spots in the triangle-area.

Umstead State Park is a great place to train, and probably one of the most popular running/biking spots in the triangle area. The "main trail" (labeled the Reedy Creek Trail on the map) is a great surface to run/bike on, and features some fairly long hills. Gate-to-gate is just shy of 5 miles, and there are two water fountains located on / in close proximity to the trail (they just put a "new" water fountain where S. Turkey Creek intersects the Reedy Creek Trail). If you really want hills, try the N. Turkey Creek Trail. I also recommend the Loblolly Trail if you're interested in running single track.

As for getting to Umstead, you can park at the Art Museum and run ~2.25 miles into the park down Reedy Creek Rd (it's a nice downhill to the park, and a not so nice uphill back). Alternatively, you could take the Harrison Ave Exit (#287) off of I-40... turning one direction will dead-end you into the parking lot by the Reedy Creek Entrance, or you could turn the other and park along Old Reedy Creek Rd. off of Weston Blvd. (and run into Umstead). There's also an entrance off of US-70. Personally, I'm a fan of the Old Reedy Creek route, as it stays fairly flat for 3ish miles (basically, to the crest of the hill just past the water fountain). Also, Lake Crabtree is close by, and there's a nice greenway there. #20

8/28-29 Reports

To recap yesterday's Run for Life... AWESOME: 1st and 2nd female, two 1st place age groups, three 2nd place age groups, and one 3rd place age groups. Plus, Oyler's son and daughter both took first in their age groups... CONGRATS EVERYONE (results)! And, and, and BOBBY MACK WON THE USATF NATIONAL TRAIL 10K CHAMPIONSHIPS... WAHOOO (results)!!!

I also heard that the run with the Half Marathon Training Program went well, and everyone was looking forward to Rock 'n Roll next weekend (should be a fun, fast race). Other than that, the "Waffle House" run went well this morning (waffles with chocolate-chips... pure genius... although, I like Keith's suggestion of mini-M&M's and sprinkles). Hope everyone has a GREAT rest of the weekend! #20

Run for Life Race Report

The announcer "really liked the TAF Racing team" at the Run for Life this morning, mostly because we ROCKED! I believe Rita's observation that "he would have liked us a lot better if he had started at the top" pretty much sums up the race results. James was the first to cross the line for TAF, grabbing 2nd in his age group. Oyler was hot on his heals (James had "banked" 5sec in the first mile), for 1st in his age group. Jennifer was next, and the 1st female to cross the line! Brad and I were neck and neck up the finishing hill... luckily I hadn't run 100miles a week ago (he was 2nd in his age group and I was the 2nd female). Rita, Dave, and Perry ran strong races, finishing 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in their respective age groups. So, yeah, 8 TAF runners ran and 8 TAF runners placed... not a bad way to end August! Oyler's son and daughter were also out there, and both grabbed 1st in their age groups (although the announcer mis-pronounced their last name wrong three different ways)!

As for the race itself, we had as much fun as you can on a course that finishes on a 600m long up-hill (that you have to run twice). The grass was also really wet... I think the hill would have been more fun on a slip-and-slide! And thank you to Tom, Matt, James' parents, Mr. Smythe, and Finn for coming out and cheering! Go TAF, go TAF, go TAF... WAHOOO! #20

The Last Weekend in August

Lets make it a good one! The Run for Life is this Sat. at WakeMed (8:30AM), and it looks like we'll have a good crowd out there running. Dave will inevitably lead the race for the first 100 or so meters, so come on out and cheer us on or help out if you're not competing (it is a TAF-sponsored race). The Half Marathon Training Programs (the summer program is wrapping up and the fall one is starting) are also meeting for their long run on Sat... so if anyone is looking to get some training miles in, come on out and help. Other than that, the Brooks Cavalcade of Curiosities is at TAF today, and the Performance Distance Clinic is at the Athletic Performance Center on Sat. I'm not sure if there are any other races this weekend... but GOOD LUCK to all those competing and RUN HAPPY (to quote Brooks)! #20

And for World Record Friday... the Largest Wobble Board Ensemble topped out at 666 participants. This record was set by the West Wirral Scouts in 2008. Ok, when I first read this, I thought they were talking about the wobble boards used for exercise... and all I could imagine was a kind of domino effect going on! But, being that the title features the word "ensemble", they are probably talking about the wobble boards used as musical instruments. I like my first idea better!

Stretching

Ok, the conversation at Cup-of-Joe digressed to what the best weirdest food to eat while swimming would be, so I'll spare you the details. On to some "orders of business" for the upcoming weekend. Packet pickup for the Run for Life is today (Thurs) from 5-7PM at TAF. The Run for Life is a TAF-sponsored race (Saturday, 8:30AM, WakeMed Soccer Complex), and it would be great to see our team well-represented! The Brooks Cavalcade of Curiosities will be at TAF on Friday from 2-8PM, so come by and check that out. The Distance Runner's Performance Clinic is also on Sat. from 10-1 at the Athletic Performance Center.

And, since I wrote this post a while back but haven't been able to fit it in to any of the "series" lately, we'll conclude with some tips on stretching. "Static stretching" is a thing of the past... "dynamic stretching" is in. So what happened, why the switch? As this article points out, static stretching can actually have detrimental effects on performance and may result in injury (it's not a good idea to stretch cold muscles). Here is a good dynamic stretching routine (I think we do most of these at the track!). Additionally, make sure you're stretching post-workout to increase flexibility and recover faster! #20

Thoughts from Cup-of-Joe: Stage 1

Moving on from nutrition (kind of), we began to talk about the logistics of Stage 1 - Swimming. English Channel, Panama Canal, Strait of Gibraltar... oh wait, how are we going to eat/drink and swim at the same time?!? I mean it's difficult to eat a peanutbutter and jelly sandwich, synthetic or real, without your hands! So, since we were all engineers, we immediately turned to the "biological models". Nicole suggested having a support crew throw bites and blasts at the swimmers... you know, like how they feed seals and otters (good thing I only had half a cup of coffee in me when I did my seal imitation). While interesting, I know that I am barely coordinated enough to swim, never mind trying to catch food and eat it! And we still might need to drink something other than whatever water we are swimming in, because not only is this disgusting, but dangerous if its salt water...

We then turned to how to carry whatever we were trying to drink/eat with us while swimming. A camelback bubble? A sports beans dispensing snorkel? Gel on the inside of a face mask? Then we realized that people do swim long distances... surely they have devised a way to eat/drink something! I mentioned that one of my friends scuba dives... he tried to eat a gel one time while diving... the next time he went to dive, the diaphragm in his regulator was "stuck"! Hmmmm... found a post and an excerpt from a book on nutrition for open-water longer distance swimming. If anyone else has other suggestions, we'd love to hear them. Our "best idea" for getting the right carbohydrate : protein : fluid ratio involved some weird smoothie concoction (puréed roastbeef and bananas... just kidding) in the "camelback bubble". #20

Thougts from Cup-of-Joe: Nutrition

In order to survive the aforementioned "stage triathlon" we began to think about what you would need to eat each day. This brought us back to the "gel chugging contest" and nutrition in general. We decided that it would be difficult to consume enough food while swimming, biking, and/or running to meet this need. So, we thought that the best solution would be to increase the nutritional/caloric density of the things we already eat. So bars, gels, beverages, bites, and blasts... peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chocolate milk, coffee, locopops, funfetti cake...

The "obvious" was "gel shots" for coffee... like the flavor shots that they have in most places (someone was eating a gel while drinking coffee already). Then we moved on to "PowerBar icecream"... basically any PowerBar bar chopped up in icecream with a "gel swirl". This motivated the following, combinatorial products:

• The "new" PB&J: 2 peanut butter Performance bars (the bread with peanut butter included) and strawberry banana gel (the jelly)... a totally synthetic sandwich!
• The "new" Icecream Sandwich: 2 chocolate Performance bars and a vanilla gel OR 2 cookies 'n cream Performance bars and a chocolate gel... solves the whole melting problem!
• The "Performance Gel" bar: kind of like a Nutri-Grain Cereal Bar, except replace the "fruit center" with an energy gel and the "whole grain outer crust" with a performance bar (we came up with chocolate - latte, milk chocolate brownie - raspberry, oatmeal raisin- vanilla, apple cinnamon - green apple, banana - tangerine, and vanilla crisp - strawberry banana)
• The "epoxy" gel: basically just two gels... but you "mix" them together like 2-part epoxy (I won't enumerate the possibilities here)

We also decided that the new "seasonal flavor" for GU should be maple syrup! #20

Thoughts from Cup-of-Joe: Multi-Stage Triathlon

So, the topic came up of people continuing to push the limit... and I mentioned seeing an article recently stating that people were no longer impressed with "just running a marathon". Then someone mentioned reading something about a "triple ironman"... and we all threw up our hands! So naturally we got to thinking about how far this would be... thought it would be cool if there was such a thing as an "inter-continental" triathlon... someone threw in the idea for a "stage triathlon" like the Tour de France... and we concluded with our best worst idea ever:

A three week triathlon spanning multiple countries and/or continents- Week 1: swimming, Week 2: biking, and Week 3: running. I guess Week 4 would then feature the aforementioned energy gel eating contest!

8/21-22 Race Reports

Seems appropriate to start this post with the results of our teammate who ran a race which spanned both days... BRAD FINISHED THE LEADVILLE 100 IN A TIME OF 28:33!!! Congrats Brad, congrats Brad, congrats Brad... WAHOOO! Seriously, that's AWESOME! (results)

Dave M. also raced this weekend, finishing 9th in the White Deer Dash 5k (results). Tim G. was 2nd overall in the Rex Wellness Sprint Tri (results)... NICE JOB GUYS!!!

If I have time to get these posts together, this weeks series might feature some "thoughts from Cup-of-Joe". This is what happens when we get to sleep in until 8AM... among the topics discussed today, a competitive eating contest for athletes. This would feature trying to eat as many energy gels as possible in some period of time (PowerBar take note). Then Keith mentioned that Hammer Gel comes in bottles, and my eyes opened as wide as the cup that I was drinking coffee out of (it wasn't even 1/3 of the way gone)... I think we need to do this "Super Troopers style" (they chug bottles of maple syrup in this movie)! On that note, have a great rest of the weekend everyone! #20

Saturday Update

Dave M. ran in the White Deer Dash 5k in Garner this AM, despite being "DQ'd" by Tim G. before the race started (always nice to mess with your teammates at 8:30 in the morning). He was 9th overall (and I think 2nd in an age group that spanned 15yrs), sprinting past two runners at the finish, leaving them in tears when they turned in their chips... AWESOME.

Brad is currently running in the Leadville 100. The rest of us woke up at the crack of dawn to get a long run in (combined with the Half Marathon Training Program, we might come close to Brad's mileage for the day)... GOOD TIMES! #20

Weekend Outlook

I hope everyone has enjoyed the Runinspired Series this week. For the upcoming weekend, BRAD IS RUNNING THE LEADVILLE 100. That's right -> [(Brad Rocks + Brad Rocks + Brad Rocks) x 33] + 1 = WAHOOO!!! But seriously, GOOD LUCK! Tim G. might be signed up for a race that he forgot about, and Alli M. has her first race of the XC season this weekend (a 3K at WakeMed). The rest of us are getting in a long run with the Half Marathon Training Program on Sat. (maybe our combined distance will total Brad's). Other than that, it will be good to catch up with some of our friends on the NCSU Club XC and Tri teams. Hope everyone has a FANTASTIC weekend! #20

For World Record Friday... the record for the most powerful lungs belongs to Manjit Singh. He was able to inflate a standard meteorological balloon (1,000g (35 oz)) to a diameter of 2.44 m (8 ft) in 42 min. Ok, this just seems like a weird metric for measuring lung power to me, but there you have it!

Runinspired - Do What You Can

Stick to your plan, no matter how hard this seems in the beginning part of the race/workout.

Everyone needs a rest day... leaves you fresh for the next workout!

Runinspired - Avoid Getting Stuck

Try something new in order to avoid getting stuck in a training rut. Sometimes this works out for the better (like realizing that you don't hate cycling and that triathlons can be fun), and sometimes it doesn't.

Racing too often can also leave you spinning your wheels (i.e., from not being well-recovered and/or getting stuck at a certain pace). At this point, logging some quality training runs might be needed before any real improvement can be seen.

Runinspired - Consistency

Consistently training at the wrong pace (either too fast or too slow) or at the wrong distance (either too short or too long) can leave you: (1) stuck in a training rut, (2) very fatigued, (3) very injured (especially if you don't have perfect form, which I'm pretty sure no one does).

On a similar note, doing the same thing over and over with the expectation of getting different results makes no sense... I'm pretty sure this is why coach mixes up the workouts.

Runinsipred - Know Your Limits

Another running store in Raleigh used to (and still might) have a sign in the window that read "Runinspired". Now, it was obviously supposed to be read as "Run Inspired"... however, what always jumped out at me, was "uninspired". And, being that I usually find "motivational posters" pretty uninspirational anyways, this week's posts will center around the "demotivational training philosophy" theme. #20

Know your limits... stop before you wind up really, really injured (and can't run at all) or really, really sick.

8/14-15 Race Reports

No wave was big enough to keep Marty Gaal from WINNING the 5k swim that he did in VA Beach... CONGRATS!!! Not sure if anyone else raced this weekend... think it was training, training, and more training for most of us. Our friends at the Half Marathon Training Program completed their longest run to date, trekking up the long hill from Umstead to the Art Museum to finish the run... NICE JOB guys!!! The TAF Coffee & Cone ride went well this morning... but it's not like you can go wrong with icecream! Hope everyone enjoys the rest of the weekend and has a great week. #20

(and thank you for whoever caught the original May date!)

The Weekend Ahead

I'm not sure if anyone is racing this weekend. I think Marty mentioned that he was doing a 5K swim up in VA Beach (that just sounds like an excessively far distance to swim... I don't even like running it!). Other than that, training (x3... wahooo) -> the Half Marathon Training Program is meeting on Sat. for their long run. Good luck if you're racing, and let us know how it turned out... and have a great weekend! #20

And, because we have the best team EVER... I thought I'd select from the "teamwork world record" category this week. The fastest 100m aircraft pull (Boeing 737, weight: 81,500 lbs) is 43.2 sec. This record was set by a team of 10 Royal Marine reserves in 2001 at Manchester Airport. Pretty sure we won't be challenging them for that record!

... there's an app for that

There seems to be one for just about everything... glad exercise made the list! This site ranks the 5 best mobile fitness apps (and the photo is by Lululemon... cool)! Most allow you to track your route (using GPS), times, speed, calories burned, etc. Some track movement in general (I hope they use the built-in accelerometer and don't require you to buy some stupid shoe pod one), and others serve as a workout reference manual. Of course, you can upload all this information to a database and/or share it with your friends.

After reading this, my immediate thought was... so, how long until we can "virtually train" with our friends? I'm just picturing people in the not so distant future syncing their mobile devices with others living in different cities so that they can all run a 5-miler together... just know my running avatar will definitely need red compression socks! #20

2010K Club

Jen was the 2nd runner to join the 2010K club, after Brad hit the mark in June.
Here are the mileage totals through July
Brad - 1493
Jen - 1295
Lisa - 1193
Rita - 1177
Meghan - 928
Laurel - 916
Sean - 753
Dave - 718
Perry - 618

Supplements for Runners

Just looking in to the vitamin/supplement section of Whole Foods can be overwhelming... so is there anything that endurance athletes need, or will a standard multi-vitamin do the trick? I found this article or the subject. To summarize:

Multi-Vitamins
Training for endurance sports can result in an increased need for certain vitamins, minerals, and "micro-nutrients". The most common deficiencies seen among athletes are for the B-vitamins, vitamin D, calcium, iron, zinc, and magnesium (see other vitamins and minerals). While most can get sufficient levels of these nutrients from a well-balanced diet, a multi-vitamin may be a good idea (especially if you don't eat a lot of fruits/vegetables).

Antioxidants (Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Beta Carotene, and Selenium)
The more we exercise, the more oxygen we process, the more oxidative stress we subject our muscles/cells to. This can result in impaired immune function and fatigue. While it's best to get your antioxidants from fruits, vegetables, etc., taking a Vitamin C when upping your mileage (aka training from marathons and half/full Ironmans) isn't the worst idea in the world. However, pay attention to what's in any multi-vitamins you're currently taking (Vitamin C is water soluble, but Vitamin E and others are fat soluble).

Other Vitamins and Minerals
I also found another article talking about "key vitamins and minerals for runners". On this list were the "B Vitamins" (muscle tone, red blood cell production, immunity, etc.), Glucosamine (repair of cartilage and muscle tissue), Omega 3 (has anti-inflammatory properties and cardiovascular benefits), Calcium (for bone health), Iron (essential component of many of the proteins involved with O2 transport), Magnesium (counteracts fatigue and depression), Potassium (plays a key role in proper muscle function), and Zinc (good for the immune system).

Choline
Honestly, I had never even heard of this supplement, until I read on and caught the word acetylcholine (the professor I took physiology from did a lot of spinal cord injury related research... we spent a long time on the nervous system). So yeah, ACh is needed for muscle contraction... something needs to relay those signals from the nervous system to the muscle fibers afterall! A deficiency in choline, which can be produced by "long, strenuous bouts of exercise", leaves you fatigued. Apparently, choline salts (i.e., choline citrate) are the supplemental form of choice. 3.5g a day is what they recommend, but GI issues were listed as a "major side effect".

Protein
Protein is needed to increase muscle mass, as well as repair damaged muscle fibers. So yes, we need protein, especially post-workout. However, protein supplements can get expensive. Additionally, they lack other nutrients (iron, zinc, etc.) that are present in "natural sources". So, lean meats, vegetables (beans, nuts, etc.), and whole grains it is. However, adding whey protein to smoothies might not be a bad idea if your diet is lacking and you don't mind spending the extra money (all the same, I think I'll just stick with peanutbutter and jelly sandwiches).

Lactate Threshold

I mentioned the term "lactate threshold" in yesterday's post about Yasso 800's. Although I have heard this term before and know vaguely what it is, I figured I tie down the specifics a bit. Your lactate threshold (or anaerobic threshold) is the point at which lactate begins to build up in the blood. Although lactate is produced every time you exercise, production and absorption balance out for light to moderate efforts. So, why is build up bad? Well, lactate (aka lactic acid) is an acid. When hydrogen ions accumulate in your blood, pH drops, muscle contraction is impaired, and power output drops (aka the beginning of the end). Therefore, the lactate threshold is essentially the highest constant effort that a person can sustain for a "long" (>30min) period of time. As it is a valuable indicator of fitness, it is worth knowing your "running speed at lactate threshold" (RSLT... feel like we're playing Wheel of Fortune on that acronym).

There are various ways to go about computing this metric. Although there are laboratory tests and commercially available analyzers, these can get expensive and require you to draw blood. So, your best bet is to perform one of the four field tests mentioned (i.e., the VDOT test, the Conconi method, the 3200m time trial, and the 30-min exam). Of these, the 30-min exam is apparently the most accurate, and is described in detail in the later portion of this article. #20

The Science Behind Yasso 800's

I had pretty much figured that it was just mere coincidence that your goal marathon time worked out to your Yasso 800m pace (i.e., 3hr 10min marathon = 3min 10sec 800m). I presumed that Bart Yasso was the first to realize this because he had a lot of time to think while he was training. One day while walking to the lab, I got to thinking about half marathon training and was wondering if there was a Yasso equivalent for that (ok, I forgot my mp3 player, and just plain walking is so boring). This led me to my "Yasso 400m" theory... 1hr 30min half marathon = 1min 30sec 400m. This seemed plausible to me, so I asked about it at practice.

Turns out, there is actually a scientific reason why Yasso 800's work, and it's not just a neat number trick. This workout basically targets the "90% effort-level" range (effort-level is based on heart rate), which hovers near the aerobic/anaerobic border. By doing a lot of repeats at this level (I think the Yasso formula calls for 10), you essentially increase your lactate threshold. I also asked coach about the rationale behind this workout, and he explained it as a higher-end tempo workout... basically, it allows your muscles to "remember" a faster pace without the damaging effects of blasting them out at a mile-5K pace. Cool, always nice to be able to hop in a local 5K and not look like a total spaz (well... for most people... pretty sure I'll never blend in with bright red compression socks)! #20

8/7-8/8 Race Reports

Another good weekend all around. On the racing scene, Bri was 4th (female results) and Marty was 6th (male results) at the Lake Logan Triathlon... CONGRATS GUYS! The rest of us had a great time with the folks from the Half Marathon Training program on Sat. Let us know if you raced, and have a great rest of the weekend! #20

The Weekend Outlook

I'm not sure if anyone was racing this weekend. I know Brad is training for Leadville, and a lot of us are running half/full marathons in the early fall... so long runs it is! The Half Marathon Training Group meets on Sat. (we're headed out to the ATT this week). Other than that, I'm not sure what else is going on. The Run for Life is at the end of the month, and it's a TAF sponsored race, so it would be cool to get a group out there. In any event, good luck if you're racing, and hope everyone enjoys the weekend! #20

For World Record Friday... the people of Latvia set the world record for the most people running 100m in a 24hr relay. 3,807 people ran in celebration of Latvia's 90th Anniversary.

Rise and Shine!

Training in the summer can be difficult because, well, it's hard to psych yourself up for a long run when temperatures are in the triple digits. Obviously, you can start early to beat the heat, but waking up at 5-something AM is challenging (especially when your neighbors do NOT own a rooster). The solution - a really annoying alarm clock. #20

Pronation 101

This is the best article that I've come across to explain pronation. While I have no idea if their "shoe recommendations" are valid or not, the videos do a good job of demonstrating neutral running, as well as over- and under-pronation. A quick way to tell if you might be over- or under-pronating is to look at the bottom of your shoes. If your over-pronating, the heel and/or inside of the forefoot will be relatively more worn. If you are under-pronating, the outside of the shoe (especially the forefoot) will be relatively more worn. Either way, head to The Athlete's Foot to make sure you are running in the correct sneakers! #20

PowerBar Gel Blasts

PowerBar Gel Blasts... mmmmmm... Gusher's for endurance athletes. These "energy chews" are basically a more solid form of an energy gel (in fact, 6 of them are the equivalent of 1 PowerGel). However, unlike a gel, you don't have to consume them all at once, and they might be easier to eat when riding a bike (I don't really know as I have only recently managed to drink water while riding a bike... eating something will be a whole new challenge).

Ingredients:

• Glucose Syrup, Invert Sugar: source of sugar / carbohydrates
• Raspberry Puree, Raspberry Juice Concentrate: source of sugar / carbohydrates and a "natural flavoring" agent
• Sodium Ascorbate: source of Vitamin C
• Citric Acid, Tartaric Acid, Malic Acid, Sodium Citrate: adds tartness and some serve as a preservative
• Gelatin, Carrageenan, Locust Bean Gum: thickening/gelling agents
• Sorbitol: a sugar alcohol that the body metabolizes slowly; it is used as a sweetener (sugar substitute)
• Coconut and/or Palm Kernel Oil: I'm guessing that oil is added to keep the gels from sticking together (but I have no idea)
• Carnauba Wax: used as a formulation aid, lubricant, release agent, anticaking agent, and surface finishing agent
• Black Carrot Juice: a natural additive for pink/red color

Nutritional Analysis:
1 serving (6 pieces) of Gel Blasts contains 130 calories (30g carbohydrates), 40mg of sodium, and 2g of protein (oh, and 10% of your Vitamin C for good measure). Basically, these are solid energy gels.

#20's Thoughts:
PowerBar recommends consuming 1-3 Gel Blasts every 10min for activities >60min... this seems like a lot to me. However, it is cool that you can space out eating them more than you can a gel (and they come in a resealable pouch). And, I don't find myself needing to drink a whole ton of water after eating one to unplaster it from the roof of my mouth or dilute the sugary/salty taste common to most gels. I looked up Gushers also to see what the difference was. Gushers contain 1g of fat, no protein, fewer grams of carbs (and therefore fewer calories) per serving. However, they have slightly more sodium and Vitamin C. I'm just hoping that the ingredients in the Gel Blasts are "more natural"... otherwise, there's very little difference (this isn't a far stretch- after all, I've never seen a blue raspberry). #20

The Power of Carbohydrates

Turns out, just swishing a "carbohydrate solution" around in your mouth gives you energy. Why does this work? To clarify things, the drink has to contain "real" carbohydrates (none of this splenda stuff... we're talking maltodextrin... you know, one of the ingredients that appears in like every "running nutrition" product thus reviewed). As it turns out, even though maltodextrin is flavorless, your taste buds can sense it, and send a "energy, energy, energy... wahooo" signal to the brain. This "spurs" you on (skipping, hopping, and jumping are known side-effects... just kidding). While I might actually drink a "carbohydrate solution" on days like this to avoid dehydrating, cramps can result from blood being diverted from your stomach (i.e., to aid in digestion) to your muscles when exercising. Being that it's very hard to run with a cramp, this technique may come in handy on longer runs once its, you know, not 90+ degrees and ridiculously humid. #20

7/31-8/1 Weekend Report

Another FANTASTIC weekend... and it wasn't 100+ degrees! In fact, I'm not sure we made it to the 90's... it felt great! Tim G. raced AWESOME at the Washington Sprint Tri, finishing up 3rd in the Open Male category (4th overall; results). Brad was 16th overall at the Catoctin 50k Trail Run, finishing in 6:22 (results). We were all #1 at the "Raleigh Run", and had a ton of FUN. Other than that, it was a solid weekend of training for most of us. CONGRATS to Tim and Brad and everyone who raced, and lets hope this cool weather lasts! #20