If you’re more attentive to these things than I am, chances are you’ve probably seen this magazine already:
The November 2010 issue of Runner’s World, which has been on newsstands for a couple of weeks now. I wouldn’t have seen it myself, except for an e-mail that my friend Mike sent around to our running group:
Hey. Check out the article starting on page 67 of the new Runner’s World. We have an expert in our midst.
The article he’s referring to is this one:
(Sorry about the slanted writing - that's the way it's printed)
It discusses the ideal time for a variety of tasks like stretching, treating injuries, shoe shopping, and so on. I was contacted by the author back in March, as she was putting together a short warmup-style column for the front of the magazine. She bounced several questions off me, I picked her brain about life as a writer, and she turned out to be completely generous with advice and recommendations on how to progress my own career.
Later in the spring, she informed me that her article was going to be revised and expanded for a feature piece later in the year – and as the ensuing months passed by, I honestly kind of forgot about it. So it was a nice surprise to find out that the article was finally published, and to see my name in the text:
I’m quoted a few more times throughout the article, along with several other therapists, physicians, and various healthcare professionals. It’s nothing that will make me a celebrity, but I have to admit it was kind of cool to be a part of the magazine that so prominently shaped my own development as a runner.
The funny part is, there were many years in my life when I used to lie awake at night and dream of ways I could make my way into Runner’s World. Every now and then I felt like I was getting close (I have a longer story about one such time coming soon), but I eventually let that ambition go, and decided to concentrate on doing what I enjoy and not worry about things I couldn’t control.
It probably makes sense, then, that when my name finally appears in the magazine, it’s at a time when I wasn’t even looking for it, and in a way that I never expected. Sometimes the best way to find something is simply to stop searching.
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Have you noticed that it’s getting darker in the mornings?
Have you also noticed that your old lighting systems might be in need of an upgrade? If so, Wilderness Running Company is having a Black Diamond Bonanza right now just for you.
The short version is, from now to October 19th, all BD lights are on sale for 25% off. As always, if you use my customary coupon code R&R10, you’ll get an additional 10% off. And if your total purchase is over $50, you get free shipping as well. You'll have a hard time finding a better deal than that.
If you want the long versions, I can help there as well, because I’ve already reviewed all of these items for you. So if you’re interested, the reviews are linked below, with a short update blurb about each:
Black Diamond Spot: I called this the most affordable high-quality lamp available last year, and that was BEFORE they upgraded the lumen capacity from 47 to 60. Your best value by far for basic lighting needs.
Black Diamond Sprinter: The best combination of safety, illumination, and lightweight construction on the market. This is a must for frequent road runners, and best of all, its rechargeable battery makes it very green.
Black Diamond Icon: True story: when I paced Gretchen through the night at Tahoe this summer, I wore the Icon on my head and carried a handheld light. About five hours into the night, I turned off my handheld to see if there was any difference … and I never used it again. The Icon was bright enough to flood out my handheld, and held its charge through the night with no problems whatsoever.
Black Diamond NRG battery pack (see Icon review): I use this all the time in my Icon. It’s lightweight, convenient, super-strong, and Earth-friendly; what more can you ask for?
Pretty good stuff, huh? In particular, the opportunity to grab an Icon plus NRG pack, shipped to your door for just over 60 bucks is a crazy awesome deal – take my word for it. So here are your purchase links from Wilderness Running Company:
Remember to use code R&R10 for another 10% off. Prices are good until October 19th.
And since it’s the weekend, here’s your Random Shot of Beauty:
Daybreak in Fort Ord, taken just above the fog line and approximately 15 miles into my final long training run before last weekend's Firetrails 50M. Coincidentally, I used a Black Diamond lamp to get me there.
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Now that we’re well into the second year of this whole “barefoot renaissance” business, it’s getting a little hard to tell who’s who sometimes in the world of minimalist footwear.
One case in point is Gist Five Toes, a Santa Barbara-based company that proudly cites the Tarahumara Indians as the inspiration for their design - but instead of producing huarache-style footwear as some other Tarahumara proponents have done, they created a product that seems more inspired by the Vibram company.
Gist Dirt Runner
In fact, your first impression of Gist may be to label them as a Vibram FiveFingers knockoff – and honestly, you’d be well within your rights to think so. Even their name – a term for the essential part or meaning of something – seems to acknowledge the obvious: the essential noticeable feature of these shoes is the toe-glove styling that Vibram pioneered, made popular, and until very recently, manufactured exclusively. And calling them "Five Toes" in comparison to FiveFingers seems like a gimmick to trap misinformed Google searchers. For the record, though, the company’s website says their name comes from the belief that “running is the gist of life,” which is certainly a tough one for me to dispute. So I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt.
Nevertheless, it would take something pretty phenomenal to make a new product that looks almost exactly like the industry leader and somehow distinguish yourself as a reasonable alternative. Gist doesn’t quite reach that mark with its first footwear models, but it has some compelling features that could eventually earn it some market share in the ever expanding minimalist arena.
Contoured 5mm rubber outsole
Their product offerings currently consist of two models: Gist Originals for road running and general all-purpose use, and Dirt Runners, which are the model I’ve been testing recently. The underside is very similar in appearance to Vibrams, with a 5mm rubber outsole that wraps around the tops of the toes in front, and attaches to a performance fabric upper. The upper has a thicker rip-proof material above the toes, and transitions to a ventilated mesh on the midfoot area.
Mesh upper with zipper closure
The most distinguishing feature of the upper is the zipper fastener which allows for very easy on/off function. You don’t have to do nearly as much toe curling and wiggling to get into a pair of Gists as you do with FiveFingers. My biggest fears when I saw the zipper were 1) that it would be uncomfortable against my skin, and 2) that the fastener would bounce when I ran. The first concern is solved with a sturdy fabric layer between the zipper and the skin, and the second issue was noticeable, but not distracting or uncomfortable in my testing.
Low-profile, strapless uppers
This zipper is also the only means of adjusting the fit of the Dirt Runners; there are no straps around the heel or on the forefoot as many Vibram wearers are accustomed to. While this is great for convenience, it makes the overall fit of the shoes a little unpredictable. I had some occasional impingement issues on the front of the toes (in particular, for some odd reason, at the third toe) that typically resolved when I could shift my foot back into the heel cup, but I found myself wanting to secure this fit through the heel and arch a little bit better to keep my toes off the front end, especially when running on hills.
(One point of disclosure that should be pointed out here is that structurally, the Dirt Runners have more in common with Vibram’s strapless Classic FiveFingers model, which I’ve never owned or tested. Therefore, it might be unfair to compare them to the Vibram KSO, but since 1) that model is the most prevalent among runners, and 2) it’s one that I’m familiar with, that’s what I used as a point of comparison. For whatever that’s worth.)
Separation of outsole from upper
Another construction glitch that I discovered was some spotty separation of the upper from the outsole material. This tends to happen in high flexion areas, and the picture above was taken after about 50 miles on the shoes, so long-term durability would definitely be a concern here.
Where Gist excels is in ground feel and overall weight. The 5mm outsole feels more flexible than Vibram’s KSO, and allows a very natural sensation against the ground. Flexibility between the toes is slightly greater as well, providing a greater range of motion across all the small joints in the forefoot to let the toes spread more naturally on impact. Overall weight of the Dirt Runners is 5.5oz, which is 0.2 lighter than KSOs. When these fit correctly (i.e. when my heel isn’t moving or my toes aren’t contacting the front end) they replicate the freedom of going barefoot quite well.
So there are definitely some things to like about the Gist Dirt Runners – and while they aren’t going to make you forget about Vibrams anytime soon, at a price point of $50, they’re clearly aiming to provide a more affordable alternative to the larger company whose prices have been creeping steadily upward with each new model. I wouldn’t pick them over any of my favorite minimalist models - and I think your money is better spent on the more durable and well-proven Vibrams - but I think they’ve got some potential, with a couple of design tweaks here and there, to be a rival player in the minimalist footwear game.
*Product provided by Gist LLC **See other product reviews on sidebar at right. If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at info@runningandrambling.com.
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“All the memories make me want to go back there, back there – All the memories, how can we make it back there, back there – I want to be there again … “
-Weezer, “Memories” (video after post)
This year’s Firetrails 50 was all about memories, and paying back a couple of debts of gratitude.
Most importantly was the race itself, which has always held a special place in my heart. It was my very first 50-miler, and I was virtually intoxicated by all the joy, pain, and just plain craziness to be found in the world of ultrarunning. Two years later, it was also the site of an existential crisis about what I really wanted from this sport – and by extension, from myself – and whether or not I really had the inner fire to pursue the 100-mile ambition I had somehow latched onto several years earlier.
Since that debut Firetrails race pre-dated my website, and the existential struggle took place before I was accustomed to carrying a camera with me, I felt like I had never given this race the accolades it deserves. I have all kinds of great memories from this event, so I wanted to go back there again, giving it the proper R&R race report treatment this time around.
The second item of overdue appreciation involved the footwear I used: my VivoBarefoot Evos, which have been through the ultrarunning gauntlet with me quite a bit this year. I wore them for my ill-fated 100K this spring, and for my 50-mile night of pacing at Lake Tahoe this summer. However, each of those races had more compelling storylines than what shoes I happened to be wearing, so I purposely kept them out of the conversation – and Firetrails seemed like a great time to make up for those oversights.
So that’s how we’ll set the stage for our story: a somewhat seasoned ultrarunner revisiting one of the most meaningful events in his life, with minimal shoes and maximal gratitude. And … cue darkness:
Race Directors Carl Anderson (as usual, click any of these pictures to enlarge) and his wife, ultrarunning legend Ann Trason, know a thing or two about ultras, and there are several aspects of this race that simply couldn’t be designed any better. The first is apparent right off the bat: even though the race starts in darkness, most of the first two miles are on a wide, smooth, asphalt bike path. Some runners wear headlamps for this section, but they’re largely unnecessary.
The smooth bike path shortly gives way to equally smooth fire roads that wind their way up and up into the pink/orange sunrise …
… and by the time you see first daylight, you’re on top of the ridgeline to enjoy distant views of the lake you started from a few miles ago.
Firetrails is a race of patience; it’s easy to feel great on the long, gentle, tree-lined descents of the first 10 miles, but it’s also easy to get yourself into trouble if you’re not smartly conservative here. It’s best to just stay comfortable, enjoy the sights, and settle into a baseline effort you can sustain for several more hours. In fact …
… in my mind, Firetrails doesn’t even begin until you leave the Big Bear aid station at mile 11 and hit your first stretch of single track. A short, steep climb is followed by a longer, steeper descent where too many people try to be heroes by flying down at a pace that will tear their quads up. I always get passed by tons of runners on this stretch, and end up passing at least 75% of them back later in the race.
A couple of miles later, the single track bottoms out and expands into an extremely gentle path inside Redwood Regional Park. The air is cool, the morning is quiet, the trees are breathtaking, and it’s early enough in the race that you can still appreciate it all, even though you’re beginning a very slight climb. This is one of the most scenic stretches of the entire course, but not exactly the most accurately signed …
…take, for instance, this sign marking “Trail’s End” that you pass by with at least 35 more miles of trails still to run.
Then there’s this sign, instructing you not to exceed 5MPH. It’s at the base of a steep pitch of road, so I felt no shame about walking most of it …
… until I got to the Skyline Gate aid station at mile 15 and heard the volunteers yelling, Hey – pick it up! This is a running race! That’s not a knock against the volunteers, all of whom were amazing; it speaks more to the fact that many of the aid station personnel are veteran Bay Area ultrarunners themselves, so the bar for “hill sympathy” out here is set frighteningly high.
Leaving Skyline Gate you encounter the longest, prettiest section of single track on the course heading into Sibley Preserve, which one of my training partners accurately described as Jurassic Park on our muddy run here last spring. Eventually you pass a couple of patches where the canyon trail loses its tree cover …
… and you get a glimpse of a nearby hillside that strikes you as really beautiful – at least until you realize, “Wait – we have to go up and over that thing soon.”
Before you do that, however, you have to climb out of the canyon you’re in, which is one of the steepest pitches on the course.
You also have to pass through the central portion of Sibley Preserve, where the footing is very technical with extensive root and rock exposure. This was the first time I became conscious of the Evos I was wearing, only because I had to pay more attention and “pick my line” through the trail like I would on a mountain bike. Speaking of my shoes …
… this is Bryon Powell, a blogger extraordinaire and super-fast ultrarunner who I heard approaching me from behind, because he kept telling the guy alongside him how overweight and out of shape he’s been lately. (There are some things I really wish I could unhear.) He eventually left me in the dust, but before he did, we spent several miles talking about minimalist footwear, barefoot running, and the prospects of this small niche finding long-term success in the ultrarunning community.
Our talk was actually very similar to discussions I had with at least 4 or 5 other runners on the course at Firetrails – and I noticed one major distinction between this race and my springtime ultra in moccasins. Back then, I was greeted almost unanimously with a, Whoa! What the heck are you wearing? Why are you doing that? reaction, but last weekend it was more like, How long have you been doing that? or, How do your races now compare to those in regular shoes?, or How hard is it to adjust your running style? In other words, the whole minimalist thing seems to have gone from a freak absurdity to an intellectual curiosity, at least in my limited opinion polling. But I have to think that’s a good sign.
(Meanwhile, back at the race …)
Mile 21 brings you to Tilden Park, up the face of the hill you stared at from the Sibley trails. This is where you’ll ultimately reach the high point of the course, with awesome views to the east …
… and the most beautiful city in the world in the distance to the west. The only thing that detracts from the view is knowing that you’ll be in this exact same spot about 8 miles from now …
… but only after going four miles downhill to the turnaround point of the course.
This stretch, with its steep downhill grade, large rocks, and loose footing, was one of the trickiest parts of the course for me in my Evos. I had to slow down a lot more than I wanted, and this section seemed to go on forever – and no, the fact that it’s all downhill doesn’t make that a good thing.
Eventually, though, you reach the Lone Oak aid station, which is a welcome sight because 1) it’s the turnaround point of the race, and 2) it’s actually at mile 26, so you’re already more than halfway done. Only by one mile, but trust me – it makes a huge mental difference.
Last time I was here, this section of the race nearly devastated me: the 4-mile climb back from the turnaround point, as the day becomes warm and the miles start to take their toll. Seeing it again a few years later – and with the mental strength gained from several more ultras under my belt – I saw it for what it is: just another long hill on another long journey on another long day. And this time around, it wasn’t nearly such a big deal.
I guess what I’ve learned over the years is that these places I fear in ultras are also the same ones I’m most thankful for later on. If the trails were flat, or gentle, or easier to conquer than I anticipated, they wouldn’t mean nearly as much afterward. So the best thing you can do is to embrace the suffering as well as the pleasure, and commit yourself to nothing other than fully experiencing the moment.
And if the climb doesn’t teach you that lesson, perhaps this Zen labyrinth can help you out. It’s right there at the top of the hill …
… so you can reflect on how far you’ve climbed again, while remembering that it’s all just a part of your longer journey.
(This is getting kinda deep for an ultra report, huh? And yes, it’s getting quite lengthy. I’ll try to stay focused from now on.)
The Zen climb to enlightenment rewards you with a long, steady downhill stretch back through Tilden Park …
… and into the refreshingly shaded single track of Sibley Preserve again. Remember when I said this course rewards patience? If you’ve paced yourself well, this is where you can really begin to reel people in …
… and even pick up your pace under the smooth, gently descending trails of Redwood Park. As beautiful as this area is on your first time through, it’s about 10 times as wonderful when you’re closing in on mile 40 while feeling good and keeping a steady pace. You can’t get too carried away, though …
... because there are still several challenging climbs that await you in the last six miles of the course. This one eventually tops out with a beautiful overlook …
… that initiates an extended downhill plunge into the Lake Chabot area.
This long, sweeping downhill was something of a delight for me. Given that I was wearing my Evos, I couldn’t really hammer the pace and maintain proper form too well, but I was able to maintain the effort I had kept for the majority of the day – which is something a lot of other people were struggling with. Consequently, a ton of people came back to me on this stretch of fire road …
… and even more on this lush single track that seems to get prettier the closer it gets to the lake.
Of course, even when you see the water, you’re not quite out of the woods yet …
… as no fewer than 6 steep climbs await you in the last three miles that meander around the shoreline of the lake. By this time, your physical pain is quite real, but the mental pain starts floating away …
… because you know the finish line is nearby, complete with a full-service all-you-can-eat barbecue to enjoy alongside your fellow runners.
My final time was 8:57, which is virtually identical to my very first ultra here several years ago. It’s about 12 minutes slower than my PR on this course, a result that’s somewhat tough to attribute. I’m probably less fit than the last time I was here, and – although I refuse to officially acknowledge this - I’m a few years older now. You also might have noticed that I took a fair number of pictures along the way, which probably tacked on a few extra seconds here and there.
One thing I don’t attribute it to is my shoes. One of the most common questions I received on course was “Doesn’t that hurt?”, and honestly … yeah, OK, my feet hurt a little bit towards the end of the race. But it’s an ultra, for crying out loud – if there wasn’t any pain, it wouldn’t be worth the price of admission. And the discomfort I had in my feet wasn’t any more severe than the pain in the rest of my body, and it wasn’t the weak link in my race time being slower than past outings. I had to run differently, but as a result I was able to pace myself very consistently – which is always a great way to finish any endurance event.
What’s more noteworthy is that the pain that I feel with the Evos – primarily foot muscle soreness and mild impact tenderness – is far better than the pain I used to have in regular shoes. I don’t get blisters anymore, I don’t have hot spots where my feet are confined within the uppers, and I don’t have callouses that rub themselves raw over the course of several hours. All things considered, my feet feel better after an ultra in Evos than they ever did in traditional shoes.
(It’s also very likely that much of this comfort and protection is thanks to my Drymax socks, which go with my minimalist footwear like peanut butter and jelly: it's like they were just made to be together. They've become mandatory accessories for me in all my ultras.)
Whatever the case might be, you can be certain that I wasn’t too preoccupied with my overall finish time at that point. All I really wanted to do was sit in the grass and soak it all in for a while … so that’s exactly what I did.
There may some more things to say about this race at some point, but for the time being, I think I’ve said more than enough. I came back to Firetrails hoping to recapture some of the great memories I had from my early days of ultras, and to make some indelible new memories along the way. In that regard, I consider the day an overwhelming success – and I’d love to be there anytime again.
**
Weezer, "Memories" (click to play):
*See other race reports under tab at top of page
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Since I’ve got a full post lined up below, let’s get right to the giveaway winners: Julie, Michael, and Kovas – send me your address at info@runningandrambling.com – you’ve won the CLIF BLOKs giveaway! As usual, thanks to everyone who participated in the contest, and special thanks to CLIF for making it happen.
As for today’s post, our topic is something my co-author Mike and I thought deserved a lot more attention than we’ve noticed so far: this fall’s Athens Marathon, which happens to mark the 2500th anniversary of the historic occasion that inspired the modern-day event. Think about it: can you name another element of modern athletics that traces its roots so far back – it predates Christianity, for crying out loud - or has such deep historical significance?
Besides, the story of the first marathon is one of the most compelling in all of sports, and it’s one that I never get tired of telling. So that’s what we did for last week’s column.
**
Running Life 10/7/10 “2,500 Years”
Last spring we made a big fuss about the 25th running of the Big Sur Marathon. It’s a very impressive accomplishment, and our local running community was proud to celebrate the world-class event. Imagine, then, if there were a race that was 100 times older than Big Sur – that would be pretty amazing, right?
Such a race does indeed exist: the Athens Marathon on October 31st, honoring the 2500th anniversary of the world’s first recognized marathon, run by a messenger of the Athenian army in 490 B.C.
According to popular legend – it’s hard to verify how much is actually true – the mighty Persians, with the most formidable military force the world had ever seen, invaded Greece with more than 25,000 soldiers, and were met by the undermanned Athenian army on the plains near a town called Marathon. The 10,000 Athenian soldiers didn’t stand a chance.
However, Greek General Miltiades and his courageous troops had other ideas: they surprised the Persians by going on the offensive, and the Athenians ultimately scored one of the most shocking and decisive battles in world history. As military historian Edward Creasy explains, it “forever broke the spell of Persian invincibility…and secured for mankind the intellectual treasures of Athens, the growth of free institutions, and the liberal enlightenment of the Western World.”
In other words, it was kind of a big deal. But since civilization was more than 2490 years away from cell towers, texting, or Tweeting, news of the triumphant battle was communicated the VERY old-fashioned way: a messenger soldier was dispatched to run from Marathon to Athens to tell his countrymen about the great victory.
You’ve probably heard of the messenger, Pheidippides, whose name is now immortalized in Greek lore. You’re also probably familiar with the message he delivered: Nike, a one-word phrase meaning “victory”. There’s a little shoe company in Oregon that’s made quite a name for themselves with that word.
The end of the story, as you’d expect from the Greeks, isn’t nearly as pleasant: Pheidippides died in the town square immediately after delivering his famous message. And the whole incident would have been forgotten completely if not for the historian Lucian, who came along nearly 700 years later and thought the story deserved to be documented.
Most estimates of Pheidippides's fateful run place it around 24.85 miles, and that distance was used for the first “official” marathon event at the modern Olympic Games, held in Greece in 1896. The course ran from Marathon to Athens, re-tracing the famous messenger’s steps as closely as possible.
In the 1908 London Olympics, King Edward VII wanted the race to start in front of her Windsor Castle home, which was roughly an extra 2 miles from the stadium finish area. The resulting course was 26.2 miles, which is now the officially recognized distance – but the marathon is still recognized as a classically Greek event. In fact, runners from all over the world flock to Athens each year to run the city’s marathon in the footsteps of history.
The race sells out 12,000 entries each year, but a few Monterey County runners are lucky enough to be entered in the 2500th anniversary race later this month. But if you can’t make it this year, don’t worry: the 2501st anniversary will probably be cool as well. And it will be one year more historic.
So if you’re a runner who likes to travel – or a traveler who likes to run – make a point to put the oldest and most famous marathon in the world on your to-do list.
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One of the most wonderful sights in the world: the finish line of an ultra:
True story: When I stopped to take this picture, a guy at the finish line yelled out "It's the Running and Rambling guy!" I couldn't have asked for a better welcome.
Race report will be posted next week. In the meantime, you've got one more day to enter the CLIF BLOKs giveaway post; winners will be announced tomorrow night.
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A couple of administrative notes before we get rolling …
1) Today’s post is another CLIF giveaway, but I’m equally happy to report another philanthropic promotional effort the company is currently conducting. They recently grabbed their 10,000th Facebook fan, and for every new fan they get over the next three months (or 5,000 new fans, whichever comes first), they’ll contribute an additional dollar to their ongoing environmental initiatives through 1% for the Planet. Join CLIF’s Facebook page to help them out. I did it as well – and if you know my feelings about Facebook, you know that’s really saying something about how much I like this company.
2) This Saturday I’ll be running in the Firetrails 50, a classic Northern California ultra which holds a special place in my heart, as I’ll explain in more detail afterward. If you’re on course and see a mid-pack runner shuffling along in a Wilderness Running Company T-shirt and minimalist footwear, feel free to say something encouraging – I’ll probably need it.
Now on to the fun stuff! I’ve already described how my peek inside CLIF headquarters last spring involved a fair amount of secrecy about information I heard and products I saw in various stages of development. For the most part, all of the things we learned were cause for celebration, but there was one bit of news that dismayed me: the cola flavor of CLIF BLOKS had been discontinued. It’s no secret around here that I’m something of a cola junkie, so I immediately felt a pang of sorrow about the loss of my favorite flavor.
(Not only that, but I immediately started hoarding my remaining supply at home, and became WAY too analytical about when to use them; it was like I had to assess whether a particular workout was “cola-worthy” before dipping into the dwindling reserves. Yes, I get far too attached to things sometimes.)
Fortunately, CLIF had a pretty strong new flavor lined up: tropical punch, which I was able to sample on my spring visit, and which I’ve been using in training for the past few weeks. The taste reminds me of the old Hawaiian Punch drink I used to love as a kid, but the sweetness is much more subdued. It’s not quite cola-good, but it’s a pretty strong entry – in fact, I’d probably rank it as my third-favorite BLOK flavor currently offered.
And before you ask, here’s my completely subjective rankings of all eight flavors:
Black Cherry: This flavor rocks: awesome cherry taste, a full shot of caffeine, and best of all, no pit! Strawberry:I love strawberries; you know this already. Tropical Punch: Like Hawaiian Punch for grown-ups, plus a half-shot of caffeine Margarita: For obvious reasons. This flavor also has 3X the sodium of other flavors, like salt on the rim of your glass. Mountain Berry: Like a berry smoothie, except not frozen … or smooth, for that matter. Orange: Nothing against this flavor and the one below, but I don’t like gel or block flavors that remind me of old-school Gatorade. Call it a quirk. Lemon Lime: Ditto. Cran-Razz: I’m not a big cranberry guy. Just one of those things.
Numbers 1 through 8, top to bottom
As indicated above, the new tropical punch flavor gives you 25mg of caffeine in addition to the calories and electrolytes you need for sustained endurance. CLIF calls this a “half-shot”, equivalent to a half-cup of coffee; two flavors (tropical punch and orange) have the 25mg dose, while black cherry has 50mg. The others are caffeine-free.
Like other CLIF BLOKS, I’ve found the tropical punch flavor fairly easy to chew in relation to other blocks on the market, and they don’t stick to my teeth very much at all while on the run. I use them in combination with energy gels on long training days; the BLOK packets are nice to carry because each one contains the caloric and electrolyte equivalent of two gel packets, and they’re much easier to consume without getting your fingers all sticky. Switching back and forth from BLOKS to gels also helps break the monotony of putting the exact same thing in your system every 40 minutes.
CLIF BLOK love!
Clearly, BLOKS are effective for fueling your long run; that’s exactly what they’re made for. However, another practical benefit was pointed out to me by my wife shortly after our kids got the flu last winter: if you’ve got a kid with an upset stomach who is unable to keep any food down and starts getting progressively weaker from one day to the next because she doesn’t have any appetite, try offering her some CLIF BLOKS. The texture is rapidly digestible, the sodium helps with fluid retention, the calories are enough to provide bare-bones sustenance for a while, and the whole notion of getting to eat something from Dad’s protected stash of goodies is enough to stimulate a hunger drive for a while.
(My wife should really have her own blog, to talk about all the obvious things in life that pass me by, the frustrations of having to point out basic parenting skills to her co-parent, or simply the peculiarities of living with an obsessive-compulsive cola addict. Come to think of it … maybe a wife blog isn’t such a great idea.)
So apparently there’s more than one use for these things … and for a few lucky readers, you’ll get an opportunity to try them however you’d like. Place a comment below, and I’ll randomly pick three winners to receive a sampler box of CLIF BLOKS, which will be heavy on the new tropical punch flavor. Hopefully you’ll get to use them for training rather than sick children, but at least you’ll be prepared for either contingency. Enter the contest by Sunday, October 10 at 5PM PDT, and I’ll announce winners on Sunday night. Good luck!
*Products provided by CLIF Bar and Company
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