Shopping CartLarisa Dannis - Vermont 100 Winner
Photo by Patchanida Pongsubkarun
By Larisa Dannis
Proper fueling and hydration are absolutely critical when running endurance events. It’s always an incredible feeling to discover a product that helps you achieve your goals, as I can attest to when I began using VFuel. Finding the right gel to fuel your adventures can be quite the experience, to say the least! As a girl with a very sensitive stomach, I must haveexperimented with almost every product out there with the hope of finding something that could keep me running strong and comfortably – especially during the final stages of 100 mile events. I was always amazed at how gels that seemed great during the first half of a race would suddenly become unpalatable as the run progressed. After a few tough races, struggling with stomach issues and low energy during those final miles had become somewhat of a norm for me. I chalked it up to my sensitive stomach, and accepted that it was most likely a problem that I’d always have to deal with during ultramarathons.
This past June, on the recommendation of a good friend I decided to give VFuel a shot. After using it in training with good success, I was eager to try it out at a longer race. With the Vermont 100 approaching, I took a gamble and opted to use VFuel as my single gel source during the event. I went into the race a bundle of nerves, dreading when and where the stomach issues would hit. Yet as the miles ticked by, they never came. In fact, I felt stronger than ever. The last 30 miles of the race – where I’d struggled tremendously the past two years – went by as smoothly as could be, and I crossed the finish line with a 2 hour, 15 minute PR on the course.
Three days out from the race, and it all still feels like a bit of a dream. Never before had I experienced such steady, consistent energy during a race, and I’m recovering faster than ever. With the Cascade Crest Endurance Run coming up in 5 weeks, I feel genuinely lucky to have discovered a product that can sustain me for a full 100 miles. VFuel has truly enabled me to achieve something that I never thought possible.
Larisa is talented mountain runner and valued VFuel customer that spends her time on the trails in and around New Hampshire. You can read about more of her adventures at http://larisadannis.wordpress.com/
Photo by Tony Bonanno
Tags: larisa dannis, race report, trail running, vermont 100