VFuel Blog http://vfuel.com VFuelBlog en-us <![CDATA[Chris Price wins Jemez 50]]> Jemez 50 Race Report


by Chris Price



Us fifty mile runners started at five in the morning which required us to wear headlamps for the first four miles or so, which I always enjoy. Then we were treated to a clear pristine desert sunrise. It was cool but warm enough to start off in shorts and a t-shirt. The landscape slowly transitioned as we gradually ascended up Guaje Ridge, from the desert to aspen filling in an old burned zone to tall pines in the mountains with little patches of snow from yesterday’s flurry.


This year’s race mostly followed the same course as it has for the last handful of years, except it was run in reverse, which was a nice change and made for better Hardrock training for me. This year we hiked up a couple steep sections that we descended previously.


This event is one I’ve done before and will likely continue to run in the future. It’s a nice tune up for Hardrock since you’re at elevation and climbing/descending for long periods of time. It also has some short fun cross-country sections. On one of these sections, dropping into the Valles Caldera, I spooked a couple big cow elk and ran through a bunch of wild iris, idyllic mountain stuff.


Not only is this a scenic mountain 50 miler, but it’s flawlessly organized by many volunteers and the group of people that tend to be running it every year are my kind of peeps. It isn’t a super hyped up race, yet it’s a very high quality event, which is an ideal combination. I don’t always want to run events that are ‘big races’.


The day was exceptionally smooth for me. I never went all out, but didn't have any bad low spots. Just steady running to a finishing time of 8:39 which was good enough for 1st place today.


Shout outs: Thank you Tom Stockton for excellent race directing! It can’t be easy coordinating 3 races (of different distances) on one day with so many volunteers running around, but you do it well and with a smile. If I ever tried to RD a race I’m sure I’d be a stressed out nut ball, not Tom, he’s always friendly and cool as a cucumber.


VFuel: I was stoked to have a good race at an event that VFuel was sponsoring. I only had one gel during the race, but I mostly drank Black Cherry Cola VFuel drink mix. My energy levels were more stable for this race than any other 50 I’ve ever run. I’ll continue sipping on VFuel drink mix slowly as my fueling strategy in the future.


Julbo: My go-to glasses, the Aero-Lites were perfect: extremely light, comfortable, lenses darkened/lightened in varying sunlight.


Drymax Socks: I had absolutely no blisters or hot spots. Feet felt normal after nearly nine hours of mountain running in my nifty argyle socks.

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<![CDATA[VFuel Athletes Needed]]> Do you love VFuel?

 



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<![CDATA[Rockhard Hardrock 2 Hundred ?" Double Hardrock 100 Attempt July 13th-16th 2016]]> By Alan Smith, VFuel co-founder


Post image for Rockhard Hardrock 2 Hundred – Double Hardrock 100 Attempt July 13th-16th 2016


Around the first of the year, I was out running in the snow with my friends Chris and Kari when the conversation turned to goals for the year. I didn’t have much to contribute at first, but as I continued to run and think on it, an old, mostly forgotten dream of mine came to the surface. The Rockhard Hardrock 2 Hundred, the Double Hardrock, the Full Peter Bakwin – whatever you call it, I decided it was the right time to finally give it a go.


It all started back in 2006 when I first got into ultrarunning. Peter Bakwin made an attempt at the double and was successful, the only person to ever make it so far. Reading his account both fascinated and terrified me. But after I successfully finished Hardrock in 2012 and 2013, I began to lose at least some of the more irrational fear I had of Hardrock, and started to think about a double in the back of my mind.


July came quickly, and I loaded up the camper on the Friday before the race and drove down to Red Mountain Pass. I found a great place to camp for the weekend, right at 11,000 feet.


IMG_5067


I spent the weekend doing trail work with other racers, at Horsethief Canyon on Saturday and Oscar’s Pass on Sunday. On Monday, I moved the camper into town and hiked to Hematite Lake with several friends, then on Tuesday went to the Old Hundred Mine with my friend Lynn. Before I knew it, it was almost time to go. It was nearly impossible to sleep. I kept thinking over the logistics, looking for something I had surely missed. I even got back out of bed two or three times to make notes so I wouldn’t forget something in the morning. After five fairly lousy hours of sleep, I got myself out of bed and started getting ready. Lynn gave me a ride to the start line, and, at 5am on Wednesday, I started out on the first lap going counter-clockwise.


After a bit, I started hitting junctions in the trail, and was fairly disturbed to see that a lot of them were not marked. In fact, I lost 10 minutes or so taking a wrong turn just over an hour in. I finally figured out that I was having problems because the course was marked for the other direction, and I was just going to have to navigate more carefully.


I hit Cunningham at 8:35am feeling good. I took a refill from my crew and started out on the big climb over Green Mountain. I hit Maggie at 11:31am still feeling good, and flew through Pole Creek at 12:48. It was getting hot, but there were no storms in sight so I wasn’t complaining. Soon, I had made the climb into Cataract Gulch and started on the decent to Sherman.


Cataract Falls

Cataract Falls



I hit Sherman at 3:35pm and reloaded my food and VFuel drink mix from Lynn, and then started the walk up the road to Burrows Park. Along the way, I kept hearing strange noises up the hill to my right but didn’t see anything. At first I thought it was some grouse in the trees, but eventually I saw them – a herd of sheep spread out on the hill with three little ones at one end.


Sheep by the Sherman Road

Sheep by the Sherman Road



I hit Burrows Park at 4:44 still feeling good and started the climb up Handies, sumitting right at 7pm. I was feeling great cruising down the trail when I missed the turn towards Grouse and kept running down the trail, losing 25 minutes and 500 feet of elevation in the process. Getting back on track, I climbed back out of American Basin and, after losing the trail one more time on the way down, hit Grouse at 9:27 still feeling great. I picked up my new friend and pacer Ian McNairn, and we made quick work of the climb up Engineer, hitting the top at 11:51 and the aid station at 12:26. We had a great time cruising down toward Ouray, even seeing a Porcupine in the forest. At 3:05 we were in Ouray, where I reloaded and headed back out with Lynn as my pacer.


The snow on the steep climb up to Virginius was really hard and slick. I made it up OK with the microspikes I’d borrowed, but Lynn was having a rough time with only Yaktracks. She finally climbed the rock on the left side, and then we both used the rope to make the pass at 8:34am, still feeling great.


Lynn starting the slick climb to Virginius

Lynn starting the slick climb to Virginius



Telluride came just after 10am, and Miguel took over pacing duties for the rest of the way in. Chapman aid at 3:15pm, Grant Swamp pass at 5:35pm, KT at 6:49 – I was feeling great and moving fast. Putnam aid a little after 10pm, Mineral Creek crossing at 11:19pm, and then finally the finish line at midnight! Even getting lost for an hour and a half, and intentionally taking it easy, I still managed to pull off a 27 minute PR, and I still felt great. I started to think maybe I had a chance of actually pulling this off. It was really great to see Peter and Steph at the finish waiting for me to come in.


Finish Lap 1

Finish Lap 1



After a quick meal, a shower, 2:45 of sleep, and another quick meal, I hit the start line at 5am for lap two. I missed the turn to the Mineral Creek crossing, losing 33 minutes right off the bat. By the time I made the creek crossing, everyone was there waiting for the front runners, looking very confused when I came slowly through at 6:16am. A short 7 minutes later, I heard the crowd roar as the front runners came down onto the highway. I had a great time chatting with the runners as they went by, and after 2 or 3 hours I had settled in to where I wasn’t passing or getting passed very frequently.


Island lake on lap two

Island lake on lap two



The rest of the day went fairly well, though I was getting tired and slow on the big climbs. A little caffeine took care of the problem each time though, and I was feeling pretty optimistic. Hit Telluride at 4:43pm, Virginius at 7:27pm, and Governor Basin around 8:30pm. My right ankle was starting to hurt a bit, and after two or three miles on the road into Ouray I just decided to take it easy and walk it in.


I got into Ouray around 10:40 and took a good long break (11 min), chatting with Jessie, Steph Ehret and Stepanie Hinds and finally getting to meet my pacer for the next leg, Kyle.


Leaving Ouray with Kyle. Photo Credit: Stephanie Hinds

Leaving Ouray with Kyle. Photo Credit: Stephanie Hinds



I took a 15 minute nap off the side of the trail before we hit the Bear Creek Trail, and we hiked fairly well through the night while getting to know each other and talking about various adventures, hitting Engineer aid at 3:12am and cresting the pass at 4:20am. This is where things started going bad – by 5am I was falling asleep on my feet, and it was freezing cold so I couldn’t see how I could stop. Kyle had me sit on the side of the road with my knees to my chest, then he covered my legs with his spare windbreaker and sat behind me for 15 minutes holding me upright and keeping me warm while I snored! After my nap, I was able to stay awake again and kept hiking down the road to Grouse, arriving there just after 6:30am.


After a caffeine pill and some Red Bull, I was feeling much better and Jessie and I started up the climb up toward American Basin and Handies. On the last bit of the climb to the summit where it gets really steep, my right ankle started acting up and I had to walk on it sideways to make it to the top at 10:05am. It was still bothering me as I went down the steep downhill towards Burrows Park, and worse yet I was falling asleep again. I had a couple of naps and finally made it to Burrows at 12:10pm, where I was greeted by a cute girl with a hula hoop and then a huge celebration at the aid station itself! I left feeling a bit better, but soon was struggling to stay awake again while I was walking down the road to Sherman.


Arriving at Sherman at 1:27pm, I took a 30 minute nap in the back of Steve’s truck, but woke up feeling just as bad (worse?) than before. I grudgingly put my gear back on and trudged up the trail with Steve for another hour and fifteen minutes, but just couldn’t stay awake and was moving way too slowly to make it. Reluctantly, I turned around and made my way back to Sherman and conceded defeat after travelling nearly 175 miles of the 200 mile goal.


I can’t say I’m not disappointed that I wasn’t able to make it, but I’m still proud to have made it farther than anyone else since Peter. This was my first attempt at anything over 100 miles/2 days, and I learned a lot that will help the next time. Next time I’ll need to run at least one hundred mile length as training – my max length this year was the Quadrock 50, and I’m pretty sure my ankle would have been no problem if I had done just one longer run. I’ll need to be a bit faster, and spend more time on the course before to make sure I don’t waste time missing turns on the course so I can sleep longer in between laps. Lastly, I’ll need to take the time at Ouray on the 3rd night to get a decent 2-3 hour block of sleep, in a sleeping bag with earplugs in.


My fueling went perfectly – I drank nothing except Black Cherry Cola VFuel Endurance Drink Mix the entire time (about 200 calories/hr average), and ate a little beef or chicken every couple of hours. I had zero stomach issues, and good consistent energy the entire time, and only lost a couple of pounds over 4 days of Hardrock! Yeah VFuel!


Thanks so much for all the support and encouragement! I had incredible pacers, crew, well wishers, and lots of people out there on the course who were just plain excited that someone was crazy enough to give this thing a whirl! Your help and encouragement meant a great deal to me, and I couldn’t have made it that far without all of you!

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<![CDATA[Rocky Raccoon 100 Race Report -- A First Time 100 Mile Story]]> Rocky Raccoon 100 Race Report -- A First Time 100 Mile Story


by Billy Satterwhite


2015 was a great year of running with some really big runs and new milestones. On somewhat of a whim I decided I was ready to go after my dream of running 100 miles. It was mid-December 2015 and Rocky Raccoon 100 was coming up on February 6, 2016. I had a solid base in my legs and I had a few good weeks left to train and put in some big back-to-back long runs. The training went great, my body felt great, and when the race came around I was excited and ready to go. The day went as follows….


I woke up Saturday morning to a heavy but short-lived thunderstorm. It invigorated me and added a feeling of toughness to my pre-race morning routine and had the added bonus of packing the dusty trails down. I went through my usual pre-race routine.  First a cup of coffee, then a Larabar, a banana or 2, and whatever else will digest easy. I feel pretty good if I can get about 500-600 calories in.


After walking a mile from our campsite, I arrived at the starting line with my parents and my wife, Kat, around 5:50am.  The energy and excitement was amazing! There were a few hundred runners, which is quite large for a 100 mile race. I went to set down my drop bag when Kat asked me about the timing chip that goes around my ankle, and I realized I left it in my tent… a mile away! My first hundred miler, I wanted to savor the start and the atmosphere before setting out, but instead I would have to run an extremely fast two miles if I wanted to catch the start…. not the way you want to start off a very long slow paced race. Without thinking much, I dashed off heading back towards our campsite. To my luck a car pulled up beside me after about 1 minute of hard running. The driver saw a runner with bib and full race kit sprinting away from the starting line, so she knew I needed help. This amazing woman drove me to the campsite and back and I arrived as the crowd counted down from 10 seconds. I kissed my wife and hugged my parents and jumped into the pack. It had begun!


Rocky Raccoon 100 is comprised of five 20 mile loops that are all run in the same direction.  The course is more or less flat, though consistently undulating with small inclines and declines.  About half of the course is root covered single track, and the other half is wide jeep road with a mix of rocks and packed dirt. It is very runnable but it can be mentally fatiguing to see the same trail 5 times. Somewhere in those first few miles I wasn’t paying attention to my feet and rolled an ankle on a root. It felt fine and didn’t hurt, but later in the race I would have some major ankle problems, and that initial roll could have been the impetus. Within the first few miles I got into a great easy rhythm. I completed the first loop in 3:26.  For nutrition I just ate Vfuel gels on the first loop.  I really enjoyed the out and back sections of the course because it gave me a chance to see a lot of awesome people, including Austin based ultrarunner, Paul Terranova, course record holder Ian Sharman, and a Trail Roots training partner and fellow bass player, Bobby Daniel.


 



(cruising into the Damnation aid station)


 


The second loop was smooth. The weather was perfect all day. Sunny with the highs in the mid to high 50’s. I dropped my pace back just a tad bit, anticipating I would be forced to slow down on later laps if I didn’t conserve energy early.  I kept eating VFuel gels along with adding in some Vfuel Drink Mix into my water bottles. My stomach was starting to crave solid food so I mixed in handfuls of banana chips from my drop bag. Towards the end of this loop, I began to sense the hint of some discomfort and sharp pain in my right ankle, and that was the start to what would become the metaphorical thorn in my side for the rest of the race. I finished the 2nd loop in 7:21 and felt quite fatigued.


 



(Kat helping out at Damnation with drop bag goodies)


 


I grabbed what I needed and headed out as quickly as possible. This time it was harder to get running again. I picked up an easy jog and my ankle pain became significantly worse in just a couple of miles. At this point my strategy was to just keep jogging and walk if my ankle became too painful. Over that span of 6 miles, my spirit went from quite high to quite low. Things had started off so great and quickly became quite painful. Kat was at mile 46, Damnation aid station, and she would be able to cheer me up, so I continued on. When I saw her, she could tell that the idea of quitting was already in my mind. She told me to have fun and walk if I needed to, and reminded me that I had all day and night and the next morning to finish the race. She was right, I had a very optimistic goal of finishing around 20 hours on a somewhat small block of training. I was being a little unrealistic and dreaming big, and my ultimate goal was just to finish and get that Western States Lottery ticket for 2017. I grabbed what I needed and headed out on the 7 mile out and back between the Damnation stops.


I began to dread this 7 mile loop...  It wasn’t technically difficult, but with a bad ankle it was a long 7 miles. Kat expected to see me back in about 90 minutes but it took me a little over 2 hours. In that stretch from mile 46-53 my ankle went from bad to worse. I couldn’t run more than a few minutes before sharp pain began to shoot through it. I began walking more than running, and even walking was starting to hurt. The next time I saw Kat she could see that it was turning into a battle. The nice thing about that damnation loop is that after you finish it, you only have 7 miles left of the loop. I would get to see my friends and my parents at mile 60, and Joe Cooper would be heading out to pace me for the toughest part of race. I told Kat that I wasn’t sure if I could continue and once again she did a stellar job of keeping me focused on moving forward.  She reminded me that they would be able to take a look at my ankle at mile 60 and give it some treatment. I got to mile 60 in 12:50 and went into problem solving mode. All time goals were out the window at this point and that was okay. My focus was to get through the next 20 miles. My parents grabbed the aid station nurse as I found my drop bag. My ankle was sprained, but nothing was broken or torn. She cleaned it up and gave it a quick massage to work some knots out of the tendons. It was painful but pain felt pretty normal to me at that point.  She then did a hell of a job taping both ankles to give them some extra stability. I got up, did a gear check, and headed out with Joe Cooper. Running with Joe was a welcomed change to my solo battle. Joe had finished a tough 100 mile race the previous summer and knew exactly what I was going through. 


The next few miles thing began to unravel.  We were at mile 65, I was moving slow, and it was getting really cold really fast. Joe was well aware of my condition and mental state at this point, and that my slow pace was not going to keep me very warm. He did the best he could to keep my mind off of the cold and my ankle pain. We talked about music, about Star Wars, Paul Rudd movies, and a ton of random stuff. Everything was going okay until about mile 71 when the cold hit me like a ton of bricks. I came into the 2nd damnation aid station and all I could think about was hot food. As I walked up to the tent I began violently shivering. I could hardly breathe, talk, or stand up. My body was going to into shock from the cold. Joe grabbed me and walked me to the back of the aid station tent. An aid station volunteer saw me and knew what was happening.  I was not the first runner there who was showing signs of hypothermia. I sat in front of a heater and wrapped up in a wool blanket. It was cold like I have never felt before, and I had no warm clothes to change into. This was my biggest mistake of the race. Joe borrowed someone’s phone to text Kat and tell her to have my warm clothes for me at the next aid station. I felt stuck, and I honestly thought I would have to quit and get ride back to the start.  Everyone there was focused on just getting me warm. I had plenty of time left to finish, so I wrapped up in wool blankets with hand warmers and laid down on a cot to take a warm power nap. What was supposed to be a 20 minute nap turned into an hour, but it worked and I was warm.


Joe spurred me along to get ready as quickly as possible. It was still getting colder and I needed to keep moving. My muscles had stiffened up but my mind felt better. I was cracking jokes and smiling as I sat up on the cot and put my shoes back on. The aid station medics new that I did not have the proper clothing to stay warm and with some ingenuity they fashioned a suit for me out of garbage bags and duct tape. It wasn’t high tech or fashionable but it kept me warm enough for the next 3 miles. As I headed out, the great folks in Damnation made me promise I would come see them again on my final lap.  At mile 76, Park Road aid station, my buddy Tres Binkley took over pacing duties. Tres was the perfect guy to take over at that point. He’s one of the most positive and fun people I know, and immediately got my stoke level back up. Kat had given him a big puffy insulated jacket for me, which I immediately put on and basked in the warmth of primaloft insulation. I normally would never wear a thick insulated jacket on a run but this wasn’t a normal “run”. We headed back into the night with 4 miles to go until mile 80. I finished loop 4 in 21:18.


 



(Ty Reagan keeping my spirits up during my final lap)


My ankle was screaming at me whenever I tried to run, but I was warm and I was having a good time with my friends on the trail in the wee small hours of the morning. In transition from my 4th to 5th loop I did not allow myself to take any down time. I added some warmer layers of clothing to my legs and headed back out with Tres, chatting and having fun, running when I could and walking for the most part. I picked up my final pacer, Ty Reagan, at mile 83. This last loop was all about putting one foot in front of the other and staying focused on the finish line. In my last Ultra I came up with the mantra “Run if you can, walk if you have to, just keep moving forward.”  I kept repeating this to myself during the last 20 miles.


When the sun came up that morning I felt for the first time that I was actually going to make it! At mile 50 I honestly did not think I could grind out another 50 miles. 100 miles is a long way, but I am stubborn, strong willed, and with some humility and patience I moved myself around the course to finish in 28:18. The last 4 miles were agonizing. I told Ty to just keep motivating me and distract me from the pain that did not ever let up in my right ankle. I pushed hard to hold a slow jog until it became unbearable, would walk for a minute, and push again. When I finished it was pure magic and emotion. The previous 28 hours felt like a dream. The emotions were overwhelming, and I held my wife for a few moments and cried. I was so happy to be done and so happy that I didn’t quit. 



 


If it were not for the 28 hours of support from my amazing wife, my parents, and friends, I likely would not have finished.  When I say that I could not have done it without them, I really mean it.  Thank you to Tejas Trails for always putting on world-class events, race director Chris McWatters, all of the volunteers, and an extra big thank you to the good folks at Damnation aid station for keeping me warm at mile 73. I envisioned my first 100 mile race going much better… but that was a bit naive. It’s impossible to know what’s going to happen your first time. Problems are always going to pop up, but now I will be better prepared for them. I will continue to train and get stronger, I will make my ankle bulletproof, and you can bet that I will be back at this race next year. 


 


 

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<![CDATA[Winter Training and Nutrition Tips]]>


 


As we're sure you're well aware, those training runs take a bit more will power when the temperature dips and the wind kicks up. Add in icy and snowy surfaces and it's easily enough to make you stay inside where it's cozy and warm. Well here are a few tips to keep that training going year round! Especially for those of us in the northern or mountain states where we play hard all summer and tend to get complacent and add on a few pounds in the winter. It's always a good feeling when you can keep after it in the 'off season' and hit the summer fit and ready to go! Of course, we always take some off time to let our body recover and to keep the desire for training  stoked, but we certainly like to keep active year round.


Nutrition
I'll get the shameless plug out of the way first. Did you know that VFuel gels are the only gels that wont freeze up on you, or get too thick to use, when the temperature drops? Folks use our gel when it gets well below zero because it's the only gel you can still get out of a packet at those temps, which is pretty important when you need that ever important fuel.
In addition, our new Drink Mix stays liquid from the sloshing around in your bottle or bladder at the lower temperatures. If it does get down well below zero, just turn your bottle upside down in the bottle holder of your pack or waist belt, and the nozzle wont freeze up on you.


Layers
Obviously, do what works for you, but I like to start comfortable at the trail head. Yes, this means I'll be shedding layers pretty quickly. I shed until I can find that sweet spot where I feel comfortable or even on the cool side when I'm running. Weather can move in requiring more layers or you or your training partner could roll an ankle (or worse) and it's nice to have an extra layer or two to put on if you start getting colder. I'm usually a bit more cautious out there if I'm running cold and have all of my layers on. That doesn't leave any room for error and we all know that running in the high country demands a bit of caution and preparedness. 


Traction
Don't let the icy trails (or roads) deter you! Get some traction on your feet and get after it. I prefer MicroSpikes (Kahtoola), but I know many folks like YakTraks or a variety of other traction options. And if the snow is really piling up, strap on some snowshoes our get your skis tuned up! Both great ways to get the heart rate up in the winter months. 


Use Your Head
We aren't necessarily designed to survive in elements we routinely venture out into. So be smart about it. Know your limits and know what you need to stay safe and to be comfortable out there. This could mean hand warmers, extra layers, goggles, etc... And it could mean cutting your run short due to changing weather or other unforeseen circumstances. We want to be able to run again tomorrow, so it's simply not worth pushing too far beyond your abilities or your comfort zone when winter weather or conditions simply don't allow for it. Mother Nature, ultimately, has the final say!

Stay safe out there and enjoy the Winter!


Happy Trails,


Michael 

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<![CDATA[Dump Fructose!]]> The first question we get when we meet somone who is new to VFuel products is “What makes VFuel different?” Digestibility, Performance and Active Recovery is the answer! For this blog today let’s talk about “Digestibility”.  What is the biggest complaint about energy gels and drinks in general? Besides the fact they don’t taste near as good coming back up as they do going down?


If you’re like us you probably hate what they do to your stomach.  If you are like the most athletes, one of three things happen which induces a majority of all the moaning and groaning (pun intended) during the consumption of gels and, to a lesser degree, sports drinks:



  • They make you bloated.

  • They give you gas and cause stomach pain.

  • They make you nauseated and/or give you diarrhea.


I am sure many of you have experienced all three of these-maybe all at once.  It can be an ugly end to long hours of training when, on race day, instead of taking on your goal race of the year you are looking for the nearest port-o-john.  So why do most gels and sports drinks cause these issues? It’s often something called Fructose Malabsorbtion. You may hear it called a few different things but this is the most common term for it. Get your nerd on and let’s dig into the science of it. 


 



 


The simple explanation is pretty straightforward. You consume fructose (let’s say a common gel or sports drink, really anything except VFuel). It goes into your stomach and starts the process of breaking down. Your stomach can’t really do anything with sugars, so it moves on to your small intestine. Here, the fructose should be absorbed and moved onto the liver where it will break down further. However, your system can only process and move so much fructose to the liver. Some people can handle tons of fructose with out issue! Good for them. These folks are few and far between though. I’m sure you know one. The guy or gal who can stuff their face with donuts or gummy bears at an aid station and think nothing of it. Most of us are not that lucky. We can only handle small amounts of fructose before our system gets bogged down. Think of it like a highway. The road is only designed to handle so many vehicles. During rush hour that number can exceed what the highway was designed to handle and cars begin to back up and people get uncomfortable, frustrated, and irritable. It’s the same thing with your digestive tract and fructose. For most of us it only takes a couple of typical gels before things start to slow down in there, fructose-wise.


If the small intestine can’t absorb and send the fructose to the liver, then that fructose will pass on down to the large intestine. This is bad. And for a lot of us, this is very bad. The bacteria in your large intestine can use that fructose as a food source and start to grow and multiply rapidly. This causes excess hydrogen, among other things. Hence the bloating, pain, and gas.  It can also do different things to different people. One, it can cause constipation. And two, it can attract additional water into the large intestine (uh oh, now we’re battling dehydration) and cause diarrhea.


In addition to these issues in a sedentary person, let me ask what your liver is doing when you are running a marathon or competing in an ironman, etc.? It’s filtering toxins out of your system due to the extra effort your giving, taxing that system even more, and causing the side effects of fructose to be exacerbated. It’s not a pretty sight.


So what makes VFuel different? How and why are we known as the having the most easily digestible products available in the world? A big reason is - we don’t use any fructose! No we’re not geniuses, scientists have known this since the 1980’s. Instead we use dextrose, a much easier to handle simple sugar. Every other kind of sugar takes highly specialized enzymes to break that sugar down before it can be used. Except for dextrose! It is directly absorbed without the need for your body to make enzymes, and is quickly available to be used as fuel for your body. There you go. Problem solved. Let's see how we stack up to our competitors. 


VFuel Endurance Gel


How do we stack up?


VFuel Endurance Drink


How do we stack up?


One thing to note, however, is that you should be very cautious when ingesting sugars in the ‘Maybe?’ column. Take sucrose for example. Some companies claim not to have fructose in their products but, instead, use sucrose. Don’t be fooled! Sucrose is made up of one dextrose molecule and one fructose molecule. While not as bad as straight fructose, it’s still half as bad and can certainly cause significant issues.



We hope this has helped explain a little bit as to why VFuel works so well. We also hope this may rid some of the nasty stigmas associated with energy gels and drinks. As long as you use VFuel you shouldn’t experience any of those terrible symptoms from fructose malapsorbsion. Just do us a favor and lay off the donuts and gummy bears at the aid stations (as well as all of the other products that contain fructose)! Those horror stories are on you! 

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<![CDATA[Hardrock 100, Silver Rush 50, Golden Gate 50k]]>  Alan Smith on the Hardrock 100 CourseAlan Smith on the Hardrock Course


“Brutal conditions this year! Anyone who finished Hardrock sure earned it. One runner counted over 150 stream crossings… there were crossings present this year that have never been there in the past. If I had to sum up the condition of the course it would be described as huge mountains covered in mud and running water. And it was a tale of two races for me. From the start my heart rate was sky high even hiking and coming  up Little Giant I was 2nd to last and could barely move. Through Sherman I was an hour and a half slower than my previous best split. I didn’t think there was any way to make up any time and was pretty worried I’d miss a cut-off somewhere ahead. But my saving grace was that I could still move downhill really well and as the miles went by I got faster. Ended up finishing with a personal best time of 43:27, about 5 minutes better than two years ago. As always it was an incredible experience and I’m reminded how appreciative I am of the Hardrock family. So many inspiring efforts in the heart of such inspiring landscape. It’s no wonder we all keep coming back year after year.”
-VFuel cofounder Alan Smith after his 3rd Hardrock 100 finish.


Alan at the finish of his 3rd Hardrock 100.VFuel cofounder Alan Smith at the rock for the 3rd time!


In addition to Alan getting out and pushing his limits this past weekend we had quite  few VFuel Athletes out there crushing incredible performances! Let’s continue with Hardrock, shall we…


 


Brendan Trimboli
Brendan crushed his first ever Hardrock rolling into the top 10 (9th male) with a time of 29:25, coming in safely below his goal of a sub 30 finish. And this was in spite of being attacked by some tricky watermelon slices!


  Brendan Triboli finishing up his top 10 Hardrock 100 finish!
Brendan Trimboli bringing it home! Photo Credit: Ashley Dickson


Kari Fraser
Kari has a suburb race finishing in 38:23, good enough for 5th female! This was Kari’s first Hardrock attempt but that’s a bit deceiving, as she has paced friend Chris Gerber over 250 total miles during his 5 Hardrock finishes.  She’s covered ever step of the course at least a couple of times, so she knows the course well and is super fit, not to mention tough as nails!


Kari Fraser at the rock for her first Hardrock 100 finish!Kari and the undisputed crew World Champs, Super Crew!


Now let’s travel a little north toward the Sawach Range to the Silver Rush 50 in Leadville where we had a few athletes crushing some great performances!


 


Mike Aish
Mike is on a roll this year! After killing it at the Leadville Marathon a couple of weeks ago he was back racing the Silver Rush 50. What else would you expect but another win and CR from him! He finished in 6:48:54 and looks poised to have an incredible performance at the Leadville 100 next month!


VFuel Athlete and Olympian Mike Aish setting a course record at the Silver Rush 50Mike speeding to a new course record!


Timmy Parr
Timmy wasn’t far behind and had a fantastic race coming in a close 2nd in a time of 6:56:41. This is one of Timmy’s best performances and he is running super strong and very smart.


VFuel Athlete Timmy Parr for the 2nd of a VFuel Athlete 1-2 punch!The 2nd of a VFuel 1-2 Punch! Timmy Parr on the heelps of Mike Aish for 2nd!


Mark Theiss
Mark is on a quest for another Leadman finish and had a strong showing at the 50 mile Mountain Bike on Saturday. He rode a super steady race and finished in 4:53:23.


Now let’s take it out west to check in on one of the most awesome athletes we know! Larisa Dannis has had a very rough patch with a couple of fractures and has been so diligent in her recovery efforts and trying to get back in top form. We’d say she’s off to a great start! 


Larisa Dannis
She absolutely crushed the Golden Gate 50k in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area on her home trails in San Francisco setting a new CR with a time of 4:28:03. This is a burley course with over 6k feet of climbing so that’s an even more impressive time considering the terrain! We are so thrilled to see Larisa back at, and back at it in style! Here’s to happy and healthy miles Larisa! Congrats!


VFuel Athlete Larisa Dannis - new course record at the Golden Gate 50k in California!New course record and another win for Larisa. You know, no big deal.


So, to sum up, it’s just another incredible weekend of VFuel Athletes throwing down some pretty stellar performances! From the high country in Colorado to the coastal mountains of California, this weekend it was good to be a VFuel Athlete!

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<![CDATA[Yosemite Valley Circumnavigation]]> Yosemite Valley Circumnavigation


7/1/20/15


By VFuel Athlete Eric Lee


 


Run Stats










































Route



Yosemite Valley Rim Circumnavigation



Time on Feet



17h 55min



Distance



64.5mi



Elevation



15,750ft Gain/Loss ea



Calories Consumed



3400 kcal; 12 Vfuel, 3 Clif Bars, 2 chewy bars, 6oz trail mix, 1 Justin’s Almond Butter, 2oz M&Ms, 2 fruit snacks, 1oz turkey jerky.



Water Consumed



13-15 20oz bottles (9L)



Salt Consumed



19 capsules/9000mg, approx 400-500mg ea



Calories Burned



Approx 9,000 kcal



Temperature Range



65-85°F



 


Gear: UD UltraVest, 2x 20oz bottles, BD Z-poles, Tikka XP headlamp, Fenix ED10 light, Foretrex 301 GPS, Canon S110 camera, SPOT locator, inhaler, First-aid kit, Emergency blanket, Aqua Mira.


Clothing: iNov8 X-talon 212, Smartwool PhD crew socks, Champion synthetic boxer briefs, TNF Better-than-naked shorts, RMR Patagonia shirt, Moeben sleeves, $1 Walmart gloves, Drymax hat, bandana, OR Helium 2 Jacket.


 



GPS Track from loop around Yosemite. Click for larger version (opens in new tab)


Motivation comes in many forms, and all too often I hear people say, “I need to sign up for a race to keep me motivated in training”. I’d argue you don’t need a race, just a goal to work towards. In recent years I’ve come to realize that racing and competition don’t really excite me like it does other, there’s no adventure, there’s no mystery, and the unknown/uncertainty is minimized by the structure. So when I decided to postpone my original big project earlier this year I went searching in California for something fun to do. This is when I noticed a series of trails that seemed to loop around the rim of the Yosemite Valley. I began searching for additional information about the trails, distances and routes, and found very little, and nothing on people completing the full loop. Really? Could it be that no one has completed (and recorded publicly) hiking or running the loop? The closest I’ve found are runs/hikes of the North Rim and Leor Pantilat’s run from Yosemite Falls to Glacier Point.


PreRun Packing! 4500kcals is a lot to carry!


Early morning light at the Tunnel View Overlook! Here goes nothing!


Tuesday 6/30 I flew back into CA, picked up a car, and drove to the boundary of Yosemite to catch a few hours of rest before an early AM wake up. On Wednesday AM as I descended into the Yosemite Valley before dawn the temperatures were already in the 70s, as the forecast predicted it was going to be a hot one (90s in the Valley). I packed up my gear, threw 4500calories in my backpack, 40oz of water, and slathered on some sun screen. At 4:53am I started up the Glacier Point Rd, opting for this easier start than trying to find the connector trail in the dark. I quickly reached Tunnel View and struck on up the trail toward Inspiration Point. As I ascended toward the valley rim the temperature finally began to cool and the views began to open up. I quickly passed by Inspiration Point and found myself at Dewey Point (6:37am, mm6.5). The Yosemite Valley sprawled out below me, with El Capitan’s massive face dominating the Valley wall directly across from me. It was going to be a LONG way until I stood atop El Capitan probably less than 2miles as the crow flies from where I stood.


From Dewey Point! Incredible!


Even in a drought yeah, the flowers are beautiful!


I snapped a few photos and jogged off along the South Rim’s rolling forest and meadow laden trails. A quick stop at Taft Point (7:39am, mm11) to take in a few more views up Valley and off to Glacier Point and Sentinel Dome I went. A light cloud cover kept things from heating up too much, but also led to some hazy views from the top of Sentinel Dome (8:15am, mm13.9). Sentinel Dome is a highly underrated short hike, with views of the Yosemite Valley, Half Dome and into the Yosemite High Country as well, all achieved in under a mile each way from the Glacier Point Rd. I blew past the Glacier Point Rd and opened up the pace a bit as I headed down the smooth switchbacks toward Illouette Falls. Illouette Falls is one of the hidden gems of the Yosemite Valley, dropping 370ft sideways into a narrow rocky valley after starting as a narrow band before being broken into a nice fan. It can only be seen from several view points just below Glacier Point or by hiking up the valley to its base.


Another quick water refill and I hiked my way over the Panorama Cliffs and soon rejoined the crowds, briefly, for the run from Nevada Falls to the Half Dome cutoff. As I cruised past the roaring Nevada Falls (9:48am, mm20.9) and up the Merced the constant stream of people reminded me I was still so close to the Yosemite Valley.  I again refilled water, soaked my bandana, and sponged off near the bottom of Sunrise Creek then began the long hot, dry ascent up Cloudsrest. The sun was out in full force and the cumulative effects of the warm dry air were starting to take their toll, but when you’re running around unsupported you just have to deal with it and keep moving. I chugged water as I slowly climbed, but desperately needed too cool off. As luck would have it I found a trickling spring popping out of the hillside at 8200ft, what a little miracle that was amongst the barren dry slopes of Cloudsrest. My pace had still slowed quite a bit in the heat of the day, but I kept plodding along up up up. I reached the summit of Cloudsrest at 12:32pm (mm27.6), fairly tired/fatigued from the heat, but my legs felt alright. I ate some jerky and M&Ms and took a short nap as the cool breeze blew across the summit, waking 10min later feeling fairly refreshed. The panoramic view from Cloudsrest’s rocky summit includes a close-up profile of Half Dome, the giant granite lined bowl that is Tenaya Canyon, and a glimpse of the granitic peaks and spires that make up the Yosemite High Country.


On the trail to Illouette Falls just below Glacier Point. Half Dome, Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls.


I trotted off down the North side of Cloudsrest toward Tenaya Lake and the long haul around Tenaya Canyon. As I descended the incredibly rocky trail towards Tenaya Lake the all too familiar boom of thunder echoed high overhead in the clouds. As the rain began I was glad I was back below treeline, far from the exposed summit of Cloudsrest. The rain felt wonderfully soothing, and was a welcome change from the relentless heat and sun of the rest of the day, but would be short lived. I settled into a nice jog/hike mixture on the rolling terrain past Tenaya Lake (2:08pm, mm33.6) and around past the tourist crowded Olmstead Point toward Snow Creek. My mind began to become a bit foggy and I was worried the general fatigue was going to shut me down. Another thunderstorm rolled overhead as I crossed an exposed section of trail high above Tenaya Canyon, unfortunately the sun was soon back out heating things back up. My legs still had some decent pep as I cruised down the soft single track toward the Snow Creek crossing.


A quick peak into the Yosemite High Country at Tenaya Lake, halfway home.


Romping through the forest along Snow Creek.


I plopped on down next to Snow Creek, wet my bandana and munched on my trail mix, staring blankly at the map trying to decide my next move. I was moving slower, but my legs still felt alright, so I pushed onward, deciding to forgo the spur to North Dome, opting for the more direct line down Lehamite Creek instead. I put on some music, put my head down and chugged my way up the climb to the Indian Ridge saddle. As the sun dropped lower in the sky, the trees began to filter out a lot of the sunlight, cooling things down a bit and softening the light. Before I knew it I popped out at Yosemite Point (6:00pm, mm47.3); the Valley floor was 3000ft below my feet while Half Dome loomed large with the Clark Range dominating the skyline. As I sat enjoying the view I realized this moment was why I’d decided do to this insanely long linkup in the first place. To experience the awesome immenseness of Yosemite in a fashion and at times of day that few others would ever experience.


This place is alright. Relaxing and taking it all in at Yosemite Point.


As I made my way through Eagle Peak Meadow I did some calculations and realized I’d be coming back into the Valley after dark, not something I’d wanted to do on the overgrown and unmaintained Old Big Oakflat Rd, but not completely unanticipated either. I pushed my legs a little on the flats and downhills, but the ups were a labor, as the fatigue from the long day was really taking its toll. I finally strolled my way across the top of El Capitan’s broad summit and sat down on a rock pile atop the immense hunk of granite (7:38pm, mm52.5). The sun was hidden behind some clouds bathing the Valley in a soft glow. El Capitan may not have the best view of the Valley and surroundings, but it’s a cool feeling to sit atop the monolith, something surprisingly few people do.


On the homestretch, 15 long miles to go.


Sunset on top of El Capitan.


Then began the long trudge back to the car. From the top of El Capitan it was roughly 11.8miles of rolling downhill forested single track and unmaintained access road (dirt) back to my car at Bridal Veil. No more views, just closing out the loop…in the dark. As I crested the final small hill near Ribbon Meadow the last remnants of the sun lit the sky up in an array of yellows, oranges, reds and pinks, then into the darkness I descended. My legs were very happy on the somewhat rough downhill single track, and soon I found myself at the unsigned turn off for the Old Big Oakflat Rd, an unmaintained access road that the park service had ‘let go’ of and is now know as the ‘Rock slide’ trail for good reason. As I started jogging down the old road grade I found out what 50years without maintenance can do, hundreds of downed trees, tree branches growing right into the track, manzanita narrowing the path to 1-2ft wide, and finally the rock slides. Just after an old view point known as Rainbow View (it was dark, no views) the old road had been ravaged by dozens of large rocks slides, some that have completely wiped out the old road grade. Ever tried navigating sideways through a large talus field in the dark? It’s not easy, and was very frustrating. In all the descent down the Old Big Oakflat Rd was mentally the most painful and frustrating part of the day, because my legs felt good and wanted to run, but I could never get a rhythm going because of the overgrowth and rock slides. Finally after much rock hoping and thrashing I popped out on the maintained service road at the bottom and hopped on the Valley trail that would take me back to the Pohono bridge and the Bridal Veil parking area. I jogged my way across the valley, finally reaching the Bridal Veil parking lot at 10:48pm (mm64.5), completing the whole loop in 17h55min, not blazing fast by any means, but I’d gotten it done.


El Cap in the moonlight with a solitary headlamp bivied on the wall.


I was exhausted, but very happy with the long day. After a quick rinse off in the Merced River (I was filthy) I threw all my gear into the back of the car and drove just outside the park boundaries to a logging road I’d found the previous night and was out within minutes, the rest of the drive to meet my family at the Lair of the Bear where we’d be camping until Saturday would have to wait until morning.


 


Closing Thoughts:


When I first conceived of the idea of running a loop around the entire rim of the Yosemite Valley, the main intention was to experience as many of the iconic view points as possible, while never returning to the hustle and bustle of the Valley. Except for my one detour off the North Dome loop it was a success, the views were amazing and varied all day long, I saw surprisingly few people, even at major junctions like Glacier Point, Nevada Falls and Yosemite Falls. What I hadn’t expected were all the wildflower laden meadows (even in a drought year), the beautifully soft forest single track and the immense fur and pine forests that encompassed all the sections in between the labeled view points. I’d gotten a little unlucky with the weather; being an abnormally low snow year leading to rivers drying up early and a hotter than usual day, which baked me pretty good from 11a-5p. The only part that I really did not enjoy was the final descent down the Old Big Oakflat Rd in the dark, some of that may have been due to fatigue, but I was definitely frustrated by the rough and unrunnable nature of the ‘trail’.


I would love to do the run again someday, but I think the CW direction would be better for several reasons, and placing some self-supported drops at the Tenaya Lake and Glacier Point bear boxes would be a great help. I also think that during a normal snowpack year the flowers could be 10x better than what I saw and water much more plentiful (trail could be muddy in places though). This route would also make a fantastic 3-5day backpacking trip for those less inclined to run, or it could be split into two segments for runners using the free shuttle bus service to/from Tenaya Lake. There are unlimited possibilities for loops of varying distances and difficulties depending what you want to see, many of which have been done before, but putting the whole thing together in one day was an awesome experience, and truly a unique way to get to know the Yosemite Valley Rim.


Special thanks to VFuel for keeping my energized during this crazy adventures, Cindy Stonesmith at Ultrarunner Training for keeping me in line (physically), Adam Engel at Waldron’s Peak PT for helping fix me earlier this year and all my running/climbing/scrambling/skiing partners for being equally crazy and adventurous. Run fast, run healthy, but mostly run happy.


 


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<![CDATA[Reese Ruland on Running in the Shadow of Her Bike]]> by Reese Ruland
Reese cruising to a new CR at the Quad Rack 25 in Ft. Collins
Reese cruising to a new CR at the Quad Rock 25 in Ft. Collins

 


Ok, I'm going to admit that over the past year I kind of, sort of, became a little ensconced in the world of road biking. I could go places faster, I could geek out to new gear, half heartily joke about Strava, and have you seen how awesome everyone looks in tight spandex and chamois....? Among my cycling friends I was and still am the token runner. I usually show up to a ride having  just run two hours, but biking is low impact, so it doesn't really count as a work out...I think it works like that? So I bike. And I run. My cycling friends know this. My running friends, however, do not. I blame that on the ease at which one can take photos while biking. I'll guesstimate that for every running photo I have, there are at least 20 biking photos that drown it out. Which is why when I signed up for the Quad Rock 25 mile race, my running friends were perplexed. Between the day I signed up and the moment the gun went off, at least 10 people asked me if I was still a runner. I was about to loose it and just start saying, "Bitch I might be!" But the stock answer was, "Yes! I run AND bike. I just don't take pictures while I run." I mean really.. where am I going to put an iphone6 in my shorts? Exactly. 

 


My training over the past few months had been sporadic at best so I figured that Quad Rock would be a nice way to jump up my training runs in preparation for my hundred miler in September. Base miles are everything, right? I signed up six days before the race. The next morning I woke up to to sore knees and heel pain for no apparent reason. "This is good," I thought. Who doesn't like being injured? For the next few days I stuck to cycling and icing my legs compulsively. The day before the the race, I biked for two hours and still felt a slight twinge in my knee. When I got off my bike I did what any normal person testing out the durability of their slightly injured knee would do, jump up and down and run in small circles- just to see what would happen. There wasn't a ton of pain which seemed pretty conclusive to me. Obviously I was healed and ready to go. 

 


Reese (right) grinding up a climb in Ft. Collins

That night my friend Dana Kracaw stayed at my place. She too was running the next day. It was nice to have someone else  at the house who would be getting up at 3:30am. Not because I can't wake up that early, but because its nice to have someone else to complain about getting up at such a stupid hour. Which is what happened on Sunday morning as we both sucked down our heavily caffeinated drinks.  

 


Per usual, arrived to the start line entirely too early. I'm not someone who warms up for these things. So I just meandered around, talked to friends and told people that I just don't take photos while I run. Yadda yadda yadda, we all line up and we count down to our start. A furious beeping of watches ensued as we all shuffle off. About five minutes into the race I noted that my right arm, the one holding my bottle, is already fatigued from holding it. Which is simply pathetic. I contemplated just stopping. It's too early for this shit. And by "this shit" I mean running, holding a water bottle, and generally exerting effort. But everyone else around me was doing just fine, so I just stuck with it, begrudgingly. It also became quite apparent that I don't like running behind people. Or having people run too closely behind me. I feel a) claustrophobic b) Like I'm missing the view and c) rushed. In a panicked manner, I skirted around people so I could be on my own. Once I was able to do that, I eventually got into the groove of running. The uphills were good and steep and the downhills were the perfect amount of technical. These trails were in my back yard, so I felt like I had a bit of an unfair advantage. I admit that despite having run them many times, looking east towards town and the reservoir, the view hasn't gotten old. In fact, if I had brought a camera with me, I would have taken a photo. But you know how that goes. 


Nothing of note really happened during the run, which is good. No one needs to epic if they don't have to. I didn't stop at any aid stations, but they looked rad. Luckily my knees held up - well mostly. I didn't encounter ferocious beasts on the trail, nor did I have any life changing epiphanies. I felt like I was just training as usual- until about mile 22. At that point, the sun started blazing and the course was no longer shaded by trees. So at mile 22, I decided that, yup, I'm over this. I'd like to be done now, please. Which at that point you can see the finish line, but you know you have three more miles till you get there. It looked like an oasis. As I wound my way down the switchbacks I could almost taste the freshly cut, cold watermelon from the trail. And once I crossed the finish line, I'm fairly certain I immediately made a b line for the fruit. 


 


Race directors, Nick Clarke and Pete Stevenson, put on a fantastic race as usual and of course had a great finish line area- complete with massages, beer and food. Three things I enjoy. Ten out of ten I'd run it again. And hopefully by running the race I've gained my trail runner cred back. I might not have photographic proof, but please.. it's on Strava- so it did happen. 


You can read more from Reese on her blog: http://reeseruland.blogspot.com/

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<![CDATA[Comrades, Dirty 30, Sky Running, and more!]]> It was a big weekend for our VFuel Athletes all over the country and around the world! As founders of VFuel we can't tell you how awesome it is to see our athletes performing at a world class level all over the place in such a wide array of races! It never gets old to hear their stories and hear how VFuel is playing a small part in helping them reach their lofty and impressive goals! Such an inpiration to us and we hope to you as well!


 


Comrades Marathon - Sage Canaday



Sage doing it right - before and after the race.


Comrades is actually a 55 mile jaunt through South Africa and Sage *crushed* this race coming in 15th overall (out of 20,000+) and as the first American. with a time of 6:03:47. See full results here. Of course he is a bit dissapointed in his time and place, as all world class athletes always think they can do better, but he had a stellar race no matter how you look at it! In his own words:


"Wow, what an amazing experience! This is by far the largest and most competitive ultra in the world and it was just an honor to be able to take part and finish. I didn't run the time or place that I wanted, but now I know that to improve I"ll have to train much smarter and a lot more. Just for reference: Max King and I were out at CR pace for the first mile (probably the only flat mile on the entire course) by splitting a 5:50 and we were buried back somewhere between 300 to 400th place! The first half of the race on a lot of the big uphills went as planned and we were right where we needed to be in the lead pack to podium or try to win...but then the wheels fell off and it was very humbling. There was a time where I thought I might not make it to the finish line. Nonetheless it was such an enriching and inspiring journey for 55 miles with nearly 20,000 other runners and (what seemed like 1 million) spectators. Everyone I met has been really friendly: from a fellow elite runner fixing my back bib number for me as we were racing to runners handing over extra water rations for fellow competitors to share, it has been a very special race here in South Africa. I plan to return and try to improve!"


 


 


Golden Gate Dirty 30 - Paul Hamilton, Timmy Olson, Nick Pedatella


The VFuel Sponsored Golden Gate Dirty 30 was held this past saturday as well! This is a fantastic race in our neck of the woods so it's always great to see so many friends on the trails on race day! We had a strong VFuel showing out there this year with three athletes running the race and two floating around taking pics and working the VFuel booth at the finish line. It was a beautiful day and another great event put on by RD Megan Finnesy! 


Timmy checked in after the race and said he was 'stoked on the run! Feeling like I'm getting in a groove. Beautiful course and day!' 


 


Paul Hamilton had a fantastic race coming in first place with a time of 4:36:25.


 


Timmy Olson had a solid day as well - 6th place : 4:58:40
Photo: Bryan Trammell


 



Nick Pedatella finished in 16th with a time of 5:22:54
Photo: Bryan Trammell


 



Ashley Erba holding down the fort at the finish line!
Photo: Eric Lee 


 


 


Sky Running USA, Quest for the Crest - Josh Arthur


Josh is tackling the Sky Running Series this year and is off to a great start! In his 2nd race of the series, the Quest for the Crest, he nabbed a podium spot finishing in 6:13 for 3rd place. This is a gnarly course with more than 11,000 feet of climbing over 50k through the Black Mountains of North Carolina. The race went well for Josh but he thinks he could have done a bit better. He reported that he made a couple of mistakes, got a bit overheated and battled some cramping. Regardless, it was a great result in a burly race that will only help him get stronger as the season progresses! 


Josh (middle) took 3rd place at the Quest for the Crest in NC.


 


 


Go Big or Go Home 50k - Ethan Veneklasen


And last, but certainly not least, Ethan ran The Loco, Go Big or Go Home 50k over the weekend in the beautiful Lassen National Forest scoring 2nd place, getting beat in the final miles by only 29 seconds! Ethan is hitting it hard right now getting ready for his go at the Eiger Trail Ultra 101k in July!



Ethan enjoying some post race party favors!


 


This summer is going to be jam packed with big race weekends from our incredible team! We'll be posting updates here as the season progresses! Here's to a fantastic summer racing season!  

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