The Whole30 & Training Update

It's been a long time since I have written a post specifically about my training and me personally.  Majority of my posts have revolved around my daughters and my family.  Granted, those posts are probably more interesting then listening to me talk about my training, racing, nutrition, etc.  But truthfully, now that I have been blogging for over a year, I have grown to use this platform to get stuff off my chest, express myself, share my struggles and successes, and a place for me to just "figure stuff out."  I have used this website to share my dreams, no matter how far fetched, my struggles balancing my racing career with raising 2 daughters, and even many recipes that we have made at our home.  My blog is not a typical blog, focused on one aspect of life.  But rather a full encompassing site where I share my life.  As much as my life revolves around my kids and my racing, there is much more to me and who I am.  As I continue to grow as a father, husband, friend, triathlete, police officer, this blog will be here for me to share my life. This blog is me...

Anyway...As many of you probably have read, I started the Whole30 program/detox/cleanse this past Monday (January 20th).  The program itself is rather simple, but can become as specific/difficult as you want to make it.  The rules to the Whole30 are rather simple... (Or check out The Whole30 Programs Rules)

1. Eat REAL food - Eat meat, eggs, seafood, tons of vegetables, some fruit, and plenty of good fats from fruits, oils, nuts, and seeds.
2. Avoid added sugar of any kind, real or artificial, alcohol in any form, grains, legumes, dairy, white potatoes, carrageenan, MSG, or sulfites, and no "Paleo-ifying" baked goods, treats, or junk food.
3. The last rule is you are not allowed to step on a scale throughout the duration of the 30 days.  

Now, like I said you can make this program as specific and as difficult as you choose.  You can consume products that are sold in cans, jars, bottles, packages, etc.  But you really need to look closely at the ingredients list.  If the product has any of the forbidden ingredients the food should be avoided.  Why such the strict diet?  Certain food groups (sugar, dairy, grains, and legumes) can significantly have a negative impact on your health without even knowing it.  An example of this can be best shown with the growth of "gluten free products."  Gluten is the protein found in wheat and has a highly inflammatory response in many people.  This response causes several different symptoms in people, including bloating, gas, indigestion, migraine headaches, and allergies, just to name a few.  The other food groups listed above can have similar responses.  So how do you know if a certain food group negatively effecting you?  You simply cut out all the psychologically unhealthy, hormone-unbalancing, gut-disrupting, inflammatory food groups for a full 30 days. Let your body heal and recover from whatever effects those foods may be causing. Push the “reset” button with your metabolism, systemic inflammation, and the downstream effects of the food choices you've been making. Learn once and for all how the foods you've been eating are actually affecting your day to day life, and your long term health.

Why for 30 days?  It generally takes 20-30 days for our bodies to truly reset themselves and clear out and heal from previous damaged caused by foods.  It also is enough time to mentally change the way you think about food.  Many foods can have a significant psychological effect on you and your brain.  Specifically, sugar.  Sugar can act like a drug, causing a dangerous addiction that leaves you wanting and needing more sugar to fulfill your "need" for sugar.  Just watch the video below.

In order to break the vicious cycle of sugar cravings, you need to take time to reset your subconscious to learn a new, healthier way to eat.  

So why have I decided to do the Whole30?  Simple...I need to change my eating habits.  I do not eat as healthy as one may think.  Yes, I do eat pretty damn healthy, especially compared to the majority of middle aged Americans.  But, I do not want to be average.  I want to excel, I want to be the best I can be.  I want to be fast, fit, and healthy.  Over the past few years, I have found myself eating healthy most of the time, but then usually once a day, I break down and go on a binge.  Typically, my binges consist of some form of sweet, whether chocolate, ice cream, baked goods, granola bars, sugar filled cereals...you name it, I've pigged out on it.  I have taken down an entire box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch in one sitting after work one morning, I polished off a bag of Hershey Kisses, I usually eat most of my kids granola bars before they get their second one.  Yea....I have a problem.  I struggle to eat to comfortably full, usually, I eat until I am stuffed.  Evidently I hide this pretty well, because most of my co-workers think I am the healthiest eater they know of.  Maybe it's because I am relatively fit and look like I am in shape, but I guess when you train as much as I do, it makes it that much easier to hide the excess calorie intake.  I have developed many of the above listed symptoms.  I may not have a severe reaction to many of the aggravating food groups, but I can tell you with a large degree of certainty, wheat does not fully agree with my stomach.  My sleep lately has slowly gotten worse, my attitude has been less then desirable, and I am up over 20 pounds from when I was in my athletic peak.  I really just need to hit the "reset" button and relearn healthy eating habits.  

During my Whole30, I have personally decided to add caffeine to the list of foods to avoid.  Similar to sugar and other foods, caffeine has a significant effect on your hormonal response and your brain.  You also develop an addiction to caffeine which can greatly effect sleeping patterns.  Typically it takes about 10-14 days to reset your bodies response to caffeine, but I figured if 14 is good 30 is better!  

Like I said, I started the program on Monday the 20th which means I will complete the program on February 18th.  On the front it sounds easy...it's "just 30 days."  But when you look at it, that's a fricken month.  But, I am committed to this, I am committed to become a better person, a healthier person.  I am committed to developing healthier eating habits.  I am fully committed to the Whole30.  Here are some examples of the foods/meals I have been eating thus far during my Whole30.  I fried up a small sweet potato with an apple and unsweetened coconut flakes with some Ghee (see "Making Ghee")) for a post workout meal.  The flavors actually blended together nicely.  I made a coconut curried chicken in the crock pot on Tuesday for dinner for the family, which went over well with everyone.  For my lunch at work, I have been packing vegetables along with a small tin of sardines.  I can honestly say, that in just the couple days I have been eating super clean, I have been sleeping better, have not had any digestion issues, and have been in a better mood all around.  I must admit, I have been generally more tired then usual, but I am writing that off due to my cutting off caffeine with no real weening off.  I am anticipating my energy levels to come back up to normal and even exceed where I was prior as I progress along the next 30 days.

As far as my training, it has been a very prolonged off season for me.  Much longer than I am used to.  Unfortunately, it's not by choice.  I am still not running due to a diagnosed stress reaction (fracture) in my lower right tibia (shin bone).  This has been a very difficult time for me.  I have really been struggling mentally this winter.  I don't know if it is just a mid winter funk or something more.  I know that life has been a little more stressful then usual with the anticipation of our third kid, who is due to arrive in mid-March.  I have also still been trying to solidify some new goals for my future.  In the past I have always been training for one specific goal in mind, now that is gone.  I have since come up with a few goals, such as running a sub 3 hour marathon, qualifying for Team USA, and running a 50 mile ultra marathon.  Unfortunately all those goals revolve around me running, which is just not happening and hasn't happened for over 2 weeks now.  I know it has just been 2 weeks, but it's killing me mentally.  I bagged my previous training plan in favor of a more general base building plan where I honestly kind of fly by the seat of my pants each and every day and do at least an hour of training and day in either the pool, on the bike, or on an elliptical, or some combination of 2 of the 3.  I can't even begin to describe how bad a just want to go out and run and be "normal" again.  I feel like a waste, I feel like I am working out, as opposed to training.  I have basically given up on my goal of running a sub 3 hour marathon at the Green Bay Marathon on May 18th, as time is just running out.  I am having an extremely difficult time wrapping my mind around the idea that I will not be able to run 30 miles on my 30th birthday - as I have been planning this event for over the past 2-3 years now.  It's depressing.  It puts me a dark, gloomy mood just writing about it.  

I am also having a difficult time comprehending the fact that I will be turning 30 years old in a month and a half.  I am refusing to accept the idea that it is all downhill from here and that my best racing years of my life are behind me.  I am just refusing that let that happen.  I still have so much I want to accomplish and I fear that as I get older and my kids get older, it will become that much more difficult to achieve them.  I am also realizing that I can not eat like I did when I was younger (see the entire post above...) and I do not recover like I used to.  Life is getting rough, I don't like it one bit, and frankly, I am dreading it greatly.  Things are just not going how I saw them going for me in 2014.  It's been a rough first couple weeks of 2014 and quite honestly, it's got me in a funk.  Hopefully, by this weekend I am easing my way back into running and slowly building my mileage back up where I'd like it to be.  With only 27 days left of the Whole30, hopefully I am on my way to becoming a healthier athlete, which should have me in a better mood with higher spirits with my expectations and goals back in sight for the upcoming race season!

Weekend in Chicago

A couple weeks ago, Sarah and I were sitting around the house after dinner and we had just put the girls to bed.  Sarah brought up the idea of going down to Chicago to take the girls to Shedd Aquarium.  Sarah saw that I had a Friday-Saturday-Sunday "weekend" coming up from work and it was my last true weekend off from work until our baby was due in mid-March.  It worked out perfect, we had no prior commitments that entire weekend.  We jumped online to get an idea on prices for a hotel near the Aquarium and see if it was feasible.  I scoured the web and found a few hotels right on Michigan Av all within 1 mile of the Aquarium.  I booked a hotel that night.  Our plan was to leave Friday afternoon after I took a short nap after working the night before and Sarah had to work for at least 4-6 hours on Friday anyway.  Our hope was to be on the road by noon or 1pm.  We would then spend the day at Shedd and then come home on Sunday. 

We lucked out a couple days before we were planning on leaving.  I ended up taking Thursday night off from work and Sarah was able to take off Friday.  We now had the ability to leave plenty early on Friday.  After packing up the car and getting everything set for 3 hours in the car with a 2 and 4 year old, we were officially on the road shortly after 9am.  Since we were able to leave earlier then we initially anticipated, we planned on stopping at Millennium Park to see the Cloud Gate (the giant mirrored jelly bean) and maybe even going ice skating right in downtown Chicago. 

We got to Chicago around 12:30 and figured out were to park near Millennium Park and brought the girls to the Cloud Gate.  The weather was cold, but tolerable and with it being the middle of January, the crowds were basically non-existent.  Cloud Gate was really neat to see, it was something that I had always wanted to go check out.  Not only is the Cloud Gate itself unique and beautiful in its own right, but then you consider its location in downtown Chicago with the backdrop of Chicago's skyline, it makes it that much more intriguing.  After seeing the Cloud Gate, we went down to the Millennium Park Ice Rink.  I was surprised to see were the rink was set.  It was directly below the Cloud Gate, which made the setting of the Ice Rink all the better.  Sarah and I brought our own ice skates, knowing they charged $10 for skate rentals.  We had planned on renting 2 pairs of skate for the girls, and were surprised that toddler sized skates were free!  I was taken back by the fact that we were able to ice skate in downtown Chicago for free!  Nothing is free no-a-days.  After getting the girls' skates laced up, we brought them out to the ice.  It was no real surprise, but neither of the girls really took off on skates, with it being their first time on ice skates, they had a hard time figuring out the whole lack of traction.  I basically did a combination push/carry with Maya to take her around on the ice.  Delaney balanced really well on the ice, especially considering the fact that she is only 2 years old!  With being out in the cold for an hour or two already, the girls were only able to make it out on the ice for about 30 minutes.  After returning the girls' skates, I wanted to do some skating of my own with out a kid hanging on for dear life.  I did a couple of laps and then we headed back to our car and made it to our hotel to check in. 

We stayed at The Essex right across the street from Grant Park near Shedd Aquarium.  The rate was about $100 a night and had a large indoor pool, along with a free shuttle to the Shedd Aquarium.  For dinner we went to Ed Debevec's which is in downtown and is known for their sarcastically poor service.  The setting of the restaurant is a traditional dinner with burgers, fries, and milkshakes, being their staples.  Dinner was fun for both Sarah and I, but also the girls.  After dinner on Friday, we came back to the hotel to let the girls swim in the pool. 

We slept in a bit on Saturday and were in the lobby ready by 8:50 for the free shuttle ride to the Aquarium.  Once at the Aquarium, we opted for the tickets which gave us access to all the areas of the Aquarium and included tickets to the Aquatics Show and the 4-D movie.  We first toured the Amazon wing and spent about 45 minutes there and then went down to the Oceanarium for the Aquatics Show.  With in the first couple minutes of being at the Aquarium I knew how excited the girls were.  Their eyes lit up after seeing the first large tank of fish.  Then when we went to the show, they were mesmerized with the animals.  They enjoyed watching the Beluga Whales jump and then seeing 3 dolphins jumping together, but loved seeing Corral, a dog adopted by the Aquarium who do tricks alongside the whales.  After the show we spent about a half hour in the polar play zone looking at penguins and otters, along with a couple small playgrounds.  After passing 30 mins, it was time for our 4-D movie of Ice Age.  I had little expectations going into the movie, but left thinking that it was so worth it.  The movie incorporated 3-D glasses, vibrating seats and chair backs, real blowing snow, squirting water, odors, and blowing wind.  It was short (15 mins) and simply awesome.  After the movie we finished touring the remainder of the galleries.  We spent time petting, or touching, live star fish, petting live sturgeon, seeing large sharks, jelly fish, and other bright and colorful fish.  The hotel only offered a free shuttle service to the Aquarium, but not a return shuttle.  Luckily our hotel was relatively close, because we opted to walk back from the Aquarium.  The walk was nice, it took about 15 minutes and was snowing.  It was rather peaceful.  The girls laid down for a nap after the Aquarium and then spent the evening in the pool before dinner.  For dinner we ordered a true Chicago style pizza from Lou Malnati's.  The pizza was probably the best pizza I have ever had.  It was so good. 

We left early on Sunday with hopes of getting home early enough to pick up our newly ordered bunk beds and set them up during the 2 big football games which were on in the late afternoon.  My dad helped me get everything set up.  We left to go pick up the new furniture around 2pm and had it all set up in the girls' new bedroom by 5pm.  After getting everything set up, we ordered chicken in and had dinner with my parents for helping us get the bedroom all set up. 

In the end we brought our girls ice skating in downtown Chicago, Shedd Aquarium, they got to go swimming on Friday and Saturday, and we got them completely moved into a single room for the anticipated arrival of their new sister.  It was a great weekend - one that makes it just that much more difficult to go back to work.

2013 Year End Video

Just a simple video created with Windows Movie Maker.  All pictures and videos were taking in 2013 and are in somewhat chronological order.

Christmas with the Kohls

As they usually do, the holidays have come and gone within the blink of an eye.  It feels like just a couple days ago we were setting up our Christmas tree and getting set for Christmas and now here I sit and it's January 14th, what the hell?  It has also been quite a while since I just did a simple post about our family, my training, and just what the heck has been going on in our lives lately.  So here we go...

First off, with me working odd schedules and rarely is it guaranteed that I will get all/most of the Christmas time off from work, we have to make at least some adjustments to our family get together's.  Plus, once you add my job schedule on top of the restraints of our brothers and sisters travel plans and their holiday plans with their respective families, just getting together for a day anywhere near the holiday seems like a blessing.  Fortunately, I was lucky enough to be able to take off both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day from work, so Sarah and I were able to schedule our family gatherings, pretty close to our traditional schedules from growing up.  We had to make one small adjustment in our holiday schedule however, and that being our Christmas celebration with Sarah's immediate family, which we were able to get everyone together on December, 21st.  My sister-in-law gladly opened her house for the family for a full day of eating hors d'oeuvres for lunch leading up to a spectacular feast for dinner.  For the past two years now we have been doing a beer exchange, which is a newer tradition I admittedly stole from my dad's side of the family which they have been doing for 3 or 4 years now.  We have 5 guys on Sarah's side of the family, which is just the right size for a small beer exchange.  It's rather simple, really, pick out your favorite beer (must be a specialty beer - no Coors, Miller, Budweiser, etc) and bring enough beer to share for everyone else participating.  Then, everyone gets one can/bottle of the beer you brought, and presto!  You have a fine selection of beer to sample!  This Christmas was also the first attempt at an ugly sweater & 'stache bash with the family.  This lead to some pretty classic pictures to say the least!  Other then the guys doing our beer exchange, the day is literally for all the kids in the family, which seems to be growing exponentially by the year.  Sarah's parents now have 4 grandkids (technically 5 as of today), 3 granddogs, and 7 kids/kids-in-laws, and still room for more to love - trust me :)

The kids spent the night opening presents from just about everyone there and it was a blast to just watch their faces light up as they open each gift thinking it's the greatest thing in the world until they open the next gift.  After spending the day at Lisa's house, we headed home for the night and went back the next day to catch the Packer game and finish off some of the massive amounts of left overs from our feast the day prior.  That Sunday was also our league championship weekend for our 12-team PPR fantasy football league, that is taken pretty seriously between family and close friends.  In the championship game was my brother-in-law, Jake, who seems to be in the championship game just about every year and then ME!  Who literally has never been in the playoffs since starting this league 6 years ago!  The stars must have lined up perfectly for me this year, because I ended up laying a beat down on Jake and claiming my first ever Fox Valley Fantasy League Super Bowl Championship.  Not only does this come with a nice little financial pay-out, but also bragging rights for the entire year...which I plan on using more than the money!

Finally, a League Championship!

After our Christmas celebration with Sarah's family, we had a short two day break before Christmas Eve.  Now is when the family traditions kick in.  This is the also the first year in my 3 years at Winnebago County, that I have had Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off, so needless to say, I was more then excited to see my aunts and uncles and spend the holidays with my family, as opposed to my coworkers.  Christmas Eve always starts with Christmas Eve mass at the Church both Sarah and I attended as kids and got married at.  We have been going to this mass together with both of our families pretty much since we started dating...way back in high school!  After mass we head over to my mom's side of the family for a dinner and gift exchange at my Grandma's house (the one who sells trees).  It has been about 10 years now since my Grandpa passed, so to commemorate this, one of my uncles brought a case of Pabst Blue Ribbon to share - my Grampa's favorite beer.  We all shared a drink in his honor.  The night continued and we shared stories of spending time at the cottage in the summer and random memories together, had dinner, and did our annual gift exchange/gift stealing game.  

As midnight approached, Sarah and I bundled the girls up and headed home to get them into bed for the night so Santa could come.  But first, we had to put out cookies and milk for him.  Earlier, before leaving for church the girls and I put out Reindeer treats in our front lawn that Maya's teacher gave to her.  It consisted of oats and glitter (oats for the reindeer to snack on and glitter so they can see our house from the sky).  After we had everything set perfect for Santa with their letters and cookies, the girls quietly laid in bed dreaming of Santa bringing their perfect gift.  

Christmas day morning came and the girls both woke up with excitement in their eyes, while I woke up to about 3-5 inches of fresh snow to shovel.  I poured a hot cup of coffee in my thermos and headed out to clear our driveway while the girls patiently waited for me to come back in to open all their gifts from Santa.  We spent the morning as a family and it was relaxing and really enjoyable to just spend this time with the 4 of us together as opposed to all the hectic (yet enjoyable) time with our extended families.  

Merry Christmas to me!

Running shoes for Delaney too!

After opening all the gifts from Santa and exchanging gifts between Sarah and I, we packed up for a long day and headed over to my parents house for a brunch and gift exchange.  We spent the morning with my parents, my brother and his girlfriend and me and the girls.  But, after brunch, the gift exchange, and a little time to play with some of the new gifts, we were packed up and heading over to my dad's brother's house for the Kohl Christmas luncheon.  This was the birthplace of the now annual Kohl Family Beer Exchange.  This year, we had 14 people participate, and believe it or not, we didn't have a single duplicate!  It was so nice for me to get over to my dad's side of the family and see many family members that I literally haven't seen in over a year and some even longer!  We are lucky enough to see many of my mom's side of the family throughout the summer months at the cottage and at other gatherings, but rarely do I get to see some of my dad's family.  Plus he comes from a family of 12 brothers and sisters...yup, that's a big family and just that much more difficult to get the family together.  

Now that's a beer exchange!

Right around dinner time, we left for our last family Christmas, this time, it was Sarah's mom's family.  I have been lucky enough to be able to attend this gathering most years due to my work schedule and it always being an evening dinner get together.  

By then end of the night, Sarah and I were left thinking, "Wow, its already over, Christmas has come and gone."  I went back to work the next night for just a couple nights, before I had another long weekend.  Christmas may have been done, nut we still had our annual "Tree Hopping" to get though, and not to mention New Years Eve.  "Tree Hopping," is another tradition started on my mom's side of the family rooted in their love of Christmas and the Christmas Tree.  It's rather simple actually, you just go from house to house and see their Christmas Tree, hence, "Tree Hopping."  For New Years Eve we spent the first part of the night at Sarah's uncle's house who has an annual New Years Eve party.  As the night wore on, we left to see my parents who were at my mom's cousin's house - yea, we're all pretty close to just about all of our extended families.  We watched the ball drop in Time Square and then cheers-ed to the Central Time Zone New Year and headed home shortly after to bring the girls home to get them to bed - as they were exhausted, as I'm sure you could imagine. 

As far as my training, it has been going far less then stellar - to say the least.  I have been developing a moderate dull pain in my lower right shin for the past couple weeks.  It all culminated on the weekend after New Years.  I had a 10 mile run scheduled on that Saturday which I started feeling the pain about 1-2 miles in and after about 5 I debated stopping it all together but sucked it up and grinded out the last half of my run.  The next day, I planned on running 6 miles, which I started on a treadmill with hopes of a softer ride.  That wasn't the case at all, I ended up having the worst pain at that location since it started and I literally just could not continue running, it was so severe.  I stopped the run about 2.5 miles in and called it a day.  I decided to rest it for a week and see if it got better, then I saw a local running store (Fleet Feet Sports Fox Valley) had a free injury screening and it fell on my off day so I nabbed up the last time slot.  I went in and the PT thought it was a possible stress fracture and encouraged me to get a professional opinion.  I did just that on Friday afternoon and saw an Orthopedic Sports Medicine Doctor.  He diagnosed me with a "Stress Reaction," which is the lowest grade stress fracture you can have.  In fact, from what I understand, it isn't even really a fracture, just the beginning stages of one.  Long story, short, he recommended 3-4 weeks rest of no activities that cause me pain (basically running).  So, it has now been a little over 1 week since I last ran and have been filling my time with swimming, biking, and mimicking running the best I can on an elliptical.  I have been going nuts to say the least.  I had huge plans for my running in 2014, including a sub 3 hour marathon this May at the Green Bay Marathon and my first ultra marathon with the Fall 50 miler in October.  I am still not ruling out the 50 miler, but am taking my sub 3 hour marathon goal off the table for now until I start running again in a couple more weeks and then will re-evaluate my goals for the Green Bay Marathon.  

In hopes to increase my longjevity in the sport of endurance running, I ordered a pair of Hoka One One running shoes (which I recently learned is properly pronounced Ho-ka O-nay O-nay - NOT Hoka 1-1).  Hokas are a newer shoe brand and one of the first max cushioned shoes on the market.  They are geared more toward ultra runners or runners who are looking for a highly cushioned, softer ride in their shoes.  I do not plan to wear these shoes all the time, as I do not want to become reliant on the impact absorbing properties of the shoes.  I run my short to medium length runs in Newton Gravity's and then use the Hoka's on my long runs 16+ range, to lessen the beating my body takes on those longer runs.  I will also race all races from a half marathon and shorter in Newton MV2's this year.  I also plan on wearing these shoes for my higher intensity workouts, such as mile repeats, tempo runs, and high speed track workouts.

I also made a couple changes to my 2014 plans.  First, I will not be racing at the Winnebago County Triathlon in July, but will be racing at the USA Triathlon Sprint Distance Age Group National Championships in early August, in Milwaukee, WI.  My primary goal of this race is to qualify for Team USA.  Based on last years qualifying times, I will need to put together a great race to make cut off times, but believe that this is a challenging, but definitely, realistic goal.  As far as my personal goals, I am maintaining my "Run the Year Goal," of running 2,014 miles in 2014, although, with my severe cut in running mileage this early in the year, I highly doubt this is obtainable, but who knows.  As I said my my Looking Forward post, I mentioned doing the Whole30 cleanse/30-day diet.  Again, I am still planning on doing this after this upcoming weekend, in which Sarah and I are surprising the girls with a trip down to Chicago to visit the Shedd Aquarium - but will write a post about the logistics of how and why I am choosing to do this diet.  Lastly, I have added one more additional goal for 2014 outside of my racing goals, and that is to make a shift to using more "All Natural" products around the house and on my body.  This can be accomplished either through making my own personal products or just purchasing all natural products.  My goal this year is to change to at least 5 all natural products from the traditional chemical filled products.  Some examples of products I plan on changing to include, tooth past, deodorant, soap, shampoo, and lotion.  We'll see how that goes and how they compare to the popular "unnatural" products.

There...I think I am all caught up to date now....so until next time - Be fast, be strong, & carry on!

Cheers!

Hammer Spotlight - Hammer Gel

I have used Hammer Nutrition products ever since I got started in endurance racing.  I started using Hammer products for many reasons, including their commitment to helping endurance athletes reach their highest levels of athletic performance and physical health safely, naturally, and legally, by providing them with the highest quality products, most educated staff, and best customer service.  Every one of Hammer's fuels area gluten-free, all natural, and made from the healthiest of ingredients.  Hammer does not believe in using added sugars, preservatives, or artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners.  If you have never been to Hammer Nutrition's website (www.HammerNutrition.com), I would highly recommend it.  Once there, you can find literally an entire library of articles, not only to learn about endurance fueling, but also general nutrition guidelines, training advice, different uses for their products, and weight management - just click on the "Knowledge" tab on the top of their site.  If you still can not find what you are looking for or have a question you just can not find an answer to, simply give them a call.  Their staff are all highly educated in the field of sports nutrition and training and are extremely willing to help you out.  I could seriously continue writing on all the great things Hammer Nutrition can offer you as a fellow endurance athlete, but I think you get the idea.  Obviously, when I found out that I was selected to an elite group of athletes to represent Hammer Nutrition for 2014, I was extrememly honored and excited.  As part of being a Hammer Athlete this year, I plan on writing at least one article each month spotlighting a Hammer product that I have used.  My goal is to compile a short article highlighting the product's ingredients, uses, and suggested dosing.  For my first Hammer Nutrition Spotlight, I thought it would only be right to highlight one of their staple products, Hammer Gel.

***All of the Hammer Spotlight articles are based off of Hammer Nutrition's nutritional philosophies.  I recommend reading "The Endurance Athlete's Guide to Success," for the science behind Hammer Nutrition's products and philosophies.***

Basics

Hammer Gel has been one of Hammer's most popular products for more than 10 years and for good reason.  Hammer Gel provides a reliable, even energy supply, as opposed to the "flash and crash" you get with many sugar loaded gels.  When you choose Hammer Gel, you can rest assured that you will not be getting any added refined simple sugars, artificial sweeteners, or artificial colors.  You get only what's good for you: complex carbohydrates, natural ingredients, and real fruit.  With Hammer Gel, you get a great tasting concentrated fuel source that goes down and digests easier than any other energy gel.  Hammer Gel comes in two different serving sizes, a single serving pouch and a 26 serving cost effective jug.  The single serving pouch is perfect for trying new flavors, fueling on the go, or when carrying space is limited.  When you purchase the cost effective jug, you are able effectively fuel long distance events with the use of a Hammer flask which is able to hold up to 5 servings.  Hammer Gel comes in 11 different flavors; Apple-Cinnamon, Banana, Chocolate, Espresso (50mg caffeine/serving), Montana Huckleberry, Orange, Raspberry, Tropical (25mg caffeine/serving), Unflavored, Vanilla, and the new Peanut Butter.  Each serving of Hammer Gel contains 80-90 calories.  The ingredients list for Hammer Gel includes (specifically for the Apple-Cinnamon flavor): Maltodextrin, Water, Apple Juice Concentrate, Energy Smart (Grape Juice, Rice Dextrin), Malix Acid, Ground Cinnamon, Vanilla Extract, Potassium Sorbate (as a preservative), Salt, Amino Acids (L-Leucine, L-Alanine, L-Valine, L-Isoleucine), Potassium Chloride.

Hammer Gel contains two sources of carbohydrates. The first one is a specific maltodextrin containing a unique saccharide profile that consists of a high percentage of pentasaccharides, (5-sugar chain complex carbohydrate). This particular pentasaccharide has unique properties that allow for maximal conversion to energy. In addition, this maltodextrin is relatively low on the Dextrose Equivalent (DE) scale, which is beneficial because the lower the DE, the quicker it will exit the GI tract and cross the stomach lining, allowing it to be more readily available for energy production. The maltodextrin used in Hammer Gel has a DE of 18, whereas sucrose (table sugar), a sweetener found in many sports gels and drinks, has a DE of 100. Hammer Gel is highly absorbable, and readily available for the demands of both endurance and strength events.

The other carbohydrate source is the patented natural sweetener Energy Smart a combination of naturally occurring fruit based mono- and disaccharides plus specially developed medium and long chain dextrins
derived from grain. The process of creating Energy Smart maintains the integrity of the fruit, grain dextrin enzymes, and naturally occurring vitamins and minerals.

Uses

Hammer Gel is an extremely versatile fuel.  Not only can it be used during training and races of 2-3 hours in duration, but it can be taken before exercise as a "preemptive strike" if you are choosing to go into a workout or race in a fasted state.  It can also be taken as part of a prerace meal 3 hours before an event.  Although Hammer Gels can be taken for workouts and races lasting longer than 3 hours, after this point you should consider supplementing your fueling with a more complex fuel such as Hammer Perpetuem or Hammer Sustained Energy.  Since Hammer Gel is all natural it can also be blended in with Sustained Energy, HEED, or Perpetuem to create a variety of tasty energy combinations for any length activity - anywhere, anytime.  

Suggested Dosing

Hammer Gel should be your primary source of calories during exercise and competition lasting up to 3 hours and each serving should be consumed with 16-28oz of water per hour.  Hammer recently came out with their new Peanut Butter flavor which has a slightly different nutrient breakdown.  This flavor contains 1g of protein and 2 grams of fat per serving, making this a great fuel for events lasting longer than 3 hours, but I would still recommend supplementing your fueling strategies with a liquid fuel like Perpetuem or Sustained Energy.

Suggested Doses by Body Weight*

WEIGHT	SERVINGS	CALORIES
Up to 90 lbs (Up to 41 kg)	0.5-1 serving/hr	40-45 to 80-90 cal.
90-120 lbs (41-54.5 kg)	0.5-1.5 servings/hr	40-45 to 120-135 cal.
120-155 lbs (54.5-70 kg)	1-2 servings/hr	80-90 to 160-180 cal.
155-190 lbs (70-86 kg)	1.5-2 servings/hr	120-160 to 135-180 cal.
190+ lbs (86+ kg)	1.5-2.5 servings/hr	120-135 to 200-225 cal.
*These are estimated doses. Each athlete should determine in training, under a variety of conditions, their personal optimum.

Below are some creative ways to mix your Hammer Gel for a variety of tastes:
Banana + Chocolate or Espresso = Banana Split
Orange + Vanilla = Orange Creamsicle
Raspberry + Orange + Banana = Fruit Punch
Raspberry + Espresso = Raspberry Mocha
Any Flavor + Vanilla =  A more mild flavor for long term use

Resources

1. Hammer Nutrition Catalog
2. www.HammerNutrition.com
3. Hammer Nutrition Product Usage Manual
4. The Hammer Nutrition Fuels & Supplements Guide
5. The Endurance Athlete's Guide to Success