My Stomach, Dean Karnazes and Tailwind Nutrition

I am not Dean Karnazes.

Duh.

I've never run through Death Valley. I haven't attempted to run 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days. It never occurred to me, until I read it in Ultramarathon Man (written by Dean) that one man should attempt to run a 200+ mile race on his own that was created for a team of runners. These are a few good reasons I cannot be compared to Dean.

Another reason that Dean and I cannot be in the same conversation, other than this blog post, is I do not have Dean's stomach. For those of you that have read Mr Karnazes' autobiography referenced above, you'll recall the famous story of Dean ordering a pizza while on a long run. He didn't wait to finish the run to consume the pizza. Nope. He had it delivered while on the run and proceeded to eat the pizza while running. And not just a slice or two. And not a light, veggie, cheese-less variety. No, he ordered the full-on extra everything pizza. And then proceeded to eat the entire thing. While running.

One slice of pizza consumed on a run, let alone a whole pizza, would have me in sore straights within about 30 minutes. Since I'm now almost exclusively a trail runner I'd at least have the luxury of finding a bush or tree to squat behind while nature ran its unfortunate course. But when I run I'd rather be running, not 'running', if you know what I mean. Through years of trial and error while running road and trail I have discovered that I do not have a stomach of steel. I can't eat sandwiches, granola, candy bars, burritos, GUs, or even most liquid brands of fuel.

This has been very discouraging.

After all, a runner needs fuel, especially when on training runs that last 3-5 hours and races that last over 12 hours. And even though I have trained my body to use fat pretty efficiently, having an easily digestible source of fuel is essential to perform well.

Which brings me to Tailwind Nutrition.

By way of the brilliant podcast Trail Runner Nation as well as a personal recommend from a fellow Ultra runner, I discovered Tailwind. It has been a game changer for me. Not only does it provide fast but also sustainable fuel, but it has never given me a stomach ache. For that matter, there's been times where I've felt a stomach ache coming on and a swig of TW has calmed my digestive system right down. And it mixes and dissolves oh so easily in water. There's never left over sludge in the bottom of my hydration pack. Last but not least, it simplifies fueling because it contains the right balance of electrolytes meaning you don't have to carry and remember to take separate electrolyte capsules. Did I mention it tastes great? Yep, I love the flavor.

Since some of you may be wondering my motive for singing the praises of TW let me be clear that I am not being compensated in any way by the makers of Tailwind. No free product, no swag, no dinero. I just figured if any of you struggle with the same issues I have in finding a product that will sustain your endurance workouts without the painful and wildly inconvenient 'gut bomb' that other products can cause, you'd like to know what I've found works for me. So go to their site and try the Tailwind Challenge. A no risk way to see if it works for you as well as it has for me. Let me know what you think!

I wonder if Dean has ever tried Tailwind...

I'm a Puddle Jumper

"Whether the weather is fine, or whether the weather is not; whether the weather is cold, or whether the weather is hot; we'll weather the weather, whatever the weather, whether we like it or not!" - Unknown

I grew up with a kid that only knew one way in life: skis pointed downhill, full-speed, no fear, no cares, no worries...lots of accidents. 
I, on the other hand, didn't have a broken bone as a child. Not one self-induced stitch. No ambulance rides, no emergency room visits. The only trips to Insta-Care were for the occasional flu bug. That doesn't mean I didn't have fun or experience life. Far from it. 

My dad was an adventurer and that means I joined him for many a crazy adventure. We dog sledded, slept in snow caves, climbed snow-capped peaks, ventured hundreds of feet vertically deep into caves, kayaked rivers, backpacked hundreds of miles... Yet through it all, although we faced the occasional hypothermia scare, lost trails and more than one hair raising experience, I didn't get injured enough to have a physical scar to share as a memoir. 

It's because I'm a puddle jumper. 

This realization came to me  years ago but was reinforced as I was out on a last minute trail run yesterday. Tuesday is not a running day for me. But it had snowed overnight and through the morning so there was a fresh coating of snow on the trails above my house. And I learned last year that I absolutely LOVE running on snow packed trails. It's soft yet fast, quiet and utterly gorgeous. Unfortunately, while the east coast has been clobbered by heavy snows, we here in northern Utah (the Best Snow on Earth) have been largely missed. Which means I have had only a few opportunities to run on snowy trails. This means I made time to hit the trails yesterday evening if only for 3 miles so as to not miss out on what may be the last snow run of the season. 

As I cruised down the trail in childlike delight it occurred to me that I didn't splash through the remnants of the melting snow. I didn't tiptoe around them either. Instead, I jumped over them. My feet still got a little wet here and there but not blister inducing, frozen feet sopping wet. Sure, it was for only 3 miles. But whether 3 miles or 30 miles, why suffer unnecessarily? If I can jump over the puddle why would I run through the puddle? 

And this, I reason, is why I have remained largely unscathed (physically. Emotionally is another blog for another day) through my many life adventures. I try to reason out the best course before leaping. I count costs. Some call this boring. I call it smart. After all, while a night spent in the emergency room may be a neat story, a broken bone would sideline me from more adventures. I'd rather jump the puddle. 

Are you a puddle jumper?

So, What's This All About?

I had a friend and client once tell me I'd be a lot faster if I stopped taking pictures and just focused on running. That recommendation came with the assumption that I cared to be fast. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to be slow. I work very hard to be a better trail runner and one way I do that is to train for greater speed. But I would never run faster at the expense of missing the glorious surroundings that the trails above Ogden Utah have to offer. And capturing this beauty and sharing it with others makes the run all the more enjoyable and fulfilling.

So, one thing you'll be seeing on my blog are pictures. Lots and lots of pictures. I hope you enjoy. All are taken by me with my iPhone. (For a full gallery please follow me on www.instagram.com/justin_runs_ogden)

But beyond pictures of my runs I'll also be sharing reviews of products I actually have used extensively. Not just tried for a run or two. For instance, I've battled digestive issues while running for years. But I found a fuel that not only gives me consistent energy but never, and I mean NEVER upsets my stomach during a long run. I'm going to tell you about that product. Or what about shoes? Hydration packs? Gloves? Shorts? I use them and I have opinions. Maybe you'll find my impressions useful. 

And since I'm a Ogden native and spend a number of hours a week running our amazing network of trails (primarily on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail network) I'll be able to provide timely and useful trail reports. This will include various recommended routes for running, hiking and mountain biking, trail conditions, and more. If you're looking to get into trail running and you live in the area you couldn't ask for better trails to get started on. We have everything from very steep to flat, technical to clean single track, narrow trails to wide dirt roads. And all just a few minutes from downtown Ogden, the best small town in the west.

I'll also be sharing useful health and fitness tips and advice, race reports, more pictures and whatever else may help my readers. Your input will be invaluable so please feel free to share your thoughts. 

So, here goes...