David Riddle (2011 Ultrarunning Performance of the Year at JFK 50) was in Boulder yesterday and decided he wanted to get a tour of the local Boulder peaks. He contacted a few other locals, but Jeff Valliere and I were the ones to show. (Apparently, David thinks there is an ultra running power vacuum in the Republic, and may try to move here to fill it since he apparently thinks Roes, Jurek, Moehl, Tony, and I are falling off pace.) We had an awesome run up Green Mountain slipping up the hill, with Jeff setting the clip in his traction while David and I gasped in his wake. Jeff and David tell it better than I so check their blogs for pics and details. I am still acclimating and am just getting over the thin air hump, but Jeff is in full stride.
Interestingly, JV actually may have more Green Mountain summits than anyone ever, approaching 1000 ascents now. There is one other who may catch him if he can stay healthy, and also an older bearded gentleman who I see hiking on Green Mountain most times I go up there. He has disheveled dress and beard, carries a plastic shopping bag in one hand, and has tractionless shoe on his feet. I'll say hi next time I see him and see what his deal is.
Interestingly, JV actually may have more Green Mountain summits than anyone ever, approaching 1000 ascents now. There is one other who may catch him if he can stay healthy, and also an older bearded gentleman who I see hiking on Green Mountain most times I go up there. He has disheveled dress and beard, carries a plastic shopping bag in one hand, and has tractionless shoe on his feet. I'll say hi next time I see him and see what his deal is.
Vitargo is comprised of super long chain carbohydrates (as compared to short molecular chain maltodextrin or simple sugars) which has boosted my energy substantially in racing and training, with no bloating and exponentially higher caloric intake rates. Thinking on a chemical basis, super-long chain carbohydrates have significantly lower osmolality in the stomach as compared to anything like maltodextrin (upon which most conventional gels are based) or simple sugars (which most gels also use); what this basically means is that it is impossible to intake calories fast enough to replenish usage. Vitargo's intake rate comes extremely close to the rate of caloric expenditure in ultrarunning.
Like Hoka One One and Injinji, I can't believe I didn't use Vitargo until recently. Three years ago, I didn't believe products made much of a difference in performance, as long as they were reasonably lightweight. But being more critical and selective now, I know I was pretty off track. This year I am going to plug my sponsors more with some reviews as they have been critical to helping me run my best and made the difference between wins and second places or less.
