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DRB 50K is Rocket Fuel powered!
Yesterday was the 13th running of the DRB50K trail race in Milton, Ma. This trail race is one of the gnarliest, rooty and rocky trail I have run. It is a mini Massanutten. The climbs are relentless and because of the rocks, running fast downhill is a challenge. The origin of DRB is that is was run that first year as an obvious alternative to the Boston Marathon. The Don’t Run Boston 50K is a really good run that has become a reunion of friends.

In this 13th running were myself and my wife, Deb, both Wasatch Speedgoats. I have run 12 of them, having lived in NM for one of the running. No one has run as many. I also “was” the course record holder with a 5:38 time run back in 2000, this year two younger and faster bucks learned the course and blew away the CR by 22 minutes, running 5:16! It was a great day to run with temps in the upper 40’s and full sunshine with a nice breeze on the hilltops to cool you off after a long climb.

I ran the race, finishing 5th overall in 6:16, only 38 minutes slower than my old CR and at 57 years old, without a doubt the first senior finisher. The next oldest guy up front was one of the CR breakers at 49 years old. Deb at 54 was the only woman finisher, so therefore was the first woman finisher. Both of us ran times much faster than we had been averaging over the years, so it was a great day!

But what I really want to scream about is one particular product that made my day. Let me first explain that I am prone to stomach issues and absolutely cannot eat anything solid, I need liquid fuels and just the right amount. Too many calories? I’m sick….too sweet? I’m sick. I am known as Steve the barfer because I am always getting sick during and after my ultras. It has become par for the course with me and I expect it, it’s just a matter of when, not if I get sick.
Yesterday was magical and I owe it all to First Endurance Liquid Shot. I very skeptically decided to give it a try and was expecting to be tossing the gel flask into the woods after the first sip.

After an easy start, following my HR and keeping it under 80% of max, I started at mile 9 to push and try to move away from those behind me and gain on those ahead of me. This always causes stomach issues, but I had to try….this was, after all a race and i was the course record holder. After coming into the first aid station at mile 13, we do a small 3 mile, but tough loop, climb straight up for 1.5 miles and then run back down on some of those tough and rocky trails.

On this loop, I decided to drop my pack and just hand carry one of my Nathan bottles. I also grabbed the 1st Endurance liquid shot in the other hand and put a regular gel in my pocket because I expected that the shot would be too sweet and I’d need some calories. As I walked out of the aid station, I opened the flask and took a sip. Hmmmm, that’s pretty good! Within 5 minutes I was cranking up the hill and caught a runner at the top, then blasted down the other side, running this section (3 miles) in 36 minutes, catching 2 other runners in the aid station. The aid station volunteer said to me “You’re back already? That was fast!” I mentioned to him it must be this rocket fuel I was using. From that point on, all I could think of was the Rocket Fuel! Every hour, I pulled out the flask and took a good sip and within minutes felt like I was buzzing, flying along. I want to mention that there is no caffeine in this, so it wasn’t that.

To wrap this up I just want to say that this is “the” best I have ever felt during an ultra race. I never bonked, never felt tired, never cramped and most importantly never had the slightest nausea at all. I ran this race like I ran it the CR year in 2000, running just about all the hills, never even thinking of wanting to walk. I wanted to catch more runners and almost did! The difference between 2000 and 2009 is then I barfed after I finished and was walking in a cloud during, just on the verge of bonking. This year I felt energized all day long….and never got sick.

First Endurance, thanks for a great product, I feel like I have gotten a lease on life in my Ultrarunning. A new start…

**Thanks to The guys at First Endurance for this article**

“With active ingredients rhodiola and beta-alanine, OptygenHP makes hard training and racing feel easier. Tibetan Sherpas used rhodiola, an herb, to improve their endurance and ability to use oxygen, and studies show it helps your body adapt to high levels of physical stress. Beta-alanine has been dubbed the new creatine for sports performance. In a study of 25 cyclists who received either beta-alanine or a placebo for four weeks, those taking the amino-acid supplement improved their performance in a test by 13 percent. At the end of 10 weeks, they had boosted their numbers yet another 3.2 percent, for a gain greater than 16 percent in two and a half months. OptygenHP is one of the few supplements I and other staffers swear by.” Selene Yeager

The hard training we do on the bike is only the stress that we impose, and is only half of the training equation. To get the most out of that hard training, we need to recover and let our body adapt and come back even stronger. Ultragen recovery drink by First Endurance can be a critical component of your recovery plan.

The Importance of Recovery
When I was younger, my ideal weekend consisted of pounding out hours and hours on the bike each morning and then trying to do the same the next day. I rather enjoyed that feeling of utter exhaustion in between and at the start of following rides, and looked at it as a sign of good training. It was only a few years and degrees later that I put the training-recovery spiral together and realized the importance of proper recovery, both physical and dietary, as an important component of overall training.

Think of a rubber band analogy. If you want to have the hardest snap of the band (training), you also need to pull the band back (recovery) as much as you can. One does not exist in a vacuum without the other.

Dietary Recovery
You have probably heard of the following two terms bandied about before, but let’s define two of the most important concepts in dietary recovery:

1. Glycogen Window: Glycogen is the prime storage form for carbohydrates in your body, and is the preferred fuel for high intensity exercise. Unfortunately, it exists in only small amounts in your muscles and liver. When you run low, you rely almost solely on oral glucose (e.g., from a sports drink) to sustain high intensity exercise or else you bonk. Therefore, the key consideration is maximizing the rate at which your body resynthesizes glycogen after an exhaustive workout. Research has demonstrated that your body’s rate of resynthesis is at its highest during the first ~30 min or so, hence the term “glycogen window” for this limited opportunity to maximize your glycogen recovery.

2. Glycemic Index: All carbohydrates are not created equal, and some enter the bloodstream faster than others, with the result of a higher spike in your blood glucose levels. This provokes a higher release of insulin, which is a key hormone responsible for “storing fuel” and the synthesis of glycogen. Glucose is the standard (100), and all other carbohydrates and foods are given a glycemic index based on their rate of entry into the bloodstream compared to pure glucose (e.g., Gatorade runs at a glycemic index of 89). Check out www. glycemicindex.com for the complete explanation and database.

So to summarize, the basic consideration with dietary recovery is to get as much carbohydrate into your blood as rapidly as possible after exercise. At the same time, you also need to be getting protein into your system to assist in the recovery and strengthening of your muscles. Milk with several tablespoons of sugar gets you some of the basic ingredients, but it gets trickier than that because, in addition to speed of delivery to the muscles, you also need the right mix of carbohydrates and proteins along with minerals and vitamins. Plus, it’s not the most appealing to drink right after a long hot ride, and it can also be rather dicey trying to keep that cool in your car all day!

Enter Ultragen
Ultragen is First Endurance’s recovery drink product. First developed and introduced in 2004, it originally came out only in a Tropical Punch flavour. I had previously reported that I very much liked the product from an ease-of-use perspective. Ultragen was very easy to bring to events, packaged into either large containers or single-serving packs. I also found it very easy to mix, and the drink flavour was pleasant yet not so noticeable that it became unpalatable or boring with repeated use.

One thing that First Endurance has always worked hard towards was great-tasting products. Now beginning from June 2006, two new flavours of Ultragen are available: Orange Creamsicle and Cappuccino. So now if your ride doesn’t end at your favourite coffee bar, you can still get your coffee taste fix!

My Ultragen Experience
Toolbox readers will remember that I had the fortune to spend 2004/05 on sabbatical leave from my university life. During that time, I spent two months in both New Zealand and in Slovenia working with colleagues but also putting in mega-miles on the bike. I came about as close as I ever will to becoming a full-time bikie, averaging 12-16h a week of hard riding. Besides the long rides and hilly terrain, I began using the PowerCranks exclusively during this period, creating an additional training stress. Overall, I did not experience a single case of bonking or even a day of really flat legs. This also coincided with two cyclosportif events in Slovenia where I was at or near the first across the line.

The drink dissolved very easily in water, thereby preventing the dreaded chalky texture and taste of some other recovery drink powders. I would personally not recommend mixing it with anything else but water as other sites has suggested, as the whole point is that the powder was designed to work as originally designed. How many of you have screwed up a recipe in the kitchen by substituting or ignoring an ingredient or two? Exactly!

The Science Behind Ultragen
One thing I have always appreciated about the First Endurance crew has been their willingness to discuss the science behind their products rather than hiding behind big marketing words. I had the chance to talk further with VP Research Robert Kunz about the science behind Ultragen…

Pez: Very basic question – why Ultragen and not just food and water?

Robert Kunz: The mixture of certain foods timed appropriately will certainly help any endurance athlete recover better. We don’t refute this. And following one or two workouts, this is OK to do. However, when you demand that your body exercise hard day in and day out, food is simply not absorbed as fast as a well formulated recovery drink. Within a few weeks this becomes obvious. In addition trying to design a Food with clinically effective recovery nutrients like Branched Chain Amino Acids, Glutamine, Antioxidants, Electrolytes, Glucose and Isolated Proteins is nearly impossible. Food also does not offer straight Glucose or Isolate Whey Protein necessary for very fast absorption. This is no different than asking, ‘Why not just buy a bike with 6 Speeds for your race season?’ You can certainly race this way, and if strong enough maybe even podium, but with new technology you give yourself the best chance to race at your potential.

Pez: Most riders are starting to get the message about the glycogen window and getting carbohydrates back into their system quickly. Is that the most important component of a recovery drink?

Robert Kunz: Yes, this is first and foremost. The entire endurance recovery process is based around replenishing what’s been lost during exercise. It should be every athlete’s goal NOT to deplete glycogen stores. Its starts first with staying as well fueled as possible during exercise, then topping it off immediately afterwards. Following long exhaustive exercise your cells are highly sensitive to ‘accepting’ nutrients. This is especially true the first 30 minutes following exercise, which has been defined as the ‘glycogen’ window. Choosing nutrients which are absorbed very fast allows you to take full advantage of this glycogen window. Glucose is the fastest carbohydrate absorbed, which is why Ultragen is designed with 60g of Glucose per serving.

Pez: How does Ultragen rank on the glycemic index? Was that a design consideration?

Robert Kunz: Ultragen was designed to be absorbed as fast as possible, meaning it has a glycemic index nearing 100. That’s because 100% of the carbohydrates come from glucose-the highest glycemic sugar available. Adding fats, fiber, whole food proteins (Protein Concentrates) other slower absorbed nutrients only delays this process and slows absorption. Because of this, we designed Ultragen with small molecular weight proteins (Whey Protein Isolate and Hydrolyzed Whey Protein), free form amino acids and vitamins and minerals. You theoretically cannot design a product to be absorbed any faster.

Pez: Research is also demonstrating the importance of proteins both during recovery and also during exercise. Can you explain the technology behind the protein design in Ultragen?

Robert Kunz: It was critical that we chose proteins with the best clinical research and performed the best during and immediately post exercise. Ultragen uses micro-filtered Ion exchange Isolated Whey Protein. This is a highly advanced form of protein which retains is superior amino acid profile and isolates only the proteins while minimizing carbohydrates or fats. The second protein used is a Hydrolyzed Whey Protein, which his enzymatically pre-digested, so its absorption is complete and immediate. There are various analytical tools developed to measure a protein’s effectiveness. These tools measure digestibility, amino acid profile, muscular growth and absorption giving a better picture of how Whey Protein stacks up to Soy, Rice protein, egg, caseine or nuts. A meta-analysis using the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS), Amino Acid Score, Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER), and Biological Value (BV) clearly shows Whey to be superior to other proteins. Ultragen delivers 20g of protein per serving exclusively from Whey Protein Isolate and Hydrolyzed Whey Protein assuring our athletes get the most technically advanced fastest proteins absorbed.

Pez: Research has demonstrated that heavy endurance exercise tends to depress the immune function and lead to an increased risk of infection. How has Ultragen gone about addressing this issue?

Robert Kunz: This is the primary reason why you use a recovery drink and is the basis of the entire formula. Depleting your glycogen due to heavy endurance exercise also directly depletes Iron, Glutamine, Branched Chain Amino Acids, Electrolytes. This increases your cortisol levels which directly suppress your testosterone. Athletes become catabolic (break down muscle) and store more fat. Your heart rate is elevated throughout the day and you don’t sleep well. The end result is overtraining syndrome a higher risk of infection. Your ability to remain healthy, rested and well fueled is the only way you can demand your body to improve its ability to handle higher levels of stress and longer endurance bouts. It is very clear that our athletes and customers who have committed themselves to technically advance nutrition, have benefited first and foremost with a healthier lifestyle.

Preventing the depletion of Glycogen, Glutamine, Branched Chain Amino Acids, Electrolytes and, of course, water is the first step in improving your immune response. Ultragen is engineered with carbohydrates and proteins which are absorbed faster than anything else and because of this they can be absorbed fully during the 30-minute glycogen window.

Pez: There’s already lots of antioxidants and vitamin C in EFS (First Endurance sports drink) already. Why is more necessary in Ultragen?

Robert Kunz: Oxidative stress can be very damaging to the human body and is even more pronounced with endurance athletes. For years many of the best endurance athletes in the world supplement daily with 1000mgs of Vitamin C per day. There is also numerous clinical studies supporting the use of Vitamin C during exercise AND immediately post exercise at enhanced levels. Most of the research supports an improved immune function, improved iron status and improvement in post exercise upper respiratory infections. The research also supports the safety of Vitamin C at extremely high levels. The inclusion of Vitamin C in Multi-V (400mgs) EFS (200mgs) and Ultragen (400mgs) has allowed athletes to gain the benefits of consuming Vitamin C throughout the day and at the levels needed for enhanced protection.

So Does it Work?
There are two completely different but equally important considerations when deciding whether a recovery drink works:

1. Does the science make sense? In the case of Ultragen, the balance of evidence seems to support the product. To maximize the glycemic index, glucose is the only carbohydrate used to ensure rapid delivery to the bloodstream. In addition, they have taken ingredients that have been scientifically demonstrated to be important in recovery (e.g., branched chain amino acids, L-glutamine) and have put them into a formulation that does the best possible job of maximizing their absorption and benefits. As they write, they don’t believe in putting “pixie dust” levels of an ingredient in simply for marketing.

2. Will you drink it? Just like bike fit, the best drink is useless if you can’t stand the taste. Taste is a personal thing, but I found it very easy to drink in that the flavouring was not so strong that it gets tiresome with repeated use. Having a powder is excellent in that I could easily bring it with me and mix it anywhere. This is especially critical if you’re in the middle of nowhere after your ride or race and a long time from getting home.

First Endurance and Quality Control
I have written about the risk of contamination with supplements before, but there are companies who are doing it right in terms of ensuring a top-end supplement while at the same time making product safety central to their philosophy. First Endurance is one of them, and they go to impressive lengths to ensure quality control.

All ingredients used in First Endurance formulations come from audited suppliers who do not carry, broker or supply any banned substances. In addition, their manufacturing facility does not allow banned substances in any products manufactured. As further quality control, each case lot is analysed by an independent testing agency, and a certificate of analysis is included with each container.

Even dearer to my heart, First Endurance has published detailed scientific information and listed all of their scientific references for each of their products on their website.

Lastly, First Endurance offers a 100% Performance Guarantee on all of their products, offering a full refund if customers are not satisfied. Another highly admirable feature!

** Courtesy of the Guys at First Endurance and Pezcyclingnews.com **

The primary electrolytes are sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and chloride. Cells require a complex electrolyte balance between intracellular and extracellular milieu which maintains a precise osmotic gradient. This osmotic gradient is regulated by all 5 electrolytes and drives proper hydration. For superior hydration and elimination of cramping, make sure to consume all 5 electrolytes.

** Courtesy of the guys at First Endurance**

First Endurance sponsored rider Mark Cavendish (Team Columbia-High Road) repeated his personal track record from 2008 by taking the victory in stage two of the Three Days of De Panne in Belgium, and then following it up with another win in the first section of stage three on Thursday. Cavendish took exactly the same stages of De Panne last year, also in bunch sprints. This year on stage three, Cavendish outpowered veteran sprinter Robbie McEwen of Australia to win by just over half a wheel in the host town of De Panne. “It’s the same as in 2008, so it’s mission accomplished,” Cavendish said afterward. “Robbie’s got great form, it was a hard sprint, but the team set me up perfectly.” The British rider added that his back-to-back wins at De Panne have given him exactly the build-up he needed for the Ghent-Wevelgem Classic next Wednesday, his next big target. “Winning here means I’m feeling really confident for that race. I’ve got a score to settle with Ghent-Wevelgem after 2008 when it didn’t work out.” “Yesterday [Wednesday] we rode over the Kemmelberg [a key climb of Ghent-Wevelgem] during the stage and I tested myself to see how well I could do. It went well. I closed down a gap on the climb, so I know my condition’s good.” Cavendish confirmed that he will not be taking part in the Tour of Flanders, the team’s next race in Europe. “I’m not really ready for it, although I really want to do it. Flanders is an event you dream about racing when you’re young, so in a few years time, I’ll be there for sure.”

Which would you find more valuable? A triathlon team nutrition sponsor that gives you cool jerseys, some product and then just sends you on your way? How about a team and nutrition sponsor whose goal is getting you through your race with a nutrition plan that not only delivers calories, but also keeps your stomach happy. It’s that duo, paired with proper training, which lead to PRs.

The two developers of Team First Endurance—Robert Kunz and Mike Fogarty—considered what a real athlete wants, which is either a PR or a qualifying spot. Moreover, they want knowledge, and a way to test products in their own training that will help them develop a solid nutrition program.

First Endurance has a stable of doctors and research board members in their stable who actually race as well, including Bob Seebohar (a former U.S. Olympic Committee sports dietician and the 2008 Olympic Triathlon Team dietician who is also an Ironman athlete) and Neal Henderson, the director of the Sports Sciences Department at the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine, who’s also a Masters road racer. They actually get what endurance athletes need. They do the studies on subjects and then they do the studies on themselves.

As a result, the pros who have joined First Endurance, including Ironman athletes Michael Lovato and Donna Phelan, Olympian Sarah Haskins and Xterra’s Ryan Ignatz, have joined because they believe in the product line, not because of money, shirts or jerseys. I’ve spoken to longtime First Endurance athlete Michael Lovato about his association with First Endurance in the past, and for him, it was never about money; it was about the product and the people behind the product who wanted him to perform better. To that end, Kunz and the team were at his beck and call, explaining everything from the benefits of a gluten-free diet or salt supplementation to calorie intake.

Which was great for him. But what about us age groupers?

Enter Team First Endurance. They have just launched their team website: Team.firstendurance.com, and it has grown by word-of-mouth. The premise is not about getting a free jersey and a box of expired bars. It’s about getting through an Ironman without puking your guts out or bonking. Wouldn’t that be worth infinitely more than a cheap jersey? Methinks so.

The impetus behind the site is to provide a place for athletes to learn about key components in endurance sports nutrition. It’s about putting testing into practice, relaying data, examining cumulative data from other athletes and First Endurance docs, talking with them about personal nutritional experiences and finding a way to identify the best nutritional plan for your own body. It’s a version of a personal nutrition testing protocol—for free.

“People can truly learn a lot about their own nutrition by going through the programs we have on the site,” Kunz told us on a visit to our Competitor Group offices last week. “We have three programs set up—sodium loading, gluten and caffeine.”

Of course, Triathlete publisher John Duke had to chime in: “Is that like eating French fries the night before a race?” Kunz’s reply: “Lots of them—loading with two to three grams of sodium the night before a race. Bob Seebohar is testing this new concept on some athletes at the Olympic Training Center, and now we can test it on the masses, within our team.”

This is why so many pro athletes—including ones that have had nutritional issues in the past—particularly Joanna Zeiger, have joined the team. To solve the conundrum of GI distress, a problem that befalls many of us. This type of distress can derail the “A” race that has been circled on our calendar for five months.

“Mike and I talked to our pro athletes and our customers about how to finish the race and not bonk, not have gastric distress,” Kunz said. “There are so many variables, and everyone is so individual. So we created this website to work in both directions—we gain a lot of very valuable data, while at the same time each member who joins gains a lot of information.”

A simple email and password makes you a member, and allows you to create a page, where you can update it with images, blog posts and much more.

But the biggest benefits are located in the “Programs” tab. They have three big subjects on at the moment—salt loading, gluten and caffeine—along with pH-balanced foods, low- and high-calorie training, anti-inflammatory food studies and product testing coming soon.

So we come back to the question, which is more valuable: a jersey, or a chance at racing without GI distress? The latter is the stated goal of Team First Endurance; A high success rate among its team members of staving off GI distress and avoiding bonking. I know which team I want to be a part of.

** Courtesy of the guys at Triathlete/ Inside Triathlete and the guys at First Endurance**

First Endurance sponsored rider Andreas Klöden (Team Astana) took over the lead in the Italian stage race Tirreno-Adriatrico (March 11th-17th) after winning the 5th stage, an individual time trial from Loreto to Macerata. Klöden finished the 30 kilometer course in 41:32 and was more than 20 seconds faster than Stijn Devolder. Swedish rider Thomas Lökvist finished third at 21 seconds behind. Michele Scarponi and Mikhail Ignatiev finished fourth and fifth, 21 and 32 seconds respectively. In the General Classification Klöden leads now by six seconds to Thomas Lökvist.

Klöden was exhausted but happy after his strong performance. “I liked the course,” said the overall winner of the 2007 Tirreno-Adriatico. “On purpose I started very fast. I had the best time at the first time split which was good for my confidence. At the second time split I was second, but had a better time than my competitors for the general classification. It gave me a boost and extra forces to tackle the difficult climb at 4 kilometers from the finish. I am very happy. I was a bit uncertain because of three crashes in the last two days, but my condition is so good that it didn’t prevent me from performing very well. I really worked hard to be good in this race. I succeeded.”

Tirreno-Adriatico finishes on Tuesday. Tomorrow is a tough and long stage, 235 kilometer between Civitanove Marche and Camerino. “A few days ago we lost Jani Brajkovic after a crash, but I have big confidence in my other teammates. It will be hard but we will defend this leader’s jersey”, concluded Andreas Klöden.

First Endurance sponsored rider Mara Abbott (Team Columbia-High Road) clocked the fastest time at the Glendora Mountain time trial at San Dimas Friday, beating the second place rider by a full 46 seconds and defending her 2008 win on the same course.

The Columbia-Highroad women dominated the event with four riders finishing in the top ten. Canadian National Road Champion Alex Wrubleski finished fifth, while Ina-Yoko Teutenberg and Kim Anderson took sixth and eighth respectively.

“It feels really good to be in this position, especially since so many on our team finished in the top ten,” claimed Abbott. “It was a steady climb but never really too steep. It’s so great that the whole team did so well. That’s pretty remarkable.”

The 3.8- mile race featured a gradual climb up Glendora Mountain Road which ranks among the most popular climbs in Southern California. The 23-year-old American improved her own 2008 time by 20 seconds. “It was a great start,” continued Abbott. “Since we placed so high, tomorrow should bring us a lot of opportunities.”

First Endurance sponsored rider Mark Cavendish (Team Columbia-High Road) realised a career-long dream today, winning Milan-San Remo at the first attempt with an amazing sprint finish. The 23 year-old from the Isle of Man was carefully protected by his team mates during the 298km race and then he beat Germany’s Heinrick Haussler in the sprint. He was so fast in the final three hundred metres that all the other sprinters were timed as finishing two seconds behind him.

Cavendish has become known as the fastest sprinter in the world while riding for Team Columbia-Highroad but is now proving that he can also be a classics rider. “When you win sprints you prove you’re a great sprinter but when you win a great one-day race like Milan-San Remo you’ve proved you’re a great rider. I wanted to prove I’m a great rider and that’s what I did today,” Cavendish said.

Cavendish celebrated with the Team Columbia riders and staff. He gave the team’s sprint consultant and four-time Milan-San Remo winner Erik Zabel an emotional hug. “Without his help I wouldn’t have won today,” Cavendish said of Zabel. “We did the reconnaissance twice and I knew exactly where I had to be at what time and knew exactly how hard I could go and when. It was the knowledge that he gave me that got me through the bike race today.”

“If the right people believe in you that’s all that matters and the team worked perfectly for me. We had four or five guys who could have won but they sacrificed their chances so that I could win. Tommy Lovkvist could have attacked but he made sure I was second wheel on the Cipressa. Then George Hincapie guided me on the Poggio and then gave it full gas in the sprint. I knew it could work and it did. It’s a really special day for us all.”

Directeur sportif Valerio Piva and team manager Rolf Aldag were both proud of Cavendish’s performance. “Mark always said that the Cipressa and the Poggio climbs in the finale of the race would not be a problem for him but he surprised us with his great ride,” Piva said. “Winning was a dream this morning. Now it’s become true.”

Results – 298km
1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Columbia – Highroad
2 Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam
3 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervélo TestTeam 0.02

Tested: New First Endurance Optygen Prototype

I gotta keep this succinct because a.) I need to hit the road and ride home before dark (well, thanks to daylight savings time I have a bit more), and b.) I don’t have much info for you.

But I have this: a new prototype version of First Endurance’s Optygen HP.
There is a lot of study about Cordyceps Sinesis and Rhodiola Rosea, both adaptogens used first by Tibetan sherpas on Everest climbs. Those studies have shown the stuff helps drop lactic acid levels, raises oxygen utility and raises aerobic threshold.

I’ve used the Optygen HP since it came out, but was surprised when I received a package with bottles, for both myself to test, as well as my wife Donna, who’s sponsored by First Endurance. To say I love the stuff is an understatement; I am full-on into training for a half, and Donna has just finished an Ironman a week and a half a go and is doing another in a month. I would say my energy levels, and effort levels are much higher, and Donna has said the same.

And the new prototype?

I don’t know what they have done, but they have kicked it up a fair bit. There is some data on the label, which Mike Fogarty of First Endurance asked me to sit on—for the time being. He said that Astana was using this prototype in advance of and during the Tour of California, and the feedback from guys like Levi Leipheimer, they said, was nothing but super positive.

Of course, anything I could say would be anecdotal, but man, I did a hard ride last weekend to Dana Point, wanted a sustained race pace, with a little t-run afterward. No lactic acid, no drama at all…nothing but power. I am the king of sitting on wheels (well, only that of my wife), and I was getting uninvited limpets that day. Now I understand her plight of the wheelsuckers.

So yeah, First Endurance has something cooking. If you don’t believe in performance supplements you should believe in this one… I wish I could be a bit less graphic, but… the shit works. It really does. When this new blend comes to market, it’ll be worth a try. Heck, the existing Optygen HP is worth a look if you’ve not tried it.

Anyway, it’s fun to be a writer who gets first looks at this, and gets to test it alongside the likes of Astana and the few sponsored pro triathletes that have their hands on it. I’m looking forward to seeing how it pans out for the next month; I have a race April 5 in New Orleans, and am glad I have this stuff in my arsenal. After all, I have a colleage to beat, and a case of beer to win.

Courtesy of Jay at the Workbench and Mike at First Endurance