Race Fuel Product Review: Glukos Energy

Through several years of running, the last two of which were focused mainly on the marathon distance, I've been searching far and near for a race fuel that would work with my "somewhat" picky system.  I have tried natural products, standard "performance" drinks, bars, gels, gummies/blocks, and even coconut water based fluids, hoping to find one that would agree with me and still be easy to use while racing and/or training; they have all been either too sweet, too difficult to transport and consume, or they (pardon the indelicacies) irritated my bowels.  My training and racing was actually starving my body because I couldn't palette existing fuels, more than 2 gels during a marathon would actually make me retch.  At several periods during training I had dropped down to the mid 150's and around 5% body fat, that worried my family and friends (not me, I was blissfully stupid).  My inability to find a compatible fuel has kept me from achieving my one and only goal; to be the best runner that I can be.

My sister, Charlene, and I first heard about Glukos Energy from the email and social media posts put out by the Competitor Group just prior to the 2016 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona race weekend after Glukos had been named the official Energy Gel and Gummy of the entire Rock n Roll Marathon series. We read the informational pages on their website GlukosEnergy.com ; about the company itself, the science behind their products, and about the product's nutritional information.  There was more than enough in those pages to pique our interest (certainly enough to make stopping at their booth a priority at the race's Expo).

The first person we talked to was front and center at the table, and in a smart looking suit.  Charlene spied him as we approached and told me, "There's the Owner, or CEO.  Definitely someone important and in the know."  She was right; We shook the hand of, and introduced ourselves to, Mick McCormick CEO of Glukos.  He really set the tone of the experience; he was polite, enthusiastic, and as knowledgeable as you'd hope from a company executive.  Charlene and I tried a sample of the Glukos Energy Gel at his invitation:  The flavor was mild and not at all sweet, it was also very easy to "consume" as it went down just like water (which is the first ingredient after all).  My sister and I looked at each other with essentially the same thought, "This just might be the answer to my running woes".  Mick suggested we talk to Mark Jensen  (also at the expo just a short distance away), to get a fellow competitor's opinion and viewpoint, as well as the formulator's technical expertise.  Mark's enthusiasm for Glukos was naturally high but it was his understanding and experience with the requirements of high demand athletics that really spoke to me.  He had great advice for me toward rebuilding my marathon conditioning and creating a fueling plan that would help me reach my goals.  He also made a statement that has stuck with me to this date, "It [Glukos] is essentially an I.V. for a runner".

Charlene and I have been training with Glukos since then; both of us making extensive use of the Energy Tablets, she's also been using the Energy Gummies while I've leaned more towards the Energy Gels.  After these have been so favorable to us both we decided to ask Mark to give us a little bit of his time for a "Phone Interview" to talk more about the company, the products, the future of Glukos, and the high level athletes associated with them.  You are more than welcome to listen to the interview here:  Running Siblings interview with Mark Jensen creator of Glukos

Here are a few highlights that I enjoyed from the interview:

Mark Jensen  (an accomplished runner and triathlete in his own right) decided to create a type of fueling system that would work better for him and other athletes, something that would process quickly without being just another super sweet goo.  The epiphany that inspired his creation(s)?  A simple medical I.V.; Glucose, water, and electrolytes (not simple scientifically but simple by way of not being complex and chemical laden).  There was the "I.V. for runners" reference again, I still enjoy that thought.
Glukos Energy products are already in approximately 1000 retail stores across the country and Mark is projecting that they'll be in 8 to 10 thousand stores by the end of 2016.  While having the ability to order everything by the case online is fantastic (and a money saver), we do have the unfortunate tendency to run ourselves out before reordering; having the ability to buy a tube or two of Tablets or a few packets of the Gels locally is important.
The rather exciting Marathon Olympic Trials, recently held on February 13, 2016 in LA, featured a strong 3rd place finish by Jared Ward, one of the Glukos Energy Elite Athletes.  I had to ask about how an Olympic quality (and now US Olympic Team Member) marathon runner fuels on course.  We never get to see or hear those details during the event television coverage.

Please also read the interview Mark had with Jared shortly after the Olympic Trials success,  it is a great opportunity to peak into how a pro uses the same product I have on my running belt:  Glukos Energy Interview with new Olympian Jared Ward

Charlene and I both want to thank Mark Jensen for spending so much time with us and for making this wonderful race fuel.  I've been needing a product the will work with my crazy picky system and I really think this is my answer.

Please read my sister's blog on her Glukos experiences, her point of view is very different from mine and insightful.  FabRunning Glukos review

2016 Las Vegas Big Game 10K Recap

The 2016 Las Vegas Big Game 10K in downtown area near the Fremont Street Experience.

I ran this event last year because it was a local race, inexpensive, and it gave me something to do during the morning of the Big Game.  This year I ran it again because it's a pretty fast course (I set my 10k PR on it at the 2015 race), it's local, and still inexpensive.  I asked my sister Charlene to participate this year too since it was so fast for me and because I had fun last year.  I knew I could not surpass (or even duplicate) last year's results but I believed we'd be able to enjoy ourselves and really test our speed.

I decided to skip the Expo this year: Based on my experience from last year it wouldn't be worth the time and effort to get downtown for an expo that was frankly uninspiring.  Charlene was scheduled be working there as an ambassador for the coming Hot Chocolate 15k Race so I asked her to pick up my race stuff, if she couldn't then I'd have to use the other option of race day pick up.  She agreed to get my bib and swag bag while she was there.  I was pretty confused when she asked me if I wanted a black event shirt or a white one, neither one was a team color and though white often represents the home team black rarely represents home or away.  Both teams have white somewhere in their uniform but it doesn't represent either of them.  Carolina does have black in their normal color scheme but blue is their signature color (they even have a special shade of blue).  Since neither made sense I just told her to get whatever because I didn't care.  I felt bad for Charlene by the end of the night; the winds were up and down the whole time (up near 10 mph during the early hours of the expo) and the temps were in the 50s and dropping into the 40s by the end of the expo.  Poor sis was pretty cold and unhappy by the time she went home.

On Sunday, when we arrived at the starting area, the big stage was already hopping with activity; some of the KVVU Fox 5 TV personalities were polling the handful of runners present as to which team they were rooting for (it was very one sided), the Warriors Cheerleading Squad from Western High School was in front getting everyone revved up, and I think we caught the tail end of a costume contest.  I really appreciate these homey touches at local races.

One of the things that I really liked about the course design was the placement of the start line; it was set well within the course and gave us several blocks of traffic free streets to warm up and stretch. While Charlene and I warmed up the morning show crew from radio station 97.1 took over the MC job on stage and kept the growing crowd of runners engaged.  We were also introduced to Martha Watson, a Gold (and Silver) Medalist at the '75 PanAm games and 4 time Olympic qualifier.  She's still very active and is heavily involved in senior activities around Las Vegas.  At the award ceremony later in the morning she invited me to participate in a senior racing event in the near future (still unsure if I should feel insulted or not since I'm not old enough to be a senior yet - heh, I'm not).

The first race to be "kicked off" that morning was the Kids Dash; it was a treat to see them running and listening to most of the adult racers cheering them on (and to turn around when a pair of preteen siblings accidentally went past the u-turn marker).  I liked having them race before we did, I rarely get the chance to watch the kids races at other events because I'm typically recovering from my run.

The next race to be started was the 5k, the one my sister ran in.  It was started in style with a live singing of the National Anthem and our flags presented by the UNLV ROTC Color Guard.  I could have joined my sister for the 5k (as part of the Big Game Combo Challenge) but I didn't want to exceed my recovery and I like Charlene to be able to have her own race without little brother always tagging along.  I spent the time between our races to get in some "Strides" and other warm up runs.  I also used that time to "pre-fuel" with a Glukos Energy Tablet, I knew I'd need the electrolytes very quickly once the race started.

We prefaced my race with the Bengal Marching Band from Bonanza High School playing the National Anthem and the Color Guard presenting our flags.  I didn't feel nervous at the start line at all, I had a pacing plan in my head.  Honestly, one of the best things about training is that you learn your present capabilities:  I knew very well that I could run a 10k at a 7 minute pace (a medium-high effort level) so that was my plan.  This year I had no hope of matching or surpassing my results of 2015 but I knew it would be a good course on which to test my current capabilities and still be competitive.

The 5k and 10k courses didn't share much of the same route but we did share many of the same roads.  The courses ran us mostly through an older residential area (along with homes that were turned into lawyer's offices) which is part of the original Downtown Las Vegas.  The streets are very flat and in great shape (two big reasons the run is so fast).  I haven't run the 5k race for this event so I can't really say how the necessary turns effected speed but for the 10k it's one of the fastest I've had the opportunity to run on; it could only be faster if there weren't so many switchbacks (4 U-turns to be exact).  That is the price you have to pay to hold a race in that part of Las Vegas, there just aren't a lot of options.

I started with, and stayed up near, the front of the pack the entire race and ended up finishing 17th out of 224 with an average pace of 6:50 minutes per mile (pretty darn close to my estimated pace).  I pushed myself hard enough to need a gel at mile 4 but I'd included that in my plans and had a Glukos Energy Gel on my belt; in fact it was my hydration and electrolyte boost as well as muscle fuel.  I'm really trying to nail down my marathon fueling plan before I head out for 26.2.

#52 on the left side of center

Charlene was at the finish line as I rounded the final corner, that was a nice treat especially since I was feeling very winded at that point.  I'd put a lot of effort into the run which made me heart sing and my lungs wheeze.  heh  She even shot a short video of my finish for me, that was very cool.  My happy feeling went away in milliseconds though; as I turned my focus on the finish line I immediately saw a huge crowd of people filling the finish line, barely a single yard away from the finish arch.  That is such a huge pet-peeve of mine:  I greatly appreciate the race volunteers and my fellow runners but I really dislike them crowding the finish line, making me come to a screeching halt the second I clock in.  I need at least a body length to slow down, preferably 5 (30 feet), and catch my breath; the last thing I need is to get mugged and jostled about immediately after a hard run.  Topping it all off, as I looked at my Garmin to stop and save the run data, I saw that the recorded distance from start to finish was short of the required 6.2 miles that make up a 10k.  That is why my run data has a huge drop in pace at the end (feel free to check out my race data here - MapmyFitness Big Game10k for Kirk ), I had to walk around a few minutes to make up the missing distance.  As a racer, especially as a USATF member, an accurate course is very important to me.  The 2015 course was perfect; this year's being short was rather surprising.

While I walked around the finisher's area to cool down and catch my breath my good mood from the great run drifted away like smoke:  There was a table of what I believed to be cups of water a few yards beyond the finish line but there wasn't a scrap of food in sight.  I can't honestly remember if that was the same case at the 2015 race but it was sadly the case this year.  I'd just expended 800+ calories of effort to do that run and there wasn't any type of refueling for us when/where we needed it most.  Despite the fact that I'm rebuilding myself after a long downtime and hip surgery in August 2015 I'm in pretty decent shape, my body still handles physical exertion pretty efficiently.  That 10k race cost me 1/3 of my USDA daily recommended calories for both my age group and my activity level.  Think of what it costed a person heavier than I, not as active as I, someone who spent an hour and more on the course (95 finishers this year) working their bodies to their max to complete 6.2 miles.  I was famished as soon as my body realized it didn't need to race anymore, I could only imagine those further back would be nearly starving.
Thankfully my sister and I try to be at least minimally prepared for these instances and brought some fruit just in case, she grabbed it from the car earlier while I was still running. We met back up beyond the finish line, at a line of oddly empty tables and chairs, a few minutes after I'd crossed and ate the bananas she'd gotten from the car. 

We didn't stay around the finish line after meeting back up; neither of us were in the mood to hang around empty tables, I was very concerned about getting her to the 5k award ceremony near the scheduled start time, and I needed to find someplace to stretch before my muscles cramped up.  We stopped at the car real quick to get her over-clothes and our regular glasses and then made our way over to the Gold Spike, the advertised post-race gathering area and award ceremony stage.  When we walked in the door I was at first concerned that we'd completely missed the 5k ceremony because there were very few runners there but it hadn't even started yet (the awards weren't out and the finish results were not delivered yet), there would be a delay on giving out the awards.  Charlene gave me the classic "I told you so" look that sisters are so good at but I didn't want to risk her not getting an award if she'd earned it so I don't mind hustling over.  I decided to look around to find a place to stretch and to see if there was any fruit and water for us (the runners); they had the bar and cafe open but nothing set out for us to grab as part of the race support.  I didn't expect they would as they didn't offer it in 2015 but I looked around just in case the race owners decided to improve our race experience.  I did end up finding a live band playing in the big adult playground in the outdoor section behind the building which was pretty cool, I didn't even know they were there since the DJ inside completely drowned them out: I'd rather have had the live music piped in than have the DJ but that's a personal opinion.  The band had a pretty good sound but I moved on, continuing the search for a good stretch place.



The awards ceremony didn’t go any better this year than it did last year, surprisingly enough; the award medals were a huge snafu for both the 5k and 10k.  It was a bad enough mess that the “Special Guest” Martha had to sort out medals while trying to present them to the winners (with the official award photo being taken) as they were called forward.  It gives me a headache to think about.  Charlene stepped in to help Martha as soon as she saw what was happening, I stayed out of it for a few minutes (being left to guard our valuables) but had to lend a hand as well a few minutes later because the winners started stacking up behind them waiting for their awards (a few come back because they did not get the correct ones).  It took the 3 of us, rushing, at least 30 minutes to get the medals sorted and untangled; all the while the winners were announced and waiting around for us to give them what they’d earned.  The lack of prior preparation made the ceremony a chore rather than a celebration; at least in 2015 it was only slow and disorganized.    

It’s not really surprising that so few runners showed up for the ceremony; no doubt most left straight from the finish line to get something to eat, some probably didn’t want to walk the several blocks after the long run to wait around hungry just to find out they didn’t even place, or maybe some just weren’t interested in collecting an uninspiring, generic award medal with an event sticker on it (that may sound snobbish but creativity shows involvement and care where cheap and generic shows a lack of interest and emotional investment).  I went, and brought Charlene, because I wanted to know the results and if I and/or Charlene earned an award I wanted it/them: It's what is fair (if that makes any sense).

 I’d hoped that things would have improved over last year but almost every phase of the event took a step backwards in my opinion.  It’s depressing; Vegas needs a great local race experience, on a fast course, and this one could be just that but it just seems to move further and further away from it’s potential. 

Charlene asked me a very difficult question later that day:  Would I run the Big Game 10k again, after the overall experience had gotten worse in the second year?  Ordinarily it would be an easy and immediate answer of “No!” but I have to admit that the fast course is a big draw to me.  I could care less about the event and post-race mess at this point, unless the race owner decides to improve things for their customers, but the fast course gives me the opportunity to test myself in ways that no other race in Vegas has/does.  Time will tell but at this point I doubt I’ll allow myself to be taken advantage of again just for a chance to test my speed.

*Disclaimer:   The opinions expressed here are my own and not influenced by the organizers nor sponsors or any other company/individual affiliated with the event.

Post-surgery Week 9

For the complete story please review my previous blogs on this subject:

The surgery
Post-surgery Week 1
Post-surgery Week 2
Post-surgery Week 3
Post-surgery Week 4
Post-surgery Week 5
Post-surgery Week 6
Post-surgery Week 7
Post-surgery Week 8

Week 9

Day 57 (Thurs) – I’ve felt pretty good this week.  I know the physical therapy is really helping me get stronger but unfortunately I also know I’ve a long way to go.  I’m looking forward to what tomorrow’s PT session brings.

Day 58 (Fri) – Physical Therapy was pretty fun this time (a little annoying too):  We added two new exercises and I had localized A.R.T. and massage session on my left IT band.  The physical therapist who worked on my leg today actually surprised me by saying that my primary PT had instructed her to work on the IT specifically because he’d noticed it being very tight back in the beginning of the month.  I need to add some stretches and foam rolling to help get that IT to relax. 

I met Charlene after my PT session; to get to packet pick up for the Danny Gans Memorial 5k race and to get our weekly grocery shopping trip done.  One of our local track club members was at the store where packet pick up was being held:  Seeing and talking to him reminded me to appreciate my surgeon and my good fortune of the repairs he’s done for me on this left hip.  The track club member had hip surgery quite a long time before I received mine and he’s still moving very painfully and awkwardly.  I wish him the best and I hope my recovery continues to go well (and completely).

Day 59 (Sat) – My routine lately has been to get up early, check my email, log into my ChiRunning lessons, watch the lesson and download the audio lesson, and then head out for an running/walking even with my sister.  I enjoy this routine; it engages my mind and body, and it helps me focus my mental energies somewhere other than inward.  This morning’s ChiRunning class was to teach us about stabilizing and relaxing our shoulders while walking and running.  Keeping your shoulders stable keeps you from expending extra energy and it helps keep your balance control in your hips (in your core).  With my walking and running style, the mental focus of “feeling” of being pulled from my sternum is a great fit.  I put it to practice in today’s race; it felt perfect especially traversing the bridge over Interstate 15.

This morning’s racing event was the Danny Gans Memorial 5k and 1 mile walk/run.  I had my concerns about the weather with all of the rain and cool temps but it turned out pretty darn good.  My sister Charlene, my nephew Eli, and I arrived early so we didn’t have to stress over parking and so we had plenty of time to get warmed up.  I took advantage of the shopping center’s open air layout to weave between buildings as well as walk up and down stairs to the second story stores.  I need this warm up time to ensure I don’t strain my recovering hip and core muscles; it also lets me listen to my ChiRunning/walking audio lesson (via the file I’d downloaded to my phone) and practice the lesson I’d be applying.  I’ve run this particular route many times with other races so I knew what was coming and could sink into my lesson and enjoy the activity.  I set myself a stronger pace than at last week’s Operation Jack walk, shooting for anything less than 15 minutes per mile (I even passed a few people, whoohoo).  I did have a moment of concern when we came to a hairpin turn; my left thigh’s abductor muscle spiked an instant of pain and felt very weak.  Once I competed the turn and began a more balanced straight walk the pain and weakness didn’t continue or return.  I need to remember to tell the Physical Therapist about that.   My sister, who finished long before me (and took 3^rd place Female masters), met me at the 3 mile mark to complete the final .1 miles with me.  I should have appreciated it more, we’ve done as much for each other many times, but I was still very much focused on my ChiWalking lessons and maintaining a good pace.  I ended up finishing with a 14:30 pace which was a full minute per mile faster than my previous race, I’m cool with that.   

After I took my family home and returned to mine I felt very restless and a bit irritated.  To expend some of that extra energy I got back into my race clothes, strapped on a pair of my retired Altras and headed out to the local mountains for a fast paced trail walk.  Applying ChiWalking disciplines to rough trail walking is quite a challenge but fun too.

Day 60 (Sun) – The recovery period is nearly complete, just 30 more days to go.  I feel that my patience is being tested more by not being able to run in these races more than it is by the various aches and pains I still have.  I try to put aside what I could do at the beginning of the year; I’m not that runner anymore.  This process, and the one to come, has changed me in ways that I’ll have to learn.  On the positive side I have a lot of training to fall back on but I can’t ignore that my body has been irrevocably altered.  What the future brings, who knows.  I hope that I become a better runner from this (and a faster one); it’s why I am going through all of this. 

 

Day 61 (Mon) – The best part of a work day is when you’re so busy you don’t notice the passage of time.  The worst part of a work day when you’re recovering from hip surgery is when you get so busy that you can’t get up at least once an hour to walk around and stretch cramped muscles out.  Thank goodness for home physical therapy.  

Day 62 (Tue) – My left knee felt uncomfortable today, thanks to the tight IT band.  The inner part of my knee has ached periodically through this recovery period but I hadn’t mentally tied it in to the IT band.  I’m not running but I am learning.  I had another busy day at work so I didn’t get a lot of walking in again; the best walking session was after work on the way to the bus stop.

Day 63 (Wed) – I had a follow up appointment with my company’s medical facility, at the work site.  They wanted to know how my recovery was progressing, if they needed to advocate for me with my boss in case I needed relief from work activities, and they wanted to know if there was anything they could do for me to help in general.  It’s nice to have that level of support at work, especially so far from home.  The company doctor that visited with me did take the opportunity to tell me (again) how much he loves having had his hip replaced and how good it feels for him now.  I’m very happy for him but I’m hoping that these surgeries I’m having will allow me to keep all of my original parts for the balance of my life.

ChiRunning Online School 

Every Step Earned

I have been running for just 4 years now.  I started out fresh off the couch and having recently shedding roughly 50 pounds of excess weight.  I started with a Couch-to-5k running program (despite my strong desire to remain lazy), rediscovered my childhood love of running, and trained my way into being able to run marathons.  I have been fortunate enough to enjoy success at every measured distance between 5k and 51k.  To accomplish that I had to spend nearly 3 years in a constant state of training always refusing to recognize limits and always demanding that I strive for more speed and greater endurance.  Though I am far from being pro or even semi-pro I have worked hard enough to give observers the impression that what I do is easy or effortless.  Even at my peak that is never the case when I'm racing, no matter how it may appear.
I've been compared to a robot, I've been called freakish, I've even had people upset/angry with me for doing well and looking as if it were too easy.  I understand there is a level of praise beneath the various forms of expressions but I wish they would see what it takes to get to that level rather than the gratification of the accomplishment.

For those who wish I would show greater effort I am happy to present you this collage of my pictures from the recently completed 2015 LVTC Legends of Cross Country 5k.  I was tired after the first mile, drained after the 2nd, and exhausted after the 3rd.  Like many others, it took everything I had to finish the race.  I take pride in my effort level, it wasn't my best result ever but it was the best I could give that day and I'm pleased.  

-Kirk