Alameda Runners – Get After It!

We went back to Sausalito to tackle the hills again.  We have no reason to run in the hills other than the pure joy of running there.  It makes think about doing the Point Reyes 25K.  Point Reyes is a very hard run that you get nothing for finishing the run except the possibility of poison oak.  You also get a huge sense of accomplishment.  We had a lot of fun this week running along the hills.  My photo blog can be found here Saturday run photo blog.

Clif Bar launched a heavy marketing campaign for its Clif Quench drink, a new line of electrolyte products aimed at endurance athletes. Originally announced last March, Clif, a company well known for recovery products for athletes, continues to release quality products that are both good for the body and environment.

The Quench line features four flavors – Fruit Punch, Lime-Ade, Orange, and Strawberry Citrus – but the Quench drinks are designed as a tasty re-hydration drink, not a traditional sports drink.

Each bottle is 16 ounces, and has 90 calories, 20 grams of sugar, 70 mg potassium, and 260mg of sodium.

I mainly use it as a reward after a hard bike ride or run, but Quench should be ideal for anyone who has a hard time drinking something such as Cytomax or Gatorade while training.

I drank another bottle after finishing my ride. It is a tasty, functional drink that is relatively inexpensive.

Clif competitor Accelerade also has a pre-made drink for athletes, though I’ve had trouble drinking some of it after a hard workout because of the added whey protein mixed into the drink. The Clif Quench, however, offers the important nutrients athletes need without making it unbearable to drink. The older athletes who need the sodium to prevent cramping apparently like this simple mixture a tad bit more than other drinks.

In keeping with Clif’s well known organic and environmentally green philosophy, the drink is 88 percent organic and doesn’t use high fructose corn syrup. The drink, in fact, has just seven ingredients: Filtered water, organic evaporated cane juice, natural flavors, real salt, citric acid, magnesium lactate, and potassium phosphate.

I’m not a fan of high fructose corn syrup — although tasty, it’s horrible for you — and try my best to avoid it at all cost.

The new bottles are in stores now – with a retail price of $1.49 – though can be found on sale. My local Safeway has it for just $0.99 until Tuesday, March 3.  If you have a Safeway near by, it may be the best time to pick up a couple of bottles and try it out.