SubscribeI tried the Clif Shot Mango Orange recovery drink the other day. It was the first water-based recovery drink that I did not have to choke down. It did not taste great but it is definitely drinkable. I found that mixing the drinks exactly as directed make them taste better.
Remember, it is better to mix the drinks a little strong. It is also faster to swallow 8 ounces than 12 ounces.
To be honest with you, I use most of the top electrolyte drinks and recovery drinks interchangeably with little noticeable difference between them. Some flavors are preferred over others but they all seem to work for me. Clif sets themselves apart through their community service. Mike gets stuff to review. He may or may not tell me what he paid for and what is a review item. I don’t usually follow what is a review item because I am the main test subject.
One day I was testing electrolytes and recovery drinks at the same time. I was confused on when you should drink which drink and why they are different. I sent Clif a message through their web site asking about the difference and I described why I was concerned (the reason for my concern follows at the bottom).
A customer service rep called me up to explain the difference and why it is important (to be followed in another article). She called me because what I did to myself is very bad and that is was very important that I understand what I did, how to prevent it and why I should not let it happen again. She called me, “Ted, the customer” because all athletes and customers are important to Clif.
Will I buy Clif over other products because of this? I don’t know. I do know that I don’t buy Exxon gas for some odd reason. I am not mad at Exxon for spilling all of that oil in Alaska but I subconsciously hold something against them for it.
Anyway, here is what happened to me. It is called bonking. Bonking is bad. Try not to let it happen to you. (Mike’s Note: This was written prior to the California International Marathon, but I didn’t want to change the wording around just for posterity.)
My last long practice run was today. I planned on doing a 24-mile run today but after talking to some other marathon runners, I cut it down to 20 miles. I figured a 20 mile run would be no big deal so I did not take it seriously at all. I just went out and ran at a comfortable pace with no regard for much of anything.
When I finally checked my heart rate and pace, I saw that I covered the first 12 miles in 1:30 with no calories consumed! I told myself to slow down and eat. I did not eat or drink enough. It took me another 87 minutes to cover the last 8 miles. I got to talking for 4 of the last 5 miles and had no stomach for food or water. It was a 3 block walk from where my 20 mile run ended to my house. I had to stop and lie down on the way home. I was in agony walking the last block home.
When I got home, I could only lie down on the floor and shiver. Teddy made me some chicken noodle soup which I could only eat 4 spoons of the broth. I continued to shake the entire time. I took a quick shower and laid down on the floor covered with three thick blankets. I switched between shivering and cramping until I fell asleep. It is always bad when you burn more than 2,000 calories and can’t eat for 5 hours after you done.
I ate a little bit then a lot more. I did not eat the entire 2,000 calories I burned and I probably did not drink nearly enough fluids to replace the fluids and electrolytes lost. I am beginning to come back to life now (9 hours after my run) but it may take days for me to recover from today. At least it is taper time for the marathon.
Leave a comment