CYTOMAX

Daily Quote: "Cytomax helps keep strength at peak levels longer so you can train harder. If you are trying to improve longer with greater comfort. You will be able to expend more calories with less muscle loss. Cytomax's lactate-based calories are ideal because they are not easily converted to fat." --Cytomax Performance advertisement on container.

Well, the advertisement does sound wonderful doesn't it? If the product lives up to even one of it's hypes I'd be tickled!

Cytomax Performance, Cool Citrus flavor, will be the drink on the course of the 2009 Rock n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon. I was able to find a 24 oz canister (good for 27 servings) for $19.99 at an R.E.I. store. Buying this canister is a much bigger savings than my purchasing individual bottles of my beloved Gatorade. I should have bought Gatorade in canisters in the past too, but find mixing product a real pain.

O.K., today is my Long Run and now wish to experiment with my new drink. Time for the dreaded mixing...according to the canister, "Mix one to one and a half scoops of Cytomax in 16 oz. of water." Geez, how much is a scoop anyways?? I have a 32 oz. bottle with a drink nozzle that would be wonderful for the gym...I'll put three heaping tablespoons (hoping that a heaping tablespoon equals a scoop). Shake the bottle vigorously and ready to go.

8:00 a.m. Long Run. 16 miles. Time 2:40. Overall pace, 10 minute miles. Life Fitness Treadmill set at a 1% grade and 6.0 mph. Average heart rate: 141 bpm. Cardiac Drift 146 bpm. (Note: my maximum heart rate is 190 bpm) Shoes: New Balance 720. Run went well with no aches nor pain and will attempt to run this same distance next week, but strive for a slightly faster speed. I need to have my other, shorter runs catch up on its mileage before raising Long Run distance again.

Drank Cytomax at 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 miles. It didn't taste like "Cool Citrus," more like sugar-water. I wonder if I mixed enough product in my bottle? I'll try another 1/2 scoop during my next Medium-Long run. I feel like Merlin testing his potions! Has anybody out there in cyberland mixed this product for their runs? Also, I need to learn to shake my bottle before I drink it...during the last two drinking periods it had a little grainy texture. I still had about 10 ounces of beverage left after my run, which means I can probably still use the same bottle for my upcoming longer runs. Cytomax didn't bother my stomach and am satisfied I can drink this stuff during the marathon itself.

Tomorrow will be a short Recovery Run when I'll be just drinking water.

Oh yeah, before I forget again...Sara Wilson sent the following:

I sent you an email last week and didn't hear back so I thought I would try again. The Fresh Air Fund is still looking for runners and sponsors to join our Fresh Air Fund-Racers team for the NYC Half-Marathon on August 16th. It would be a huge help if you could post a mention of this exciting news on Vegas Runner. This is a great way to participate in NYC's premier summer road race while helping Fresh Air Fund children. Please feel free to use anything from our site here:http://freshair.org/racersLast summer's NYC Half-Marathon was a huge success and the Fresh Air Fund-Racers raised more than $125,000. We are also still in need of Friendly Town hosts for next month. Host families open their hearts and home to a NYC child who would not otherwise have the opportunity to escape the hot, crowded city streets. Please let me know if you are able to post or have any questions, and if you could send me the link that would be fantastic.Thank you so much,