Karl Meltzer posted his fastest Hardrock 100 finish by nearly two hours and out ran the entire field on his way to victory in what many consider the hardest Ultra.

Meltzer has simplified his nutrition program considerably and uses the EFS liquid shot almost exclusively.  “It was simple….EFS liquid shot across the board!….about 6000 calories worth,   with some Chix Boullion and extra salt.   The Chix boullion was most of the extra at the aid stations.  I drank primarily water only, as the extra sugar is too much in a run that long.  I didn’t even use Ultragen like I used to until I was finished.  What’s amazing now is that I sit here, not really sore at all.  Not really tired. If my legs weren’t a little rickety I might even go for a jog.  It kind of scares me! “  Meltzer goes on to add that he is a bliever in liquid calories even for ultra long distance racing. “The combination of EFS liquid shot and drink proves no real solid food is needed, even for a race as long as hardrock.  I did have (1) peirogie.  Since the right ingredients exist in the liquid shot and EFS drink, no need for real food is needed!”

The podium was littered with First Endurance athletes all who endorse and use the First Endurance system of products.   Anita Ortiz, running for LaSportiva is sponsored by First Endurance.  Previously sponsored or associated with First Endurance is men’s winner Hal Koerner, who still uses the products extensively in his training and racing.  Women’s 2nd and 3rd place finishers Krissy Moehl and Beverly Anderson-Abbs are also users of First Endurance products in their preparation for this gruelling race.

First abandonments started around mile 23. A few of the top runners dind’t step the start line ( Anton Krupicka, Max king or Mike Wolfe) and  around 70 would not make it into half the race. But the first shock of the day was to see seven-time champion Scott Jurek dropping at Devils Thumb around 8.00 PM PST. While Mackey and Koerner emerged from the canyon looking strong, the seven-time champion, who had not run Western States since 2005, dropped 47.8 miles into the race. He simply stated “I went to the well, and the well was dry”.

On the women’s side, Anita Ortiz was the leader early on. She pulled into the Michigan Bluff aid station (55.7 miles) only an hour behing the overall leaders. Beverly Anderson-Abbs was about 15 minutes behind Ortiz, and Nikki Kimball more than an hour away.

After Michigan Bluff aid station, Koerner opened up a 19-minute lead by the time he reached Foresthill 6.3 miles later. A 9:25 pace Mackey couldn’t follow. ”I got a pump off of all the people,” he said, ”I just tried to harness all that energy and go.” This effort would prove good enough to make Koerner winner of the WS100 for second year in a row (race cancelled in 2008). His time: 16:24.

Mackey dropped out near mile 78 and the second place turned into a brutal duel between Japanese Tsuyoshi Kaburagi and Great Britain’s Jez Bragg. Bragg pushed a 10:00 pace for the last 15 miles, but that came 2 minutes short. Kaburagi crossed the finish line second in 16:52. “We passed three people between No Hands (Bridge) and here,” said Bragg, “I would bet our splits at the end were some of the quickest ever, because I was properly flying.”

The 45-year-old mother of four from Eagle, Colo. , Anita Ortiz, kept her lead through the entire race and clocked a time of 18:24. Krissy Moehl was in second place while Anderson-Abbs trailed in third, with a time of 19:26 and 19:53 respectively. Three-time women’s champion and favorite for the women’s victory Nikki Kimball finished 4th in 20:55.

Along the way, many runners had to call it a day before reaching Auburn. Among them, ultrarunning most known face, Dean Karnazes (mile 62), Italian best endurance runner Marco Olmo (mile 62), Hiroki Ishikawa (mile 34), Chikara Omine (mile 62) or France’s top mountain runner Laval Benoit (mile 55).

race recap courtesy of trailrunningsoul.com

by Scott Jamie

Before I get to the experiment, here’s just a little background on post race recovery:

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), elevated levels of cortisol, and a multitude of other things after an ultra are common and ultimately delay recovery.  DOMS comes from a lot of concentric muscle contraction that is created from downhill running.  Sure it’s a normal process of the body to provide negative feedback (pain, swelling, fatigue) so the body can heal and prevent further injury.  But the trick is to help minimize DOMS and restore normal levels of cortisol as quick as possible.  I have long had a problem of the “quick” recovery, sometimes not being able to run for a full week after an ultra, whereas others can turn out ultras every week.  Enter Ultragen.

I have tried many, many other recovery drinks that have either not worked or have just tasted so awful that I would rather suffer through DOMS.  Finally First Endurance came out with Ultragen about 3 years ago and having worked with Robert Kunz at a previous nutrition company I knew he would dial in the best product on the market -bar none!  First it had to taste good – check.  It tastes so good you’ll want a glass every night for dessert.  Next it actually had to work by speeding recovery – check.

This is where the experiment comes in:

In May 2007 I ran Jemez 50 mile trail run in New Mexico and immediately following the race I boarded a plane to a meeting in Utah.  “This stuff had better work or I won’t be able to get off the plane” I thought to myself.  And more importantly I wouldn’t be able to participate in the planned 14 mile training run with Aric on the Squaw Peak course the next day.  I finished the race completely trashed and without missing a beat, I mixed two scoops of Orange Cream Ultragen in my water bottle, drank it within 20 minutes, and was off to the airport.  I guess you probably realize I wouldn’t be telling this story if it “didn’t” work so yes I went on that training run all the way up to Windy pass without injury.  Of course my legs were stiff and tired but the difference between taking and not taking Ultragen was night and day after a race.

Fast forward to March this year after WTC.  Because I was on such a tight schedule to catch my plane after the race I had completely forgotten to take my Ultragen, instead I was more concerned of making my annual pilgramidge to In-n-Out Burger.  I didn’t realize it until Monday morning when I had unpacked my bags and saw my bottle with the powder in it.  AH-HA!  That’s why I’m so sore today!  I was sore all week and barely made 20 myles.  My next race was Miwok and with tons more downhill (and longer) I was bound to be a little sore but I would NOT forget my Ultragen.  In fact, as I was finishing the first thing I thought of was Ultragen.  I went straight to the car, mixed my Cappuccino Ultragen, and pounded it within 15 minutes of finishing.  Guess what??  Minimal soreness – quick recovery.  The week following Miwok I put in 40 myles and this week I’ve put in 72 myles!  Basically I was able to double my myles post race week and get back to normal running within two weeks when taking Ultragen.

I won’t get into all the science on why Ultragen works so well but one reason is it’s unique blend of BCAA’s, glutamine, vitamins, and minerals to help restore cortisol levels quickly.  Remember cortisol puts your body in a catabolic state that continues to work well after the race is over.   The First Endurance website is a wealth of information so check it out to learn more.  Or please comment and I’ll be happy to share information that I have in my tiny brain.  And last, if you know me and see me at a race I would be happy to share my Ultragen if you have never tried it.

Link to original article

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…

3/14, Cool, CA