Energize, Endure, Restore…Yes Please!!

Have you ever read a company mission statement or “tag line” and thought…”that just fits me”?   As I sat down to write this review for Xood Endurance Drink that is the first thing that crossed my mind.  As runners, we constantly seek these three simple things…energy, endurance and restoration.  Throw in a couple kids, bills, work, and life and you will find me on my hands and knees whimpering for these things!!

So while a mission statement is fine and dandy, the real question is how a product performs.  So after a couple months of trying out all three of their product lines David and I are proud to share that Xood lives up to their mission.

One of the first things we noticed while trying Xood was the distinctly different consistency and taste compared to other products we have used in the past.  One reason for this is that unlike the Gatorade and PowerAde products of the world, Xood is made from all natural ingredients.   While this means it doesn’t have the same sugary “juice” type taste you get from others, it does have a light taste that seems to grow on you over time. 

As for performance, we both really noticed a difference in our ability to hydrate as well as refuel after workouts.  I was particularly impressed with Xood as the weather got warmer and the workouts grew more difficult. 

All in all, this really is a great product line.  The taste and consistency was something that at first we both were not accustomed to, but by the end of our trial we really liked.  This IS NOT your run of the mill Gatorade type product that basically is the equivalent of a juicy juice with more carbs.  Instead, if you are looking for an endurance drink that fits a healthy lifestyle, then this is for you.  

So this is the new normal???

For those of you who have read our blog before, or know our families, you are probably well aware by now that David and I, in true twin fashion, watched our families grow in the same week.  Our addition (the perfect and ever beautiful Chloe) came as scheduled (C-section) and David’s addition, Luke, (the already nicknamed “marathoner” for his steady plodding) decided to come five weeks early.

Now that we are two weeks into this whole new world I can’t help but think about how different our lives are.  What we have found to be a normal day is now something that seems not so normal.  Squeezing in a run has become SO difficult.  Getting lot’s of extra rest and eating well…forget about it!  Yet with all this fun I will say this…I like the new normal!  All you have to do is see the beauty of a growing family and see it for the blessing it is!  We can live with less mileage, slower legs and fewer races, because we get to live with these amazing families!!

Who knew the whole ice thing worked!

So if no one told you, I am getting old.  Mentally I may still convince myself I am not old, but my body is in a constant state of disagreement.  I actually hurt my ankle giving my dog a bath last week.  I don’t even remember if I was moving when it happened.  Did I mention I was getting old?

After my tragic dog bathing accident I realized I needed to ice everyday, and in the process found something pretty stinking basic, and equally awesome.  I got a foot-ankle hot cold wrap from Active Wrap, and I can honestly say that I really do love using it.  I can walk or move around while I ice (or sit on the couch and act like I am in too much pain to get up), and more importantly it is very easy and comfortable to use. 

Bottom line, I give it a solid A.  I really do feel much better after only a couple weeks.  Who knew this ice thing actually worked! 

Come on over to my house if you want to try it out, just keep in mind I may need you to wash my dog while you are here. 

We are twins after all…Introducing Luke Allen Scharff

For those of you who think they are reading the same blog twice, you aren’t.   Yep, Baby Scharff #2 arrived today. 

Despite being 4 weeks early, Luke Allen Scharff decided to make a grand entrance into the world today.  David and Anna definitely have a story and a half to share with you all later, so I will leave all the details for them.

I will let you know that Luke is 5 pounds 8 ounces, and 17 inches long.  He is currently in the NICU with some breathing support, so we all would appreciate your prayers for Luke and the whole family.  Hopefully he can come home very soon!

Needless to say, our training has been WEAK, but our week has been GREAT!!

Introducing Chloe Ann Scharff

I interrupt your usually scheduled running update to introduce the next chapter of the Scharff running legacy…Baby Chloe Ann Scharff!

Chloe was born on June 1st at 8:22am.  She was 8 pounds 6 ounces and 20 3/4 inches long.  While I am in the process of giving out stats, I will predict that she is faster than all your babies…combined (sorry, daddy’s got to be a little biased). 

As you can imagine, I have not done much running this week, but don’t really care! 

Product Review (FlexR Water Bottles)

If you are like me you see new products almost every day. And unfortunately most of those products are just a slight change over something else that is out there. While this isn’t always a bad thing, it makes those truly unique products really stand out.

Recently my brother and I were privileged to try out one of such products. Thanks to the great folks at FlexR Sports, we have been trying their unique new water bottles which take an approach I have not seen before. These bottles are designed to be used with their disposable plastic liners, which allow the user to toss the liner out when finished with their drink and only rinse the lid and toss on another bag.

On occasions David and I switch between water, recovery drinks (Xood is currently our drink of choice), protein drinks, and occasionally juices. During these times you either have to have a ton of water bottles (which take up so much space) or constantly wash out the few you have. This is where the uniqueness of the FlexR bottles come in.

Simply put, this is a really cool idea that will certainly be a great fit for a lot of you out there. For me, I have found that they are not something I would use daily as that I usually stick with just a recovery drink and my water cup at work. With that said though, they have come in handy on some occasions. David even discovered that the unique design was a big hit with his 1 ½ year old girl!

So in closing, David and I give these cool new products a solid B score on our grading scale. While I wouldn’t say they are a perfect fit for our lifestyles, they are an intriguing product that would benefit a lot of people. So the next time you are trying to figure out how to bring your recovery drink mix and protein mix along on your next trip give FlexR a try. We think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Why We Do This

As Andrew and I approached our 2010 running goals, we realized that we were in need of some serious changes to the intensity of our workouts.  Being a top level runner takes a balance of speed, endurance, strength, and mental fortitude.  For that reason we both committed to the most major change to our daily workouts you could endure.  More kids.

Being a parent is like running a 10k while carrying an enormous bag of Idaho potatoes 20 hours a day (although I guess any potato could work in this analogy).  You will gain muscles you never knew existed, push your endurance training to completely new levels, provide yourself with a 365 day a year alarm clock, and most importantly have the ultimate motivation every day.  Now keep in mind, this is coming from the perspective of a dad, who has ZERO understanding of what moms endure every day.  Someone should really come up with a day to honor those brave mothers out there.

As I have watched the middle-age portion of my life quickly run me down, I have realized how much our lives really change as we get older.  Despite the new pains we discover on nearly a daily basis, the loss of free time from our lives altogether, and the challenge to get enough sleep nearly every night (we usually start our runs around 5:00am), we cannot think of anything that would make our lives more complete (enter sappy yet true sentimental segment of blog).  We have amazing wives that love us despite us, and wonderful kids who make every day both a challenge, but more importantly worth living.  Our wives are amazing moms to Callie and Wade, and we know they have already taken exceptional care of the ones who have not yet made their arrival.  To our wives, thank you for choosing to keep us around.   (Exit sappy yet true sentimental segment of blog).

So come May/June (For Andrew and Robin) and June/July (for Anna and I) we once again plan to rev up our workouts (aka…add new babies).  We realize that no matter how many repeats/hills we have run or diapers changed, we will never quite be ready.  Regardless, we can’t think of anything better.

 

Race on.

Homemade Energy Bars

If you are like me you love the benefit of a good energy bar right after a run, but you HATE spending a fortune for one little “granola bar”.  So after some research and creative work in our kitchen, I have created my own homemade energy bars.

I will start off by saying that these things not only taste great, but they also are a bargain at about 20-25 cents each (depending on your coupon skills!).  You can also be creative with making them your own.  Whether you use different types of nuts, add coconut or even add a little chocolate drizzle on top they will be awesome.

My only issue, is that I need a really cool name for these things!  Any ideas????  Check out the recipe and give them a shot.

2 cups of well-chopped nuts (I prefer Almonds and Pecans)
1 1/2 cup oats
1 3/4 cups rice crispies
1 cup Wholesome Sweeteners Cinnamon Agave Syrup (you could use maple syrup or honey instead)
¼ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons ground coffee beans
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 8x12 pan with spray or butter. 

Toast the nuts in oven.  This will take approximately 10-15 minutes depending on the nuts you use.  Keep an eye on them and stir them around a couple times.  Once they appear toasted or slightly brown pull them out.

Transfer the toasted nuts into a large mixing bowl.  Stir in the oats and rice crispies

In a separate saucepan, over medium heat, stir the Cinnamon Syrup, Brown sugar, salt, coffee grounds and vanilla until it boils (about 4 minutes).  Pour the syrup mixture over the dry nuts/oats mixture in the large mixing bowl and then stir together until it’s evenly coated.

Spread into the prepared pan (you can use same pan you used to toast the nuts).  The mixture will be stiff enough to mold into whatever size and thickness you’d like, so spread to the thickness and size you would like.  The trick is to get the mixture VERY compact and pressed down.  Make sure to press really well into the edges of the pan.  You might need to wet your hands to allow them to work with the sticky bars.

Let bars cool on counter or in fridge for about 30-60 minutes. 
This will make approximately 16-25 bars, depending on the size and thickness you prefer.

Donuts+The Lake+Golf=Uh Oh!

I sit here and write this latest post with a good bit of guilt sitting in my stomach.  Thankfully though it’s taste is disguised by the really awesome free donuts my family and I just snagged from our local donut shop (if you live in Chattanooga or ever come this way you have to check out Julie Darling Donuts).

Yes, after a month and a half of solid training with only an occasional missed run I have now officially missed 4 days of running in a row!  (I will add here that David did actually get up and run this morning, so at least one of us in doing ok)  You would think that for a dedicated runner such as myself I must be going through some difficult injuries to have missed so many days, but alas that would be false.

Sadly, my tale of woe isn’t quite that woeful.  Friday I was lured away from my workout by a full day of golf with some friends and family (always better than a day at work!).  We then spent Saturday and Sunday with both our families and some good friends at the lake just playing around and having fun.  While we didn’t get any miles in, we did catch our fair share of really small fish. (and despite what the picture below implies, I didn’t use my son as bait!)

So that brings me to today.  Instead of hitting the roads and pounding out some good miles to start off the week I decided to sleep and eat donuts.  Yes folks, life is really good!

You Would Think We Would Know By Now!

Finally after 40 plus years of combined running experience we have realized something most elementary kids figure out in the 2^nd grade. Hydration matters. Don’t get me wrong, we drink water and lots of it (although probably not enough). We have even gone as far as to eliminate soft drinks from our diets. The problem is we also drink stuff that just isn’t really beneficial (i.e. PowerAde) that might do the job of hydrating and refueling our electrolytes but also add lots of ingredients that just aren’t natural or healthy. (No I am not as smart as this sentence would make me seem. I just read this stuff on the side of the box.)

With the really hot months of summer already breathing down our necks (today and tomorrow high will be in the 90s!) we have made it our mission to not only drink lots, but also drink smart. So thanks to the awesome folks at XOOD we are going to spend the next month trying out something a little new, XOOD Endurance Drinks. During this time we will be using all three of their drink lines, which will cover us from both fueling up before runs, during runs and after our runs. The coolest part though, is that this stuff is all natural with no additives or artificial ingredients! Consider this our press conference announcing our official endorsement of XOOD. We are currently negotiating with Runner’s World to be on their July issue cover (but most likely negotiations will lead to us renewing our subscriptions).

The bottom line is we are excited to keep you posted on our progress and let you know a little more about these products. In the mean time though, check them out at www.xoodhealth.com. They really are a great company, and we are anxiously waiting for our mailman to arrive any minute.

Finally, I wanted to update you guys on the status of my sore knee from last week’s long run. I took Sunday and Monday off (except for a little 2 miler on Monday afternoon just to test it out). It felt stiff, but ok so I decided to continue with out training. On Tuesday we hammered out 4 mile repeats at a comfortable pace (5:41, 5:39, 5:35, 5:33) and it seemed to respond well. I am still feeling some issues with stairs and when I do my bounding drills though. With the progress I am seeing though I am leaning on the hope that time really does heal all wounds!

The Lone Ranger (wishing he had Tonto)

One plus to having a constant training partner is that you reap the benefit of both someone pushing you to your best, but also someone telling you to take it easy when need be.  Yesterday I learned this lesson the hard way.

With David out of town and a 13 miler on my training schedule I headed to meet up with our Saturday running group like I would on any other Saturday run.  Things actually started off well as I did my warm up couple miles and shot the breeze with Jed (one of our local runners).  This though, is where things got crazy (or stupid, you pick which best fits!).

With my ego in full bloom and a large storm looming in the sky behind me, I decided it was time to leave the rest of the group and settle into my real pace.  I proceeded to then run the next  9 miles at a 6:30 (aka…stupid!) pace.

As I backed off my last couple miles and cooled down, I thought I had just ran a killer workout (and in many ways I did).  Unfortunately I also managed to do something to my left knee, which didn’t gain my notice until last night when I realized walking down the steps REALLY hurt!

Only time (and tomorrows run) will tell if this was a good finish to a strong week of workouts, or the beginning of yet another nagging injury.  Regardless of the outcome though, I have no doubt that two really is better than one!!

Like your momma always said…SAFETY FIRST!

 

Ok, hopefully the title isn’t too cheesy, but we had to give credit to our mom for raising us right (and besides, moms are always right!).

As runners who tackle the vast majority of our runs before 5:30am, we have sadly had our fair share of close calls while running on the roads of Chattanooga. Just recently, I even had to pull David at the last second out of the way of a city CARTA bus that wasn’t paying attention. (Yes, I realize that most of you already thought I was a hero, but now it is official!)

With that wake up call behind us, we have decided to take on the mission to be the safest possible runners each morning on our streets. One such change we have made recently was the decision to test out some of the equipment available for keeping runners safe.

So I have decided to test out the latest ROAD ID Elite bracelet. These high quality bracelets (available in 9 colors) are designed to provide immediate information for EMT workers if you were ever in an accident. I am trying the interactive version which not only includes two lines of personal info (I have my name/blood type and wife’s phone number) but also has an ID and pin which provides EMT workers full access to an online medical profile you create. Not only will this profile provide any important info they might need for proper care but can also include your health insurance info.

If you want to find out more info about the ROAD ID products just follow their link on our site. We have also been given permission to give the first 20 folks who order a coupon for $1.00 off your bracelet (they range from $19.99-$29.99). Just use the promo code ThanksAndrew739986.

With both of us having families at home, as well as additional kiddos on the way, we think it is vital to make sure we do everything we can to ensure our safety. We strongly encourage any of you runners out there to do the same.

Hope…Coffee…and an ice bath?

What’s your favorite way to start a Saturday morning? Maybe a good long run, your morning coffee, time to read the paper or even just the hope of a relaxing day with your family. These are the things that get me excited about weekends, and help me wake with a positive attitude, even when my long run needs to start at 5:30am.

Well this Saturday I started a new tradition that might put a damper on my Saturday morning utopia. As my mileage has started to climb I’ve realized that I am no longer the same 21 year old kid that never gets hurt. So to help combat my many nagging issues, I am reacquainting myself with a team ritual from my college days…the ice bath.

Now, I SO wish I had photos of this team bonding activity to share with each of you (if you are an old teammate and have some please send them). Just imagine 2-7 runners crammed into the trainer’s whirlpool tub up to our waists soaking in 48 degree water. Not only was this a crazy sight to see, but it was quite painful for the first few minutes until everything went numb.

While the first time is not fun (and will make even a grown man want to cry some really cold tears), I have to say it is well worth the effort. After our 14 miler this Saturday (averaging 7:14 miles) my body ached. But thankfully with just 20 minutes in a not so relaxing tub I felt good as new.

For those that don’t know the benefits of ice baths, check out this link below. I would also suggest if you don’t want to spend the money on bags of ice (it takes a lot to get the water to the ideal temp) you stock pile during the week.

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-241-285--12810-0,00.html#

So to all of you runners out there, I challenge you to add one more thing to your “relaxing” Saturdays. Grab that coffee, snag your weekend paper or even light some candles. While you might not love life during the following 15-20 minutes, I promise you will be thankful for the rest of the week!

Happy bathing!

Shout Outs!

While I realize that this blog’s primary focus is to keep our adoring fans (we do have fans, right?) updated on our latest running thoughts or race results, we want to toss out some praises and well wishes to some of our favorite runners.

First off, Monday was a huge day for one of our running (and life) heroes, who just so happens to be David’s father in-law. The T-Man (Truman Smith), completed the 2010 Boston Marathon in 4:06:38! Not only is this his 4th finish in the world’s most historic race, but it is also his 81^st marathon over all! So congrats to you Truman, and know that you are not only an inspiration to all of us runners, but you are also someone we are honored to call friend (and Father In-Law).

Second, we want to toss out some good luck wishes to Beth and Rob Palmer. They will be venturing into their first Full and Half Marathon’s this weekend. Beth has been in full training for the Oklahoma City full marathon, even completing a 22 mile run completely by herself. That impressed me, if I had been on a run that long I would have ran to the local Starbucks and read the paper for a few hours! This will be Rob’s first half marathon and despite his training methods not quite matching his wife’s, we are certain they will both do AWESOME!

Also, please keep us posted on your latest results. We would love to share in your successes with you.

How it all began…

Over the past twenty years, the two of us brothers have covered the full spectrum of what this sport of running can bring. From our humble beginnings as the best third grade runners our little elementary school could offer, we discovered that our skinny little legs could actually be good at something. We might get pushed around on the football field or basketball court, but who needed the glory of those bottom tier sports when we could win all the glory in the hotshot world of elementary running clubs!

As time progressed through high school and into college with the help of phenomenal coaching and great family support we were able to experience the thrill of championships (against kids over the age of 10!) and the indescribable feeling of conditioning your body/mind into top tier shape. With these years of countless workouts, restless road trips and tiring races we also slowly began the process of becoming what we call “bipolar runners”! With this I mean each day brought a different feeling. It was either…I LOVE to do this, or…this REALLY sucks! As you can imagine, this made for a very volatile attitude about the sport.

Without realizing it, by the time our NCAA eligibility ran up we had lost the love for the sport that had meant so much to us. Instead it had become at best a job that suddenly no longer “paid the bills”, but did provide quite a few cool race t-shirts! With our lives taking us to different parts of the county and our time being filled with more important things, we hung up the flats and walked way.

It wasn’t until four years later (and about 20 pounds!) that we both started getting curious about whether we should give the running thing one more try. After a year or so of off and on training and a few random races we are ready again to see what we have left in the tank. This time though, we aren’t in it for the glory or championships (but we do still like those t-shirts!). Instead these next miles are only about discovering again the joys of running and brotherhood. Because after all life (and running) often repeats itself…