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.