ULTIMATE DIRECTION is launching a new line of signature packs designed by signature athletes. The first one to arrive, and my favorite, is the Ultra Vest by Scott Jurek. The SJ Ultra Vest fits like a shirt with no bounce, no pressure points and no straps across the hips or stomach; creating a superior fit to all the other hydration packs out there.
The SJ Ultra Vest features 2-20oz bottles on the front of the vest with a compartment in the back suitable for a 70oz water bladder. This vest weighs next to nothing and has pockets all over it for gear and food. It's made of a cuben fiber; making the vest almost indestructible and highly breathable. There has never been anything like the Ultra Vest before; ULTIMATE DIRECTION and Scott Jurek have knoced it out of the park with this one.
Who's Scott Jurek you ask? Scott has won the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run seven times. He's won Spartathlon twice, authored a book titled 'Eat and Run' and was featured in the book 'Born to Run.' Scott is also credited for designing the best selling trail shoe on the planet; the Brooks Cascadia. Scott is from another planet, how else do you explain his stud-ness?
The SJ Ultra Vest is available at STRIDERS for $125, or you can buy it now for a limited time for $120 with FREE shipping. See Below:
Please note: Domestic shipping is FREE on this item for a little while longer. For International Shipping, please add the International Shipping Rate to your cart.
Sized Unisex at chest:
Small - 25-33"
Medium - 31-37"
Large - 36-44"
It's getting warmer, so we're starting to field a lot of questions at STRIDERS right now from runners who are cramping or experiencing nausea during or after a long run. If you're having those same issues, an increase in your sodium & potassium intake during your long run could be the solution. We like e-Gel from Crank Sports because it has 230mg of sodium and 85mg of potassium per serving. When supplemented with water, these electrolytes can mitigate cramping and help settle a stomach gone south. At 150 calories per packet and low sugar content, e-Gel provides sustained energy without the blood sugar fluctuations; you'll feel better and run better without all the highs and lows.
There's a lot of great "gels" and energy products at STRIDERS, we encourage you to sample a few in your long runs to determine what will work best for you. Come on in and we'll help find a formula that works.
Well, most of it has arrived but enough of it to get us excited. UltraAspire is a line of hydration packs, bottles and belts designed by and for ultra-athletes. UltraAspire is a Utah based company, headquartered in St. George, and many of their product designers and ambassadors are natives of Utah. That's cool enough as it is, but the products from UltraAspire are revolutionary. The attributes of the products from UltraAspire are: COMFORT, FIT, FREEDOM of MOVEMENT, EASE of USE and CUSTOMIZABLE UTILITY.
The ergonomics and fit of these bottles and packs are just incredible; you gotta try it to believe it. Take a look below or better yet, come into STRIDERS and put your hands on one...or two.
We've been talking about Chia seeds at STRIDERS for some time now; Chia and apple juice saved by bacon at the Wasatch 100 in 2009. Chia seed, mixed with fruit juice is the perfect pre-run drink. Take chia during a run and it will help improve endurance, and mix it with chocolate milk for an excellent recovery drink.
The nutritional value of chia seed is unbelieveable. In a "per gram" comparison, look at how chia stacks up:
700% more Omega 3 (OFA) than Salmon
500% more Calcium than milk
200% more Iron than spinach
100% more Potassium than bananas
500 % more Protein than kidney beans
300% more Selenium than flax seed
800% more Phosphorus than whole milk
MORE Antioxidants than blueberries
MORE Folate than asparagus
MORE Lignans than flax
The amount of Omega 3 fatty acids in chia seeds alone will help improve your overall health. The body doesn't make the essential OFA's, you need to get them from your diet. Chia seeds are naturally oily and have the perfect balance of OFAs 3-6-9; in fact chia seeds contain 60% OFA-3. The essential fatty acids promote efficient nerve transmission and stimulate the brain.
Listen up endurance athletes: Chia seeds love water. The seed can soak up ten times its weight in water. When the seed is inside your body, they help you stay hydrated longer and retain electrolytes in your bodily fluids.
As an added bonus, when the seed is digested it "bulks-up" as it passes through your system; cleansing your body of old "junk" in your intestines. This "bulking-up" effect also makes you feel full longer and helps maintain even blood-sugar levels. The overall effect is weight loss because you're not craving food all the time.
We're stocking chia seeds at STRIDERS now; ACHIVA has a very tasty chia seed mix with coconut water for added electrolytes. It's great stuff and worth trying - you won't be sorry.
I'll be honest; like a bad night with a bottle of tequilla, I haven't been able to get GU past the back of my throat...until now. GU has some new flavors out, but the best new arrival (in my opinion) is the peanut butter flavor. It's doesn't taste like GU, it tastes like peanut butter (go figure). It tastes like real food but it still works like GU. Awesome! I love it. FREE samples at STRIDERS.
The new and improved Timex GPS Run Trainer has arrived at STRIDERS! This new GPS watch is just as powerful as its predecessor, but it's half the size and it costs less. It features GPS which will track your pace, distance and heart rate (optional) in real time. It's completely customizable, has automatic alerts for heart rate, pace and more. This new model has hydration and nutrition reminders along with a countdown timer and 8 hour battery life in full GPS mode, but you can wear it as your everyday watch for weeks in time mode. It's also water resistant up to 50 meters (don't push the buttons under water). And yes, it has the INDIGLO night-light. After your workout, you can download your stats to your computer with the Timex Ironman online training log software. The software is compatible with Windows XP or newer and MAC OS X 10.6 or newer computer operating systems. Check out the size of this watch, it's perfect! How much would you pay for this watch - $400, $300? NO! It's only $275 w/heart-rate or $225 without! Timex is also offering a $50 mail-in rebate until the end of the year. If you've been holding out for an affordable GPS watch with all the bells and whistles that still looks and fits good, this very well may be the device for you. Take a look.
Last August at the Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City we happened upon this little watch company advertising a $99 GPS running watch. Soleus has been around for some time, they were the licensed manufacturer for Nike until they went out on their own about 4 years ago. This watch is amazing; it will track your distance, speed, pace, calories burned, and automatically click your lap splits for you with a 50 lap memory. It's equipped with an 8 hour rechargeable battery; the watch charges with a USB cable that connects to your computer. In the run data mode, you can store and review data from your workouts. The maximum data storage capacity is 30 hours , 30 files and 100 laps. It's water resistant but not recommended for swimming. The best feature of this watch is its compact design; it's the smallest GPS watch on the market. It's a great Christmas gift, but you deserve one for yourself too. Come into STRIDERS to try one on, we think you're going to love it.
