The Official Fluid Blog

Those of you who are into off-road running probably know a little bit about Trail Runner Magazine. As THE source for trail and ultra racing, gear, advice and culture, Trail Runner has become loved and trusted by adventurous runners everywhere. That's why Fluid is incredibly excited to be featured in the nutrition department of the January 2011 issue! The folks at Trail Runner know a thing or two about running long distances over difficult terrain. They also know how important it is to make sure your body is recovering properly in between those gnarly excursions. So it was an honor, but no surprise when Trail Runner contacted Fluid CEO and co-founder Richard Smith to learn more about the science of recovery nutrition. The result: a well-researched article for Trail Runner and a wonderful bit of exposure for Fluid. This article really exemplifies why Fluid is so effective at keeping you healthy, happy and strong. 

So head over to your local tech running store and ask for the January issue of Trail Runner. Or hey, just go ahead and subscribe! The January issue also features a nationwide trail race directory for 2011, training tips, entertaining anecdotes, and a 2011 wall calendar with some pretty stunning photography.

Happy trails!
Team Fluid

This past weekend folks in Oxnard, California, spent their Sunday running from a giant Santa! The Santa To The Sea Half Marathon, Relay and 5k once again proved Oxnard to be a great place to be in the month of December. Beautiful weather was the perfect accent to an awesome event. Runners came from far and wide to run from the huge Santa Claus on Ventura Boulevard, through Oxnard's strawberry fields en route to the Pacific Ocean and an awesome finish expo (with plenty of Fluid on hand of course!). 

Fluid was honored to support this event. Mike Barber and the whole Santa To The Sea crew put on another amazing race this year, raising support for not one but two local charities! All runners were asked to bring a new toy to the race to help brighten the holidays for underprivileged kids in Ventura County. And on top of that, proceeds from every entry go to the Santa To The Sea Scholarship Fund set up by Mr. Barber and his crew. Because of this fund which began in 2009, the race has been able to provide scholarships for six students to Oxnard College for the 2010 fall semester!

Fluid is also incredibly proud to partner with Tri Running! Owners Josh Spiker and Brian Smallwood are great guys (and awesome athletes!) who are working tirelessly to bring you the best service through their new triathlon and running store. Based now in Camarillo, California, and these guys were out in force at Santa To The Sea, supporting a great cause, making friends and serving up always needed Fluid! If you're in the Camarillo area after the first of the year, check out this brand new store and say hi to Josh and Brian for us.

If you missed Santa To The Sea this year, don't let it happen again! Check out the links above to learn more about the event, the causes and all the great people involved. Then add it to the calendar for next year!

Fluid is very proud to announce that Dane Rauschenberg is the newest addition to the rapidly growing Fluid Family! At 34, Dane is an amateur athlete who, in 2006, successively ran a certified marathon every weekend of the year to benefit the Mobile, Alabama chapter of L'Arche Internationale as part of an effort he has called "Fiddy2".

But for Dane, that's really just the tip of the iceberg. In addition to raising over $44,000 to date for L’Arche Mobile, Dane has also:

• Ran all 202 miles of the American Odyssey Relay – solo- in just over 50 hours.

• Won the Inaugural Drake Well Marathon - where twenty participants ran 105.5 times around a high school track in Titusville, Pennsylvania. Rauschenberg also served as the race director for this race to keep his 52 marathon streak alive. 

• Ran the 100k Sawtooth Relay as a solo athlete, beating ¼ of the 6-person relay teams.

• Won the PT Cruiser Challenge - an event consisting of a 15k, 5k and marathon all in 24 hours.

• Owns the farthest distance ever run (84 miles) at the Presque Isle Personal Endurance Classic - a 12 hour race in Erie, Pennsylvania.

• Ran over 122 lifetime marathons (and counting) with a personal best of 2:49:36.

Are you overwhelmed by accomplishment yet? Well keep reading!

• Selected as a member of Team Elite for Powerbar for 2010-2012

• Selected as a Top 10 Finalist for the 2009 Energizer Keep Going Award

• Chosen as the 50 State and DC Marathon Club’s 2009 Humanitarian of the Year.

• Created the “Charity Chaser” event where Dane begins dead last and runs down other participants to raise money for local charities.  In four marathons, Dane has raised over $65,000.

• Invited as a solo runner to MBC Hangang Marathon in Seoul, Korea. Dane made this his 4th marathon in 13 days and posted a 2:56 time, placing in the top 5%.

• Ran the Boston Marathon course twice in one day, joining race director Dave McGillivray in running the course again mere hours after completing the fabled race in a time of 3:01.

• Invited as a special guest to the Dalian Marathon in China by the running shoe company, Li Ning.

• Chosen as the first person to be featured in a Road ID advertisement.

• One of MarathonGuide.com’s Outstanding USA Marathoners of the Year – 2006.

Phew! After all that, we really don't have much else to say, other than we're stoked he's on our team!

So Dane, welcome to the Fluid Family! We can't wait to see what you accomplish with Fluid under your belt, both athletically and philanthropically, and we look forward to working together to make the world a happier, healthier place!

If you want to learn more about Dane and his pursuits, or to see where he's running and speaking next, check out his website: www.seedanerun.com

 Hey Fluid Fans!

Welcome to the second installment of Fluid's Coach's Corner. This week we brought in Josh Spiker, a Fluid sponsored athlete, running coach and professional runner. In this "Corner" he gives all you aspiring runners a glimpse into one his training weeks. This training snapshot is a great example of what the professionals do in regards to recovery and intensity.

Josh is an avid Fluid user and owned and managed Inside Track Running & Triathlon Company for 3 years before selling it back in February. While owning and managing the store, Josh ran a 2:24:56 marathon at Carlsbad in January of 2009 and in May decided to give Chicago a dedicated 5-month training block and see how fast he could go. After averaging 40 - 60 miles a week for 4 years Josh is now averaging between 80 and 105.

We wanted to provide you a glimpse into the training of an elite runner and hope you may take something beneficial away from it. We do not recommend you try any of the actual workouts as this week is based on a few months of progression (and 20 years of running) that has allowed Josh to complete a week like this. One important lesson to take away from this training week is that the long runs are significantly slower than goal marathon pace (5:10 pace.) His long runs are typically 50 - 75 seconds slower than marathon race pace and that's for a 5:10 race pace. Another important note is he only has 2 days where he runs at goal marathon pace or faster meaning there are plenty of easy days.

Monday

                AM: 10 mile recovery run with Brian Ball in Mammoth primarily on trails. Yesterday ran a 20-miler (at 9000 feet elevation) and needed a really easy run.

Tuesday

                AM: 7 1/2 miles easy plus 8 x 20 second strides. On the roads back in Ventura (drove back yesterday).

                PM: 5 mile Recovery Run on grass and trails at Arroyo Verde Park.

Wednesday

                AM: 8 mile fatigue run on the roads finishing at track: 2 miles easy (6:35), 2 miles medium (5:54). 2 miles hard (5:09), 2 miles easy (6:40). 5 minutes rest to change into racing flats at the track. 3 x 1600 meters in 4:44, 4:43, 4:42 on with 2 minutes recovery. 2 miles easy for cooldown. (13 miles total). FLUID directly after workout. Wore 2XU compression tights all day after workout.

                PM: 3 miles easy on dirt.

Thursday

                AM: 16 miles easy (6:25) on trails at Sycamore Canyon. Jen kept me company on bike and gave me Gatorade Endurance. FLUID directly after workout.

Friday

                AM: 7 1/2 miles easy on roads + 8 x 20 second strides.

                PM: 5 miles easy on grass and trails at Arroyo Verde Park.

Saturday

                AM: 3 miles easy warm-up. 4 Strides. 8 mile tempo on Rincon Highway (roads) at 5:07 pace. 3 miles easy cooldown. FLUID directly after workout. Wore 2XU compression tights all day after workout.

Sunday

                AM: 24 miles at Sycamore Canyon on trails at 6:00 pace average with last 5 miles sub 5:40. FLUID directly after workout. Wore 2XU compression tights all day after workout.

Total Weekly Mileage: 106

To learn more about Josh, what he has to say and how to contact him, visit www.joshspiker.com.

 
Earlier in the year, Fluid was approached by a representative from Project RideRED. This organization works with top companies in the cycling world to develop products that allow cyclists to show that they care about finding a cure for HIV/AIDS. Most importantly though, they're active in solving the problem, from funding innovative programs that promote AIDS education, to helping those currently living with AIDS, to actively supporting AIDS vaccine development.

Fluid jumped at the opportunity to help and is now honored to be the official recovery drink of Project RideRED. To show our support, we headed out to the 4th annual World AIDS Day Ride this past Sunday. The ride started and ended at Bike Effect in Santa Monica, California, and all riders wore red to show their support of those living with AIDS and their dedication to finding a cure. Members of the Fluid crew rode the course with the group before happily serving up Fluid to everyone at the finish.

The day was filled with good people, beautiful views, and plenty of reflection, not to mention the best recovery drink on the planet! All of us at Fluid look forward to the future of this project and to working with Project RideRED to find a cure. To learn more about Project RideRED and find out how to get involved, take a look at http://www.projectridered.org/.

As the competitive season wraps up for many athletes across the country, things are as busy as ever for the Fluid crew. That's why when we heard about the chance to spend Sunday at beautiful Meridian Vineyards in Paso Robles, California, we jumped at it. And while wine tasting wasn't on the agenda for us this time, ice cold Fluid definitely was!

The race is called the Wine Vine Run, a hilly half marathon and 5k through Meridian's sprawling vineyards. The race began in the early morning light, meandering past ponds full of waterfowl and colorful rows of leafy vines before ending at the tasting room lawn. And while Meridian wine, Firestone beer and free massages were all around, Fluid shed the light of recovery on more than a few tired souls!

Labeled as a premier California destination race, runners came from all over the country and some as far away as Denmark! The race was the perfect healthy addition to an extended stay in the heart of California's Central Coast wine country. And to top it off, all proceeds benefited the local Paso Robles Athletic Department. If you want to check out this race for next year and learn more about the Paso Robles wine region, please go to winevinerun.com for more information.

As most of you may know, another Friday passed us by a few days ago. And for the Fluid Team, Fridays mean one thing: time to hit the road! So we packed up the Fluid Mobiles and headed out from our San Luis Obispo pad in both directions. On our relentless mission to provide wholesome, healthy recovery to the world, we headed up to the Morgan Hill Marathon/Half and down to the Santa Barbara International Marathon/Half. Both events boasted huge turnouts and beautiful courses, as many runners eeked out their last miles of racing before the end of the season. 

The Morgan Hill Marathon & Half ran through the scenic hills east of the Santa Cruz Coastline, while the Santa Barbara International Marathon & Half cruised down the rustic streets and beaches of the “American Riviera.” And for all finishers, Team Fluid made sure that both Fluid and good times were plentiful in both locations! If you were out there with us, you know what we’re talking about! But if you missed the races and you’re interested in great roads to run (or ride) in these areas, we encourage you to check out these courses. And while you’re at it, go ahead and sign up for next year! Go to sbimarathon.com and mhmarathon.com for more information and to learn how to support the multiple charities that are represented by each of these awesome promoters.

This weekend the Fluid office team was out in force at the Laguna Lake Mud Mash in San Luis Obispo, California. This 5k/10k running race was held just a few minutes from our office and there's no way we could have passed it up. The course included running in the lake, sloshing through mud bogs, slithering through reeds, climbing over rope walls and hay bails, jumping in mud pits and battling vikings. Oh, and a guy playing a bagpipe on top of a mountain. Everything about this event was gnarly, epic and fun for everyone. Many families and groups even competed as teams!

Our buddies at All Out Events did a great job with this one in its inaugural running. We have a feeling it'll be a Halloween staple for years to come. And to top it all off, a portion of the proceeds go to San Luis Obispo County's Special Olympics program. As for us, we finished the race as fast as we could and got back to the work we love best: providing Fluid and nutritional education to the masses! A perfect way to spend Halloween if you ask us! So if you're in the area next Halloween, definitely check it out. Or go to www.all-outevents.com to see what else the All Out crew puts on, from a major outdoor rock climbing competition to sprint and 24 hour adventure races.

 

Richard Hortness is a much loved Fluid athlete and Canadian Olympic swimmer. He competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and recently returned from the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, where his performance earned him a spot on the Canadian short course world championship team. He’s currently in the middle of training for that event, which will be held in Dubai, UAE in December. We caught up with Richard to see how things were going on his road to London 2012.

What does your average day consist of when preparing for an event like that?

My average training schedule is to wake up at 5 or 6am every day to get up for either an hour of weights followed by a half hour run or a two hour swim.  After my post practice FLUID, I get to go home and eat around 9am. I then either take a short nap or take care of chores and catch up on emails, etc. Around 11-12 I will eat Lunch and start to get ready for practice #2 which will be another 2 hour swim followed by a 50minute dryland/10minute stretch. One more round of FLUID before I get to head home for dinner. I will do prep work for the practice that I coach (either masters or the University of Western Ontario dryland) or go see my girlfriend who is a national team rower to talk about our days and make it to bed before 10. So every week is 6 days of something like this, always a minimum of 2 practices with an extra run thrown in somewhere so that I get 3 in a week. Oh, and biking sometimes when the weather is nice.

You’re an incredible swimmer, but I have a feeling it isn’t the easiest profession. What’s been the greatest challenge for you in getting to this point?

This is a tough question! I would say that some of the biggest challenges that I have experienced since after the Olympics and finishing school at UNLV are continuing to push myself as hard as I was with a whole team behind me like I had at school, but it is getting better now that I have moved to London Ontario to train with UWO. The other is making sure that I am putting the right kinds of food into my body so that I am reaching the caloric intake that I need but not getting there though cheap foods with poor nutritional value (which isn't cheap).

You’ve already been to the Olympics in Beijing. What was it like as an athlete in China?

Being an athlete in China was fun! Walking around with one of my buddies saw us in a sea of people that were only tall enough to come up to our chests or chins which made for a lot of picture opps for them and some fun stories for us.

So now you’re working toward the London 2012 Olympics. What are you doing to prepare and what are your goals there?

Basically everything we do in the pool and out is focused on what we have to do to be ready for London. Even though we are looking to the short term meets we are also looking to make sure that we stay focused on the big picture. This is just proper goal setting, big picture followed by the steps we have to take to get there. The goals are to be on a medal winning relay either and to be in the final of the 50m freestyle. Both will be tough and huge accomplishments not only on a personal level but as a Canadian as it has been a few Olympic cycles since we have been in those positions. 

Is there anything you wish people knew about you and/or the sport of professional competitive swimming?

The Biggest thing that I find people do not understand about my swimming is that just because I am on the national team or that I have gone to the Olympics is that there is not a lot of money coming in to cover the costs of swimming and living for me. Across Canada the national team members for all sports receive either $900 or $1500/month as an income. With competition, training costs, living expenses, travel etc. my annual costs are around $38,000. Taking this into account any job, a speaking engagement at a school or coaching session that I can get, I jump on so that I can continue to fuel myself and effectively compete. I am happy to say though that I have 2 great sponsors the first being Fluid, the second being Splish swim wear.

If you want to know more about Richard and his swimming or how you could support him please feel free to visit his website at www.richardhortness.com

Are you a Fluid athlete with a cool story? Reach out to us! This athlete profile section is going to be a regular occurrence to help those hard working athletes who exemplify the Fluid culture and could use a little extra exposure.

Welcome to a brand new offering by Fluid and friends!

Coach's Corner is a new line of blog posts designed to further help Fluid users maintain peak performance and overall well-being.
We're very fortunate to have help from some incredibly qualified individuals for these informational bits. The posts will be covering a range of topics from endurance training techniques to the importance of emotional well-being.

Our first contributor is Dr. Dan Rudd. Dr. Dan is a triathlete, husband, father, grandfather, psychotherapist and founder of Dr. Dan’s Training for Emotional Fitness.  He has competed in the sport of triathlon for 25 years and loves training and racing with his 2 sons and friends.

"Similar to physical fitness, we can improve our level of emotional fitness through training.  In physical training, there are periods of stress where the muscles and organs of the body are exerted, and periods of recovery.  Of course Fluid helps with this recovery. Without recovery, the physical body will eventually become injured and start to break down.  The same is true with emotional health and fitness:  it is essential to have periods of rest and recovery. 

"Just as we are hard-wired to be physically active, we are also hard-wired for happiness.  Recent research in affective neuroscience shows how our thoughts can change the function and structure of our brain.  This is very exciting in terms of happiness and performance.  The purpose of this column is to share this information with you and answer any questions about how to maximize your enjoyment and performance in your sports activities.  

"Let me start with my motto in life:  'The winner is the person who has the most fun!'  When it comes to the brain and emotions, what we focus on get bigger.  If you focus on the enjoyment of your training and being thankful that you are able to train, your mood will be positive.  Start by noticing what you say when you talk to yourself, because those thoughts are programming the software in your brain.  I look forward to hearing from you and answering any questions you have about health, happiness and training.  Just Ask Dr. Dan!"

To learn more about Dr. Dan and his work, visit http://drdanrudd.com/emotional_fitness_training/motivational_speaker/seminars_and_events.aspx 

Stay tuned for more from Coach's Corner and as always, we love to hear your feedback! Please don't hesitate to leave a comment or contact us.