I knew that this pit of despair was going to smack us in the face with a hard dose of prairie pain, and it still caught me out and brought my bike to a gritty stand still, rear stays completely plugged. My stomach sank and tightened at the thought of having to struggle this hard, this early in the race. My resolve became not so steely for a moment, but then I remembered why I was racing and that there was no such thing as quitting.
- Yuri Hauswald, 2015 Unbound (formerly Dirty Kanza 200) Champion
YURI'S SECRET WEAPON
It's Roctane Energy Drink Mix! This power-packed drink mix was created for events exactly like the Dirty Kanza 200. High-intensity? Long duration? Demanding? Sounds about right!
ROCTANE Energy Drink Mix packs enough electrolytes and carbohydrates to replace calories from solid food or gels. Each 250-calorie serving (in 16 oz of water) contains two types of carbohydrates - maltodextrin and fructose - that use non-competing pathways to help maximize absorption and utilization while diminishing stomach distress.
Each serving is also packed with branched chain amino acids. These are the essential building blocks of proteins and are important during exercise for a few reasons: they protect your muscles from breakdown, contribute to energy production, help prevent mental fatigue, and kick-start your recovery.
The formula also includes the amino acids beta-alanine and taurine. Beta-alanine can help reduce acidity levels in muscles and delay the onset of fatigue; meanwhile, taurine can help promote heart contractility and improve cardiac output.
To amp-up your hydration, every flavor has 320mg of sodium, the electrolyte you lose when you sweat. Hydrating with electrolytes helps you maintain the optimum fluid levels in your blood, so you don’t lose any power. Also, every flavor (except Grape and the newest flavor, Strawberry Hibiscus) has a boost of caffeine to help keep you focused.
PRO TIP FROM REBECCA RUSCH
For really intense, shorter races where I’m on the rivet at a high output for most of the time, I like to use primarily liquid calories like Roctane Energy Drink Mix, because the digestion and absorption is easier. It’s also much easier to drink calories than eat them when you are breathing.
– Rebecca Rusch, Three-time Unbound (formerly Dirty Kanza) Champion