I finished my first ultra with my head spinning, minor hallucinations, and a stomach ache that felt worse than my legs. After some conversations with people who looked like they knew what they were doing (they were still standing at least), I discovered that my plan of an energy gel every hour (which I kept forgetting to take anyway) and plain water was a large part of my problem. I found out that I needed to up my caloric intake and get some salts in there too if I wanted to finish my next race on my feet. Some running buddies had told me about some “all-in-one” fueling options, but they sounded sketchy, especially since most came with their recommendation of alternating between it and straight water, which means carrying two bottles instead of one.
So I decided on some energy gel that sounded appealing, as well as an electrolyte tab option, and went for a run. I programmed my Garmin for a 15-mile run at my race pace. Miles 1 through 7 were great - I was right on pace and I only missed taking a gel once. Miles 8 through 12 were a different story. My mouth felt like I had been eating peanut butter all day - that odd, sticky, gummy feeling that makes you drink water like a dehydrated camel. I was gassy throughout the whole run (the electrolytes) but now the gas seemed backed up and was absolutely killing my stomach. I stopped just after mile 12 to slowly walk back to the car. My legs felt great and the energy was there, but I felt mentally defeated by my fuel. So, back to the drawing board.
A few weeks later while listening to a TRN podcast, I discovered an “all-in-one” fueling option called Tailwind. Tailwind’s creator, Jeff Vierling, is an avid mountain biker. And by avid I mean Leadville 100 (if you don’t know what that means, look it up). Jeff’s experiences with other fueling options sounded so similar to mine. That, coupled with Tailwind’s slogan of “All you need, all day. Really.” sparked my interest. Tailwind claims to tackle some of the common problems of endurance athletes. Its key features are that it’s a complete energy source, easy on your gut, and tastes great. Considering that Tailwind was basically claiming to solve all of the problems I was having with fuel, I immediately visited their website. Jeff is so confident that his product works he offers an option on his site called “The Tailwind Challenge” . “The Challenge” gets you 4 big bags of Tailwind and a promise - if Tailwind doesn’t blow you away, Jeff will pay for any race of your choice. Considering the problems I had been having, this was huge. I quickly ordered “The Challenge” and registered for the Blue Cruise 50k.
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| Jeff sent me some goodies to share with my Trail running club after I ordered the Challenge (pictured in the back row). |
The stats for Tailwind are:
1 Scoop=
- Calories: 100
- Sodium: 88 mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Sugars: 25 mg
- Calcium: 26 mg
- Magnesium: 14 mg
- Sea Salt: 55 mg
All natural & organic ingredients: Dextrose, Sucrose, Sodium Citrate, Sea Salt, Citric Acid, Organic Mandarin Orange Flavor, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Magnesium Citrate.
The first thing I noticed with Tailwind was the taste. Not too sweet, a little salty, and really really good! There’s no other way to describe it. I was still enjoying the Mandarin Orange by the end of my first run with it, a 15-miler (usually I have to rotate gel flavors because they get old fast). Even after a 3-hour mountain bike ride and the water in my pack being as warm as...well, I’m not going to make that analogy, you get the picture. I still enjoyed the flavor. The next thing I noticed is the increase in speed and endurance. That’s not to say it made me faster, but it let me be faster. I didn't have to stop to take gels, or gummies, or bars, and my energy was smooth throughout. My favorite part was that I had no stomach issues whatsoever, not even gas. I felt like I could enjoy my runs again.
Needless to say I did not ask Jeff for a refund on my race, and I’m still using Tailwind today. I have run into one snag using it, however, and that’s carrying enough during races. I’m lucky enough to have a crew (aka my girlfriend) who meets me at every aid station to refuel me. But others who don’t have a crew option are going to be stuck carrying their Tailwind with them. Not a huge problem if you use packs or waist belts, but I like the minimalist approach and only use a handheld. My overall verdict on Tailwind is this: if you are looking for a single fuel and electrolyte solution that is easy to use and easy on your stomach, you can't do much better than Tailwind.
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