Can you complete/compete at the 140.6 distance w/ only 10 hrs of training per week?

Friday, October 14, 2011

UCAN

As a coach and athlete I am constantly trying new things to see how they impact my training and racing. Recently, I have started to experiment with a product called UCAN (http://www.generationucan.com/home.html) after one of my atheltes shared her successes with the product.

What I am about to share will be hard to read or 'swallow' for it will go against everything you and I have been 'fed'. Please know that I am an advocate of experimenting (as noted above) and I would urge you to make transitions like the one I am about to elaborate on slowly/cautiously. In other words, please talk to your coach before making a switch from one product to another.

Okay, so here are several real world examples to process:

(1) Meredith Dolhare takes on Ultraman UK this year and excels there (currently holds Female American record at Ultraman UK) on only ~65 calories per hour! Yes, 65 calories per hour for an event that took 3 days to complete! She would later take on Kona and report a 'nitro' like response at 18 miles after consuming her UCAN at the special needs.

(2) Coach L uses UCAN for a 5:30 bike ride and consumes only 2 x 200 calorie packets of UCAN (Chocolate protein mix). No bonk experienced and first time using it. Figured I'd truly test the product under a very low intensity bike ride with two of my athletes preparing for Ironman Florida and Arizona. Was impressed by the product for sure. No GI issues and, again, no bonk.

(3) Anne takes on a 13 miler with the Lemonade mix (110 calories in packet) this AM and holds 7:30 pace for duration. She later states, "...I wish I had this stuff for Ironman Louisville...". She consumed this produce ~40 min prior to the run and did not use any external calorie sources for the run. Very convincing connection between UCAN and performance.

In the field of sports nutrition and exercise science one must have an open mind. One must be open to experimenting and studying HOW their body responds to various fueling options under varying conditions.

IMPORTANT NOTE: UCAN contains a 'super starch' that no other product out there contains. The following excerpt from their site sums things up well:

Generation UCAN is a powder-based sports energy drink mix. It's meant to be consumed before activity for sustained energy, or after to assist with recovery. Its unique carbohydrate (deemed "SuperStarch" by its founders) is revolutionizing sports and consumer nutrition. It was originally designed for a child (Jonah from CT) who suffers from a rare condition that results in frequent and dangerous episodes of hypoglycemia. However, after a series of tests, its founders realized this one-of-a-kind energy yielded incredible benefits including:

Healthy, steady, ongoing energy without sugars or caffeine
No energy spikes and crashes or re-dosing
No gastrointestinal (GI) distress - it's gentle on the stomach
A unique dual-fuel energy profile that helps burn fat
Achieve metabolic efficiency

Not to confuse here, but I do want to make sure I stress the obvious. If you are NOT using UCAN I do not recommend using such extreme caloric intake as mentioned above. Please know that no other product out there contains SuperStarch. If you are using other products like Infinit, Sustained Energy, etc. I would NOT recommend limiting your caloric intake to 65 calories per hour. Most of you have been hitting calorie ranges of 200 to 300 calories/hour on the bike and up to 200 calories/hour on the run. DO NOT waiver from what you have trained your mind and gut to process. There is plenty of time to experiment post your A race for 2011.

Think outside the box and put yourself out there,
Coach L


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