Happy National Running Day! If you can get out for a mile that's great. If you can get out for 10, that is also great. I you are lucky enough to run in the sun, do it. If you are lucky enough to run in the rain, do that too. Just get out and enjoy the sport we all love. Now on to a quick run report and a review of a really unique product in the crowded sport drinks market.
I knocked out between 7 and 8 mi on Saturday morning with the Trail Hawks. It was a bit ironic, because we ran exclusively on roads at Clinton State Park. The trails are all sloppy messes. I was a little disappointed that we could not run in the dirt because hard surfaces (read sidewalks and roads) are not kind to my still-smarting hamstring. Although it was supposed to be, if not sunny, at least not raining, we took off in a misty-drizzle with wind out of the north, and a temp in the 50sF. While not the most pleasant conditions for running, the company was top-notch. With all of the rain the region has experienced, my EU trip, and my ongoing hamstring issue, I have not been out on too many group runs with the Hawks over the past couple of months. It was a real pleasure to see 15 or so Hawks ready to run at 7 a.m.
I knocked out between 7 and 8 mi on Saturday morning with the Trail Hawks. It was a bit ironic, because we ran exclusively on roads at Clinton State Park. The trails are all sloppy messes. I was a little disappointed that we could not run in the dirt because hard surfaces (read sidewalks and roads) are not kind to my still-smarting hamstring. Although it was supposed to be, if not sunny, at least not raining, we took off in a misty-drizzle with wind out of the north, and a temp in the 50sF. While not the most pleasant conditions for running, the company was top-notch. With all of the rain the region has experienced, my EU trip, and my ongoing hamstring issue, I have not been out on too many group runs with the Hawks over the past couple of months. It was a real pleasure to see 15 or so Hawks ready to run at 7 a.m.
I knew my final 2-3 miles would likely be alone - much of the group was going for 10-ish miles. I didn't want to aggravate my injury too much. And during the run, the pain level in my hammy alternately waxed and waned. But by about mile 6.75, I was ready for the run to conclude.
One thing I did try out was Skratch Labs Matcha and Lemon Exercise Hydration Mix. My normal go-to drink mixes for running are Trace Minerals Research's Endure, and Hammer Nutrition's Heed. I always, in the back of my mind, question the overarching need for electrolyte-type drinks. But I always use them on longer runs (hey, I'd rather be safe than sorry). I will report that I really grooved on the flavor and dissolubility of the product. The matcha gives the drink a much more earthy flavor than I am used to in a sport drink - something that I found to be really refreshing. It tastes very green - a bit like tea mixed with wheat grass (in a good way). And there were no clumps to clog up the nozzle on my bottle. The pick-me-up in the mix seems to come from a) the sugar, which sadly, as in most mixes, is the number one ingredient and b) the caffeine that occurs naturally in the matcha. I will point out that the first sugar listed is cane sugar. Colorado-based Skratch Labs also uses real matcha and very few other ingredients for a pretty clean-looking label. The product is vegan, gluten free, dairy free, and kosher, but not organic.
One thing that struck me when looking at the packaging is that the Nutritional Facts Panel lists 38 servings per bag calculated at a half scoop each. Instructions on the bag, however, call for using a full scoop - effectively cutting the serving amounts per bag in half. So, for the roughy $20 I paid for the bag of powder (at Sunflower Outdoor and Bike Shop), I either have 38 or 19 uses that I'm going to get out of it. Saturday morning I put about 3/4 of a scoop in my 20 oz hand-held bottle. It tasted strong enough, and again, I absolutely loved the flavor. Upon concluding the run, I went home and wrote to Skratch Labs to ask them about the serving-size question. On Monday I got a very nice email back, from a woman named Nicole, that explained what was going on. Here is part of it:
Because we use only all natural ingredients, we are considered a food product by the FDA (as opposed to a supplement**) and in accordance with their rules we had to go in increments of 8oz serving sizes on our resealable bag packaging. Nonetheless, in most of our sales information/website/nutrition
So I am now a happy Skratch customer. I will report on their other flavors if I can be wrenched away from the Matcha/Lemon mix. I'll probably still try to squeeze 20-25 servings out of a bag (depending on the temperature and the length of the run). If you want to learn more about Skratch products, visit their website at: www.skratchlabs.com
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