• Alternate Perpetuem, Sustained Energy & HEED each loop as my primary fuel source.
• Take 3 – 4 Endurolyte capsules per loop.
• Always carry a Hammer Gel for an extra boost of energy on some of the longer (time-wise) loops.
• Drink plain water at both the 3 mile aid station, and the main drop bag/aid station located at the start/finish area.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure how long I could maintain a Hammer only fuel strategy, but aside from a momentary craving for a cup of Mountain Dew (not a good idea!), two small triangles of quesadilla (really hit the spot), a medium-sized banana (boring, but did the trick), bottle of ZICO coconut water (a welcome change for the taste buds) and cup of hot beef broth made from two OXO cubes (a real life-saver), I stuck to Hammer Nutrition fuel like my life depended on it. Of course, it really helped to have a great crew who could prepare and hand-off the fuel at the start of each loop, but that’s a story for another time.

Because I constantly switched from product to product, I never tired of the taste – one loop it would be the plain old Sustained Energy, the next my taste buds would come alive for the Orange-Vanilla Perpetuem and then there was always the refreshing Mandarin Orange HEED every third loop. Also, an espresso gel at the mid point of each 6.25 mile loop would provide a welcome kick to get me back to the start/finish area if required.

I decided on a 1.5 scoops/22oz bottle of each fuel per loop – that’s 150 calories for HEED, a fraction over 200 calories for Perpetuem and 160 calories for Sustained Energy. Add in a 90 calorie espresso gel per loop, and my fuel requirements for the whole 24 hours were adequately taken care of. On paper anyway.

Now I have time to sit back and think about the race, I can honestly say I suffered no stomach issues whatsoever, aside from one small “windy” issue after consuming the Mountain Dew. Never again.

As for the race conditions, once the sun came up, it turned pretty hot and sticky on some parts of the course. This lasted through to the mid-afternoon, when a few clouds rolled in and thankfully cooled things off a bit. Consequently I sweated a lot, but had total faith that the Endurolytes were maintaining my electrolyte levels. Despite hearing a few horror stories about hunger, dehydration and severe cramping, I managed to keep cramps at bay and my energy levels stayed pretty consistent throughout – a great testimony to the wonderful range of products from Hammer Nutrition.

The event was a great one, as I managed to churn out 106.25 miles in just under 24 hours, and win the race. Unbelievably, my last 6.25 mile loop was faster than at least the previous ten, and I’m still in shock at how much energy I had left after 23 hours of running. Thank you, Hammer – can’t imagine racing without you.

[To receive 15% off your first order with Hammer, be sure to mention code 29178 when you check out.]

Click here to view the embedded video.

Not required, but would be cool:

• If you’re a Twitter user, please consider following Mission Skincare™. A tweet to let people know you’ve entered the giveaway would be appreciated too. Click here to send an automated tweet, or feel free to tweet in your own words if you’d prefer.
• If you’re on Facebook, please consider liking Mission Skincare™. If you’re feeling generous, you could always post a link to the giveaway on your wall too. Of course, to increase your chances of winning, you’ll probably want to keep the contest to yourself….

From the 24-hour ATR race rules: For 2011, each complete loop of the 24-Hour Adventure Trail Run will qualify the runner for 6.25 miles towards their final mileage count. The time of each loop will be marked electronically. This will enable precise loop times. Runners who get to the mid-point satellite aid station before the 24 Hours are up (7:00am May 8th) will receive credit for that mileage towards the final standings.

Closest guess to my ACTUAL OFFICIAL mileage will win product #1. Next closest will win product #2, all the way down to product #12. There are no official rules, so in the event of a tie I’ll use my discretion to determine the winners. Here’s what I have up for grabs:

• Product #1 – Ultra-Hydrating Hand + Body Lotion: Melts into your skin to deliver all-day nourishing moisture and hydration with our powerful blend of Antioxidants, Botanicals and Vitamins. Retail price $9.99
• Product #2 – Long-Lasting Anti-Chafe Balm: Helps to prevent blisters and relieve chafed, chapped or cracked skin with our proprietary M-10 blend of 6 Vitamins (A, B6, C, D3, E, and K) and 4 Antioxidants (Goji, Acai, Pomegranate, and Cranberry. This paraben-free, non-greasy formula will help keep you friction-free while still allowing your skin to breathe. Retail price $9.99
• Product #3 – Fast-Drying Sunscreen SPF 30+ Spray: Alcohol-free, fast-drying, non-greasy spray provides paraben-free UVA/UVB SPF 30+ protection. Retail price $9.99
• Product #4 – Refreshing Foot Therapy Cream (Peppermint): Cools and revitalizes tired feet with our new formula–enriched with Jojoba, Sesame, Grape Seed, Radish Root, Sunflower and Cucumber extracts as well as our proprietary M-10 blend of Vitamins and Antioxidants. Official Skincare of Athletes(TM). Retail price $8.99
• Product #5 – Anti-Sting Sunscreen SPF 30+ Facestick: Sweatproof, oil-free, vitamin-enriched formula won’t sting your eyes and offers broad-spectrum paraben-free UVA/UVB SPF 30+ protection; great for face, neck, ears and nose. Official Sunscreen of Athletes(TM). Official Sunscreen of Tennis(TM). Retail price $8.99
• Product #6 – Ultra-Sweatproof Sunscreen SPF 30+ Lotion: Fast-absorbing, ultra-sweatproof lotion provides broad-spectrum, paraben-free UVA/UVB SPF 30+ protection. Retail price $8.99
• Product #7 – Ultra-Hydrating Lip Protector SPF 20: Vitamin-infused formula shields lips from the elements with powerful UVA/UVB protection. Retail price $3.99
• Product #8 through #12 – Five individual Lip Balmers™ with SPF 15: Long-lasting vitamin and antioxidant-enriched UVA/UVB protection in five great-tasting flavors: Sergio Garcia’s Mint, Gretchen Bleiler’s Sweet Vanilla, Ryan Sheckler’s Orange, Serena Williams’ Pomegranate and Amanda Beard’s Organic Strawberry. Retail price $3.99

If you’d like to try any of the products, MISSION Skincare are currently offering 15% off all products plus free ground shipping for orders over $50. [correct as of 5/4/11 and subject to change at any time].

Good luck with the giveaway. Happy guessing!

Update (5/10/11):

So, somehow I managed to rack up 106.25 miles (17 laps) on the weekend. Thanks to all who posted a prediction in the comments. It was a tough, tough event, but so rewarding on many levels.

Listed below are the 12 winners of the MISSION products. Please send your mailing address to steve.speirs@gmail.com and I’ll get your prize out to you ASAP.

Brendan M (106.25) Ultra-Hydrating Hand + Body Lotion
Ray J (108) Long-Lasting Anti-Chafe Balm
Alan A (104) Fast-Drying Sunscreen SPF 30+ Spray
Blaine M (109.375) Refreshing Foot Therapy Cream
David H (112) Anti-Sting Sunscreen SPF 30+ Facestick
Matt F (112.5) Ultra-Sweatproof Sunscreen SPF 30+ Lotion
Kim S (100) Ultra-Hydrating Lip Protector SPF 20
Michael C (113) Lip Balmer Mint
Julio (116) Lip Balmer Vanilla
Kathy (96) Lip Balmer Orange
Marie (93.75) Lip Balmer Pomegranate
Kristen F (121) Lip Balmer Strawberry

I’m really not sure how to approach this event. The furthest I’ve ever run in training or a race is 50km (approximately 31 miles). The longest I’ve been on my feet is just under the five hour mark (although I did manage to patiently work my way through Ironman USA at Lake Placid in 12 hour 19 minutes back in 2004).

Somewhat ambitiously, I have a few goals in mind. Number one – I’d love to crack 100 miles in the 24 hour period. One minute this seems doable; the next it seems totally outrageous, so we’ll see. I know I’ll need to be patient, but aside from that I have no idea what to do. I guess just take it one 6.25 mile loop at a time and go from there. Of course, with no definitive finish line as in a typical ultra race, whether it be a 50km, 50 Miler or 100 Miler, there’s always the risk of bailing whenever I feel like. There is no DNF to be scared of; it’s just run as many miles as possible in 24 hours. I may get to 50 miles and call it a day. I may not even get to 50 miles…

I’m preparing to be humbled.

PS – Apparently the 24-Hour ATR web site will feature race video clips and periodic runner updates during the event. Feel free to check in from time to time this weekend to see how I’m doing.

Donations can be made online at the official fundraiser web page, or you can make an “on site” donation whilst the event is taking place. Again, the fundraiser starts on July 14th at 7am and finishes 24 hours later at 7am on July 15th.

Just like last year, there is a raffle featuring many great prizes. Tickets may be purchased for $2, 3 for $5, or 8 for $10 with the last raffle being a 50/50 raffle. Last years winner took home nearly $600 in cash!! Checks can be made out to Western Branch Track Club; and if you’re looking to get in your run for the day, Ryan has suggested you come out to join him and the team for a few miles.

If you have any questions about the fundraiser, feel free to contact Ryan via phone at 757-282-1440 or either of the following email addresses: WB24HRRUN@gmail.com or rcarroll82@gmail.com. Also, a big “Thank You” goes out to WBHS for allowing the use of their facilities and KaleRunning for providing event oversight and timing.

Just like I said last year, Ryan is probably the top area runner and regularly wins all the local races he shows up at. Somehow he juggles an impossible schedule yet remains one of the nicest, most genuine guys you could meet. Nothing appears to be too much trouble, and he’s always handing out great advice and cheering folks on at the races. Furthermore, his athletes are a total credit to the local running community and regularly show up bright and early to volunteer at many of the local races. Not only are they good kids, but they’re talented athletes too – you should see what they’ve achieved in recent years!

I’ll soon be heading over to ActiveGiving.com to make my donation. It’s definitely a worthy cause and I’ll be more than happy to support Ryan and his great bunch of kids. Good luck to you all!

The track and cross country kids at Western Branch High School in Chesapeake, VA were also running a 24-hour relay to raise money for their sport. Their goal was a lofty $5,000.

Ryan is probably the top area runner and regularly wins all the local races. For example, he smoked the 8k Mud Run on Saturday in a stunning 33 minutes 40 seconds. Somehow he juggles an impossible personal schedule yet remains one of the nicest, most genuine guys you could meet. Congrats Ryan, see you at the Strider Mile (and I’m sure you’ll still win the race despite having the hundred miler in your legs….)

Original story: http://www.wavy.com