My Hammer Nutrition Top Picks!

Hey Friends and family!

Well as most of you know I use Hammer Nutrition for all my training and racing needs, but did you know that no matter your activity level Hammer has a product that you will LOVE....Let me explain!

This time of year we all struggle trying to keep extra weight from the holidays off, Hammer makes two great products:

Phytolean

&

appestat - Both helping to keep unwanted weight off naturally. 

When December hits, and snow is flying the activities change from mountain biking and running to skiing and indoor bike-trainer riding. This requires new muscles to be engaged. For those days you are sore, just had a hard workout, or are recovering from an injury there is this:

Tissue Rejuvenator 

I love snacks! I get food stress if I don't always have something quick nearby. So I keep one (ok really more like 3) of these delicious bars on hand in the car, at work, at home, and in my backpack on all adventures. 

Hammer Bar - (coconut chocolate chip is my fav!)

We all know how important water is to our overall health. But I get sick of just plain water sometimes. I love to add a Fizz tab to my water bottle at least once a day. This gives me the extra electrolytes my body needs, and helping me drink more water. 

Hammer Endurolytes Fizz -  (Mango, Lemon-lime, grape, grapefruit..You cant go wrong)

Sometimes the stress of life just gets the best of us. we lay down to sleep and our mind just cant stop running through all the things we need to do/didn't do yet/ and maybe conversations that could have went better.... Sleep is key to recovery and success... to ensure a good night of sleep I take these babies most nights!

Hammer REM Caps

And finally...

..My daily go to supplement. 

Hammer Race Caps Supreme 

Helps fight fatigue, promotes efficient energy products and help aid recovery. No mater your activity, (walking, hiking, biking, running, swimming, ect) these will help you feel faster, stronger, healthier and confident. 

These are my go to top picks, but Hammer Makes hundreds of amazing products! Try one or them all! 

Right now They are offering a friends and family sale! 15-20% off all the products I mentioned.. plus get an extra discount if you mention my name and Customer number as a referral! (#213964)

If you have any questions I would be happy to answer them, or ask the experts at hammer.. they are so helpful! 

Enjoy and Hammer On!

The Truth about Trail Running

The truth about trail running is that you don’t have to run the entire time... 

                                                                                          (at least for us Mortals….)

Not running here... Just stopped to take a jumping selfie

Let me explain…

Many times when I’m out on a trail “RUN” my run looks more like a slow shuffle up the trail. My Strava even auto-pauses while I’m moving because I’m going so slow. This does not embarrass me, It’s the reality. If I run the whole time I would probably fall off the edge of the trail and end up hurt at the bottom of the ravine somewhere. So between sight seeing, enjoying the mountains and sometimes just terrain that is too steep to run… I walk.

My Dog Trapper

The fall is a beautiful time to be in the mountains. Colors are changing, the air is crisp and sometimes there is even a touch of snow to make the mountains really pop in the background.

The adventures are endless in the fall in the Mountains. It’s still great camping, backpacking, hiking and trail running weather…most days. Trail running is my preferred activity this time of year. 1 hour or 6 hours in the mountains is my favorite time of day. The smell of damp pine, silence except for my footstep, and the time alone with my pups.

I’ll tell you a secret about trail running… on the uphill’s, there is just as much or even more walking then running.

 

So many people tell me they are scared to try trail running because they aren’t the best or strongest or fastest runners. To these people I say… then trail running is perfect for you.

When I’m alone in the mountains I run as much or as little as I want. Some days I push myself and run steep sections, and others I walk and enjoy just being outside.

There is no one judging your pace, speed or how many miles you cover. Trail running is about being outside.  And the longer the run, the more I walk. Amazing how that works out. I run the flats, not-so-steep uphill sections and the downhill’s. I walk the steep sections.

Sounds like something you want to get involved with.  Here is my advice

Step 1: Go to your local running store and get fitted with a great Pair or Trail specific shoes. The extra plate on the sole and the increased tread will help you feel confident on varied terrain

what I really want to do when I get to the top

            (I wear Topo Atletic MT-2 Trail shoes and love them. They are a specific fit, so try them on first)

Step 2: Use the Internet to find good trails in your area. The Internet is an amazing resource… it has lot of information… check it out!

           

Step 3: Join a local trail running group. Most group runs are ALL abilities. And honestly people are just excited to see newbies out there giving it a try.

            (Run Wild Missoula locally, but most areas have some running group)

Step 4: Go on your first Run!  Just enjoy being outside and off roads, and away from traffic.  So as fast or slow as your desire. Just remember that if you are new to this, you may be sore the next day. Your using a lot of new muscle, don’t worry, this is normal.

Step 5: Bring some kind of fuel on runs longer then 1 hour, and always have a protein drink of some sort after your workout (chocolate milk is fine.. no need to fancy products).

Step 6: Go out and enjoy a beer and tell everyone how awesome your Trail run was.

Happy Trails

Summit of Stuart peak 9/23/16

winter time in Montana

The Montana Experience

My alarm goes off. It is still dark out. It must be early. All I know is that it feels too early to be doing this. The next thing that happens is the most important. I listen for the faint beep from the kitchen that tells me coffee is ready. I’m not leaving the comfort and warmth of my bed until the coffee is hot. Most of our tribe prefers French-press or pour over coffee. But between two of us and a heavy caffeine addiction, a 14-cup drip is just right, plus its ready by the time I have dragged myself out of bed.

El Nino typically unleashes its furry in the Southwest while we in Montana end up with dry warmer conditions for the winter months. That has not been the case so far this winter. We have had pretty spectacular conditions throughout the mountains of Montana. I live in Missoula, and there has been no shortage of powder this season, as long as you willing work a little for it.

 

The mountains here are not for the faint of heart. Lewis and Clark traveled these peaks, it nearly killed them then, and it hasn’t changed much since. The deep ravines filled with thick alder, creek crossings, and traveling up, over or around downed logs, fallen from age or fire, make for challenging travel to say the least. But if you are able to persevere and get past the route finding and up onto the ridgelines, you will be rewarded with beautiful rugged landscapes as far as the eye can see. And if you are lucky and the mountains allow, you might even get to ski your original objective.

Josh and I ski during most of our free time in the winter. We ski everything from resort groomers to steep remote couloir in the mountain of Montana. On one particular morning we set out with our good friend Julie to ski off the summit of Gash point. A prominent peak just west of a tiny town called Victor MT. The summit sits just below 9000’, giving way to an immense open tree-less bowl.

With the valley covered in white, we couldn’t drive all the way to the trailhead. This added a few extra miles of skinning on the roads. In Montana you can count on spending a lot of your time on forest service roads. After what felt like hours of contouring along the road, we reached the entrance to our ridge. We broke trail up the ridge. We got a glimpse of our Peak and it gives you an extra boost of energy to keep going.

We were breaking trail in knee-deep powder though low angle tress, assessing the snow pack. With recent snowfall we hoped to ski the main shoot off the summit, but these perfectly spaced tress with 12-16 inches of fresh cold smoke wouldn’t be a bad contingency plan.

 After 5 hours of climbing and never feeling like we were getting anywhere we made it. The snow was stable, the clouds cleared and we had a rare opportunity to see our line, knowing it was safe and we were able to rip down 2000’ vertical feet of open alpine bowl. The cold smoke blew into our faces and we giggled like schoolgirls as made out way down.

When skiing in the backcountry it is usually lower angle gladded areas that we are skiing due to avalanche danger. But the stars aligned for us today and we had one of the best ski days of the season.