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.

 

Not Your Average 25K

            I’m not sure what a better title would be… maybe I survived the Rut, or even…don’t trust that step. Regardless of the title I DID survive the Rut.

layering Options - Outdoor Research

            In case you don’t live and breath trail running, The Rut is a weekend trail running festival put on by two world-class athletes and race directors Mike Foote and Mike Wolfe in connection with the best running shop in the West, The Runners Edge.  The race is held on the beautiful Big Sky Resort property in Big Sky Montana. There are multiple race distances for any ability. The Vertical Kilometer, the 25K, 50K, 11K and a Runt run for kids.  It was truly a wonderful mountain community gathering with lots of friends, trails, cool fall weather and of course beer.

            I did the 25K race. It started Saturday morning September 4^th at 8:00am.  Over the course of the 18mile (a bit longer then most 25K) we climbed a total of 8,000 feet and two very steep and technical ridges along the ski area boundaries.

Now when I say steep I am not talking slow running steep, I’m talking some people were on their hands and knees, crawling up, where the rocks and dirt slid out from under your feet if you made a wrong step and in some places the ridge dropped off hundreds of feet to your right or left.

Coming down Headwaters ridge

Good Morning Big Sky!

            Not your average mountain run is an understatement. The first few miles provided a nice warm up for all us racers, we chatted with each other and had words of encouragement for some fellow runners who were running their first trail race ever… (This girl was awesome). Once we started climbing the chatter quickly turned into heavy breathing and we all realized the real race had begun. We climbed headwaters ridge, and then descended down 1200 feet, and began the climb back up to our aide station, then onto the 1.5 mile 2000 foot bone crusher ridge.

            I’m sure at this point, most people were dreading this climb, but this was the whole reason I signed up for the race. A long, steep, exposed ridgeline to the summit of Lone Peak 11,250’ is totally my cup of tea. I have skied off the summit of Lone Peak but I have never been up on a clear day like we had. I was excited for the views. Getting to the summit, like any mountain experience, was COLD. I didn’t hang out long.. Just long enough to through on a jacket (Thanks Outdoor Research- My Deviator hoody was perfect), Look around for a split second, and start heading downhill.

Wearing my Deviator Hoody coming off the Summit

            As a mountain guide part time I love climbing steep ridges and well, just climbing in general. Most of my training for The Rut came from my 3 weeks in Washington State climbing Mt Rainier 5 times and occasional trail runs on my days off.

A sunny day on Mt. Rainier

Race Selfie - 

            Since we had made our two huge climbs already, there was just 6 miles of fun rolling trails through the lower ski area left. My legs were still feeling pretty good, but all the downhill running had taken a toll on my IT bands. I slowed significantly the last few miles and really was able to enjoy the beauty of the trails and again chat with fellow racers.

            I finished in under 6 hours… 5:43 to be exact, 29^th Women out of 110 starters and 11^th in my age group. That counts for top 25% of ladies.. .and this was one heck of a competitive race! I was super excited. I am not a trail runner by trade, I didn’t train specifically for this race and so just finishing was am accomplishment.

            I finally nailed my nutrition in a race, this has been a work in progress, but I have to Thank Hammer Nutrition for their continued support. I started my day with coffee and a banana. Then one hour before the race I took 2 Race Caps Supreme (RCS), 2 anti fatigue (AF) and one scoop of Sustained Energy. During the race I took one Gel an hour (usually Espresso or Huckleberry). I also Sipped on a flask containing 3 scoops of Sustained Energy and one gel. Ever hour I also took 2 RCS, 2 AF and 1 Endurance Amino capsules. I was never hungry, never low on energy and always felt good on the GI front. After the race I took advantage of the Massages from Sapphire Physical Therapy, and then drank my Orange-Vanilla Recoverit. Thanks Hammer… I couldn’t have done it without you!

            The weekend as a whole was amazing. The venue, the weather, the course and of course the trail running community all combined to make a top notch race and event. I have to hand it to Mike and Mike for a job well done. If you are a trail runner, this is not and event to miss… and if you are not, there is always the 11k to try it out or just come to watch some of the best trail runners in the world take on the Montana version of trail running.

            I’m already looking forward to next year; maybe I’ll even try the 50K.

Thanks for reading… stay tuned for more adventure in the mountains.

Taper Time for Ironman CDA

It has been one heck of a training cycle. 22 weeks and counting plus 4 weeks of base training over the winter... and in less than 2 weeks I will toe the line at Ironman Coeur d'Alene to see what Im made of.

It has been a busy 6 months. Training 8-20 hours a week, working 20-50 hours a week and going to Nursing school. Not to mention executing the largest fundraiser I have ever participated in: The Ironman for Anna fundraiser. I am honored, humbled and excited to represent such an amazing organization on race day!  chick here to Donate:

https://www.crowdrise.com/2015CoeurdAlene/fundraiser/jessicatapp

My fundraising jar at work!

 I have neglected my husband and many household duties over the last 6 months.. Josh Forgive me! It will all be worth it to cross that finish line and call myself an IronWoman!

Over the last few months I have rode some beautiful Montana roads, made some new friends and had the support of all my friends and family. I Couldn't have done it without everyone in my life! So Thanks!

Tenspoon 10K with Julie

Riding along the Missouri with Meghan on a beautiful Sunday

first ever 100 mile ride with Lisa... Yes we have Matching Bikes

In the last 2 weeks of the process I find myself hungry, tired and lacking motivation, all the signs of what is called Ironman brain and the cumulation of many weeks of training and balancing life with the end goal in sight. 

I have run in the cold and snow, biked in the rain and on the trainer while other were sleeping, I have been to the pool at ungodly hours before school/work to get in my training sessions and I have run after work when all I have wanted to do was sit and watch TV.  I have cried over too many dished in the sink and the dog not being fed..(sorry josh). I have taken unexpected rest days and I have eaten McDonalds because I was short on time.

These are my realities and I'm not ashamed of them. This process has been difficult mentally and physically. It has been a journey. Someone once said that the journey is more important than the destination, and as excited as I am to cross that finish line on Sunday June 28th, (hopefully), the process of pushing myself beyond my limits has been amazing, exciting, terrifying, and exhausting but I would do it again in a heart beat. 

In my final weeks before the race i am trying to stay positive and not let doubt, sorrow, pain, exhaustion and nervous energy creep in. I am fueling with lots of healthy food options and just trying to make it to the start line healthy both mentally and physically. I'm stretching daily (should have been all-along but ya know....hindsight is 20/20)...taking epsom Salt soaks 3x week and rolling on my foam roller ever night. 

Cold rainy bike rides

Long runs on Trail

Open water swim training

what a grocery shop looks like...4-5days worth

Besides eating well, training smart I also make sure I get 8+ hours of sleep a night, drink plenty of water, take my Hammer Tissue Rejuvenator daily. I try and live in the moment, even when the moment sucks!

I try not to share my true race goals on social media, but this time I will!

I was originally hoping for a top 5 in my age group and a spot in Kona.... That reality is gone but the goal of finishing in 12-13 hours isn't. 

I hope to have fun, stop for food/water, high five all the volunteers and spectators, live in the moment and enjoy the entire day! 

Just finishing my first Ironman will be a huge accomplishment and I can't wait to try. 

Race day: Sunday June 28th: Bib Number 120

stay tuned for updates...or follow me on the live athlete tracker: 

Thanks for Reading and following my journey. It's Been Fun! 

Racing Grizzly Sprint in Missoula 4/18/15:  2nd place AG, 9th OA:Photo credit: Joe Stone

Instagram: trigirl406

Twiter: culvie26

Facebook: Jess Culver-Tapp

Sponsors: Soas, Hammer Nutrition

How to Fuel with Hammer Nutrition

As one of the Hammer Nutrition ambassadors for the 2015 race season, I though I would help new comers figure out how to use all the different Hammer Products.

This is an algorithm I designed based on my own interpretation of Hammer Products. It is a basic guide to begin your journey with Hammer. 

I hope it helps, and Enjoy!

*(Remember- Use my customer #213964 to receive a discount on your first order) 

My hammer Drawer full of goodies

Laying out my run transition for a long sunday Training session