Is Recovery the Best Part of Fitness?

Over the years my bicycle rides and pounding the pavement on my feet have turned into a lab of testing energy nutrition from a menu of fuels packed with carbohydrates, electrolytes, a blend of protein and whatever else the manufactures think my slow body needs. Today was no different. In short: Hammer Chocolate Recoverite mixed with cold non fat milk is freakin tasty for a post exercise beverage.

Now for the longer version that you can skip. The cast: my wife Shelly and her friend Brandi along with Dr. Barry Noorda OBGYN (no relation to Norda's Inc. but a fine customer none the less) who is my personal Gynecologist. I try to never leave home without one because I never know when I may need some treatment or an exam. Barry was due in the office so he kept his miles short and turned around a third into the ride. The girls and I were riding the Tour De Wellsville’s* a 80 mile loop located in Northern Utah with a couple climbs.

On the back side of the ride the road rolls through small farm towns with a few ups and downs. The wind was favorable and the temperature still had not climbed to unbearable July heat. We saw a few other cyclists enjoying the morning vistas but for the most part traffic was minimal and we had the two lane country road to ourselves. We pedaled into Brigham City ready to fill our water bottles and decided hash browns with a Dr Pepper chaser at McDonalds would only help further our energy testing for the big climb ahead.

Brigham City sleeps at 4400 feet, the canyon climbs through a winding four-lane road passing through the small town of Mantua at 5200 then steps up the climb to summit just over 6000 feet. All of this beauty radiates in the Cache National Forest. Just out of Mantua Shelly and I spotted a red fox who appeared to be looking from the brush for a good time to cross the road. I wanted to tell him there were too many cars but I’m not sure he would of listened.

at the summit

I had been enjoying Hammer Orange-Vanilla Perpetuem (tastes like a dream cycle) and Hammer Apple-Cinnamon Gel (tastes like apple pie filling and is more of a treat then actual energy gel) but I must admit my thoughts turn to chips and salsa when I am heading home after a longer activity and today was no different. If I am out for two hours or more I will usually drink some sort of recovery drink. I’ve been mixing up the flavors and brands but today I tried the Hammer Chocolate Recoverite** mixed for the first time with low fat milk. THUMBS UP!!! Not as creamy as 2% chocolate milk but tasty just the same.

*Wikipedia: The Wellsville Mountains are located in northern Utah and are often considered part of the Wasatch Mountains. The mountains separate the Cache Valley from the Wasatch Front. Nearly all of the water collected by the Wellsville Mountains drains into the Bear River.

While only moderately tall, they are particularly narrow. For this reason, it is often claimed they are one of the steepest mountain ranges in North America. ^{[1] [2][3]} Box Elder (9,372') and the Wellsville Cone (9,356') are its two highest peaks. U.S. 89/91 traverses Wellsville Canyon east of Brigham City as a four-lane highway, curving north then northeast and entering the Cache Valley at Wellsville.

** Hammer Recoverite recovery drinks come in these delicious flavors: Chocolate, Citrus, and Strawberry.

How well you perform tomorrow depends on how well you recover today, which is why you can't cut corners when it comes to your post-workout fueling. Recoverite supplies your body with the proper 3:1 ratio of complex carbohydrates and the highest quality whey protein isolate, along with generous amounts of multi-beneficial glutamine (a whopping 3 grams per serving!), the potent antioxidant l-carnosine, and a full-spectrum electrolyte profile. The result is rapid and enhanced recovery, which allows you to obtain the maximum value from all your hard workouts, ideally prepping your body for your next workout or race. Make sure you're recovering right with Recoverite and remember, it makes a superb meal replacement drink as well. Train hard, recover right today and feel great tomorrow.

Extra Benefits:
The amino acid glutamine, also contained in Hammer Whey, plays a vital role in the health of the muscles, immune system, and digestive tract. Glutamine is arguably the key "recovery amino" as it (A) helps boost the immune system (B) helps to reduce the symptoms of overtraining syndrome (C) plays a role in enhancing glycogen synthesis (D) stimulates muscle protein synthesis for the rebuilding of lean muscle tissue.

• Minimize post-exercise muscle soreness
• Rebuild muscle tissue
• Restore muscle glycogen
• Made with natural ingredients
• Gluten-Free
• Contains no MSG
• Kosher Dairy Certified