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    Nectar of the gods

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    When I was first told about energy gels, I gagged just hearing about them.  They are little pouches of sirop-y goop that you carry in your pockets and eat while running in order to maintain a healthy level of essential nutrients.  I could not imagine anything more disgusting.  I mean, these aren’t exactly culinery delicacies we are talking about here.

    The first ones I tried did nothing to abate my suspicions.  I tried a couple of different brands, both of them triggering my gag reflex the moment I waved them anywhere near my face.  You can imagine my relief when I learned that you don’t have to take your electrolytes in goopy gel form.  Energy booster dealio-s are available in Jelly Bean form!  Well that was awesome for a little bit, but it turns out that the high sugar content of the ‘Sport Beans’ gave me a tummy-ache.  It looked like I would have to stick to one of the less-offensive gel thingys.

    That was until I discovered Clif Bar Shot Bloks.

    Oh.  My.  Gosh.

    I took these things out on an 18km run, and started popping the small candy-looking cubes into my mouth after about 45 minutes.  I was not prepared for that nutritional sensation.

    How can I describe the effect those energy bloks had on me?  Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

    Words cannot do these things justice!  The hobbits had Lembas on their way to Mordor.  The Israelites had Manna on their way to the promised land.  I had Shot Bloks on my way to the finish line.

    It tasted like pure heaven!  The moment it hit my tongue it felt sweet like candy, yet rich like a roast beef dinner.  The soft substance filled my mouth like an exquisite trifle, yet satisfied me like a just-baked loaf of soft bread.  My senses were heightened, my pain melted away, and my body responded with a long and sustained burst of energy.  If astronauts ever try this stuff they will never go back to freeze-dried ice cream, I can guarantee that! 

    For the first time in my life I know what the phrase “Nectar of the gods” actually means.  I’ve found it in an energy replacement chew.

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    A new runner, 24-year-old Dennis recently participated in the 10k Festival City Run in Stratford, ON. While the distance seemed rather long (“First, let me just point out that 10 kilometres is 10,000 metres.”) and his chest felt “like a volcano” at the end of the race, he maintains that he actually enjoyed his first-ever, long-distance run. When he’s not working on Parliament Hill, Dennis is now busy training for the Ottawa Marathon – an ambitious goal for a newbie. He has even joined the ranks of those “crazy” and “insane” people who bundle up to run in sub-zero temperatures. Now that’s dedication!