Slaughterhouse 19

START TIME: 9:39 PM
END TIME: 10:30 PM
WORD COUNT: 537

“Write a sales pitch for Gu.” – Ken Faikus

I’ve completed 20 triathlons in the past four years, and as I’ve steadily gotten myself in better shape and steadily improved my times, there are two things that I’ve found absolutely determine what level of success I can expect. Those two things are Effort and Consistency.

The first one is effort. The harder I work, the luckier I get. The focal point of my year takes place every August along Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, in the Chicago Triathlon. Last year I set my personal best time in the world’s largest race. I rode close to two thousand miles training for those 24. I ran over 200 miles to prepare for those six. And right there alongside me, every step of the way, was Gu Chocolate Outrage gel.

The second one is consistency. I have the least anxiety and the best performances at races where I’m in complete control of my setup, and I want everything the same. My Transition area looks the same no matter the city, no matter the conditions. If I have to spend time wondering about how a product’s going to behave, I can’t focus on performing at my best level. Even in a race that takes hours to complete, there simply isn’t time to worry about if my nutrition’s going to behave any differently this time out as opposed to last time. I’m at my best when I feel like I’ve been there before.

Gu answers those questions for me, packet after packet, case after case. It’s got everything I’m looking for to ensure that I feel my best from the pace line to the finish line. When everything falls into place in a race like Chicago, I reach for the little Velcro flask and get the quick bounce that I need with a shot of gel and a pull from my water bottle. I’m not even off the aero bars and I’ve just gotten enough energy to keep my legs from turning to jelly as soon as I get off of that bicycle.

Gu’s got plenty of carbohydrates, caffeine, and electrolytes to keep me moving when otherwise sane people would decide to turn around. With 8 flavors you can find one that fits what you want to taste as you’re pushing the limits. (And one of those flavors is Just Plain, in case you don’t want to taste anything.) I train in the desert, through the summer, and there’s three things to remember - you don’t leave without water, sunblock, or Gu.

There are some things that I enjoy about my sport that have nothing to do with racing – the smell of sunblock and permanent markers, the camaraderie of hundreds of bodies starting to swim at once, the first bottle of ice water and banana after a day’s work-but the night before ritual of mixing Gu and water in a Styrofoam cup to pour into my bike flask is one of those little moments I get for myself. It’s like a gladiator checking the fit of his helmet and sandals before entering the ring. This is a product that’s as important to me as my training plan and my transition bag – I wouldn’t think about doing a race without it. You shouldn’t either.