By: Robert Jones, cyclist
I’ve always been athletic. I played tennis in college, and as a professional after graduation, and remained an active tournament participant for years thereafter. As I got older, and played little to no tennis, my metabolism changed, but unfortunately my eating habits did not. At one point, I weighed 253 pounds and was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. My doctor told me that I needed to make drastic changes in my life and monitor my exercise, diet, and medication.
I started cycling as a means of improving my health. As my thirst for fitness increased, I started riding and training at greater distances, completing metric centuries, along with 125-mile events. I eventually started doing competitive races. In 2016, I entered my first Gran Fondo at Farm to Fork Fondo in Vermont. During this tough event, with quite a lot of elevation gain in the route, I suffered maybe the worst leg cramp issues I’ve ever experienced. The cramps caused me to really struggle to finish. I needed to find a solution if I were to continue to pursue cycling.
I worked hard building my nutrition and hydration strategies, but I could never overcome my issues with severe leg cramps. Determined not to let this affect my continued path to better health, I discovered HOTSHOT in my rider bag from Farm to Fork Fondo. I then started seeing posts on Facebook about HOTSHOT and remembered I had that sample. I tried it and decided to order a trial kit. In test training rides, I added HOTSHOT to my normal hydration regimen and it seemed to eliminate my episodes of cramping!
The real test on HOTSHOT, however, was at a recent Challenge Century called “Mountains of Misery” in Virginia. This timed event was 104 miles long with over 10,000 feet of climbing and elevation gain. I took a HOTSHOT prior to the start, one before the two major climbs and then another at the finish. I can honestly attest that not only did I not have any cramps, I also felt refreshed and completed my event in a very respectable time. I am convinced that HOTSHOT was the missing ingredient in my successful hydration and nutrition strategy.
I am pleased to report that I have lost 53 pounds, have near normal blood glucose and cholesterol numbers, and am excited about training and challenging myself at many upcoming cycling events. I’m currently registered for a 100-mile event in each of the next few months in the Farm to Fork Fondo series in the Finger Lakes, Vermont and Maine, along with the Black Rock 145 from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania to Fenwick Island, Delaware. I am confident that with HOTSHOT I can reach my performance goals and expectations.
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