By: Kenneth Lewis
I am an adventure and endurance enthusiast. My activities range from running Ultra distances on both trail and road to climbing big mountains and jumping out of airplanes. One thing that is common to all these activities, at least for me, is dealing with cramping. An issue I have had to contend with for quite sometime.
Whether you're racing a 100-mile run or a 60 second skydive, there is no good time to cramp. They can be devastating to a race and potentially deadly in a skydive. HOTSHOT has been a part of my no-cramping strategy since August of 2016 where I put HOTSHOT in each and every one of my 10 drop bags for the Angeles Crest 100 ultra trail race. That equates to a HOTSHOT roughly every 3-4 hours. With over 19,000' of climb and 24,000' of descent, the AC 100 is considered the 9th hardest 100-mile race in the country. HOTSHOT worked!
I couldn't have been more pleased. Of all the things there are to deal with in a race of this distance, cramping was not one of them this time. Since then, I have used HOTSHOT on the POPs world record skydives in Perris California, where temps above 100 degree are common, as well as my ultra racing. I have to say that the ultimate test, however, was at Javelina Jundred in October. 2016 was a record-setting year in terms of temperatures with daytime temps of 110 degrees. HOTSHOT performed wonderfully and I even managed a new personal best by over 2 hours.
It's no wonder I recommend HOTSHOT every chance I get!
Below is a list of my endurance activities from last year as well as this year's race calendar. Not only am I getting faster in my age group but also I have qualified for some very prestigious events this year.
I have no intention of slowing down anytime soon. I am currently working on plans for a John Muir fast pack, an expedition to climb Denali in 2018 and a possible Pacific Crest Trail thru hike (TBD)!
2016
- Badwater Salton Sea May 2016 (17th)
- Mt Russell east ridge June 2016
- Crew chief & pacer Badwater 135 team Olsen July 2016 (oldest runner)
- AC 100 mile ultra August 2016 (9th in age)
- Parachutists Over Phorty (POPs) World Record Skydive in Oct 2016. (2X WR)
- Mount Baldy RTT Sept 2016 (23rd in age)
- 100 mile Javelina Jundred Oct, 2016. (7th in age)
- Griffith Park 10K November 2016 18th (3rd in age)
- Ray Miller 50k November 2016. (11th in age)
2017
- February Black Canyon 100K
- March Coyote Backbone 68 mile
- April TBD
- May Badwater Salton Sea 81 mile team MoL
- June Western States 100 crew chief & pacer
- July Badwater 135 mile
- August Angeles Crest 100 - pacer
- September Mount Baldy RTT & Tahoe 200
- October Javelina Jundred 100 mile
- November TBD
- December TBD
The Nerve is the Boss of the Muscle: Take control with HOTSHOT. Here’s how.
Ultra Runner Nathan Maxwell: “During a very challenging 36-mile mountain race this past year, I took some HOTSHOT during the last 10 miles. The cramping was getting very painful in my calves with each step, but once the HOTSHOT kicked in, it was almost like I had new legs.”