100 miles for a Vemma

My now usual shot of the good stuff (Vemma! Come on!) then ................

Sports Diary Entry :-

100.20 miles in (06:03:00) - Cycling - Road Biking

Finally did The Big One! - 100 miles. Met Dad at Newbury after TT'ing the first 15.5m. Then 31 miles with Dad to Caine. Dad turned back and I carried to 50.5miles about 1 and a half miles outside Chippenham.
First shower coming back into Caine. Really pushed it hard over the hills at Avebury and into Marlbourgh but could not catch Dad. Worked out it would have more or less impossible anyway. After taking on board more drink and food at Newbury from Dad, headed the final 15miles home. This section was complete leg burning pain but struggled up Pincents Hill for the ton.

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So since starting to take Vemma every day this summer Ive done now a few 'feats of strength'. Gone up the steepest hill the area in personnal best time after personnal best time and now managed a cycle ride of 100 miles in a mega time for me. Best before was over 7 hours and Ive not managed to even get up to 100 miles in 2 years!

Even better I'm not feeling any major ill efforts from the 100 miler. I was tired for a day but I'm now (3 days later) really up for anothert long ride. Is Vemma helping with the energy boost? I gotta say it's looking more likely now.

The only downside is my running. As its an injury I suffered earlier this year, I know the signs of stiffness and soreness. So I'm being extra cautious and not starting to run yet. Good news is that the hamstring was not any worse from the long ride. On other long rides recently, I was sore where my injury is the day after when walking around, but Im ok this time.

Im thinking next a long walk of say 5 miles to test the hamstring and see if there is any discomfort. If not, I'll try a little gentle jog on grass. Watch this space.

Hydration 102, Tomorrow's Sports Drin... - Examiner.com

Never thought to mix Vemma with water as a recovery drink before.

Hydration 102, Tomorrow's Sports Drin... - Examiner.com

via vemma - Google News on 8/23/09

Hydration 102, Tomorrow's Sports Drink Today Examiner.com Vemma is for recovery. Vemma is based on the antioxidant power known as the 'Queen of the Asian Super fruits', the Mangosteen. ...

Posted via email from Justin's posterous

Yes, I'm back on the V! A new batch of Vemma arrived and I can now take my regular dose and do more updates on the MyVemma for Sport experiment. For starters I hope to get back some energy and get over my current injury. I have this hamstring strain that has reoccured recently, which means I can't run at the moment.

It's annoying not being able to run but if I rest sensably and don't try any jogging too soon I'll get over it quicker. Plan is to started some jogging on grass next week. This will be after a 2 week rest from running, and after I made the injury worse doing my recent duathlon.

Instead of running Ive been cycling for literally hundreds of miles. I'm nearly at 400 miles covered on my road bike for the month. All those miles has paid off with a new personnal best. The PB was for regular hill climb up the local notoriously steep 'Streatley Hill'. The Tour of Britain went up it last year and there is a yearly King of the Hills time trial also to test anyone daring enough to try it.

At the start of the season I was estatic to climb Streatley Hill in under 4 minutes for the first time ever after trying nearly every weekend last summer. Well, in the last few weeks Ive smashed my pb a couple of time. I'd got it down to a very respectible 03:49, then had another go last week. Somehow I managed to stay out of the saddle all the way up and go 03:36.

Today I tried again. This time without a saddle bag, tools, spares, pump or a drink. This saved me 4 and half pounds in weight and got me another pb of 3 mins 30 seconds. Very pleased with how much Ive taken off this time. Maybe my reintroduction of MyVemma and some extra energy will see my going under 3 and a half minutes. In reality though, I have a long way to go to beat the top hill climbers who race the Streatley Hill time trial. The fastest time is around 2 mins 21 seconds, totally amazing.

Duathlon Vemma

The big day was ace but discovered I'd run all out of MyVemma! OK, not really the biggest concern for my duathlon race, but would have been nice to have had a dose on the day of the event.

Here's my entries from my online log......

16 Aug (Add comment)
5.00km (00:20:35) - Running - Race
Castle Combe Duathlon Race - First stage 5km around the track. Ran this well with a good quick beginning. Hamstring started to play up toward the end so stepped off the gas a bit. Good start.

16 Aug (Add comment)
21.00km (00:39:30) - Cycling - Time Trial
Castle Combe Duathlon Race - Second stage was 7 laps (21km) cycling on the race track. Found my bike and had no problems with the transition. This was my favourite section, racing past the slower riders, weaving though the chicanes and trying not to draft anyone. Top speed over 50km/hr according to my bike computer.

16 Aug (Add comment)
3.00km (00:00:00) - Running - Race
Castle Combe Duathlon Race - Last stage was a 3km run around the race track perimeter, which was a track around the course of mixed terrain and with a few ups and downs. Went through bike transition too slowly as not sure when to get off bike. Leg hurt almost straight away as I started run and got worse the more I did. So I slowed right down and a couple of people over took me.

Enjoyed the event and would do it again, but injury free. Fab trophy too for finishers. Think I came 46th (about 100 in it) but Im awaiting the official results for my splits through transition etc.

A couple of days later and the DOMS have hit me but that should be expected. Can't feel any problem really in the hamstring injury today but know I must have made it worse, so I'm taking 2 weeks off running completely. Plan is to follow my sports therapists advice and start slowly back with light jogs at the park on the grass.

This won't stop my cycling though and my next goal can now be ramped up. I want to cycle 100 miles in one ride and want to do it before the summer ends. MyVemma should help me, as I'm going to need a lot of energy and that has for me been the big noticeable benefit of taking the drink everyday this month.

Watch this space!

Found a nice article in Mens Health for some more info of the benefits of the main fruit in Vemma...
"Each of the 43 xanthones in a mangosteen fruit targets a specific area of the body. One may act as an antioxidant, another as an anti-inflammatory, and a third as an anti-tumor agent.
Some people call them “adaptagens” for their ability to transform and benefit the body in different areas."

MyVemma for fit sport

After getting shooting pains down leg last time, I was very cautious for my next now termed, 'recovery run'. I massaged, stretched, warmed up on the indoor cycle, stretched some more, used the massage stick and set off at an extremely slow pace hopefully the Vemma Ive been taking will help even a little.

I jogged using a forefront technique to limit impact on my joints. I'm normally a heal striker, so its an effort to run this way but I wasn't getting any shooting pain so carried on like this to the park. Once on the grass a sped up a little but kept the pace low. Stopping I did more stretches and also some sideways and backwards running to work all my leg muscles.

Throughout I could feel the original injury at the top of my hamstring so didn't push things but I'm happy it didn't get any further than being a niggle for the run.

My plan now is to not push the running for this last week and keep doing gentle short runs. No point risking making the injury worse and training at this stage would not help performance much anyway.

My cycling on the other hand is going very well. Went off on a huge hilly 96km road ride, the day before my successful test run with only a dose of Vemma in me. Was shattered by the end and got lost at least twice but so confident I can compete with the competition next Sunday for the 20km ride.

I'm getting towards the end of my first bottle of MyVemma for sport (well thats one of the reasons I'm taking it). I'm certainly feeling pretty energetic even after huge bike rides that would normally leave my shattered for the day. My general health has stayed pretty constant. Have not caught Swine Flu yet, so that's a bonus!

Vemma, massage and pain.

Had MyVemma dose for the morning and then went to get my sports massage. I explained the injury had returned to my sports therapist and how I got it racing. So she gave me a good sports massage and contcentrated on my upper legs, particularly the top left hamstring area.

As well getting some treatment for the hamstring, she found my iliotibial (it) bands were very tight. I contribute this to cycle rather than running as they get like this in the summer when I cycle lots. I got some rather painful treatment to loosen them up which seemed to do the trick.

Today I decided to brave a run to test things out. Nothing major, just a light jog a mile to the park, go around on the grass a bit and back. I started off and a pain developed in my left leg. Not something Ive experienced before. It was a pain that went in waves shoot right down my left leg.

I couldn't really decide at first if it was the latest injury playing up or something new. When I stopped and walked it went away, but running again soon brought it back. In the park I stretched and jogged lightly on the grass. Running backwards I strangely felt nothing (don't try this on the street folks!).

On getting home and doing some research I think it could be my IT band causing it, as a system is shooting pain down the leg. Ive had some treatment and this may have contributed to this discomfort. I'm hoping its a temporary this. The it band is looser but maybe there's some bruising from the treatment.

Going to try again in 2 days. If its still there I'll go back, or seek advice.

90km on just MyVemma

ok, I had a gel thingy at halfway but I did indeed set off and 55 miles of cycling only having a dose of Vemma for breakfast. Ive not eaten breakfast in many months anyway, so getting something in the stomach to start the day before a run or bike ride is a good thing. Maybe this means I can digest and get the Vemma into my system quicker this way also.

Anyway, the cycle ride was to replace my normal club run as Ive got a possible hamstring injury. I'll test the hamstring at the weekend with a run but for now doing some cycle endurance is a good idea in any case. I've not done a long cycle ride in a month or so and have done plenty of running, especially speed work due to lots of 5k, 10k and 5 mile races. A good long cycle ride was well overdue.

The ride went fine but it did shower a few times and there was a lot of standing water on some tricky winding road section. Had to take it carefully. Another short term goal of mine is to cycle 100 miles in one go by the end of the season, so this ride will help towards that. Not got out as much for long rides partly due to the poor weather this July, its pretty bad even by UK standards!

Vemma leason no1 ;)

Thought Id impart some info on MyVemma as its part of the reason for this blog.

So today is, what's in Vemma? Well here you go .......

Mangosteen and pericarp extract

Aloe Vera

Green Tea

65 major, trace and ultra-trace plant-sourced minerals

Over 40 different xanthones

and of course all the antioxidant vitamins that it naturally has.

Can MyVemma heal me?

Did a double session yesterday. Just over an hour cycle ride in the morning and a fast A group run in the evening.

The cycle ride was fast and furious. I did a road loop of 32km, which included some dual carriageway coming back into town. I went as fast as I could on this section; and as inspiration pretended I was on the front of Cavendish's lead out train on The Tour De France. Was pretty tired after and slept for an hour in the afternoon.

In the evening was a club run. I went with the A (fastest) group and kept to the front, so lead the group on a woodland run. Pushed it hard including some of the hills through the woods. Too hard in fact. I had to slow right down towards the end as a pain in my left hamstring developed. This is not good as this is the spot I was injured and out of running for 2 months earlier this year. With this in mind I've decided the skip this Thursday's club run and see if a rest helps things settle down.

Not too worried about this at the moment because Ive down plenty of running races and fast runs and Im in good shape. I can instead concentrate on my cycling and try to bring in some needed stamina there.

OK, the question is can Vemma help with recovery. I guess we'll see in the next few days. I gave myself a massage this morning and plan to book in for a much needed sports massage with my sports therapist next week.

The MyVemma for sport journey continues...

Bricking It on Vemma

Did my first Brick session on Vemma yesterday. Whats a Brick session you may ask? Well, its a
training session done by triathletes and those training for multi discipline events. So, go for a swim and then straight into a cycle ride or in my case do a run, then cycle ride, then another run with no recovery break in between.

The idea here is to build stamina, practice the actual condition of the Duathlon itself and most important get the muscles to adapt to quick changes in use. Going from the cycling to running is really hard for your muscles to do. It's quite common to get off your bike and go into the run and your muscles just seem not to work properly. Training them to adapt to the sudden changes is vital to a good perform in triathlons and duathlons.

I got on pretty good, with a strong 3km run which included a couple of hills. Then a quick change over and onto the bike for 25km. Took it pretty easy for the first 10k but then powered it in time trial mode for the other 15km. I finished the cycle part out of breath but feeling good. When I started the final 3km run though my muscles (as predicted) didn't want to know. They felt really heavy and I couldn't get them moving properly. It felt like I was in the last 6 miles of marathon than a sprint duathlon training session.

So, I need to do these sessions to improve my final run. I was still a achy from my race during the week though so that would have effected things somewhat.

On the MyVemma front, I'm continuing the daily small intake and feeling good. Energy levels are high despite the increase in exercise and I'm not suffering excessively from muscle strain so far.

The picture above on this post, by the way is of the main ingredient in MyVemma, mangosteen. It comes from a tropical tree in southeast Asia which bears this small red and purple fruit. Tastes good in the drink but Ive never tasted the fruit on it's own. The drink itself can be found on the MyVemma site.

No1 position for MyVemma

Wow, what a race! I'm a quick runner so was set off a couple of minutes after everyone else for the 5 mile handicap race around the local park. I've improved dramatically this year on this seasonal running club series. I'd already knocked a minute off my last years time and was hopefully for something close.

Conditions were good as it had just stopped raining and I sprinted off fast but taking the corners gingerly as the ground was a little slippery. Managed the first lap in a record breaking 15mins 30seconds. Usually I'll die dramatically on the second lap if I go out too fast, but I managed to keep a strong pace despite getting tired on the hilly parts.

Got passed all the other runners with half a mile to go and stormed in with a mammoth new pb of 32mins 48secs. Nearly another minute off my previous best set a few races back. Totally delighted so had a nice pint of lager to celebrate.

How managed such a huge improvement, I have no idea. Vemma cant be responsible as Ive not taken it long enough. Anyway, I don't expect it to help directly with performance; more as an aid to recovery, general well being and health. Maybe Im wrong though, maybe there was some sort of energy boost from all those vitamins?

Now its the day after Ive taken MyVemma juice dose for the day and all given my legs a good self massage with my massage machine. I'm not neglecting normal recovery routines like stretching, massage and rest; and today is a rest day as my legs really are tired. Will see tomorrow if I have any significant DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) effect.

MyVemma For Sport

Hello fitness buff :)

If you've found me then you are either into fitness, running, cycling or maybe looking at health drinks. I decided to write about a little experiment I'm starting to see if a new health drink Vemma (or sometimes called MyVemma) will help with my preparation and training for my first ever duathlon in just over 3 weeks time.

I don't expect miracles but it will be fun to see the outcome. Basically, I want to see if I'm seeing any improvements in my health and fitness over the next month that I can contribute to the Vemma health drink that has had plenty of hype with its benefits to curing or helping alleviate various medical ailments.

I like lists so here are some points I'd like to evaluate in the build up to the race and the recovery after...

- How quick will I recover from my hard training sessions? (Ive trained for marathons so have some idea of recovery times)

- People are prone to picking up colds and flu while training hard, will I avoid catching anything, including the dreaded swine flu!?!

- Will I notice any performance boost taking all these healthy fruits and ingredients? I won't be changing the rest of my diet which is average in terms of healthy eating.

- My general health. Will I see an improvement with all my general health issues - dry skin, hay fever and poor vision?

I think I have about a months supply and Ive taken 2 doses or shots so far. Anyway tonight is my first test. I have my local running clubs Summer Handicap. It's a tough 5 mile race around a local park; including 2 laps with a steep hill to contend with.

I'm feeling achy from an 8 mile walk yesterday but Im hopefull of a good time. Should be interesting.