Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Gross!

A nasty thing has happened on the past two days on the way to work. Yesterday, I watched a woman vomit while crossing Marshall Street and today I watched a different woman vomit on to the grass in front of the Hartford Children's Theater.

Is there a plague ravaging Asylum Hill?

Be careful, Joel.

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Also, I came in third in the race on Sunday and received a giant container of HEED as a prize. It's funny, according to that website selling HEED, that jar I got costs $45. I have not had any HEED yet and I'm actually sort of frightened of it. Second place got $5 cash and first got $10. I'm unsure who made out the best in this deal.






7 comments:

Karma said...

Watch out man, those things come in threes. Tomorrow it might be someone booting ON you!

Billy Hoyle said...

Nice work in the race Brendan! Way to rep the beat. That vomiting is pretty crazy. What the hell is Heed?

Brendan said...

Maybe they're vomiting because they're drinking to much HEED.

I think I might mix up some HEED to put in my water bottle for our ride next week. You guys better watch out.

Here's some additional information about HEED:
HEED – For athletes who prefer a sports drink over gels, HEED, with its pleasantly mild taste (unlike the typical sports drink), fits the bill perfectly and does so without resorting to refined sugars or artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners. You won’t find any of these unwanted ingredients in HEED, but you will find a full-spectrum electrolyte profile and key auxiliary nutrients such as l-carnosine for lactic acid buffering and antioxidant support, and chromium polynicotinate for maintaining stable blood glucose levels. For events up to two hours, a bottle or two of HEED can cover all of your calorie and fluid requirements, plus at least a portion of your electrolyte requirements. To add variety to your menu, use HEED as a part-time fuel during long distance events.
HEED’s unique & healthy sweeteners

One of the first things people notice when trying HEED for the first time is that it is noticeably less sweet than the typical sports drink. We designed HEED that way because the overwhelming majority of the athletes we talked to told us that they were sick and tired of trying to choke down an overly sweet, syrupy tasting drink. The secret to how we’re able to make a drink that’s short on overt sweetness but not deprived of calories is in the sweeteners we use – Xylitol and Stevia, both undeniably healthier alternatives to the simple sugars and/or artificial sweeteners contained in most sports drinks.

* Xylitol – If there’s such a thing as a perfect sweetener, xylitol is at or near the top of the list. Xylitol is a natural substance that can be found in a variety of fibrous fruits and vegetables. It is also known as birch sugar, primarily because it is usually extracted/produced from birch trees (though it can also be extracted/produced from corn cobs). The human body naturally produces over 15 grams of Xylitol every day by way of normal metabolic processes. Xylitol is used as a sweetener in HEED; it contributes less than 5% of the calories.

Xylitol also promotes oral health, as it does not ferment and support the acid-producing bacteria that cause tooth decay. That’s why you’ll find this unique sweetener in gum, toothpaste, and mouthwash, and it’s one of the reasons why we include it in HEED.
* Stevia – Another ideal natural sweetener is the extract (steviosides) from the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana, a plant native to subtropical and tropical Central and South America. Stevia's sweet taste, considered to be up to 300 times sweeter than sugar, means that minimal amounts are necessary to sweeten a product. Stevia is non-caloric and does not affect blood sugar levels, therefore it is safe for diabetics. Stevia may help to lower elevated blood pressure while not affecting people with normal blood pressure. Like xylitol, stevia does not support acid-producing bacteria responsible for tooth decay.

Comparing Hammer Gel and HEED

* Hammer Gel is a concentrated complex carbohydrate gel with the consistency of syrup. HEED is a powdered sports drink mix.
* Hammer Gel contains a small amount of the amino acids l-leucine, l-isoleucine, l-valine (known as branched chained amino acids, or BCAAs), and l-alanine. BCAAs help prevent the cannibalizing of lean muscle tissue. L-alanine aids in carbohydrate metabolism. HEED does not contain any BCAAs or l-alanine.
* HEED contains a full spectrum amino acid-chelated electrolyte profile; two servings (scoops) equal approximately 1.25 capsules of Endurolytes. Hammer Gel contains negligible amounts of sodium chloride and potassium for digestive and preservative purposes.
* HEED contains ChromeMate™ brand chromium polynicotinate for stabilizing blood glucose levels, and l-carnosine for lactic acid buffering. Hammer Gel does not have these.
* HEED comes in two subtle citrus flavors— lemon lime and mandarin orange—and in an unflavored version. Hammer Gel currently comes in nine flavors: orange, banana, raspberry, apple cinnamon, chocolate, vanilla, plain, espresso, and tropical. The latter two are the only caffeinated flavors; espresso contains 50 mg of caffeine per serving, tropical contains 25 mg of caffeine per serving.

Karma said...

Whoa HEED is intense! Do they have an IV format?

Brendan said...

I think they have IV's and suppositories.

chillwill said...

here's the wednesday morning sports desk highlights of brendan's post:

Xylitol also promotes oral health

you will find a full-spectrum electrolyte profile and key auxiliary nutrients

HEED contains a full spectrum amino acid-chelated electrolyte profile

HEED contains ChromeMate™ brand chromium polynicotinate

Brendan said...

UPDATE!

I didn't see anyone throw up on the way to work this morning, but I did see Joel. That some how wraps the whole saga and makes it complete.

To Will: I can't believe you didn't work rapeseed into your HEED digest.