Follow up on Cliff Shot Gel

I finally finished the first box of cliff shot gels. Although I still find it sweet, the mocha flavor is good. I can't stand fruit punch flavor that is sickly sweet. The last few weekends I've climbed Wachusett summit a couple of times and each time I ate a gel 10-15 minutes from mile hill road.

What I find is that half way up, my legs don't feel like led weights. In the past, I would eat a cliff bar about the same time. Sometimes if the group stops I can eat the whole bar. If we don't stop, I can maybe chew down half a bar. The thing is, 10 minutes from mile hill road isn't enough for the sugar to get into the blood stream.

Cliff shots on the other hand do and it definitely gives you a sugar + caffeine rush. The last three times I climbed the summit, I ate a gel before the climb. Each time I improved my PR for the summit climb up the down road. On Wednesday, I ordered another box of Mocha cliff shot gel.

Another side effect I noticed is that I've lost about 2 lbs the last 3 weeks. In June I rode 825 miles. This month I've logged 658 miles so far. This is unscientific, but here's my guess. Using the gel I'm able to push harder on my lunch rides and go harder on weekend rides. As a result, my fitness level has gotten better, which means I'm burning more calories. I haven't changed my diet this month, so it's not due to that. One downside of burning more calories, so I have to eat more at meals.

That brings up a point about cycling and why I don't race. I ride because I am addicted to it and I love the feeling of spinning on my bike. I don't care if I'm going fast, medium or slow. If I were to become competitive and race, I'd have to drop weight and count calories. I really love to eat, so counting calories doesn't sound or feel pleasing. Plus, I don't get all psyched about beating someone else. I get more enjoyment from taking a good pull and helping the group keep a strong pace. Though I'm small, so it's not much of a draft.

Overall, I'm happy with Cliff Shot mocha gel. It tastes like a strong mocha and isn't so thick your tongue is glued to the roof of your mouth. Wish a quick swig of water and rinse, it washes down quickly. I also like that cliff shot is 90% organic.