I finally got around to updating my Amazon triathlon gear store with the latest cool gear and gadgets for runners, swimmers, bikers and triathletes. Check it out and feel good knowing anything you buy through that link will send pennies from Amazon my way.
Not that anyone will be reading this, but I’ve brought my triathlon blog back to life here.
About a month ago Hornet Juice asked me if I'd like some samples to try out and sent me some info. on their product. It sounded interesting so I tried it out to see how it worked for me. Here's my thoughts.
What is it and How Does it Work?
Hornet Juice is a mix of 17 amino acids developed after researching the giant hornet's ability to fly 50 miles a day. The short description of what it does is that it metabolizes fat to give you energy during extended workouts since glycogen can only take you so far. See their site for more info.
Usage
They suggest you take Hornet Juice 30 mins. prior to a workout on an empty stomach. It comes in individual servings that you mix with 8.5 oz. of water, juice or sports drink. For longer workouts, they suggest taking it every one and a half hours.
Workouts
My first workout I used Hornet Juice was a 50 min. run after coming off a day off after a pretty tough weekend of riding and running. I did a strength workout in the morning so my legs weren't feeling the freshest when I started my run. I felt good throughout the run and even though my legs were heavy, I felt like I had a good energy level the whole time.
The next day I did an hour bike on the trainer and had some Hornet Juice about 30 mins. prior and on an empty stomach. I felt good during my ride but really no different than any of my other hour trainer session over the past month. My stats were about the same and my energy level felt normal.
Two days later were my longer weekend workouts: a 2:15 ride on Sat. morning with a 20 min. run in the evening and a 1:40 run on Sun. morning. On Sat. I didn't have the Hornet Juice prior to my workout but put it in my water bottles with Gatorade. This turned out to be a bad idea without diluting the Gatorade since it made the flavor too strong and sweet. It wasn't undrinkable but it would have been much better with diluted Gatorade or another sports drink or just water and some Carb Pro. I felt good during my ride and my energy level was strong throughout. Usually on longer rides, my energy starts to taper off toward the end and the last few miles end up hurting, but not this time. It was an easy ride since I had a run the next day but not much slower than I normally do that distance.
On Sun. I drank the Hornet Juice on a full stomach about 30 mins. before my run. The workout was an hour warmup followed by 30 min. at tempo pace and then a 10 min. cool down. My legs were tired for the warmup and my tempo pace was only 0:15/mile faster than the warmup pace but I was able to complete the workout and not cheat on the cool down 
I was happy that I was able to finish it and do pretty well on my times.
Conclusion
So, did it help? I think I'm mixed on this one. It felt like it did help on my runs and may have made a difference on my longer bike. I do want to get some more and try it for a couple months to see how it works on various distances and disciplines. From most of the reviews I've read online, everyone felt like they performed better and their longer workouts with it.
You can buy it directly from their web site. Shipping is free and they accept major credit cards and PayPal.
If you try it out, here's a few tips:
This year, I've been getting most of my triathlon and running gear from TriSports.com. Their prices are very competitive and they have just about everything I want in stock. The clincher for me the first time I used them is that they take PayPal so I get so spend some of my ad revenue quickly and easily.
For small orders, their USPS shipping prices are typically cheaper than UPS Ground but at some point (likely weight and/or number of items), UPS Ground is less expensive so you'll want to try both options at checkout. I've found that the delivery times for both are about the same and sometimes USPS is even quicker. TriSports gets stuff out quickly and I've never had a delay in getting what I ordered or any problems with my orders.
A nice touch that I noticed after an order or two was that the packing slip for each order had a hand-written, personalized thank-you note on it. Another nice touch came in the mail yesterday: their holiday card with a group photo on front and everyone's signature inside.
While I like to support our local running and tri shops, for consumables (gels, supplements, etc.) I just can't justify the travel time and larger markup. If you're looking for running, swimming, or tri gear check out TriSports.com.
A couple weeks ago, I ordered my wife and I the Bike Hugger jersey. I was impressed by the looks of the photos they had on their site of the actual jersey and also of the product graphics. Even though they note that the jerseys are made by Hincapie Sports of their best materials, I was still surprised how nice this jersey is.
The fit–as noted–is slim. Since I am as well, I ordered my normal Large size which fits perfectly. It is a bit snug but not tight. There are two features that set this apart from any other jersey I've had. First, is the full-length zipper. Being able to unzip all the way and open the jersey on a ride is nice and it also makes it easier to get on and off–especially over sunglasses or a helmet. The second is the gel-grip waist. This is similar to the rubbery line at the bottom of most cycling shorts that keeps them from riding up. Same thing goes here and this does a great job of keeping the bottom of the jersey where you want it.
Other than the technical features, this jersey just looks and feels great. My wife and I are both happy with ours and at $75 the price is very affordable. I've had jerseys that were the same price or a few bucks more that weren't nearly as comfortable or as stylish. I'm waiting for the next design
Related side note: I ordered these via Amazon on a Monday to get here by Wednesday (free shipping since I have Prime) so I would have Julie's by the weekend for her ride. On Wed., I left the house for about an hour and that was when UPS said it was delivered to my front door. I checked about an hour after I got home and didn't see it. I searched my yard and also the side door and couldn't find it. I waited until Thurs. to see if maybe it would get redelivered or if one of my neighbors got it by mistake but it didn't show.
I used Amazon's callback feature and was called and connected to an agent who had my info. on her screen. She said they would re-ship the order and she added the items to my cart and said I'd get a credit for the purchase price plus $5 to cover my cost for Prime overnight shipping. Sure enough, in about an hour I got an email saying the credit had been processed and I placed the order with overnight shipping. The package showed up on Fri. afternoon and everyone was happy. Amazon rocks!
