This year Girls on Hills began a new brand partnership with VOOM Nutrition. Our core staff and freelance guiding team have been using the products this year, and we have also been giving away gifted samples to attendees on all our mountain and skyrunning events. VOOM is also a supporting sponsor of Skyrunning UK (organiser of the Skyrunning UK & Ireland Series), for which we provide media support. We're also delighted to welcome VOOM to our ULTRA Trail Skills weekend with Jasmin Paris and Nicky Spinks next month (FULL), where the expert VOOM staff will be providing a session on Nutrition for Ultrarunners.
From Pocket Rocket soft chew bars, rapid hydration and carbohydrate drinks to savoury energy and protein products, VOOM has lots to offer. In a nutshell, the products are a 'tasty, portable and stomach-friendly alternative to sports gels, with twice the energy and zero mess'!
We have asked our Operations Manager and Run Guide Hannah Godden to tell us about her first experiences...
Hannah's thoughts
I have always been a sandwich and cake kind of hill runner. But as I have continued to throw myself into bigger and bigger running challenges and races, I have played around with different nutrition strategies. I have never got on particularly well with gels, so I was eager to try Voom's innovative range of products.
With twice the energy of a standard gel, Voom’s Pocket Rockets were one of the first products I tried, with a texture very similar to Kendal Mint Cake they are easy to consume on the move, and there's a wide variety of flavours to choose from. After trying all the flavours a number of times, I can say that my favourite is definitelythe lemon and lime, as it is especially refreshing on a hot day. It reminds me of eating lemon and lime Calippo ice lollies as a child! You feel the burst of energy quickly and they are very easy on the stomach. I usually stick to the caffeine free ones for most of my training runs but I do benefit from the extra boost you get from a berry caffeine Pocket Rocket during the toughest part of a race.
For longer days out the POW® bars are perfect accompaniment alongside pocket rockets. Filled with natural ingredients they are packed with flavour, brilliant to have a bar in your bag that isn’t overly sweet to mix things up. My favourite is the chocolate and beetroot bar, ideal for beetroot fans. They are high in energy and carbs so you know you are getting all the good stuff to keep you ticking over. The beetroot component isn't for everyone but if you like this flavour or prefer a vegan diet, then these bars combine beetroot with coconut, organic oats & freeze fried fruits, to be low in gluten and Vegan Society approved.
During Spring this year, we had a brilliant spell of good weather here in Lochaber, which was a great opportunity to give the electrolyte drink a go. I was really impressed with both the flavour and how light it felt as a drink. I consumed it on everything from days working in the hills, training runs and races. It made a big difference to how tired I felt, especially on the longer or bigger days.I took that to mean that the hydration was really effective and that I was taking on plenty of fluids on account of the very drinkable flavours.
For recovery I decided to mix things up a bit and try something that was a little bit different for me - the protein recovery fudge. It would never have occured to me to turn to a solid product like this for recovery! But these fudge bars are actually perfect for busy days - being able to chuck them in your bag and eat on the go wihtout messy prep. Available in plant protein and whey protein - both equally delicious. I am looking forward to trying the protein recovery shake soon too. The Recovery Fudge has also proven really popular with our clients, and lots of Girls on Hills customers rave about them!
With a wide range of products including various gluten free and vegan options, Voom really does have something for all runners. The Taster Packs are a great way to get started; try the different flavours and products available, and find work works for you. It won't be long before you have an all-time favourite!
I have seen an improvement in my pace and race results, and taken on some difficult running challenges this year (including a Swift Half round), which in part, I put down to being better fuelled and hydrated on the hill.
'Since trying Voom products, I have moved away from gels and I now take a Pocket Rocket with me on every run. Unlike a gel, you don't have to consume the whole thing, so I just keep one in my vest at all times. I often eat just one cube for a boost or nibble away at a cube or two over a longer run. You can be a lot more gradual/graded with your intake and they are way more palatable than gels. You don't have to chew them or do huge retchy gulps! My running vest pockets are also far less disgusting and never glued together with dried gel slime or sticky packaging'- Keri Wallace, Girls on Hills Co-Founder
If you'd like to try using VOOM to fuel your trail running then check-out www.voomnutrition.co.uk and use discount code GIRLSONHILLS for 12% off all products.
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