Here we are! A few years of development, over a year of extensive testing and tweaking, and we finally have the first production run of Vi Fuel in hand! It has been quite a journey and we're only at the door, just getting started!

So why another energy gel? We asked ourselves this, as well as many other people, when deciding whether to move forward and produce or not. But the fact is, and remains, that there is nothing like Vi Fuel out there. If there was something even close, we wouldn't be wasting our time bringing another energy gel to market. But when you can offer the first true endurance gel, that changes things. Every company has their formula and great reasons for having it the way they do. And we definitely have the science behind our product, but we came to build the gel, from the ground up, from a different angle... while based on science and within certain parameters we relied more heavily on how it actually made athletes feel and perform mile after mile, day after day, month after month, and race after race. Period. We found some heavily relied upon science to fall short in the field tests, and we found some to be spot on. This wasn't made based on the science of body building, or for giving a quick short burst of energy. It was made with the endurance athlete in mind, based on actual use while influenced by the science behind endurance nutrition. We started with 100 mile runs and Ironman distances in mind, yet making it perform on your shake out run, and you speed workout as well. Sure you can use other gels and, at the same time, take various supplements, costing far more money and effort to use, and you will get some good results, but nothing will compare to the day in day out use in training, and your subsequent racing, with Vi Fuel, and we are overly excited to let the world know!

It's been an absolute blast letting this product sell itself to the enthusiastic and skeptical alike. The proof is in the pudding, or gel, in this case, and it continues to show with just about everyone that gives Vi Fuel a shot.

Last weekend we traveled to the Outdoor Retailer winter market in Salk Lake City. We just wanted to get our feet wet, try to meet some people, and scope out the scene for the future. Wow, were we blown away! First of all, let me say that I was super impressed with the support we got from everyone we met. Athletes, buyers, competitors, and other companies alike. It was very refreshing and we settled right in. I was amazed at the activity going on there and it's fun to think we'll be a part of that in the near future. 

We made some great connections and got to know some pretty amazing people! We handed out samples and talked with quite a few people about our product and gels in general. Everyone was super psyched to finally have a gel like ours available. We especially blew away a few buyer simply with the taste and several people over the weekend commented it was the best tasting gel they'd ever had! In fact, we had one buyer from the east coast repeatedly try to squeeze every last drop of vanilla out of the packet. He just couldn't get enough. Don't worry, we left him with plenty to tide him over until he can buy his own!

It was a long road to get to this starting line though. It seems like the mixing and testing would never end. I fondly look back on being in Alan's basement making massive batches of gel, with a paint mixing bit on a electric drill, for our beta testers. It was mixing gel day after day for months on end perfecting the taste, or adjusting supplement levels to find the ideal effective dose per packet in relation and conjunction with other ingredients, and then getting it back out in the field for testing. We'd then send it out to various labs for testing a fine tune based on results. What we ended up with after these years of hard work is an actual endurance gel that we are very proud of. It has, literally, changed peoples lives, and that is something we don't take for granted. 

We hope this blog gives you a little insight into us, our company, and Vi Fuel and hope to do things a little differently than the other endurance nutrition companies out there. We want to truly reveal what an endurance gel is and that it can be great tasting while at the same time deliver overly impressive results, and be made from quality ingredients. 

We hope everyone comes along on this journey with us, and we hope to get some great feedback in these coming weeks as we release Vi Fuel, and look forward to connecting with as many of you as we can!

Onward!

What's the single hardest thing for an athlete to do at the start of a race? Or a business to do just as it's momentum is picking up in it's infancy? To stop, that's what! And that's exactly what we have had to do.

We didn't make this decision lightly and it was only after we determined the cause of the manufacturing defect and exactly how widespread it was that we decided to officially recall all of our product. Obviously, this is not how we wanted to start, but we have been met by nothing but support and patience by all of our customers... and for that, we thank you!

So what was the problem? To put it simply, the seal at the top of the packet was not sealed correctly. There are a few different possible reasons, the most likely being that the pressure was not turned up high enough on the aspect of the machinery that seals that part of the packet after it has been filled. So we were seeing a high number of leaky packets, and a higher number that weren't leaking but failing some simple stress tests.

We didn't feel that the quality of our packing matched the quality of our product, Vi Fuel, which warranted a recall. To our knowledge there are no safety issues in the consumption of this gel, but the miniscule possibility was there. If a substance could get out, then a substance could get in, and we didn't feel that that was an appropriate risk to take. This was something that, while not a danger now, could have become a danger over time.

So what did we do about it? Once we determined that there was a widespread problem, we sent out a letter to those that had already ordered and officially recalled the product. We also issued a full refund to any and all orders. As far as the manufacturing errors go, we really don't have too much control over that aspect of the process, but we have been assured that they have a handle on what the issue was, necessary changes have been made, to both systems and management, and we have been promised that this issue will not happen in the future.

It goes without saying that it went against everything in our minds, hearts, and bodies to put a complete halt to everything we have been working so hard for. It's similar to training for the marathon of your life only to be told, at mile marker 1, that the race is postponed and you have to hang out right there until they decide to start it back up again. It's just counterintuitive and doesn't feel right, but we are trying to make the best of it. We're about to sign the first of our athletes to our "team," with more details to shortly follow. We have generated a lot of great retail buzz and have offers for race/event sponsorships and have gotten Vi Fuel in the hands of some great people offering invaluable feedback. So we're not totally sitting on our hands and we're trying to make the best out of an unfortunate situation.

We sincerely thank you for all of your support and encouragement and we will let you know as soon as we have any news as to when to expect to open the website again for ordering. If I had to make a guess, I'd say we're about two weeks out, but it could very well be a month from now. Again, we'll keep you informed. Keep an eye out here and on facebook for any news and/or updates.

Sincerely,

Michael, Mike, & Alan

by Nick Pedatella

Held just outside of Albuquerque, the Cedro Peak 45 mile (with a 45 km option also) race was a new race on the calendar for 2012. While I am generally hesitant to do a race the first year, the previous experience of the race organizers gave me enough confidence that the race would be a well-run event. The race also offered the opportunity for a brief visit with my sister in Albuquerque while at the same time checking out some of the local trails. 

The race started off just before sunrise, and from the gun Jason Loutitt took off at a pace that nobody else in the field seemed remotely interested in following. I assumed the second position and headed off down the trail with a string of lights in tow. I immediately regretted only bringing along a cheap headlamp as the first miles were all downhill singletrack. With memories of a broken hand still fresh in my mind, I held the pace back in the early miles in an effort to avoid any sort of fall. Before long we came upon an unmarked T-intersection. Jason had headed off to the left, and I followed, but he soon yelled back questioning whether or not this was the right direction. He soon was coming back up the trail and we backtracked to the intersection where there was a regrouping as we decided which way to go. With some confidence a runner headed off to the right. I followed and he confirmed that he was a local and that this was in fact the correct way to go. This was good enough for me, and I proceeded to head down the trail hoping that the lack of course marking wasn't a sign of things to come. Before long we came upon several course markers confirming that we were indeed on course. Regrettably, a number of runners went the wrong way at the intersection and added a few miles to their days. The unmarked turn was the result of course vandalism, and the remainder of the course was marked exceptionally well. 

Confident we were back on track, I soon found myself in the lead with a local 45km runner right with me. Most of the early miles are downhill, and combined with somewhat fresh legs, this made the pace relatively quick. However, I knew that we would be heading back up this in the final miles of the race and made a conscience effort to reign things in at points to make sure I would have plenty left in the tank for the final climbs. Before long Jason caught up and proceeded down the trail at a pace that I didn't even entertain trying to follow. At this point I realized that unless he completely caved in the final miles it was going to be a race for second between the rest of the field. 

Before long the sun was up and temperatures started to rise to a more comfortable level. The route continued on primarily on smooth, downhill, single and double track. Occasional rocky sections kept things interesting. Between the great trails and the nice weather it looked like we were in for a great day of trail running. The relatively nontechnical trails made for a fairly quick pace, and I soon became confident that my predicted finish time of roughly six hours that I had given my sister was manageable. These thoughts were quickly gone after we turned off onto a power line cut. My pace suddenly slowed drastically as the trail conditions worsened. The smooth, easy running singletrack, was replaced by a few sections of off-trail hiking - not exactly ideal terrain for running fast. After reaching the high point of the power line the trail plunged downhill on a semi-technical scree slope. Knowing that I would be coming back up this in another 15 miles or so, I realized a low six hour finish was not going to happen. This section was, however, short lived and before long it was back to smoother terrain for the next several miles before finding myself at the base of the climb back up the powerline. The easy miles and faster pace was immediately brought to a halt as the trail pitched upwards. Given the steepness of the ascent, hiking was the only viable option. The climb was relatively short and after 10 minutes or so I reached the top and was back on more runnable terrain. Although I could tell the warmer temperatures were starting to get to me a little, knew there was only about 16 miles left and started to ratchet up the effort for the final push to the finish. 

Starting to feel the proximity of the finish, the ensuing miles went by quickly and I soon found myself beginning the final stretch of climbing with about 10 miles left. At this point I knew that it was all about grinding out the final miles to the finish. The first miles of climbing came easily, and before long I crested the first climb and continued on a nice rolling section. At this point, the warmer temperatures, and slight dehydration, caught up to me. My pace suddenly slowed to what felt like an incredibly slow pace given the terrain. Hoping that this wasn't going to turn into a complete slog for the next 5-6 miles to the finish, I backed off the effort slightly in hopes of getting over this rough patch. After a couple dismal miles, and a couple cups of coke from the final aid station, things started turned around. I was now feeling much better and ready for the final uphill push to the finish. The final climb wasn't nearly as bad as I had envisioned, and I soon saw a slight break in the trees ahead indicating the parking lot at the start/finish. Shortly thereafter I found myself popping out of the woods and on the final stretch across the parking area to the finish where I crossed the line in 6:43 for second place. Jason ran a great race, finishing well in front of me in 6:30. While significantly slower than my planned low 6 hour time, the course was more difficult than expected and, overall, I am pleased with how the race went. I certainly accomplished my main goal of getting in a solid longer effort in preparation for upcoming 100 milers. 

Overall, the Cedro Peak 45 is a great event and I highly encourage people to attend future additions. The course offers up a great mix of terrain, and the significantly more climbing in the second half makes it a great early season training run/race. The organization and course marking (aside from the vandalism) are excellent. The finish is in a great spot for hanging out with other runners while enjoying the post-race food of burgers and soup along with some good brew from the keg of local microbrew (courtesy of Marble Brewing). All in all it was a great day out on the trails!