Hillary Allen speaks with Kelly Newlon of Real Athlete Diets: "Delicious, performance orientated food for active people"! On June 1 Timothy Olson will start his attempt on Pacific Crest Trail, and Kelly will be there as part of his crew. For 52 days. What will that be like? How can diet support a huge effort like this?
“I reach out to a Registered Dietician in order to fill in the holes of my knowledge. And I put in protein powder in almost everything, plus coconut milk for fat, and greens whenever possible, even dried greens like Spirulina which also has protein."
“The goal is to run 50 miles a day as many days as possible.”
"Flavor fatigue" can be a big part of long efforts - what you want and don't want can change quickly and unexpectedly.
"We also have Snickers Bars on the list." (the 'traditional' food of the old-school thru-hiker! :-)
Kelly is very prepared, and will arrive at the southern terminus a few days in advance.
“The more organized and prepared I am, the more enthusiastic I become. So we already have a spare bedroom filled with great food, all labeled and organized.”
And do not think trail diet is not important: "Two researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Department of Integrative Physiology published a study suggesting that a thru-hiking lifestyle may lead to troubling changes in vascular health."
Any attempt on the PCT is a huge project. Adidas is a major supporter and is playing an important role - thank you Adidas!
"We’ve done our best for the best." Started in 1924, the company as we know it with the 3 stripes was founded in 1949.