Phix: the smart, easy way to feel better every day

Off the Bottle

noreply@blogger.com (Amy@phix) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:15:00 +0000

The information that has surfaced regarding plastic bottles and their harmful ways is pretty staggering. Less space in land fills and more greenhouse gases are just a couple of the tolls they take on the environment. A good thing is, big brands in the consumer water biz have more recently been trying to do their part for the environment - but will it be enough?

And while the FDA says that all plastics used for storing foods and liquids are safe for the body, scientists and environmentalists disagree. Plastics contain a slew of chemicals, but perhaps the most controversial of them all is the man-made and estrogen-like BPA. It's true, humans need estrogen in order to successfully reproduce, but BPA, or Bisphinal-A. could be very bad for fetuses, and could increase the chance of certain cancers and hyperactivity in children.

TheGreenGuide.com says, plastic water and baby bottles, food and beverage can linings and dental sealants are the most commonly encountered uses of this chemical. Unfortunately, it doesn't stay put. BPA has been found to leach from bottles into babies' milk or formula; it migrates from can liners into foods and soda and from epoxy resin-lined vats into wine; and it is found in the mouths of people who've recently had their teeth sealed. Ninety-five percent of Americans were found to have the chemical in their urine in a 2004 biomonitoring study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Phix obviously requires the use of a container in order to reap the energy-boosting benefits. But there are alternatives to those traditional plastic bottles in which to mix phix. SIGG USA, Klean Kanteen and Guyot Designs are just a few of the companies that manufacture BPA-free, transportable and reusable bottles.

Mix some phix in one of those puppies and you're on your way to healthier body and environment. And I gotta say, they leave a much nicer imprint than their counterparts.

Yuck.

Phix Keeps Me Going and Going and Going!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:39:00 +0000

This past weekend was anything but restful, and probably not what most people would think of as a "good time." It involved not sleeping between the time I woke up on Friday morning and the time I went to bed Sunday night (about 65 hours...), and running somewhere around 100 miles on grueling wilderness terrain. Needless to say, it was absolutely incredible!

Phix was invaluable for me on this trek, as I mixed it up in my hydration pack each time we stopped to refill water in the mountain streams. It kept me far more alert and awake than I thought I possibly could be after so long with no sleep, and was a delicious refreshing treat for me every time I took a sip. My friend Brock and I circumnavigated Glacier Peak in the NE Cascades through the Glacier Peak Wilderness. The trail was really rough in many spots and it took us quite a bit longer than we'd planned, but we made it back to our car Sunday morning after starting our run at about 11pm Friday night.

So, with our huge loop behind us, we then realized we still had about a 3 hour drive home in front of us, and we got a little scared. 3 more hours on the road meant we (or at least one of us) had to stay alert and focused for 3 more hours still... good thing I still had some phix left! I mixed up a fresh bottle of phix, and we were off!

Amazingly, phix continued to keep me focused on the road and keep my eyes open the whole way back home to Seattle, and we arrived back safe and sound, with another incredible adventure under our belts! Cheers to another job well done, and for phix helping us through yet again!

Phix Goes Kayaking!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 15:10:00 +0000

Not to be outdone by Lynea's incredible mountain climbing of late (San Luis Peak, Mount Antero, etc.), her sister Kim just sent us this update from Northern Minnesota!

Though mountains like those in CO are a little hard to find in Minnesota, Kim was kayaking in one of the many lakes in Northern Minnesota at a stellar 1,391 elevation! Kim said,

"as you can see, Phix gave me the energy to keep going!!!"

Way to go Kim, and what a fun adventure! Be sure to crack open a phix and give it a try next time you're embarking on a new adventure, and have fun out there!

Office Space

noreply@blogger.com (Amy@phix) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 17:09:00 +0000

Ah, office life. Don't ya just love it?

Yea, didn't think so.

There's a recent trend in spicing up the 9 to 5 routine - exercise! Hey, might as well burn some calories while putting in those hours for The Man. The New York Times reports that more and more office employees are actually creating cubicle-turned-workout rooms, with the help of makeshift treadmill desks by "sliding a bedside hospital tray over a $400 treadmill." There are also professionally-built versions called Walkstations, that have sold over 300 so far. "Without breaking a sweat, the so-called work-walker can burn an estimated 100 to 130 calories an hour at speeds slower than two miles an hour, Mayo research shows."

And there are even blogs dedicated to work-walking! Like this one, and this one, by people who are more enthusiastic to go to work than ever, and that's partly because this light form of Monday-through-Casual-Friday exercise increases concentration levels, as well as calories burned. And anyone who's allowed to work-walk in the first place must have a pretty cool boss, too.

With more people wanting a healthier office lifestyle, that means more opportunity to take phix along for the daily grind, Workstation-ready or not. A natural, crash-free energy boost bodes well for the busy mind and body - clearly, you don't have to be an outdoor enthusiast to appreciate that.

Move over coffee and cigarettes, phix is here to give us a healthy alternative to that much-needed work-day break.

No thanks to those other dranks.

noreply@blogger.com (Amy@phix) — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 22:23:00 +0000

Back in June, France lifted its ban on Red Bull. This came after a 12-year ban on the popular energy drink, and more specifically, its active ingredient, taurine. Red Bull actually got its name from the stuff, as taurine was originally derived from bull bile. Yummy!

Energy drink brands with taurine, like Red Bull and Monster, have been garnering much controversy ever since they hit the market. In fact, it's still banned in Denmark and Norway to this day. On one hand, scientists and doctors have gone so far as to compare the stuff to being as bad as heart disease. Others say it's too difficult to prove the ingredients have such negative side effects. Regardless, drinking too much, just like any heavily caffeinated drink, will cause jumps, jitters, crashes and other annoying side effects. As a recent college grad, I can certainly attest to that.

MSN has also reported on the recent bannings and the debatable taurine.

In my opinion, I don't care what these controversies are - urban legend or not - or where they take place - overseas or here in the states - I'd rather get my energy from phix, natural and taurine-free, than from a drink that's made with something surrounded by such a long-winded controversy at all! I mean, why even take a chance when there's a healthier alternative to something nicknamed "crack in a can"?

To make the international debate more unclear, Christine Lagarde, France's Minister of Finance, said that the decision to lift the Red Bull ban, "was due to the fact that the beverage was already sold in 25 out of 27 EU countries." Sounds like a pretty bull bile reason to me.

Phix is Growing, and going surfing!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:52:00 +0000

Well our little Pacific NW company is now venturing out into the big bold world, and we're super excited to be spreading the phix love right on down the coast to sunny Southern California! As of this week, you can get your phix in person, and find us on the shelves of many Whole Foods Markets in Southern California. Now we aren't in every Whole Foods in SoCal just yet, so if you happen to go out to your local market and can't find phix- don't fret. We might not be there quite yet, but it's always super helpful if you ask your local market about phix and if they might be carrying it soon. You can check out where we are presently and watch us grow at our list of retail locations!

A big thank you to all our devoted phix phollowers in SoCal for helping us grow, and we hope having phix in Whole Foods there makes it even easier to get your phix! And for all our phix phollowers elsewhere that can't yet find phix in your local market (whether you're in Monkey's Eyebrow, AZ, Santa Claus, IN, Happyland, OK, or somewhere in between...), don't be shy! Go ahead and ask your market about phix and let them know you'd love to see it there! We're excited to keep growing, and your help on the ground is invaluable! Thanks, and let's celebrate together with a nice cool glass of phix and a sweet surfing session! Thanks SoCal!

Seriously?!?!?!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 23:45:00 +0000

So, our last post began with a confession about coffee, and I fear this post must begin with a similar confession... I drink Cherry Coke. Not only do I drink Cherry Coke, but I absolutely love it! That said, I know that it is terrible for my body, and I only drink this sticky sweet treat during my very long running races. During a 100 mile race, Cherry Coke is the perfect cool nectar to load me up with garbage calories to burn, and it tastes great. However, other than during races I don't touch the stuff. Unfortunately though, I have a sneaking suspicion that other people do drink sodas even when they're not in the midst of running 100 miles. But I digress.

This brings me now to the reason for the title of this post. I was cleaning out the car from my last big race and pulled out the remnants of a box of Cherry Coke, and in bold letters saw, "Who knew soft drinks could be hydrating?" Wow, I thought- this is exactly what America needs- more encouragement to drink sweet sodas under the guise of them actually having nutritional benefit. Granted, their statement isn't without truth. I'm well aware of the recent studies that have shown that caffeine is not as much of a dreadful dehydration mechanism as was once thought (here's one from the NY Times). However, I feel like making the implication that drinking soda is good for you and is full of health benefits is a bit off the mark. To me this is a similar logic path as- "eating donuts makes me full of energy, and food that makes me full of energy is good for me, so eating donuts is a good nutritious idea."

So, in my mind drinking soda is like drinking a can of high-fructose corn syrup- baaaad stuff. Tastes good going down, but once it's in, it's no good at all. That's why phix is such a nice alternative to all the bad stuff out there. It's very lightly sweetened, but still tastes great- and it's sweetened with all natural ingredients- none of that funky chemical stuff and definitely no high fructose corn syrup. Phix is just sweetened with evaporated organic cane juice and a teeny touch of stevia (a cool herb from South America), and that alone has got to make you feel good! I admit, with all the crazy products out on the market today, it's sometimes hard to know what's good for you, what's not, and what's in between. It's nice to know there's finally a delicious and nutritious alternative to all that "other stuff" to give us a great lift and not kill our insides. Cheers to phix and to a wonderful healthy alternative!

Coffee Talk

noreply@blogger.com (Amy@phix) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:55:00 +0000

I have a confession --

I love coffee.

A cup of "joe," "java," "mud," or my personal favorite, "wakey juice," is part of my morning (and sometimes evening) ritual. And it just so happens that the Northwest is home to some pretty amazing coffee. It wakes me up and gets me going - and is a great excuse to get together and converse with friends. But when one cup leads to two, and two cups lead to three, well....then, not so fun.

Like many people, too much caffeine in coffee-form gets me all jittery and my energy eventually crashes head-first into the Land of Headaches and Moodiness, resulting in those friends of mine not wanting to converse with me anymore. Because I'm like this:

It's just that oftentimes, I'll be so into the energetic bolt that I'll go overboard, and not feel the effects until much later. For an accurate portrayal, a visual aid from Positivity Blog:

According to the Mayo Clinic, "more than 500 to 600 milligrams of caffeine a day, or about four to seven cups of coffee, can cause restlessness, anxiety, headaches and other problems." It has a great article on caffeine, and offers tips on how to curb your intake so you don't feel those crashes, like learning how much caffeine is in certain beverages (check this out) and to look at the percentage of caffeine in the medications you may be taking.

Or, here's another tip - get your phix! Like coffee, it gives me the bolt - but unlike coffee, I don't experience those famous jitters and crashes, because it gets its boost from Yerba Mate, also known as "mate," an evergreen tree that grows in tropical countries. Its leaves have been used to cure fatigue for centuries, and is an alternative to coffee in that it lends a more soothing effect. A Brazilian study also found that the antioxidants in mate can repair and improve DNA activity. Cool!

I'm not saying I'm going to eliminate coffee completely, but I will cut back on my daily consumption - probably to one cup each morning - and balance my energy intake with phix. When it comes to "wakey juice," there's definitely room for two.

It's Braining Phix

noreply@blogger.com (phix) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:26:00 +0000

Yep, "braining" is right- not a typo believe it or not. So, I know "braining" is already a word, and not one with a very nice definition according to Merriam-Webster, but after a fun trip last week, I've decided to give braining a new connotation. So with phix being based in the Pacific Northwest, we have focused much of our efforts thus far in the Portland and Seattle markets, which leads to a good bit of travel between the 2 cities. Though only about a 200 mile trip, driving back and forth definitely begins to take its toll, even in a Prius! So, last week I decided to hang up the car keys and give "braining" to Portland a whirl. So, my new definition for braining comes from the blending of the words "biking" and "train," so you can probably guess what that means. We're fortunate enough to have a train that goes between Portland and Seattle fairly frequently each day, and not only that, but you're allowed to take your bike on board with you! So I rode my bike to the train station, took the train down to Portland, then rode all around Portland checking in on phix all around the area and then being a part of the Run for the Reimanns. Portland is incredibly bike friendly, and it was a pleasure riding my bike all over the city. The only negative was that I had quite a bit of weight on my back as a result of needing to carry product and other supplies, etc. along with me (as you can see from the huge hump on my back in the picture), so my back got pretty worn out, but it just made things more exciting. Fortunately my pack got lighter with each stop, so that was great! And I kept drinking phix throughout the trek to keep me fueled, alert, and going strong. Then it was back to the train station, back to Seattle, and biking back home for the completion of my day of "braining." What a great trip, and a great new way to get around! Give it a try if you get the chance!

Run for the Reimanns is a Huge Success!

noreply@blogger.com (phix) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:50:00 +0000

The benefit run last night went incredibly well, and the outpouring of support for the Reimann family was truly overwhelming! It was a lovely Portland evening, and the turnout was tremendous. We had over 500 people participating in the 2 mile run, and everyone was wearing red (as you can see from the photo!). Not only that, but we were also able to raise over $20,000 for the Reimann family, which was just fantastic!

A huge thank you goes out to all the great folks that came out last night to support the Reimanns and participate in this incredible benefit run! We here at phix were honored to just be a part of it and play a small part in helping with this event.

Run for the Reimanns

noreply@blogger.com (phix) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:09:00 +0000

Tomorrow, Wednesday 8/27 phix will be sponsoring a great community event in Portland called the Run for the Reimanns, and we'd love to have you come out and join us if you happen to live in Portland. If you are a Portlander, then you have probably already heard about the tragic plane crash that the Reimann family was involved in in early August. Though this was an incredibly tragic event, we are glad to join the community in supporting this family and helping them as much as we are able.

Please join us for this 2 mile benefit run, and don't forget to wear something red!

Go US Women's Water Polo!!!

noreply@blogger.com (phix) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:25:00 +0000

Well, we're definitely cheering for the U.S. men's team too since both teams are vying for the gold medal in their final matches this week, but we at phix are a bit partial to the women's team, as we got to know them a little bit a few months ago in California. Phix had the pleasure of sponsoring an exhibition women's water polo match at Stanford between longtime rivals team U.S.A. and Australia. Team USA came away with the win there, but what an exciting match it was!

Yesterday (maybe 2 days ago, but the time zone difference of Beijing is a bit confusing), our team U.S.A. friends faced off with Australia yet again, and this time it was in the semifinals in Beijing. It was an incredibly intense match, and both teams definitely left all their energy in the pool, but our U.S. women came away with victory thanks to a clutch goal with just one minute remaining by team captain Brenda Villa (making a nice hat trick (3 goals total) for the day for Brenda!).

I am continually amazed by the level of fitness water polo requires and what incredible shape all the women are in, but if anyone can bring home the Gold medal, it's team USA! Phix is cheering on our women's team USA from afar today as they face off with the Netherlands in the gold medal round! Go team!!!

Hippocratic Oath

noreply@blogger.com (phix) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 23:45:00 +0000

phix works to enhance something called "vis medicatrix naturae." In non-Latin/smarty pants terminology, that means "the healing power of nature." Meaning, in many ways, our bodies have what it takes to heal ourselves.

Hippocrates (aka the "Father of Medicine") was one of the first major figures to take to this idea of vis medicatrix naturae. He was also one of the first who voiced that what you put into your body - foods, drinks, etc. - as well as lifestyle and daily routine, were crucial to one's health. We're in good company.

Back in the day, Hippocratic medicine was practiced in a very gentile, kind way, which goes hand-in-hand with the concept of feeding your body with gentile, kind and natural ingredients, like phix, in order to help you feel better.

Some other cool info on the man, the myth, the legend:

- There are many debatable stories about him, but one is that he helped cure Democritos, the guy who introduced the atom into science, of insanity. Good thing he did that, cause that atom has come in handy.

- Based on the color of an illness alone, Hippocrates could correctly diagnose a disease, which he believed stemmed from imbalances in the four infamous categories he called "humors": blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. Yum!

- A beehive produced honey on his tomb, which were said to have curative powers.

And like Hippocrates and his ever-famous Oath, phix also has a little oath of its own - to dish out energy in the best way possible - the natural way.

noreply@blogger.com (phix) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:37:00 +0000

Stop right there! Step away from the fruit drink!

Reuters recently reported that sweetened fruit drinks may lead to a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes. I already knew they weren't exactly good for me, but I wasn't aware there were more serious health issues to consider.

Sweetened fruit drinks are often chosen in favor to non-diet sodas. After all, anything containing the word "fruit" must be healthier than a soft drink, right? Not necessarily. According to the report, researchers at Brown University found that, "Women who drank two or more sweetened fruit drinks per day had a 31 perfect increased risk compared to those who drank fewer than one such fruit drunk a month."

That's because many of these sugary culprits are made with high fructose corn syrup, a sweetener that takes a large tole on the environment. It's very cheap to make, but requires a ton of processing. More fertilizers and insecticides are involved in its creation than you can imagine, but that doesn't stop manufacturers from pumping out the stuff.

In a report about the dangers of high fructose corn syrup, The Washington Post said, "The more fuel, energy and chemicals that go into processing a food, the less nutritious that food probably is." And because of its metabolic effects, consuming high fructose corn syrup often leads to eating when you're not even hungry.

But it's okay, phix is here to help. It understands our sweet tooth. It encourages our sweet tooth! And it rides us of these health concerns while working to satisfy our sugar cravings, because it comes in all-natural (keyword: natural) sweet flavors of Teaberry, Citron and Tropic. And you know how sweetened fruit drinks and sodas often leave that heavy, syrup-y, caramel-y artificial taste in your mouth? You don't get that with phix, because it's light, fresh and all about the natural goodness. No high fructose corn syrup here.

And I think that's pretty sweet.

Portland is So HOT Right Now...

noreply@blogger.com (phix) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:54:00 +0000

I'm sure you all caught the quote reference here from the Ben Stiller movie Zoolander from a few years back, but man Portland is seriously hot right now- both figuratively and literally. It's hit 100 degrees twice this week, and things should be cooling off a bit now, but man for the Pacific NW, these are some incredible temps and pretty close to record setting (though, definitely not quite on the Michael Phelps level by any means).

Now, on the other level of Portland being so hot right now, it was exciting to see Portland on the front page of the Travel section of USA Today this week, and we'd have to agree that it's a really great city! After our recent post about cycling in general and especially what a great place Portland is for it, this article seemed especially apropos. We hear at phix pride ourselves on being headquartered here in the Pacific NW, and we're proud to call both Portland and Seattle home. Interestingly enough, we were out on one of the many oh so hot bike commuter friendly bridges (the Hawthorne Bridge) in Portland just this week during the morning commute sampling phix to all our Portland bike friends. It was a ton of fun, and as usual, folks we're really excited to learn about phix as an exciting new healthy energy option!

Cheers to health Portland!

Another 14er bagged!

noreply@blogger.com (phix) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 19:43:00 +0000

Our very own Lynea has been at it again, and this time climbed San Luis Peak with good friend Scott Price! Way to go Lynea and Scott, and so glad phix powered you up to the top!

"I'm not in a phix, a phix is in me!"
8-13-08 on top of San Luis Peak, San Juan Mountains Colorado
Scott Price
Grocery Coordinator
Whole Foods Market Southwest Region

The Energizer Enzyme

noreply@blogger.com (phix) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 23:21:00 +0000

Meet NADH!

NADH is just one of the many ingredients in the phix family. In order to really appreciate what getting your phix can do for you, you gotta learn the basics. Scientists are still discovering what NADH is really all about. But in the meantime, here are a few facts:

- NADH is an enzyme that's found in the inner mitochondrial membrane of your body's cells, where much of your chemical energy gets movin' and shakin.'

- It's partially made from Vitamin B3. Just like all Vitamin B's, B3 helps the body convert carbs into sugar, which is then burned off to produce - you guessed it - energy.

- Your brain needs "oxidative energy metabolism" in order for you to get the right amount of energy. The "oxidative" part means that the elements gain electrons. Electrons carry energy. NADH provides just that - an oxidative energy metabolism.

- Energy is handed over to NADH after you eat. Then, the energy turns into ATP, which is your body's source of energy circulation.

- If you're stressed, fatigued, or you attend the kind of party that often results in a wicked hangover the next morning, your NADH level will drop. Meaning, your energy level will drop. Meaning, you won't feel very good.

- NADH is very expensive, and costs 5,000 BUCKS per pound, which is why most other products don’t have it. One serving of phix contains a full research dose of NADH - that would cost you about $2 per pill alone!

According to sources such as SupplementNews.org, scientists have also found NADH a great form of therapy for people with chronic fatigue syndrome, or CFS. "In a study of 35 patients meeting the criteria for CFS, 10 milligrams per day of NADH or placebo was administered for 4 weeks. After a week washout period, each group received the other treatment. The results of the study showed that NADH significantly improved the symptom score when compared to placebo."

In addition, NADH has also shown to have positive effects on those with Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's and other disorders which impair oxygen flow to the brain. It can also reduce the effects of jet lag, in that it helps get that internal clock of yours ticking again.

NADH has even been used in the spatial memory-testing experiment of the Morris water maze, in which a rat is repeatedly placed into a small pool of water, and must swim around in search of a platform. When administered, NADH has improved the animals' performance.

So, humans (and rats) have seen the benefits of this energetic enzyme, and phix is proud to call NADH one of its many trusty ingredients.

Peddle Pusher

noreply@blogger.com (phix) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 21:15:00 +0000

Here in the Northwest, bicycles are where it's at. Hot commodities. Must-haves. Who doesn't ride a bike around here? Anyone? Anyone?

Nobody. That's who. And that's because....

....the benefits are endless.

If you haven't yet hopped on the "bikewagon" as I like to call it (clever, right?) you should definitely consider bringing a bike into your life.

Treehugger.com (for the hippie inside) recently reported that "the study, Cycling: Getting Australia Moving, funded by the Australian government and prepared by Melbourne University and the Cycling Promotion Fund concluded that thanks to the increased health of cyclists, public heath services are spared an estimated $227.2m AUD annually."

In U.S. dollars, that's actually more like 206.7 million. But still, that shows a huge financial break. And not having to visit the doctor as much is plenty of reason to bike it.

So what does this have to do with phix, you ask? It's simple. Northwesterners, we're Bike People as it is. Take it from the Vista Ridge Velo cycling club, a group of passionate bikers who ride and race throughout Portland, and are hooked on phix. By adding it to their water bottles for long rides and steep climbs, it fuels the energy and keeps it going the whole ride through.

Or, take it from Varner S. in Portland, who says, "I tried phix in one of my water bottles on a long, really hot and hilly bike ride. I expected to really hurt and be dead-tired on the last 5 miles uphill to home, but was really pleased and surprised that I felt really good and finished strong. It would've been a different story without phix."

All this talk is making me want a new bike of my own. Something fun! Like this one!

That is totally like, my absolute dream bike. I. Want. That.

And hey, with all this money I'm not spending on gas or doctor's appointments, I mean....I kind of owe it to the economy to buy it! Yes! Of course! The bike will be mine.

You're welcome, Economy.

Climbing Mt. Rainier

noreply@blogger.com (phix) — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 22:35:00 +0000

When I first sat down to start writing this I had been up for 40 hours. While that in and of itself is a pretty unusual occurrence, the real feat here is that after 5 years of staring at beautiful Mt. Rainier, yesterday, 8/7/08, I stepped onto the summit. It was by far the hardest physical thing I've even done. It was also one of the most energizing and empowering experiences and one that is still sinking in.

In 2006 I set a few goals for myself, and one of them was to get in the best shape of my life. I decided that the best way to prove that was to climb Mt. Rainier. The trip was planned for one to two days depending on the weather and I went with three other folks. One of whom, Phil Arnold, was a former guide on the mountain and this was his 108th summit, so we were in good hands. We left on Wednesday morning with our 50+ lbs packs to make the climb from Paradise Inn at ~5400ft to Muir basecamp, which is at 10,200 ft. The weather forecast had called for it to be sunny during the day with thunderstorms at night. This was really disappointing as thunderstorms on the mountain are extremely dangerous and dramatically reduce your chances for summiting.

As we started our hike up, the weather started to turn and the clouds and rain started to move in. Rainier is an absolutely spectacular mountain and it is amazing to see how quickly the weather can change up there. One minute we're hiking in 70 degree weather and then all of a sudden the wind comes up, the clouds roll in and it starts to rain. It was a drizzle at first and then started dumping. Good times! I'd say that it rained fairly hard for about 1.5 hrs of the 4.5 hr climb, but by the time we got to Muir the rain had, for the most part, stopped.

At Muir the plan was to get situated in the public shelter, make dinner, get packed up for the summit and then try to get a few hours of sleep before getting back up at 11:30pm. Phil was going to get up first, check the weather outside and make the call whether we would go for it, or whether we'd wait and try to do it a day later. We all tried to sleep, but the public shelter was more like a bus station with people coming and going and a few late arrivals kept everyone up. We probably wouldn't have been able to sleep anyway, so when 11:30 came and the alarm went off we were all ready to get going. Phil stepped outside and reported back that the weather had cleared. It was windy, but the sky was crystal clear - nothing but billions of stars.

We made a quick breakfast (oatmeal, blueberries, and I drank as much phix as I possibly could), filled my three water bottles with phix and threw in some nuun to help give me a little extra electrolyte replacement. Then we suited up - helmut, headlamp, gortex pants, harness, plastic boots, crampons, ice axe, food, jackets, hats, gloves, mittens, balaclava, grabbed our packs and roped up.

A typical climb is 6 to 8 hours. It's pitch black out, so all you can see is the immediate ground around you. The climb started out smoothly and the route was in good shape. First we went across Cathedral Gap, then across Ingraham Glacier, which was the site of the worse climbing disaster in US history (killed 11 people), up Disappointment Cleaver and then it was a fairly straight shot from ~12,000 ft to 14,411 to get to the summit. Around 4am there was the first glimmer of the sunrise, followed about 30 minutes later by the actual sunrise.

As we got further into our trip, weather started to form and Phil became increasingly concerned that we may have to turn back. Rainier generates its own weather and frequently nasty lenticular clouds will form. These clouds can generate extreme winds and usually make it difficult to impossible to get to the summit. So as we started to see clouds forming around the summit, Phil decided that we were going to have to make an aggressive push to get up there quickly. I was exhausted already and wasn't sure I had the energy for this last push. I kept trying to remember what Sam had told me, "One foot in front of the other gets you to the top." As we got closer, Phil talked about just lashing the packs to the mountain and having us scramble to the top. I knew we were getting close and the urgency of the situation gave us all an extra boost. At one point I looked up and saw the ring of rocks that surround the crater and knew we were getting really close. The heat from the geothermal activity inside Rainier (dormant volcano) keeps the snow from forming and there is actually a small lake below the crater. So with time running out, I put my head down and concentrated on rest stepping and pressure breathing and before I knew it I was walking down into the crater to celebrate a successful summit. We had made it to the top in just 5.5hrs! I have to say that after 5 years of looking at the mountain it was surreal and I still have a hard time internalizing it. Here is a picture of Phil and me in the crater followed by a gratuitous phix summit shot.

We supposedly spent 45 minutes on top, but it seemed like 5 or 10 minutes max to me as I was a bit out of it. Plus the altitude at 14.4k makes you feel nauseous, makes it hard to breath and really effects your energy level. It turned out that making such a big push to get up there was the right call as we were one of the last groups of the day to make it to the summit given the weather.

Most of the injuries, and worse, in mountain climbing happen on the way down, so as we began our journey back down, I really tried to concentrate on making sure that every step was well placed. Easier said than done when you're so beat. After a few thousand feet we exited the clouds, although it was still windy, and continued the trek downward. At this point, my body and mind were going from periods of utter exhaustion to quasi-euphoria. After several more hours of climbing we made it back to Muir where we spent an hour packing up our sleeping bags and stove and other supplies before leaving to make the final 2.5hr trek back to Paradise. At 2:45pm we stepped into the Paradise parking lot and our journey was officially complete.

I've never been an intense athlete and so for me, climbing Rainier pushed me to rethink what I'm capable of. I think like in so many aspects of our lives frequently we are the ones who create these artificial limits and boundaries around what we are and are not capable of. One foot in front of the other, whether it's starting a company, taking on a project, exercising, or really moving towards any goal, gets you closer and closer to, and then eventually over, the finish line.

If you're interested, you can check out my photos here

As many of you know from the previous blogs on our site, one of phix's own, Sam Thompson, just tried to break the Colorado Trail speed record (483 miles, 75,000 ft of vertical gain, 8 mountain ranges in 8 days). If you get a chance, please read his last post, which is truly inspirational. http://www.seesamrun.com/blog

Phood for Thought

noreply@blogger.com (phix) — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 04:19:00 +0000

Growing up, I never really drank tea. But one day, when I was away at college, I got sick. I got sick, and like all sick, helpless college students, I needed my mother. She told me to pick up a box of green tea, and although I was skeptical at first, I heeded her advice. Since then, it has become one of my "happy foods".

Yes, I love tea of the green persuasion, and anything that uses it as an ingredient. Green tea shampoos, green tea conditioners, green tea lotions, green tea lip glosses. I can't get enough of the stuff. I would bathe in a vat of green tea if I could. Wait, can you bathe in a vat of green tea?

Anyway, I think it's the combination of the flavor, and the fact I know what green tea can actually do for the body. In addition to its calming and soothing effects, it's got EGCG in it (which stands for some really long, unpronounceable word) which helps ward-off cancer cells. EGCG is also a lot stronger than resveratrol, which is the stuff that's in red wine and perhaps the reason why French people have a lower history of heart disease than Americans. You know, cause French people drink a lot of red wine. And so Chinese people, who put green tea in everything, have an even lower rate of heart disease than French people.

And because the leaves in green tea are steamed, unlike the leaves of other Chinese teas, the EGCG isn't oxidized and thus turned into other things. How's that for a science lesson?

That's why Phix is so cool; it's an energy-booster, but an energy booster made with all of these yummy green tea anti-oxidants - so automatically, I know that that energy is gonna be more of a calming wave than a crashing plunge.

Call me crazy, but I think green tea is truly a "happy food" for the body and soul.

....kind of like fast food, except not. Not at all.

Sam He Is!

noreply@blogger.com (phix) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 04:51:00 +0000

OK, folks. Sam has now posted his account of his incredible journey on his website.

Let me start by saying Sam is one amazing dude--in body and spirit-- and all of us at phix feel incredibly honored and blessed to know him. For real.

The post on his blog is pretty long (you get a lot of time to think on a 400 mile run!) so I thought I'd share some choice quotes:

"My goal in this was to become one with this amazing trail and truly enjoy being a small speck on the incredible palette of God’s immense creation as I made my way through the incredible landscapes and pushed my own body to its absolute farthest limits."

"This was without a doubt the hardest thing I have done to date, and the hardest I have ever pushed my body, and I am continually amazed by what the human body is capable of and how perceived limits are quite far from reality."

"phix provided me extra octane and power throughout this expedition. I was drinking 6-10 phix stix each day, and feel like it gave me a really nice extra boost in energy levels, as well as helping maintain healthy vitamin levels in my body."

Sam, from all of your teammates at phix, I'd just like to say thanks for reminding us yet again to "put one foot in front of the other on the great expedition of life."

You rock!

Sam update

noreply@blogger.com (phix) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 22:59:00 +0000

In case you were wondering, our Sam came up 70 miles short of his goal of running the Colorado Trail. Sam had all the strength and energy he needed to complete the task in record time, but his support vehicle got swamped during a river crossing, bringing an end to the adventure. Sam is safe and sound back in Seattle, and more confident than ever that he can set a new speed record for the Colorado Trail. He'll be back!

Getting high on phix

noreply@blogger.com (phix) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 23:10:00 +0000

OK, so I apologize for the stupid title, but it was hard to resist. Here's another of our team of phixies who gained some serious altitude this summer. (We already told you about Sam--see my previous post.) This is Lynea Schultz-Ela, at 14,269 feet, getting a little 'roof' on Mount Antero in the Sawatch Mountains of Central Colorado.

So it is probably just a coincidence that so many on our team like to get high (in the mountainous sense) but it is true that phix Energy is ideally suited for high altitude pursuits. That's because it takes a lot of energy to climb mountains (duh) and because fluid loss increases dramatically in the cold, dry air found at high altitudes.

For starters, phix is tasty, so it helps you drink more water. And phix was formulated with water soluble vitamins and electrolytes to help your body maintain its energy levels, and also to offset any fluid loss that might result from caffeine use.

There's a lot of debate about whether caffeine really does cause dehydration. (It sure makes me have to pee.) Research suggests that consuming less than 300mg a day is probably not a problem. (One serving of phix has 85mg of caffeine.) All that peeing? It's apparently as much the water as the caffeine.

We love this nifty little study, published in a European scientific journal, which found that mountain climbers on Everest who drank lots of tea didn't get dehydrated, and reported more positive feelings during their climb. (You're probably thinking the researchers were British but actually they were Canadian. Funny, eh?) Just imagine if they were drinking maté...

Anyway, whether it's the electrolytes, the water soluble vitamins, the caffeine or the extra fluids, we sure do find that phix is helping us enjoy some incredible views. Check back later this week for a snapshot of another phixie getting seriously high....

See Sam Run --> See Matt Dance

noreply@blogger.com (phix) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:46:00 +0000

Some of you may have already seen this, but I just discovered it and thought it was pretty awesome. Hope you enjoy!

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

You can learn more about fellow Seattleite Matt Harding by clicking here. And let me know if any of you brilliant phix phans come up with any fun phix related ideas that we could use to help spread the word. Thanks and Be Well. -Will

See Sam Run!!!

noreply@blogger.com (phix) — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 06:23:00 +0000

So if you were feeling at all low on energy, the following post will make you feel downright sloth-like.

phix’s own Sam Thompson is running across the state of Colorado this week. That’s right, from Denver to Durango, more or less, in a little over a week as he attempts to set a new speed record for the 484-mile long Colorado Trail.

Did I mention that most of the trail is above 10,000 feet? And the highest point is over 13,000 feet? And that most people take six weeks to hike the whole thing!?!

Not your ordinary summer vacation, but Sam’s not your ordinary ultra-running guy: He once ran 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days. He amuses the rest of the phix team by going out for 3-hour runs in the morning, and then coming back to go for a run with one of us.

Sam just started yesterday, and so far the fun stuff he's encountered includes extreme heat, thunderstorms and hail! You can follow along day by day here at Sam’s website.

We're so proud of Sam, and we know that he's going to put phix to a pretty special test, since he's only sleeping about 3 hours at night at this point.

Run, Sam, run!

p.s. Think Sam's crazy? Check out the life accomplishments of Suprabha Beckhord, the only person to finish every edition of the Self-Transcendence 3100-mile race-- which is competed on a 1/2 mile track.