Interview with Issac: Diving into Ultramarathons and Pickleball

Interview with Issac: Diving into Ultramarathons and Pickleball - Trace Minerals

Dr. Starkey: Hi, this is Dr. Starkey. Welcome to Trace Your Day. You know, I’ve got a good friend on the line. He’s actually a part of our international team. As we were having a conversation just recently about a conference that we’ll both be attending together, I always ask the question, especially with those that are new on our staff is, “Have you had your experience with one of our products? What is it that you’re using or what experience have you had?”

And as I started to ask these questions, I’m going to introduce you to Isaac of our international team and I’d love for you to hear what I heard, and that’s what brought us to this podcast today, so Isaac, welcome to Trace Your Day.

Isaac: Thank you. Super happy to be here.

Dr. Starkey: I think the listeners – I hope, I should say– that if we’re talking to someone like you, what the common consumer can do with the products that are available to them. So, I want to introduce this from an athletic standpoint because we talk a lot about electrolytes during the summertime. We talk about a lot of hydration or dehydration, right?

Isaac: Sure.

Dr. Starkey: And I of course posed the question at you Isaac, “Have you had an experience with the product yet?” I want to introduce, and I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never personally, I deal with a lot of marathoners that call up and ask questions about our electrolytes. But I have never had the opportunity other than with of course the Iron Man. We occasionally get some customers that work with Iron Men competitors, but I have never heard of the ultramarathon athlete. Can you share just a little bit about what an ultramarathon is, Isaac?

Isaac: Yeah, for sure. So an ultramarathon most of the time is pretty much trail-running is what it is. It’s up in the mountains, up and down, elevation gain, going up and down. And they’re long distances, so the last one, well, one of the larger ones that I did last fall was 31 miles out on Antelope Island and that was last October. But they range from just a few miles to a couple weeks ago, I ran a 12 mile one to there are 100-mile ultramarathons where you’re running for like 36 hours.

Dr. Starkey: Oh wow, you’re kidding me.

Isaac: It’s just crazy how much it pushes your body.

Dr. Starkey: How? I mean, I talk to these individuals who are preparing for marathons and their lifestyles are pretty intense, but I can’t even imagine preparing for a 30-miler, much less a 100-miler.

Isaac: It’s very mental.

Dr. Starkey: So take us through a workout. Take us through one of your weeks as you prepare for an ultramarathon.

Isaac: Yeah for sure. So it definitely depends, right? There’s a lot of things that go into an ultramarathon, even more so than like road running and regular marathon. So I’ll usually try to do certain distances leading up to the race, whether that’s a 5-mile run, a 10-mile run. I’ll try to have some longer runs where I’m just on a trail that’s a little more flat, a little more planey. And then I’ll have some shorter runs that area little more intense that maybe have some steeper elevation gain. Because obviously, I’m trying to get my muscles in shape for the race but also trying to get my lungs in shape for the race because that goes along with, especially races that are in places where you’re gaining a lot of elevation in places where you’re not just going forward, but you’re going up for a lot of the time.

Dr. Starkey: Wow.

Isaac: So I’ll usually try to have 2 or 3 days in the week where I try to get 10+ miles, just a slow pace, just getting the body loose, moving along. And then I’ll have a couple days during the week where I’m kind of doing a little shorter workout but a lot higher intensity where I keep my heartrate higher. I’m doing a lot of elevation change up and down. And then of course a couple days to rest and kind of let my body recover.

Dr. Starkey: Okay, so my interest in this, Isaac, as we were talking, is what products do you use or have you used or are using that you’ve known has benefitted from a high intense athletic standpoint like this.

Isaac: Yeah. Absolutely. So of course, first and foremost, ConcenTrace every single day, right? That just gets you that in your body and helps you just in general to be able to stay more hydrated and have those electrolytes in your body so you’re not as deficient in them when you are having these high-intensity workouts.

Dr. Starkey: Those micro electrolytes, right?

Isaac: Yep. Exactly, exactly. So you just have that continually in your body.

Dr. Starkey: Now let me ask you this really quick, Isaac. How long has it been since you’ve been on ConcenTrace.

Isaac: Oh let’s see. I started working at Trace Minerals when I was in high school, and so that would have been probably 3years now. I started working here my senior year of high school, got on the product, and then served my mission. Again, another place where it was useful because I served in somewhere that was very hot, very humid. I was losing a lot of liquid. So I used it throughout my mission and have used it since I got home and have started working here again. So it’s probably been about 3 years now.

Dr. Starkey: And that’s a church mission, right?

Isaac: Correct. Yep. So I served for my church. I went and lived in Mexico down in the south where it’s hot and served the people there for two years. And yeah, it was very useful for me.

Dr. Starkey: Oh good. Good. And so you come back after, started working again, and how does one get involved? How were you introduced to an ultramarathon to begin with?

Isaac: Yeah, so that’s a great question. The first time I was ever introduced, I have a family member, an uncle that is very into them. And when I was in high school, a junior actually, he needed something that we called a pacer. A lot of times for these ultramarathons, you can have people come run with you for a certain leg just to kind of help you, keep you motivated, and just kind of be a supporting person there with you.

Dr. Starkey: Sure, sure.

Isaac: So he was running a 50-miler down in Southern Utah, and I went and ran with him for about 17 miles.

Dr. Starkey: Just a jaunt in the park, huh?

Isaac: Yeah, exactly. Just to get my legs loosened up and help him out. But after I did that, I was like, “This is a lot of fun.”

Dr. Starkey: That’s impressive to begin with. You know, just 17 miles with my uncle and then of course, he turns and leaves you in the dust per se.

Isaac: Yep, yeah, so in this case, the 17 miles that I did was the last 17 miles.

Dr. Starkey: Oh, okay.

Isaac: He had already been running for I guess about, how many is that? 33 miles? And then I picked up with him on mile 33 and ran the rest – the last 17 – with him.

Dr. Starkey: That is incredible. So you were basically training with your uncle, keeping him, I mean, hey, my hat’s off to you. I think that that’s incredible that you’re willing to do that for your uncle and at the same time push your body to these limits.

So lets go back. So, you’ve been on the ConcenTrace for 3years, 3 or 4 years, and then you, what electrolytes, the macro electrolyte products, do you take that you’ve noticed? And share with us a little bit about what you’ve experienced since you’ve been on this before you were aware of the products and after you’ve started to take them. How it affects your body, how you notice it in your runs or your recovery, I would love to know. Especially in the recovery.

Isaac: Yeah, absolutely. So first of all, like Is aid, the first time I got introduced to this was my junior year, so before I was even familiar with Trace Minerals. And so one thing that I’ve always kind of fought for my whole life was kind of getting muscle cramps while I was doing either running, you know, I played a lot of other sports in high school –basketball, football. And I’ve always just kind of, that’s been something I’ve dealt with is just getting muscle cramps while I’m doing those things.

So as I’ve been introduced to Trace Minerals, one of the big ones I take while I’m doing my running is Hydration IV. And that one has been a really big gamechanger because it has a high amount of electrolytes and it’s something that I can take fairly quickly and it starts working very quickly.

Dr. Starkey: Right. It also has added sugar for you, right?

Isaac: Exactly. Which, believe it or not, in ultramarathons is what you want. You go to an aid station in an ultramarathon and they have M&Ms, Mountain Dew, Coke, Cheez-its.

Dr. Starkey: Really?

Isaac: Just anything to get something in your body quickly so that you can start burning that energy because you burn it all so quickly.

Dr. Starkey: Wow, that’s sad to think that that’s what they’re giving our ultra-athletes to get them some energy.

Isaac: I love the Hydration IV because it gives me those things and then also, kind of off the road of hydration, but also our vegan bar and our protein bar I use to get my calorie intake up so I don’t have to be taking some of those other things that are obviously a little less healthy while you’re on the trail.

Dr. Starkey: Right. Absolutely. And what I ultimately want from this, Isaac, is that not everybody is going to go out and find themselves as an ultramarathoner here. But what I hope that our listeners are listening to is if this is good for you as an ultramarathoner, what are these products capable of doing for just the weekend warrior or for those individuals that are just working out each morning or afternoon.

But I love the fact that especially from your perspective that as you mentioned that you’ve been plagued with cramps for most of your life, right?

Isaac: Correct.

Dr. Starkey: And then, after using these products, what have you experienced in the way of cramps since adding these products to it?

Isaac: Yeah, exactly, and so you know, they’ve gone down significantly. Hardly, if ever, do I have to experience that. Especially, I would say almost 100% as far as sports go. I play a ton of pickleball, it’s just becoming popular. I play a lot of tennis. Since using Trace Minerals, it’s very, very uncommon for me to get a muscle cramp.

Obviously, with the amount I’m pushing my body when I’m doing an ultramarathon, I’ll still kind of experience cramps, but it’s something that if I feel you know, you can kind of feel your muscle getting ready to cramp, I can take more electrolytes, get more Hydration IV in me, and within a few minutes I can run and I feel like that cramp has already gone away, which is something that is so nice to be able to just be like, “Oh, I can kind of feel it,” take our product, get it in my system, and then I don’t have to deal with it again for a few miles.

Dr. Starkey: No, that’s fantastic. You know, right now, I’m thinking of those individuals that deal with night cramps. I think that these products that we’ve been discussing, Isaac, are not just for our young athletes or our ultramarathoners but can benefit our aging population or those who are suffering from night cramps as well. You don’t have to be an athlete to benefit from these products.

But I love the fact, Isaac, you had mentioned that you’re preparing for a 50-miler coming up in a few months, right?

Isaac: Yep. That’s correct.

Dr. Starkey: I think that ultimately, I personally, I’m just going to say it out loud: I will never experience an ultramarathon. But knowing you and knowing who you are and what you’re doing to support you benefits me and I hope our listeners, because I know that I’ve taken, everyone knows that I take ConcenTrace on a daily basis, probably more so than anybody on the planet.

But I think that being able to support and sustain a lifestyle like yours. Here’s what I wish, Isaac, I wish that we could just inject you into a bottle and sell that intense energy or that drive.

And of course, you mentioned one other thing that is huge right now. You mentioned pickleball.

Isaac: Sure.

Dr. Starkey: And you’re not just an average pickleballer either.

Isaac: No. And that’s something, you know, I’ve pushed myself in pickleball harder than I think a lot of people do. I’ve played in tournaments where I start playing at 8 o’clock in the morning and I play in a championship game at 2 in the afternoon and it’s just been straight pickleball for 6 or 7 hours and by the time I get to that last game, I’m really having to rely on those products to kind of get me through the last leg and across that finish line so I can have my energy.

Dr. Starkey: That is fantastic. So let’s shift gears from an ultramarathoner to just someone playing tennis or playing pickleball. Again, that 6-8 hours, I know that Wimbledon is going on right now. Everybody’s interested. I don’t watch tennis much until Wimbledon and then I start watching it, right?

Isaac: Yep. We’re in the semi-finals now.

Dr. Starkey: Yeah exactly. So I start watching it when we get closer to the finals and I become very fascinated by these amazing athletes. But you know, at this point, take us through, do you take the levels? What do you personally take on a daily basis when you are playing pickleball? Let’s say it’s not a 30-miler or 17-miler on the trail, but let’s just take it down to a common individual that’s playing tennis or pickleball.

Isaac: Yeah, for sure. So you know, for me, what an average person, a lot of times, I’ll just go with a friend one night and we’ll probably take four of us and we’ll go play tennis or we’ll go play pickleball or you know, that’s just kind of a relaxed night. We’ll maybe play for an hour or two, which I think is what a lot of people do.

Dr. Starkey: Right. Kind of a stress reliever, right?

Isaac: Exactly. Yeah, just kind of go with some friends. You’re gonna go play, break a little sweat, but nothing too extreme. I always make sure I have at least one packet of Hydration IV with me. Because that’s usually what I’ll mix into a 16 oz water bottle to have that during my play, that I’ll just whenever we take a break, I’ll go take a couple swigs. I do that so I can have that.

Dr. Starkey: Sure, sure.

Isaac: Before I play, a lot of times, I’ll usually have my Hydration IV, but I’ll also have water and I’ll either put a couple drops of ConcenTrace or I’ll throw in a couple drops of the Endure or the40,000 Volts as well.

Dr. Starkey: For those, really quick, for those individuals, so the Endure and the 40,000 Volts are very similar products that we offer that are for those individuals that don’t want sugar in their diet. This is a wonderful product that you can turn any liquid into an electrolyte support.

At all ages, you can of course, whether it be our soccer moms dealing with their young athletes on the field or they themselves. This a wonderful support product. I’d highly recommend looking into this. You can go to our website at traceminerals.com. Go to our electrolytes and you’ll find these products that we’re talking about.

So, you support yourself during by mixing your Hydration IV into 16 oz. I find it interesting, Isaac, when I use this, I’ll mix it up before I go, let’s say 18 holes of golf, right?

Isaac: Yep.

Dr. Starkey: And before I start to sweat, it tastes extremely sweet. Almost to the point where I can’t… but as soon as I start to get active and start to sweat and it gets hot, a lot of that loses its taste and it’s not quite as sweet, but I notice just like you, I don’t suffer from, you know, where my buddies are drinking other sports-related products, I find them to be drained of energy or by the end of the game, we have the energy to continue and they’re wanting to go back to the clubhouse, right?

Isaac: Exactly. And you know, a lot of those other drinks, you’re going to find one bottle has, you’re pushing just as many grams of sugar as a can of soda has in some of those drinks

Dr. Starkey: You’re right.

Isaac: And so you kind of get that crash. You drink it, you feel good for a few minutes, and you kind of crash. But this gives you energy from the electrolytes obviously, and so you have less energy from just sugar and more just actual energy that’s going to sustain you for longer throughout your workout.

Dr. Starkey: So you mix the Hydration IV, you then of course put either ConcenTrace or the 40,000 Volts or the Endure in your water as well during your, whatever activity you’re involved with. And then how do you close it up?

Isaac: Yep. And then usually when I’m finished, I’ll either take just an electrolyte tablet just to get in my system or our new electrolyte gummies too, just to kind of, as I’m kind of sloping off. Just something that will take a little while. Throw it in my body and just give me the electrolytes I need for the rest of the day.

Dr. Starkey: And that’s exactly what we recommend is that with that tablet, it sits a little heavier on the stomach, right? So therefore, you can take it with a meal that evening. Now I wouldn’t do it too close to bedtime because we don’t want them to have too much energy, right?

Isaac: Exactly.

Dr. Starkey: But at the same time, taking that early in the evening after a workout, that’s a fantastic way to help that recovery process and of course, ward off any type of night cramps or twitches or spasms. But I think our bodies give us such a wonderful indicator as to what it needs if we just pay attention, right?

Isaac: Exactly, and that’s something that I’ve learned is you know, how I take these products might be different than someone else because over the years I’ve just kind of learned what works for me kind of trial and error and I can kind of have a feel for my body. I can just listen and figure out what it needs and when I need to take it as well.

Dr. Starkey: Right. No, I think that’s a great point. I think all of us are unique in our needs, especially for those that whether it be the amount we consume to the types of diets we have or the type of stress that we’re under, right? Whether that be emotional or physical, I still think that it robs us of our electrolyte balance in our ability to heal or recover.

Isaac: I agree.

Dr. Starkey: Well, I’ll tell you another thing that fascinates me about individuals like you, Isaac, is that one, you know what you’re capable of. You all seem to have like that 5th or 6thgear that we don’t have. And I love the fact that it’s more mental you mentioned than it is physical. And I think we all have the potential, we all have that ability. We just don’t sometimes shift into that gear or think that we can do it.

But I think that with these products and support, I think there’s a lot out there that we can do if we just push ourselves a little, have the ability to nurture ourselves.

Isaac: Right. I agree. And these products just make it easier to step into whatever the next level means for you.

Dr. Starkey: Right. Right. And that, of course, I assure you, is not a 50-miler to come in my future, but you know, I’m at least appreciative and maybe you run 10 miles like most people run a mile and to me that’s pretty extraordinary. So, I hope that for those listening today, again, you don’t have to be an athlete or an ultramarathoner to benefit from these nutrients, these products.

But by applying and just like Isaac said, knowing what your body needs and what works for you, we’ve got products that are, of course… So do you take the Power Paks, Isaac?

Isaac: I do. Yeah, I do take Power Paks as well.

Dr. Starkey: Okay. So, what we’ve tried to do again as a company is we’ve tried to put products, the way that we present them or the way that we, it comes down to personal preference. Whether it be a liquid, a tablet, a powder, a tableted effervescent, a gummy. We have delivery at all levels and of course with our Power Paks, what’s your favorite flavor? And I say that only, Isaac, that we have 16 different flavors.

Isaac: I think we’re up to 16 now.

Dr. Starkey: Yeah, 16 different flavors. And what’s your favorite?

Isaac: So I’m kind of a mix. I’m between, I love the acai berry and the mixed berry are two that are really up there for me.  

Dr. Starkey: Okay. Alright, I like the guava and the watermelon. So there again is our personal preference. Both are designed to do the same. It’s just a personal preference. Well thank you Isaac.

Isaac: Of course. I was just going to say another reason that I love Power Paks, just real quick before we finish up, is they’re meant to be mixed in a smaller amount of water than the Hydration IV is. And so a lot of time, it’s really convenient for me to just be able to mix one up real quick and take it quickly and not have to drink 16 oz of liquid, but get the same amount of support from that and be able to just throw something down fast.

Dr. Starkey: Great point. Great point. So, in the end, whether you again, whether you’re a professional couch potato or an ultramarathoner, I think that there’s some important value to these products.

I think honestly, Isaac, I think we face more dehydration issues during the wintertime than we ever do during the summertime. You know, when it’s hot, you’re out there, and you’re beating the trails and trying to get those extra miles in before you prepare for your ultimate event. When it’s cold, what do you do during the wintertime? We usually lock ourselves down, right?

Isaac: That’s a good question. Exactly. Yep, people just don’t do anything, and they just think that they’re not using any electrolytes.

Dr. Starkey: Yep. And so, this is a year-round support. I hope that you get to experience them during the summertime so that you don’t find yourself dealing with a cramp, but in the end, I hope that this information is useful and helpful and again, Isaac, thank you for taking the time with me today and sharing a little bit about your experience on the trail.

Isaac: Of course. Absolutely. Thank you, Dr. Starkey.

Dr. Starkey: Again, for those that are listening, please reach out. Go to our website. If you have any questions along the way for either I or Isaac on this episode, please reach out. We’d love to address it with you. Until next week, best of health.

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