Cool. Crisp. Clean.

That is what the newest version from Gatorade promises to be. And luckily, it delivers!

One day I came home to find a new style of Gatorade bottle on the counter, and since I love the stuff, I rushed over to check it out. The first thing I noticed was the big “RAIN” on the label, which conjured a feeling of refreshment.

The label, plus the light, transparent look of this Gatorade instantly told me what it was - a refreshing new drink without the thick aftertaste of regular Gatorade.

How did I know that so fast? Easy - it’s a common problem among athletes that Gatorade is pretty strong and leaves a definite aftertaste. It also leaves a thick, sticky feeling in your mouth if you don’t wash it down with some water. And we’ve all been waiting for something like this to come out, so once it did, I recognized it instantly!

But… I didn’t try it. I put it in the fridge for once I finished my other Gatorade.

Then a few days later, when I was getting ready to ride, I filled a bottle with this new RAIN. Apparently I wasn’t even thinking, because I didn’t notice anything special about it.

Then it hit me - there was a very good reason I didn’t notice anything…

The RAIN was not leaving an aftertaste in my mouth! At that point, I was sold.

Later that day I tried some cold right out of the fridge, and it was cool and refreshing. I proceeded to tell everyone I knew about how great this new Gatorade was. I was so excited to say, “check out this new Gatorade, it doesn’t leave a bad aftertaste!”

Now that my little story is out of the way, here’s a bit more info on the product itself:

I find this to be a happy-medium between regular Gatorade and the Propel fitness water. The flavor is crisp and refreshing, but not overpowering. And it still provides as many calories as usual.

My final verdict is…

I will be drinking Gatorade RAIN almost all the time. Usually I mix my own from the powder, since it saves space and is more economical. But for racing, there is no question - I’ll be drinking RAIN.

On training rides, it’s not a big deal to sip some water after a swig of thick, sugary Gatorade. But if I’m racing, I’d prefer to carry a couple bottles of sports drink - if I’m carrying RAIN, I can do that!

As far as flavors, try all of them. I’m quite partial to the Lime.

[Click here if you would like to get your product reviewed on CoachLevi.com.]

After spending the summer trying out all the flavors of Gatorade RAIN, I have posted my full review online. If you are looking for a sports drink without the aftertaste, check this out.

One of these days I’ll be entering the Mount Washington hill climb in New Hampshire…

But to hold me over, I took a nice hike up in the White Mountains over the weekend. We went up to about 5,260 feet, which would have provided a nice view of Mt Washington, but it was extremely foggy. I’ll have to upload some pictures.

What did I learn though?

1. It gets windy up there! The winds at the summit (a full 1,000 ft below Washington’s summit) were definitely strong enough to knock you off your bike.

2. Hiking really works your quads. If you are on steep, technical trails, your quads will get a killer workout from all the rocks you have to climb over.

3. Hiking is fun!

As the season winds down, I’m going to have to think about my plans for the off-season. I need to do something worthwhile so I’m strong for next season, when I have a few important races!

I do have a plan though…

Last winter I got a copy of the Advanced 12-week Off-Season Plan from Graeme Street (who does Cyclo-Core) and never had the time to do it, so I dusted it off today. It actually looks like a real good plan (it better be for the price tag) with about 8-10 hours of exercise per week.

It’s laid out nicely, and looks like something I’ll be doing between November and February.

I found exactly where you need to go if you want some opinions on energy drinks!

I’m not much for most of the so-called “energy” drinks like Red Bull, but this site is good to check nonetheless.

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