For the past 2 weeks I traveled around the amazing country of Ecuador.  This was my first time out of the United States since camping on a random beach just south of Tijuana, Mexico in 2004.  Ecuador, like most countries to our south, does not have a safe tap water system for foreign tourists.  So what this meant for us was 2 weeks of buying bottled water to quench our thirst and what an amazing amount of plastic and money we spent on it! 

Before traveling to Ecuador I tried to wrack my brain for the last time I purchased a bottle of water and I failed to remember.  Have no fear, I will not forget about how many bottles of water I purchased in Ecuador for a long time to come.  This experience was eye-opening for me since so many American's purchase 1,2 and sometimes 3 bottles of water on a daily basis.  The amount of plastic going into our landfills from these bottles must be enormous.  The benefits of a PUR water filter really hit home as well, not only for the great taste, but the savings on both hard earned $$$ and plastic going into our landfills.  Speaking of taste, I was blown away at the poor quality in taste of a lot of the bottled water we purchased in Ecuador.  When I arrived back at my house on Monday night I opened the fridge and poured myself a tall glass of ice cold PUR water and what a relief that was.

So the next time I travel abroad, I'll probably still be buying bottled water for safety reasons, but for those that buy bottled water daily, just think for a second on how much you could be saving yourself and the planet by using a PUR filter.  Maybe my next post will be some geeky financial information on the savings from using a PUR water filter in your home or office.

Cheers, Ryan

So last weekend I completed my longest ever bike ride.  I headed out from downtown Denver with a couple friends for what we here in the Mile High city call "Super Evans."  Evans refers to Mt. Evans which sits at the lofty height of 14,264 feet above most beaches.  This was my last big training ride before competing at the Leadville 100 on August 15th.  We set out not to break records on this ride, but to finish the ride and still have energy.

On a journey that consisted of 129 miles and 15,500 feet of vertical climbing the 2 biggest factors for completion aka survival would be hydration and nutrition.   I left my house with 2 bottles filled to the brim with PUR filtered water and potpouri of energy bars and gels.  I ended up refilling my bottles a total of 6 times each for 14 bottles in total.  That may seem like a lot of fluid, but hydration should always be on your mind whether your out doing a cruise around town or on a monster bike ride.  Here in Colorado that dry climate also plays a big factor for depleting water in your body so I'm always sippin' water whether I'm on the bike or cubing it up at work.

So just remember to keep those fluids up and you'll be amazed what your body can do when properly hydrated!

Cheers, Ryan