Riding hard on a training ride with my friend when I took on a commercial gel while charging up a hill. The thick frosting like gel was difficult to fully swallow so I grabbed my water bottle, gave it a squirt and ended up inhaling my water and the gel into my right lung! I went from top form to couch potato in seconds flat and after limping home and a couple of ED visits, it was confirmed…aspiration pneumonitis! Basically, the commercial gel and water burned the tissues in my right lung to the point that I could barely walk across to the kitchen without gasping for breath!

While in recovery, I researched natural energy products and since I live in beautiful Vermont (the maple syrup capitol of the US) I came across more and more evidence that Maple syrup was a good source of the carb energy athletes require to perform at their best. I also remembered back in my track days we used honey but it was difficult to use due to the viscosity.