But potassium isn’t the only electrolyte an active body needs, so Greater > Than replaces more electrolytes than plain coconut water. Although regular coconut water is rich in potassium, it contains very little sodium, the most important electrolyte for hydration. When we sweat, our bodies actually loses more sodium than potassium, so Greater > Than is formulated to replace both critical electrolytes.

Unlike plain coconut water, Greater > Than contains the right balance of electrolytes to help keep you hydrated and going strong during and after your workouts.

It is an amazing workout. We love that it works all of the major muscle groups with full body movements like squats and burpies. And the group atmosphere is a lot of fun!

As with any high intensity workout, CrossFit should not be taken lightly. Difficult workouts can easily cause dehydration. When you sweat, you lose fluids and electrolytes. Even a 1% loss of fluids can water can worsen athletic performance, and during CrossFit workouts it is common to loose 2-6% of fluids.

While it is important to drink plenty of water throughout the day, it is also critical to replace electrolytes lost during exercise. However, experts do not recommend getting your electrolytes from typical sports drinks, as they contain too much sugar and are often made with artificial ingredients.

So how can you get the electrolytes your body needs without all the sugar and artificial sweeteners of typical sports drinks?

Greater > Than is low in sugar and has more than twice the electrolytes as most sports drinks. The natural ingredients in Greater > Than will keep you hydrated during your workout and will help your body recover faster. Greater > Than is the best way to keeping your body hydrated during high intensity workouts like CrossFit.

Check out Coach Jenny Hadfield’s Blog for more great running tips.

The word is getting out!  Running coach, author, speaker, & endurance athlete, Jenny Hadfield, has put Greater Than on the top of her list for running gear must haves for 2011!

Jenny Hadfield is a published author of three books (Marathoning for Mortals, Running for Mortals, Training for Mortals).  She has a bachelors degree in Exercise Physiology, a Masters Degree in Exercise Science and is a certified coach and personal trainer.  She is a columnist for Health Magazine, the new Women’s Running Magazine, writes a weekly “Ask Coach Jenny” blog for RunnersWorld.com, and has written for Cooking Light, Her Sports, the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Athlete, and Windy City Sports Magazines.

So “Be Greater Than” to your body this Spring and get outside and start running!

This has become one of my new favorite phrases.  It clearly describes the action of someone of greater importance or supposed greater importance brushing off someone of lesser importance.

When you are trying to establish your identity you often look to superiors for guidance.  You are pretty close to “low man” on the totem pole, and you need some help to make the climb.  You will meet some great mentors.  Thank you to all the mentors!  On the other hand you will certainly come across people who “Big Time” you.

Being Big Timed is a fact of life.  It is a horrible feeling when it happens to you.  You feel like an ant.  You are basically being told that you are not that important or good enough.  I have had my share of being “Big Timed” Moments.  In fact I consider myself an expert in the field of being “Big Timed”!

Note: Realize that many times when you are “Big Timed” the Big Timer does not even realize they are Big Timing.  However, this does not make the feeling any better or the behavior acceptable.

When “Big Timed” my first instinct is always to tell off the guy who big timed me.  However, that satisfaction is fleeting and bridge burning.  I know from experience.  When the Golf Coach at Indiana University “Big Timed” me I responded “If your such a good judge of talent how come your team finished last in the Big Ten last year.”  Needless to say I never played college golf.

Unfortunately piping back is a Less Than tactic, and one needs to Be Greater Than & smile gracefully at the Big Timer.  You can make a mental note, or a real note and hang it above your bed to fuel your motivation.  I have had multiple people’s head shots above my bed that help remind me I need to seize the day.

The ultimate revenge at someone who “Big Timed” you is to succeed.  Then this person will not Big Time you anymore.  In fact the ironic thing about success is that the same people who “Big Timed” you will now welcome you with open arms.  They say with such pride “Welcome to the Success Club!  You Made It.  I always knew you would.  Let’s play golf together.”

Being “Big Timed” is an important emotion to feel.  It will motivate you, shape your views, and keep you hungry.  Just remember to Be Greater Than in your response. Otherwise you might get crushed, and not have a chance to ever succeed.

And when you do taste success be sure to remember where you came from.  Remember what it felt like to be “Big Timed”, and don’t do it to others.   That’s being Greater Than!

You’re ready to quench your thirst, stay hydrated.

So you reach for Gatorade, Powerade or maybe Vitamin Water.

But hold on. There’s another popular choice in the North Shore. It’s called Greater Than.

Whether you’re in Sunset Foods, Slammers Baseball & Softball Training Facility, Joy of the Game Center, EFT Sports Performance or some other North Shore business, you will see athletes and others grabbing a tropical, orange or lemon lime Greater Than drink.

“Our athletes — pro, college and high school — really like it,” said Elias Karras of EFT. “It’s lighter than other sports beverage drinks and not as syrupy.”

So where did Greater Than spring up from? The idea was concocted by two Highland Park High School graduates, Mark (’98) and Jon Sider (’03).

“We had a hunger (thirst) to do something out of the ordinary,” said Jon, 25, who has a business degree from Tulane

Added Mark Sider, 30, who has a business degree from Indiana: “We wanted to find some motivation in our careers. It’s always been, what if?”

But going into the beverage business can be a daunting vocation, especially going up against the big boys.

Mark put it simply: “we knew nothing about the beverage industry.”

So the brothers did a lot of research, went to beverage trade shows, consulted with beverage formulators, hired scientists to do testing and visited a former Gatorade consultant. That was followed by tasting, measuring, mixing, tweaking and more tasting until everything was just right as the nursery rhyme goes.

This 15-month process began in 2009.

“We had to make sure that the product was damn good to compete. This is an extremely competitive business,” Mark said. “We still have a long way to go.”

The tough part is getting the word out.

But the Sider brothers have come up with a unique way of doing that. They drive around in a sprinter truck (light commercial vehicle), complete with a brightly painted mural of bottles of Greater Than. The Siders have even mounted speakers on the truck — kind of like the bells on an ice cream truck alerting the neighborhood.

And when people come around, the Siders give them free samples.

Part of the equation to success comes right from their personalities.

“I love their energy, their vision,” said Slammers owner and Top Tier baseball coach Todd Fine. “Here are two young guys getting after it.”

Fine has made Greater Than the official drink of Top Tier.

“You just have to hustle” Mark said. “It’s just like going after a loose ball in basketball.”

That hustle and enthusiasm played out when the Siders drove their van into a couple of driveways recently — to houses owned by Bears defensive end Julius Peppers and Bulls big man Joakim Noah. They left a care package for Peppers. They left a crate of samples for Noah.

According to Karras, Bulls forward Luol Deng is an avid drinker of Greater Than — especially when he trains at EFT.

The product itself is actually less than vs. greater than, with only 30 calories per serving with just 6 grams of sugar, no fat or cholesterol. The key ingredient is the trendy coconut water: the clear, nut-flavored juice stored inside young coconuts. It has long been a staple liquid of Southeast Asian nations, dubbed “nature’s sports drink.”

“It quenches your thirst, hydrates, is a natural source of electrolytes and it tastes great,” Jon said.

Although the Siders might be just a little biased about the taste, others are quick to agree.

“Personally, I love the drink,” said Cole Stern, a three-sport star athlete at Highland Park High School. “It tastes great.”

In their days at HPHS, the Siders played for coach Paul Harris. Jon played basketball and golf. Mark played golf for Harris before moving on to the pro golf mini tour.

“Both worked very hard and showed tremendous passion when they were competing,” Harris said. “Those attributes set them up for success.”

As for the taste?

“My kids like it,” Harris said. “My three boys each have a different favorite flavor.”

One of the biggest marketing days for Greater Than was provided by Weinstein, who once coached Jon at Joy of the Game.

“I was so impressed by their fire and desire,” Weinstein said. “I told them to come in and see what the kids thought.”

The Siders were part of a fall showcase for top basketball players in the North Shore, where the proceeds went to the Joy of the Game’s Foundation to benefit kids, particularly in the inner city.

“They got great reviews,” Weinstein said.

So far, the Siders have produced 72,000 bottles in their warehouse in Melrose Park. The headquarters is in their parents Highland Park home, while Mark and Jon reside in Chicago.

“We have a strong belief to make this happen,” Jon said. “It drives us every day. We want to be the official drink of Chicago.”

Mark chimed in, “Why stop there?”

http://www.pioneerlocal.com/highlandpark/sports/highschools/2917782,highland-park-drinkers-112510-s1.article

How many people told Kevin Plank at Under Armour that launching a performance apparel brand was not worthwhile.  I hear the naysayers clearly saying, “How do you expect to compete with Nike, Addidas, Puma, or even Reebok?  Don’t you think they are launching performance apparel too?  No one has ever heard of Under Armour who will buy it?  There price is cheaper.  These companies own sports, there is no chance you can break in.”

Well, lucky for us Kevin plowed forward with his innovative performance brand.  I am sure the haters have since jumped on the bandwagon.  In fact, they are probably decked out from head to toe in Under Armour  yelling, “Protect This House”, as they grill on Sunday!

With an innovative product, a great vision, and tremendous passion it IS possible to build a brand even in the most competitive of markets. Under Armour Did It.

We are inspired by Under Armour, and you should be to.

1) Lead with innovation

2) Create great products

3) Hustle!

If you do this you can be certain the followers will come.

Greater Than moments do lie ahead! I WILL

You work out, eat well and are hip to all the hottest health trends except one: you don’t go loco for coco.

Sure, you’ve heard about the benefits of coconut water: it’s hydrating, loaded with minerals and aids digestion, but the flavor just doesn’t do it for you.

Chicagoans Mark and Jon Sider, creators of Greater Than, know exactly how you feel. The brothers loved the healthy properties of coconut water, but didn’t like the taste. So they added electrolytes, glucose (6 g per serving) and natural flavors to coconut water to create three low-calorie and fat-free Greater Than varieties: lemon-lime, tropical and orange.

We picked up a bottle (available only in Chicago or online) on our way to a tough kickboxing class. We found the slightly sweet, sporty taste refreshing and left the gym hydrated and energized.

We love a good workout ade.

http://www.vitaljuice.com/entry_detail/chicago/11207/Coconut_water_meets_the_sports_drink_.htm