Daniel Polman: The Superman Who Cycled Across the U.S. on Mana

Originally posted on  https://drinkmana.com/blogs/news/daniel-polman-the-superman-who-cycled-across-the-u-s-on-mana.

Can you imagine riding a bike 300 miles per day for nearly 11 days? For athlete and Mana ambassador Daniel Polman the answer is a resounding “Yes!” 

The world’s toughest cycling ultramarathon, Race Across America (RAAM), requires cyclists to ride over 3,000 miles from the West to East Coast of the U.S. Participants must cross 3 brutally hot deserts, 10,000-ft mountain passes, and the Great Plains, regardless of weather conditions.

Daniel, a devoted cyclist from the Czech Republic, finished the tireless dash in 7th place. 3,087.5 miles, 10 days, 19 hours, 47 minutes. 

“It was an absolutely crazy test of energy. I burned up to 10,000 calories per day, which is a ton of food. I didn’t eat that much, but over half of what I did eat was Mana. As you can imagine, nutrition is incredibly important during an ultramarathon. Just one false move can lead to stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, or a number of other things you don’t want to deal with,” Daniel explains.

“Last year in Austria I didn’t eat right and had a major crisis. Vomiting and more. So, this time I decided to take a risk with Mana, and it paid off. I had no issues with digestion, and didn’t feel I was lacking calories or nutrients.“

Daniel is the 3rd Czech to complete the Race Across America in its 38-year history, and achieved the best time of the 3. “Mana played a key role. I’ll definitely be using it during future events,” he says.

Not only did he have to overcome external challenges such as rain and inclement weather, but internal challenges such as fatigue; he struggled not to doze off on his bike, and even slept on hard ground.

According to Dan, the 4 greatest benefits of Mana are:

1. “It’s easy to digest, and therefore saves vital energy.”
2. “It delivers everything my body needs, both for everyday life and strenuous physical exertion.”
3. “It keeps me hydrated, which is super important when it’s hot and humid.”
4. “It tastes great and can be mixed with all kinds of fruit and spices. And I didn’t burn out on it after even 11 days, which for me is a first!”

Before signing off, we would like to congratulate Daniel! We are honored be a part of his success.

Hats off to you, Daniel!

The Mana Team

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