Today I had my first old man experience, and I’m still dazed.
I’ve been using ERG Gookinade since the late 70’s about age 10 when the mother of one of my soccer teammates would bring a huge dispenser full of it every game. She was a marathon runner which was a big deal at the time and for whatever reason she always had a ton of it. In fact it seemed like all So Cal marathoners had a ton of it in those days. Since then I’ve always either ordered it or found a running or cycling shop that carried it. Always worked great so I stuck with it.
Recently I ran out and so what did I do? Like any good husband I started stealing my wife’s Enervitene. Well she was already pretty low on the stuff and in my laziness I ended up running her out as well. So after ordering some more ERG for me I went to the LBS to get some more Enervit for her, and also to continue stealing it until my ERG arrived.
So the can itself is not priced but as I’m walking to the counter, I’m figuring ok ERG is like $10-11 for 1000g (I had just bought some online) and this is 500g, so in ERG terms we’re talking $5-6, but this is Italian maltodextrin so you know you’re going to have to double that, now we’re at $10; yeah probably $9.99 for the can, but my wife gets a 30% discount because she’s on the cycling shop’s women’s team, so you got like $7 plus tax, so maybe $8-9, and cool I’ve got a ten spot so I’m in.
Then the cashier says $17.47. So I think well he must of done a double trigger thing and put two of them on the ticket, yeah that’d make sense $8 times 2 ; so I say, No, No just want one, also you know this is for my wife and she um, well you know gets a discount. Then the cashier says Oh yeah I know, and no there’s just one on the ticket. And I’m thinking 17 bones for 500g, what?? That’s like $16 per lb. I’m not buying King crab legs, just a powdered drink mix… and that’s with the 30%. What’s the retail? Yeah $24.95 retail for 500g of Enervitene. That’s $22/lb. Sushi grade Tuna is $22/lb. ERG is like $5/lb. Holy crap, do people really spend this much on a powdered drink? Is that really the going price on this stuff? Who knew? Man, this sucks, I’m getting old. Just venting.
well your name is Adam - so possibly you are the oldest man on earth (if you believe in the biblical version of things)
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I used Gookinaide ERG at Ironman Hawaii in 1986. It was good.
ERG - Electrolyte Replacement Gookinade - great stuff!
Where do you order it from?
Damn - I must be old.
“ERG - Electrolyte Replacement Gookinade”
no sir. the acronym stood for “electrolyte replacement w/glucose.”
inventor was bill gookin. he still lives in san diego county, i think, perhaps poway or thereabouts. it was the fluid replacement on the course when i raced kona in 1981.
We used gookinade instead of gatorade when I played high school football in the early 80’s. I liked the grape flavor. It had a very distinctive flavor.
greg
I used to use that backpacking. It’s still out there:
Don’t think I’m an old timer, but they were still using gookinade at the aid stations when I did the La Jolla half-marathon in 2000.
Ken
Dan - I stand corrected. All these years I’ve had it wrong.
By the way, I see you can get it at REI - (Recreation Equipment Inc.)