Taking a break from doing the dew

Its no secret that I am an avid (borderline obsessive) fan of Diet Mountain Dew. I've been drinking the nectar of the gods for years, and earlier this year I was even named Fan of the Week.

Almost 3 weeks ago I quit.

I'm trying to "eat cleaner" in my last push towards the Philadelphia Marathon and Olympic Trials qualifying attempt. Every second is going to count... at this point almost everything I do matters. Certain staples cannot be cut out of the diet (like ice cream... no way, Jose!... can't live without that), but things like candy and diet soda can go. Yes, even Diet Dew isn't a necessity anymore.

I don't think diet dew is bad for you. In fact, I don't think any drink in the world can fill you up with EXTREMITUDE like it. It has fueled me on countless epic days in the mountains, climbing and skiing the 14,000 foot peaks all over Colorado, and has been my go-to beverage while shredding the Wasatch and Sierra Nevadas over the past year.

Someday I will drink dew again, hopefully in celebration of a blazing fast marathon. And when I do feel that delicious, soul-quenching, lemon-line carbonated concoction against my lips, it will be in moderation compared to my previous consumption levels of this amazing beverage.

A quick browse through my Picasa galleries reveals that diet dew and I have had quite a relationship! Here are some of my favorite shots. I had to make some into collages or else this post would have gone on forever...


Earlier this year I purchased 100 liters of Diew Dew over a 4 day span (great sale at Kroger!). Once this supply ran out, it dawned on me that it might be time to cut back. Plus, my scrawny arms really were starting to struggle to carry all this dew inside from the car!


After 10 days on the John Muir Trail last summer, I was happy to crack into a 2L


One of my favorite artistic dew shots! The NECTAR OF THE GODS!!!


Clockwise from upper left: After climbing Capitol Peak; stocking up at City Market in Vail; after skiing Humboldt Peak; Double dew-ing at Thanksgiving


I'm not the only one who loves dew! Jenna jumping for dew; My dad and Andrea enjoying a dew at Snowbird this summer; Andrea drinking a dew on top of Lone Peak in February


The dew tree; Summit of Mt Evans; Dew supply for a cross country drive from Washington DC to Vail CO; a Dew CAKE that my sister Jenna and Andrea made


At the halfway point of the John Muir Trail, Andrea and I put a few bottles of Diet Dew in our resupply cache


SKI-DEWing in the Wasatch


Sunset dew after skiing Mt Shavano


My jeep used to look like this all the time!