As some of you may know, I’m the self-proclaimed Hardest Working Guy in Sports Nutrition. Seriously, I challenge any CEO in the industry to try to do what I do (i.e., travel to nearly every major industry trade show and marathon and be 100% present 100% of the time).

The truth is, I’d rather be shaking hands and cutting samples at an industry trade show — like I am right now at Natural Products Expo East at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center — or visiting with customers at a consumer health expo, then sitting at my desk. It’s so important to our customers and product line that I be aware of what is going on in the real world. As a result, I don’t need to just read trade magazines to learn what the “so-called” experts believe is the next big trend; I ask you — our customers — what you are looking for and why.

Case in Point: In Saint Paul, several people approached me to suggest we market PureFit bars as being a great way to combat Insulin Resistance, a disorder affecting a whopping one out of three Americans and a strongly linked precursor to Type 2 Diabetes. PureFit Nutrition Bars’ perfect balance of carbohydrates to protein helps the body control its natural insulin production — something not conducive to consistent energy and fat metabolism. In short, because of your suggestions, we are going to look into the possibility of informing the public about PureFit’s natural ability to combat insulin resistance.

Another aspect I love about traveling to expos and trade shows is the opportunity to meet industry leaders, spokespersons, and celebrities. Seriously, I’m a bit of a celebrity geek. Sure, I know they’re human just like all of us but I enjoy meeting them nonetheless.

Case in Point: Some people may not consider Alberto Salazar a celebrity, but trust me, in the 1980’s, he was hands-down the greatest distance runner in the world. His workouts were so insanely difficult, they are now the stuff of legends. Alberto was world-class from 5,000-meters all the way up to the marathon. Even today, most professional runners focus on one or two specific distances. Not Salazar. He was a true phenomenon. It didn’t matter if it was a 5K, 10K, 10 miler, ½ marathon or marathon — Alberto Salazar was always a threat to win.

Alberto ran the 10-miler in Saint Paul, and I had a chance to meet with him the day before. He recently turned 50 and still looks great. Due to heart problems unrelated to being a world-class runner, he now calls himself a “jogger,” not a runner. I’d say any 50-year-old “jogging” sub 7-minute miles is a runner!

Despite the grueling hours of expo’s and tradeshows, it sure does beat the daily grind of working exclusively in the office. Thank you Saint Paul (and Virginia Brophy Achman, Executive Director of Twin Cities Marathon, Inc.) and all of the staff and volunteers for producing an excellent health and fitness expo, along with one of the top marathons and road races of our time.