September 5th...What's in your vitamins?

Well I've been feeling a bit run down lately, and I'm pretty sure it's the after math of the West Coast Trail.  I spent the first 2 days carrying an extra back pack, and doubling back and forth on the trail with it...long story. 

By day 3 our average trek was about 8-10 kms a day, with my pack weighing at least at 50lbs...explains why I still have numbness in my shoulders!  Day 4 or 5 was a 13 km trek, and I'm not talking about easy trail walking, we were going over boulders and trees taller than me!  Bush whacking, rope climbing with my pack on, and trying to walk over rocks covered in algae, like walking on ice.  Makes Tough Mudder looks like child's play!  It's not the WC "trail"...it should be called, WC grind, that is going to kick your butt!  Government cut funding, so there is really next to no trail maintenance.  Anyhow, enough of my whinning.  I knew we would be burning a crazy amount of calories and there was no way we could eat enough to keep up with our metabolism.  When I got home my body crashed, hard.  Mentally and physically I was empty!  Now, I'm trying to get back on track, slowly but surely my energy is coming back.  I realized for this to happen that I have to be eating super clean and making sure I get the most out of my food.  I started taking vitamins again to "top up" my tank. 

So what vitamins do I need, how do they work and what are they for
Vitamins are made up of either Fat Soluble Vitamins or Water Soluble Vitamins.  
Water soluble (Vitamin C and all of the B vitamins): Water soluble vitamins are vitamins that our bodies do not store. These vitamins dissolve in water when they are ingested, then go in to the blood stream. The body keeps what it needs at that time, and excess amounts are excreted in the urine. Since they can’t be stored, everybody needs a continuous supply of water soluble vitamins in order to stay healthy.
Fat Soluble (Vitamins A, D, E and K): Fat soluble vitamins are those that are normally stored in the body. When these vitamins are ingested, they dissolve in fat. In a person with a healthy digestive system, the body uses what it needs at that time and stores the rest for future use. 
What do Vitamins do? Vitamins help to boost the immune system, support normal growth and development, and help cells and organs do their jobs. 
To find out what vitamins are in what foods go to: http://kidshealth.org/teen/misc/vitamin_chart.html