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Gu/gel (Read 295 times)

cmb4314


    I also like the PowerBar brand. It is very fluid and slides down very easily. The Gu is so thick it takes a lot of effort for me to get it down, so I don't really like it (but will sometimes take it if they're giving it out during the race). But everyone is different, so try a few different ones and see what works for you.

     

    The thickness is precisely why I like the Gu the best.  I absolutely cannot just take any variety of gel all in one bite, and swallow it, it makes me nauseous just to think about doing that.  I have to squeeze them out a little bit at a time, and eat them that way - in fact I even sort of "chew" them a bit before I can get them down.  Easier to do with something a little pastier like the Gu.

     

    In a lot of ways, I prefer the Gu Chomps or something similar, but I find it more of a hassle, space-wise, to carry 20 chomps than it is to carry 5 gels.

    My wildly inconsistent PRs:

    5k: 24:36 (10/20/12)  

    10k: 52:01 (4/28/12)  

    HM: 1:50:09 (10/27/12)

    Marathon: 4:19:11 (10/2/2011) 

    xor


      As for gu being the thing you see in road races... they do have a big presence in road racing, but you will encounter races that offer up other brands.  (and a lot of races that won't offer gels at all)  But there is indeed a whole lotta gu.

       

      My least favorite example of this was the good ol' Portland Marathon.  I dunno what they are doing these days, but for a couple years they offered up a lethal combo of ultima and a gel called "liquid gold" which no one had ever heard of and which could not be obtained easily... meaning practically everyone was trying it for the very first time during the race.

       

      xor


        Their litter leash is brilliant.  Reminds me of how the stay put tabs on aluminum cans eliminated the pull tab litter.

         

        Hopefully cliff shot will put some thought into their shot blok packaging also.  Trying to open one with sweaty hands and carrying a water bottle is not easy.

         

        The litter leash is an awesome idea... but for some reason, every time I open a clif shot, it takes so much force to open the top that it breaks off the leashy bit too.  I guess I am a manly man.

         

        As for their shot blok packaging... gah. I hate those things.  Well, I like the product (during ultras, not marathons).  But I have to repackage them before the race because their package is too hard to open during the race.  The funny thing is, that's their redesigned packaging!  They used to come in a much more ordinary package... kind of like gu chomps (do not open with teeth, heh) or the honey stinger chews.  Clif trotted out the tube thing as a good idea.  I suppose once I get the damn thing open, the tube makes it easier to dispense one at a time.  I guess.  But I can't get them open.  And a filled tube doesn't fit in my pocket anyway.

         


        Regular ass person

           

           And a filled tube doesn't fit in my pocket anyway.

           

          I fold that bitch in half. Looks like I'm carrying around a horse shoe.

           

          Or I'm happy to see someone.

          FSBD


            At this point I stick to the Strawberry Banana Gu.  Mostly because they are caffeine free and my stomach can't handle the caffeine in the gels.  Which is weird because I drink about 6 cups of coffee a day with no problem.

            I take one every 5 miles during a marathon.  One in the middle of a half marathon and one during training runs longer than 16 miles usually at the mid point.  Not because I necessarily need them during the training run, but usually after the run I will shower, wait for the wife to be ready, decide where to go to lunch, drive to lunch, order lunch, wait for it, by that time if I didn't have a GU I will be feeling pretty crappy due to low blood sugar.  So for training runs the GU is more of a preemptive strike for the time in between the end of the run and when I actually get to consume real food.  

            We are the music makers,

                And we are the dreamers of dreams,

            Wandering by lone sea-breakers,

                And sitting by desolate streams; 

            World-losers and world-forsakers,

                On whom the pale moon gleams:

            Yet we are the movers and shakers

                Of the world for ever, it seems.

            LedLincoln


            not bad for mile 25


              Trail Dog

                You aren't the only one - 90% of the time I end up tearing the litter leash. I like the taste of the ClifF gels, but prefer the Power Bar because it is so thin, Current favorite flavor is green apple. I hate the grainy consistency of the Hammer gels, and I really hate the oversized packaging.

                 

                I like the Shot Bloks but hate the packaging. If I recall, that long tube is actually two servings. I wish they would package one serving per tube, would fit in a shorts pocket or hydration bottle/vest pocket much better.

                 

                 

                 

                The litter leash is an awesome idea... but for some reason, every time I open a clif shot, it takes so much force to open the top that it breaks off the leashy bit too.  I guess I am a manly man.

                 

                As for their shot blok packaging... gah. I hate those things.  Well, I like the product (during ultras, not marathons).  But I have to repackage them before the race because their package is too hard to open during the race.  The funny thing is, that's their redesigned packaging!  They used to come in a much more ordinary package... kind of like gu chomps (do not open with teeth, heh) or the honey stinger chews.  Clif trotted out the tube thing as a good idea.  I suppose once I get the damn thing open, the tube makes it easier to dispense one at a time.  I guess.  But I can't get them open.  And a filled tube doesn't fit in my pocket anyway.


                Trail Dog

                  Oh, and dissolving your gel/gu in a bottle water is an alternative to those who have trouble eating it straight.

                     

                    The litter leash is an awesome idea... but for some reason, every time I open a clif shot, it takes so much force to open the top that it breaks off the leashy bit too.  I guess I am a manly man.

                     

                    As for their shot blok packaging... gah. I hate those things.  Well, I like the product (during ultras, not marathons).  But I have to repackage them before the race because their package is too hard to open during the race.  The funny thing is, that's their redesigned packaging!  They used to come in a much more ordinary package... kind of like gu chomps (do not open with teeth, heh) or the honey stinger chews.  Clif trotted out the tube thing as a good idea.  I suppose once I get the damn thing open, the tube makes it easier to dispense one at a time.  I guess.  But I can't get them open.  And a filled tube doesn't fit in my pocket anyway.

                    I like their present packaging - like a pez dispenser. I open the first package before I start. With the old cumbersome packaging, I used to repackage them in ziplocks, in a stack like the new packaging, snip the top (actually side) of the baggie, and tape it into that form including shutting the top. Then undo the top tape when ready to use. The new packaging saves a lot of work getting stuff together. YMMV, obviously. One of the guys in RWOL trails or ultras suggested the idea. I also like the powerbar version, even though they don't lend themselves to tube-like packaging.

                     

                    I repackage the clif bars - cut in sixths or eigths and put in ziplock. Granted, bulkier than original packaging, but easier to use in winter.

                     

                    Any given package of most anything, seems like I may have trouble opening.

                     

                    I rarely do races with major road segments, but did a couple last year. I was appalled at the number of gel packets (mostly GU) (entire empty packets, not tabs) that I saw on the ground - usually on the uphills and not near any aid station. I started picking the first few up, then realized I didn't have any place to carry all that were out there. The reason for extra concern: special one-day permit on a couple sections of trail to allow the race to follow its historic (50th running of it) route or close to it.

                    "So many people get stuck in the routine of life that their dreams waste away. This is about living the dream." - Cave Dog


                    Canuck

                      I used Gu for my first two marathons, but switched to Clif Shots recently - the vanilla and raspberry flavours - I like the taste better and they're not quite as thick as the Gu, I find them easier to get down quickly.  I would prefer to eat Sharkies or other chewy candies but I quickly discovered that chewing and racing just don't work for me, so had to go back to the gels.

                      PRs: 47:54 (10K); 1:46:36 (HM); 3:50:52 (FM)

                      Recovering from injured knee (PCL/Lateral Meniscus)

                      dirtroadrunner


                        I saw a bit of info on the honey stingers? Any more thoughts in them?

                          I saw a bit of info on the honey stingers? Any more thoughts in them?

                           

                          Honey Stingers:

                          120 calories

                          29 grams total carb

                          29 grams of sugar

                           

                          Gu:

                          100 calories

                          25 grams total carb

                          5 grams of sugar

                           

                          Hammer:

                          90 Calories

                          21 grams total carb

                          2 grams of sugar

                          Live the Adventure. Enjoy the Journey. Be Kind. Have Faith!

                          dotatl


                            For God's sake, it's GOOGLE, and you use it when you want to look something up.  Do you want your kids to die of embarassment?

                            rlopez


                              Honey stingers are nasty.


                              Cool Jump Suit

                                I agree on the Honey Stingers.  They are just too sweet for me.  Honestly I like most any brand...I just usually like the more citrusy flavors.  Orange, lemon/lime, and so on.

                                So bittersweet,
                                This tragedy
                                Won't ask for absolution;
                                This melody,
                                Inside of me,
                                Still searches for solution.
                                A twist of faith,
                                A change of heart
                                Cures my infatuation.
                                A broken heart, 
                                Provides the spark
                                For my determination.

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