And that is precisely why I don't swallow that nasty shit.

But what about the gu's?   

 

And that is precisely why I don't swallow that nasty shit.

That's what she said.

I rarely use them but never had an issue when I did - what is the problem?

I AM NOT BEING A WUSS!  SCREW YOU MAN!

Oh hi Dave!  Old buddy, old pal old friend of mine. 

I run on an empty stomach and normally do not take anything until after my run regardless of the length of the run.

While scouting out what GU flavor would work best for me I was actually able to eat half of one after about an hour or so of running during my Sunday easy runs, then eat the rest about a half hour later.

For the purposes of marathon training however (and thus the race itself), if you wait an hour you have completely defeated the purpose of in-race nutrition.

Further, running at marathon pace is so rhythm oriented that I am finding I do not want to break stride for the 10 or 20 stinking steps it would take to choke the stupid thing down at a time when I do not need it and more importantly, do not want it.

The point has been made (and it is a good one) that they do serve their purpose, so I either have to get with it or move on to something else.

At this point I would rather tough it out and take Gatorade instead of water and may end up doing exactly that.  It is a process however which is what training is all about; finding out what works and what does not.

I used gu strawberry banana in the past lately I've been using dates.

 

70cal and 50mg of sodium for the other flavors, but I see your point.  I'm pretty sure the folks using these are probably also doing some sort of tablets in their water for electrolytes and doing the island boost more for the sugar/carbs.  I'd rather drink more of these during a marathon and not have to drink extra water, but that's just me.

Aren't GUs usually 100 or so?  Either way, I don't claim to be an expert on fueling for a marathon.  My brain just sees those numbers as way too low to be very useful, especially if you're going to be paying the same price as regular gels.  Of course, plenty of people just use Gatorade, right?  So if works for you, by all means!  I like coconut water, so I was intrigued, but I won't spend the money on them.

 

Drawing from your experience, is something better than nothing or does the lack of calories eventually catch up with you and affect your pace/pace?

My experience with ultras is probably not very relevant to someone like yourself who (I assume?) is going to be racing a sub-3 hour marathon.  So my advice could help you run 8+ hours, but I am probably not very useful otherwise

I like Clif Shots. They ho down much more easily than Gu, IME.

So my advice could help you run 8+ hours, but I am probably not very useful otherwise

Do not sell yourself short,  I have picked up quite a few tips from you over the years.