This wasn't a gagging feeling when taking the gel - this was like 15 minutes after eating it, I was having it reflux up into my throat. Do you have that too?  It's like my body was not digesting it and wanted to get rid of it..  this happened 3x after taking the 2nd Maurten...

I had something similar happen  with Gu. I felt like it wanted to exit from either end. Made for a rather unpleasant second half of a half. And there was 1 bathroom option along with threats of DQ and bans if you used the woods. My solution has been not taking anything, which if I want to do anything longer isn't really an option.

Have you ever read Roar by Stacy Simms? She talks a lot about fueling and things that are more female specific.

This sounds a lot like my marathon -- minus the rain! But the wind and the sub-3:10 mental games are pretty much identical. I get feeling a bit annoyed about knowing you're fitter than 3:08... it just means a PR will be easier next time, though. Congrats on breaking out of the 3:15 plateau! That always feels good.

 

Caffeine can cause reflux and I think Maurtens have high caffeine? Or maybe your stomach was just meh that day.

It might be the cafeine (for me). I'll have to look into that.

 

Yup. That's it. I said gagging, but it's not that. It's an incredibly bad taste of bile mixed with gel coming back up in my throat. In my last marathon, as soon as I felt that, I threw away the rest of the gel, and didn't even try another one because it usually gets worse if I try again. So I took maybe 2.75 gels in my last marathon. Not ideal.

I managed 3.75!  I waited about 7 miles from taking the 2nd to the 3rd before I thought I might be able to keep one down (I was thinking of trying sooner but UUURP ), and then took the 4th about 5 miles later.

 

I don't think this is it because the one I took at mile 21 stayed down and no urping (and that was a Caff 100 with 100mg of caffeine)

Is there a benefit to 100mg caffeine at mile 21? How much caffeine did your other ones have? I know caffeinated Gu has only 20-40mg.

I guess I’ve been pretty lucky that the first thing I ever tried was regular Gu, because that’s what they handed out on the course of my first marathon; I didn’t have any problems with it and I’ve used it ever since. I have not really experimented, just take one every ~6 miles. And I assume any race performance issues are more likely due to training than in-race nutrition.

The effects of caffeine on running performance are well documented and it takes 10 to 15 minutes to start kicking in, so why not?

 

Unpleasant side effects?

I know some people can run on an empty stomach with only coffee. I cannot.  With the caffeine plus sugar, I think there could be some blood sugar swings too. So it's a balancing act of what can your body tolerate.

 

I have never had problems with caffeine and running before. If I am going to do a morning workout, I'll have a shot of espresso when I wake up.

But yeah I realize that everyone's not the same in that regard - but in my situation I figured why not?

With food? Or just espresso?

The effects of caffeine on running performance are well documented and it takes 10 to 15 minutes to start kicking in, so why not?

 

Maurten only makes 2 gels. Non caffeinated and Caff 100

OK I did not realize it worked so quickly. Hence wondering about taking it so late in the race. Were the others you took Caff 100, and if not, why not?

I don’t have problems with pre-run caffeine. When I was working, every weekday training run was after 16 oz brewed coffee (2 K-cups, no milk no sugar), on top of an otherwise empty stomach. And I always pick the caffeinated Gu flavors. But again they have pretty low caffeine content, so I never tried supercharging that.