I tried Tailwind over the weekend and I liked it. I went out on a HOT, humid day for 13 miles, a carried a handheld of Tailwind (20 oz., 200 cals) and also had a hydration pack filled with water. I brought other solid fuels as well, just in case I needed an extra supplement. It was so hot out that I finished the 20 oz. tailwind and almost 70 oz of water. And I was not over-hydrated at all, I would even venture that I was still dehydrated because I was sweating so much.

I really liked the taste and energy from Tailwind but DEFINITELY needed water in addition because it's kind of salty. It's not exclusively that fuel that I've had this same experience with.  I've also mixed gatorade/water, and have tried Nuun (as electrolyte drinks, not my main fuel source) but ALWAYS crave real water as well.  I'm sure if I tried other drinks (i.e. Hammer) I would have the same feeling.

How do you manage this? I think it worked out fine the way I did it over the weekend, but as I explore fueling options for my 50 miler I want the best approach. Should I try a vest with 1 bottle fuel, 1 bottle H20? Or 2 bottles fuel + bladder water?  2 handhelds? I know it's a preference thing, but I'm just wondering what strategies others have.

I don't do liquid fuel while running.  I do drink soda from aid stations, but never take the Heed (blech!) or anything.  I'm a strictly water girl.  I've run up to 100K on water + gels + food + soda + the occasional S! Cap.  If you *want* the liquid fuel, go ahead and do it, but you don't need it.  You do need to replace your electrolytes if you are drinking just water, but there are other ways to do that.

I don't do liquid fuel while running.  I do drink soda from aid stations, but never take the Heed (blech!) or anything.  I'm a strictly water girl.  I've run up to 100K on water + gels + food + soda + the occasional S! Cap.  If you *want* the liquid fuel, go ahead and do it, but you don't need it.  You do need to replace your electrolytes if you are drinking just water, but there are other ways to do that.

Yeah that's the key I think...I'm trying it because I tend to forget to eat or get sick of gels/solids. I really liked the constant energy I had from the liquid over the weekend. Not as many highs/lows in energy. Granted it was a shorter run, but I'm interested in trying it longer.

The other side is, I LOVE eating real food during ultras. Potatoes, PB & J, etc. I hate gels.  I guess right now I'm kind of a mixed bag, but if I could run a race with some liquid and some solid fuel it would probably be perfect. That's why I love supported races, but a typical 4 hour training run doesn't offer that luxury. I suppose I'm looking for a simple way to get in calories for a long time, that doesn't involve me choking on gels and/or boiling my own potatoes

Timely question, as this has been a big debate for me the last few days in prep for my upcoming 50k.

I have been experimenting with Tailwind as well and have had great results. Used it exclusively for my last 3 long runs of 22, 22, and 24 miles along with multiple 10 milers. I was shooting for ~200 calories/hour and that seemed to work pretty well for me. I have mixed it in my hydration bladder and also tried mixing the Tailwind in a handheld with plain water in my pack. I found that for me, I never had a desire to drink the plain water from my pack when I would mix the Tailwind in my handheld along the way(used my pack to fill the bottle when needed).

My current plan is to use only Tailwind and not carry any plain water for my race, since I never got sick of it during my training runs. An option would be to mix your fuel of choice in the hydration pack and carry a handheld for plain water along the way. Although this wouldn't work well for something like Perpetuem that spoils after a couple hours or can be mixed into more of a paste. It is easier to just fill up the bottle at aid stations than deal with the pack or mixing your liquid fuel more often.

For me, I like to minimize time spent mixing, filling and generally messing around with bottles and packs during a race. That is where I am struggling, do I use my pack which will allow me to run through most of the aid stations but would be quite a bit heavier. Or just use a handheld bottle and have to fill/mix my Tailwind more often along the way, but carry much less weight.  Probably not a huge difference in reality, but I sure spend a lot of time thinking about what would be best in a race situation. I will probably use some sort of hybrid, use a handheld on shorter stretches with crew access and then grab the pack for the longer stretches where I won't see my crew.

I hope more folks chime in with their strategies and theories as I'm interested in everyone's methods.

You can just drink plain water at the aid stations . My husband finished the TRT 50k in great shape it was @90 and the race is at elevation @7,000' to 9,500' . He did Tailwind and ate some food at the aid stations . You can also mix it lighter than suggested . So far we have been really happy with it and have been using it about 6 months .

I like the Lemon and Berry the best. Mandarin orange was my least favorite, tasted a bit odd to me and I normally like orange flavored things. Naked was OK, but I preferred the flavors. If I had to pick just one, it would probably be the Lemon. The berry flavor is a bit stronger, while the Lemon has more of a light flavor. Both are good though according to my taste buds...

I have not tried Tailwind yet, but I might do so soon, just to find out about it.

I switched to liquid food in ultras because of my tendency to get "the runs" on longer runs if I ate too much fiber. I have used Hammer Perpetuem and did well with it.

Tailwind has the convenience of supplying "everything" in one single product - if the mix works for you. And that is not only an individual thing, but it also depends on the temperature, and just how you feel that day. It might work well for you most of the time, though.

Using multiple products has the advantage of providing a non-negligible placebo-effect as well, and that for each and every product separately: If you feel you need this or that pill/drink/food to deal with an upcoming issue (e.g. cramps), then you take this or that pill/drink/food, and you expect it to work, and it will (most of the time). So don't write that off completely.

If you use just one product, and you feel something going wrong, you might be confused about what's going on, why it's not working as it used to, etc., and that might throw off you confidence, block your mind, and jeopardize your ability to run well. You can still try using additional products, though, just to calm your mind.

Liquid fuel does not prevent the nausea that often comes along after very long distances. Or at least, I have not found that magic product or solid food yet.

In the heat, I use a handheld (22 oz) or a hydration pack (70 oz) with Heed (if I need more calories), or just with Endurolyte Fizz, and a waistbelt with one or two multi-hour bottles of Perpetuem, depending on how long I go, and whether I have aid stations/drop bags/crew available or it's an unsupported run. I need about 32 oz of Heed (1 scoop in 22 oz of water) or more per hour if it is hot and humid. I do well with the Heed at that dilution level, without needing additional water, but then I need extra electrolytes, either Endurolytes (which actually don't provide that much), or some salty food in small amounts (e.g. 2-3 pretzels). I get calories from the perpetuem, but not much in terms of electrolytes.

I try to calculate how much sodium and potassium I get per hour with my mixes (I add up the amount of Heed, perpetuem, and Endurolytes), then decide if I need more salt or not. I try to take in at least as much potassium as sodium, better twice as much, which is best done with solid foods (bananas, potatoes, melons,...), in order to avoid stomach problems, and to give the body a chance to absorb the electrolytes more slowly and at the amount it really needs (at least, that's my theory on that).

Also, keep in mind that you need carbohydrates, protein, and some fat, too, on very long distances. It can be very tricky to find the right mix, and what works well on one day might not work so well on another day. Some people need more fat, others less, some do well on simpler and more carbohydrates, others on more complex carbohydrates and more protein. You need a few longer (25+ miles) runs to find out what works better for you. That's why there are several different liquid fuels on the market, and everybody seems to prefer a different combination.

And it is always a good idea to have some backup, in case the "one in all" product, or your mix-and-match products, don't cut it on that day.

Is tailwind sold in stores? Or has to be ordered from their website?