Beginners and Beyond

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Talk to me about race fuel (Read 132 times)


Don't call me Buttercup!

    I know fueling can be a 'hot topic' with you crazy cats, but whatever, I'll poke the bear.  I have tried Gu and Sports Beans and am not totally thrilled with either.

     

    What do ya'll use on long runs and/or during races?

    Slow and steady wins the....  wait a second! I've been lied to! 

    Luke79


      Hey Di.  I know everyone's body is different, and you'll get a lot of varying opinions on this, but here's mine.

       

      I have never run more than 13.1 miles, and I haven't needed to "fuel" yet.  I have done a lot of 8-10 mile LR's over time and I need (and like) water if it's hot, but that's all.  In my HM I didn't need anything but water as well.  If you're talking about >13.1, I have no clue.

       

       

       

       

       

       

      xor


        Races shorter than a half, nothing.  Halves... maybe, maybe not.  Depends on the half and whether I'm on trails (read: for a longer time) or not.  Road marathons... gel and water.  Trail marathons and ultras... a mix of chews and gel and water.  And for really REALLY long ultras, real food at aid stations (fruit and sandwiches... I outlawed myself from eating the junk food like I used to do and whadaya know, I feel MUUUCH better during later stages).

         


        BexKix, Bagel Defender

          Chewy stuff doesn't work well for me.  The one time I tried gummies on a LR I had to walk to chew because I couldn't breathe enough.  (Yes, Great Value Gummy whatevers, from my son's snack drawer.  If it's sugar, it's good enough.)

           

          There's a lot of brands of gels out there.  Hammer Nutrition comes to mind.  Your LRS or Box Sports Store (Dick's Sporting Goods) should have a few other options.  I've even tried applesauce packets here, with success.

           

          If chews and gels don't work well, there is liquid nutrition. Gatorade, Powerade are the big ones, but others are on the market. Perpetium (from Hammer brand). Aaand I'm drawing a blank... but there are others.

           

          If chews, gels, and sport drinks don't sit well you can try electrolyte tablets with plenty of water.

           

          If you want to go more natural, there are "home brew" drinks and gels out there that combine "something"-ose (glucose?fructose?) with salts.  Ping me and I'll dig harder for recipes/sources.

           

          Personally, I du the Gu.  Different gel brands have different consistencies - even within Gu there's some differences. Some think Gu is thick and prefer Hammer.  YMMV.


          delicate flower

            Hammer Nutrition products for me since that's the only brand my stomach can handle.

             

            Shorter than a HM:  Nothing, not even water.

            Half marathon:  Maybe a gel before the race, and one during the race, though I'm not really sure I need either but I use it anyway.  I'll take water from a station as needed.

            Marathon:  I carry Perpetuem in a handheld, a few gels in my pocket, and use on-course water.

             

            I carry water in a handheld for most of my training runs.  When in marathon training and my runs get up over 15 miles, I'll carry Perpetuem and a gel or two, and I'll have a bottle of Recoverite waiting when I'm done with the run.  I look like a total geek on those runs, with the fuel belt full of water and handheld full of fuel.

             

            Edit:  This assumes good race day conditions.  Pretty sure I went through about 14 gallons of ice water when I ran a HM on a 91 degree day.

            <3

            onemile


              I know fueling can be a 'hot topic' with you crazy cats, but whatever, I'll poke the bear.  I have tried Gu and Sports Beans and am not totally thrilled with either.

               

              What do ya'll use on long runs and/or during races?

               

              Yeah, I am also not thrilled with gels or beans/gummies/other 'fuel' products.  So I just don't use anything for long runs.  I don't think it makes a difference.  Or half marathons.  But for a full I will just suck it up and use Gu. It's not my favorite but it doesn't cause any issues besides my dislike for it and I can deal with it for one practice run and on race day.

              GinnyinPA


                I've tried Hammer Gels a couple of times in training.  They tasted good (liquid jam) but really upset my stomach. You need a lot of water to process them.

                paulski66


                miscreant

                  I use ClifBlocs. Thy come in packages of 6 chews each, with 3 chews = 1 serving.

                   

                  I like them because I can each serving out over a mile or so; I just stick one block in my mouth and let dissolve while slowly chewing it.

                   

                   

                  I'm happy, hope you're happy too...

                    I like Honey Stinger gels. They were the only product I had ever tried (other than drinks) to fuel with because my parents' business got some free samples, but for my last half marathon I didn't have any so I ate a Gu.  Ooooh, that did not sit well in my stomach... Honey stingers go down easy, just like sucking on honey. :-)

                    Auhugh!!


                    YAYpril - B-Plus

                      I don't like chewing while running, and I feel like I have to even "chew" gels to help them go down easier. This training cycle, I haven't taken anything but water on my long runs (my longest has been about 13.25 miles) and I think for my HM at the end of the month I'll alternate between Powerade and water. They'll also have Powergels on the course, which are runnier than Gu, so I could probably just down one of those if I felt like I needed to. My stomach is pretty good with everything I've tried so far.

                       

                      I still don't know what I'm going to do for my full in September, but I have time to think about it.

                      LRB


                        I make sure to eat foods that are can be used as fuel (pasta, beans, bread, potatoes) in the days leading up to the event, then just have a light snack two hours before the race like a banana (10k or shorter) or a bagel (half marathon, long run or marathon).

                         

                        I don't consume any sugary type products (Gatorade or the like) before the race or a long run, just a little water.

                         

                        I settled on Cliff block chews for long runs because there is more bang for the buck.  Just one of those little bastards seemingly will take nearly a mile to chew and swallow, yet they come in a very small package.

                         

                        Racing a marathon I will alternate between the water and Gatorade that is offered on the course.  I usually do not take anything for shorter distances unless it's hot or humid.

                         

                        Good to see you are still at it D!

                        catwhoorg


                        Labrat

                          Cliff Shotbloks.

                           

                          Especially the Margarita flavoured ones - with extra salt

                          Big grin

                           

                          I'll maybe take a pack for a HM these days, When I ran my first I was diligent about using two whole packs.

                          5K  20:23  (Vdot 48.7)   9/9/17

                          10K  44:06  (Vdot 46.3)  3/11/17

                          HM 1:33:48 (Vdot 48.6) 11/11/17

                          FM 4:13:43 (Vdot 35.4) 3/4/18

                           

                          Philliefan33


                            When I plan to be out on my LR for more than two hours, I carry my "Scooby snacks".  It's just a Power Bar that I've cut into about eight pieces, so I can pop a piece in my mouth without having to take a bite out of the bar.  After about 5 miles / 1 hour, I reward myself with a Scooby snack (if I think of it).  After that I take a snack about once per mile -- I don't know if my body really *needs* the fuel, but it's something to anticipate and break up the boredom.  Sometimes I eat most of the bar, other times I only eat one or two pieces.

                             

                            I'm sure I've got >1200 calories of fuel stored in my flabby parts, but the mental boost of getting "refueled" in the second half of a two-hour run has helped me more than hurt me.  I'll carry my Scooby  snacks for my first HM in a few weeks -- call them a crutch if you want but I'm going to be out there for a lot longer than you speedy runners, so I might as well be comfortable.

                             

                            Oh, and I have learned to avoid the chocolate Power Bars.  Both times I used the chocolate flavor, I've had to make a pit stop before the end of the run.  The peanut butter Power Bars sit better with me.

                            Docket_Rocket


                              To me, it depends on how long I'm going to be out there.  I used to take gels for anything longer than 9 and now I no longer take a gel on anything less than 14.  I hate GUs and any other form of gel except the Crank e-gels.  Well, and the PB GU!

                               

                              You will have to experiment with some until you find what you like.  I tried Hammer, GU, cliffshots, shotbloks, and jelly beans.  I hated everything.

                              Damaris

                               

                              As part of the 2024 London Marathon, I am fundraising for VICTA, a charity that helps blind and visually impaired children. My mentor while in law school, Jim K (a blind attorney), has been a huge inspiration and an example of courage and perseverance. Please consider donating.

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                              Dr. Cornsitter

                                To me, it depends on how long I'm going to be out there.  I used to take gels for anything longer than 9 and now I no longer take a gel on anything less than 14.  I hate GUs and any other form of gel except the Crank e-gels.  Well, and the PB GU!

                                 

                                You will have to experiment with some until you find what you like.  I tried Hammer, GU, cliffshots, shotbloks, and jelly beans.  I hated everything.

                                 

                                Quote from BeachRunner3234 on 6/25/2013 at 8:20 PM:

                                So I'm currently sitting with a bag of frozen corn in my ass.

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