I take a gu every 40 minutes in a marathon, and in my last marathon, I decided to not even try the 2:40 one. At that point running is a real struggle, and when I tried to gobble down a gu on top of that in my previous races, those were not experiences I wanted to relive. So I went without, and it went well. I think more people should consider eating gus before the race starts instead of in the late miles in the race. One gu 30-40 minutes before to have that sugar well digested and available right off the gun, and another 5 minutes before race start that will be available energy about 35 minutes into the race that should last until that first in-race gu gets digested. With my digestion reasoning, that last gu at mile 20+ won't even give you energy during the race
I take a gu every 40 minutes in a marathon, and in my last marathon, I decided to not even try the 2:40 one. At that point running is a real struggle, and when I tried to gobble down a gu on top of that in my previous races, those were not experiences I wanted to relive. So I went without, and it went well.
I think more people should consider eating gus before the race starts instead of in the late miles in the race. One gu 30-40 minutes before to have that sugar well digested and available right off the gun, and another 5 minutes before race start that will be available energy about 35 minutes into the race that should last until that first in-race gu gets digested.
With my digestion reasoning, that last gu at mile 20+ won't even give you energy during the race
I think it's pretty common for people to take a Gu right at the start. Although I never have, so I'm not starting now. I usually have a banana 45-60 min before the start. And I do always take my last one at 23-24, and I always question what's the point, but I do it anyway. And it hasn't been a problem. Except one time - I packed my Gu in a Spibelt weeks before the race, because it was the first time I was using it & wanted to make sure everything fit. And I just ended up keeping them in there & using them for the race. So it really was a reach in & get a surprise every 6 miles. And what came up at mile 24? Chocolate Outrage, of course! I got it down, but it was like swallowing cement.
Dave
Did they stop selling the chocolate peanut butter gu? I went on there and didn't see it anywhere, bought a box of 8 chocolate outrage and a box of 8 tri-berry gu's. I really liked the chocolate peanut butter ones, I could stomach them the most after 15 miles...
Did they stop selling the chocolate peanut butter gu? I went on there and didn't see it anywhere, bought a box of 8 chocolate outrage and a box of 8 tri-berry gu's.
I really liked the chocolate peanut butter ones, I could stomach them the most after 15 miles...
There was never a chocolate peanut butter flavor that I was aware of. The peanut butter flavor didn't have caffeine, and therefore wasn't popular with the mainstream. Pretty sure it's long gone.
One gu 30-40 minutes before to have that sugar well digested and available right off the gun, and another 5 minutes before race start that will be available energy about 35 minutes into the race that should last until that first in-race gu gets digested. With my digestion reasoning, that last gu at mile 20+ won't even give you energy during the race
One gu 30-40 minutes before to have that sugar well digested and available right off the gun, and another 5 minutes before race start that will be available energy about 35 minutes into the race that should last until that first in-race gu gets digested.
what is your source for this? from what I read it takes ~15 minutes... ?
Runs4Sanity
I haven't bought any since 2016 but there was chocolate peanut butter. I remember it lol
https://www.ultramarathonrunningstore.com/GU-CHOCOLATE-PEANUT-BUTTER-Energy-Gels-p/gugelscpb.htm
*Do It For Yourself, Do It Because They Said It Was Impossible, Do It Because They Said You Were Incapable*
PRs
5k - 24:15 (7:49 min/mile pace)
10k - 51:47 (8:16 min/mile pace)
15k -1:18:09 (8:24 min/mile pace)
13.1 - 1:53:12 (8:39 min/mile pace)
26:2 - 4:14:55 (9:44 min/mile)
there was chocolate peanut butter. I remember it
Can confirm.
Stuff I picked up along the way mixed with personal deduction. Can't name one source, and maybe there isn't one. I'm too lazy to look it up. But if it took 15 minutes to digest, then why wouldn't we take one every 15 minutes, as we know we'll run out anyways? There's a limit to what our body can process over time. Maybe it's not digestion, but something else, but time is needed. You have me curious now. I'll have to reread my stupid books
I haven't bought any since 2016 but there was chocolate peanut butter. I remember it lol https://www.ultramarathonrunningstore.com/GU-CHOCOLATE-PEANUT-BUTTER-Energy-Gels-p/gugelscpb.htm
Ah. Indeed there was. I missed out on that mostly because I was trying flavors without caffeine. That became a futile endeavor however and I've finally succumbed to the will of the masses.
I go into every race with my carb stores fully topped off, so for me, eating GUs early during the marathon are for the back end of the race. I actually view the mile 20 GU as one of the most important ones because at that point, there is still 50 minutes to an hour to go but it's also the most difficult one to choke down and I have yet to actually do it. I take no GUs for a half or any other distance but everyone's different so we just do whatever we do that works for us.