Like Byll, I have a pretty solid stomach and can tolerate just about anything. I do not, however, like anything chewy like the sport beans or cliff shot bloks because they stick in my teeth and I have a terrible time getting them out. And then there's the whole breathing while running and chewing thing... And if I get too distracted by what's going on neck up, I end up tripping. Just call me grace.

I've settled on the chocolate outrage Gu because it reminds me of licking out the bowl of brownie batter and it has a nice jolt of caffeine. Second choice is the vanilla... reminds me of vanilla sandwich cookies.

Shot Blocks from Cliff Bar.  Each is 33 calories. which studies indicate is about ideal for refueling.  Take one every 20 minutes.  Hate chewing?  Use it as a sucker!  My TP does that.  Me?  I cannot resist just eating it as I go.  

MrPHinNJ numerous studies show that fueling in any endurance event lasting an hour or more improves performance.  The only debate these days is about how much and how often.  Even then the argument is just about tweaking things.  Every 15 or 20 minutes?  30 calories a shot or 35?  Trivia unless you plan to win the next marathon you enter.

I'm not trying to be a smart ass but is nothing an option?  I've only run two marathons.  The first I took nothing and the second I had a fig newton at the half way point.  I didn't notice any difference.

 

To this day I still wonder whether all of this fueling stuff is really necessary.

No, I have enough fuel on my thighs to get me through!   

Well, I might as well throw my 2 cents worth in and see what sticks.  I'm coming at this with 50k and longer trail running in mind, but my coach (who has completed triathalons, marathons, century bike rides, ultra trail runs) and I have talked extensively about this.  But as he says, each person is a science of one, and you have to figure out what works best for you.

It's recommended that for any long distance/endurance activity, you begin taking in fuel after an hour, BUT, you should be drinking from the start.  If you don't, then it's harder for the stomach to digest the fuel when you start taking it in.  For me, fuel is solid food and Clif shot blocks.  So much blood is going to the legs, that there's not as much to help the stomach, which is why dumping solids on it with no fluid in there to help can cause nausea.  My solid food preferences are fig bars, Clif Mojo Mountain Mix bars, bananas, boiled potatoes, and sometimes PBJ.  I don't do pretzel 'cause my mouth gets so dry, and chips (i.e. Ruffles) are too greasy and nauseate me.

Remember with Clif shots (and I presume gels?), you have to drink fluids after eating one to make them work.

The maximum amount of calories a body can digest in an hour is 260, and the average amount of carbs is 40 or so.  You have to take into consideration not only the "solids," but your "liquids," as well.  An excellent source of carbs are boiled potatoes with skins on.  I carry a sandwich baggy with me that I put food in from the aid stations, zip it up, then either stuff it in my waist pack, or split the food down the  middle of the bag and hook it over the belt of my pack (so that part of the food in the baggy is on each side of the belt).  It bumps around, but it doesn't bother me.

Re S-caps/salt pill, it's recommended that you take one per 20 oz bottle of fluids.  If it's a hot day, you may need up to 2 per bottle.  Even if you don't feel like you're sweating a lot (because it's cold), you are.   Some stomachs can't' tolerate the salt pills, so Endurolytes are another option.

I have a sensitive stomach, as well, and I've resorted to using the nausea medication I got after my gall bladder surgery.  It's called Phenergan.  I take half at least 20 minutes before I start a long run, and sometimes, halfway through, I have to take another.  It's made a big difference.

Also, nausea can be caused from being low on salt (which can also cause diarrhea), not having enough fuel in you (low on carbs/calories), or too many calories (which was my case this past weekend).  In an effort to get a better handle on all this, I  make up my baggies of food the night before my long run and mark on each what is in it and how many calories.  I calculate the amount of calories in each, keeping in mind the amount of fluids I will be taking in, as well.  I am also going to go back to marking my bottles at 6 oz increments.  Every 20 minutes, I will eat a little bit of something and drink 6 oz of fluids, with the goal being that at the end of an hour (beginning in the second hour) I've consumed approximately 260 calories.  Somehow, by sheer luck I presume, I managed this consumption as SOB and wasn't doing the dread death march at the end.

I don't know how well all this translates for road marathons, but I do know that is very much they way it's done in trail running.  If you have a well put-together trail run, it's a veritable smorgasboard at the aid stations.  As far as running and chewing, I take the minute or so to walk and eat, knowing that in doing so, I will (hopefully) avoid the death march.

So that's my 2 cents.

fatozzig you have a well read coach.

MrPHinNJ you can do what you like but in the academic literature on sports performance and fueling there is not much of a debate.  If you look up a few of the studies done in the last 10 or so years you will see that they are pretty much unanimous: fuel early, often, and in small amounts.

The following quote comes from the review article, Hawley, John and Louise Burke, 1997, "Effect of meal frequency and timing on physical performance," British Journal of Nutrition, 77, Suppl. 1, 591-5103

INCREASING CARBOHYDRATE AVAILABILITY DURING EXERCISE: EFFECT OF TIME OF
FEEDINGS ON METABOLISM AND ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE

There is now strong evidence that increasing the availability of CHO during prolonged,
moderate-intensity exercise can improve work capacity. The majority of well-controlled
trials employing either prolonged cycling (Brooke et al. 1975; Bjorkman et al. 1984; Coyle
et al. 1986; Blom et al. 1987; Coggan & Coyle, 1987, 1988, 1989; Anantaraman et al.
1995; Below et al. 1995; Jeukendrup et al. 1997) or treadmill running (Macaraeg, 1983;
Sasaki et al. 1987; Williams et al. 1990) have shown significant improvements in exercise
‘performance’ with CHO ingestion (Table 1).

For the curious, CHO stands for carbohydrates.  The article also discusses the impact of various dietary regimes both before and after exercise as well the above section on concurrent with exercise.  There are more recent articles on all three topics.  But, the basic result that eating during an endurance event remains solid.  This is not surprising given as the authors put it "strong evidence" already existed in 1997 that you should take in fuel while in an endurance competition.

MrPHinNJ you can do what you like but in the academic literature on sports performance and fueling there is not much of a debate.  If you look up a few of the studies done in the last 10 or so years you will see that they are pretty much unanimous: fuel early, often, and in small amounts.

Maybe I misworded my post.  My intention was more wondering out loud than anything.  I really don't know.  I haven't had any experience that coincides with what you are saying Twocat, that's all.  That doesn't mean that I am right (although I do believe that people over think the fueling thing for shorter races, half on in).

Maybe I need to experiment more.

I was surprised that you take Phenergan before or during a long run.  I used to give this to patients and it always left them sleepy... one of the "benefits" of the medicine when patients desired rest.  Have you spoken with your doctor about the risks involved with taking this prescription during endurance events?  I don't know if there are any but, I worry about "off label" use.... ha ha.  I guess the last sentence in the piece below has that covered...

Phenergan is an antihistamine. It blocks the effects of the naturally occurring chemical histamine in your body.

Phenergan is used to treat allergy symptoms such as itching, runny nose, sneezing, itchy or watery eyes, hives, anditchy skin rashes.

Phenergan also prevents motion sickness, and treats nausea and vomiting or pain after surgery. It is also used as a sedative or sleep aid.

Phenergan may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

MrPHinNJ, I think you have an excellent point.  Marathoners used to not eat anything during the race and the elites finished in 2:09 etc without gus and gels.  

Some of these 'studies' find out what the researchers want to find.