I've read several posts from experienced runners about practicing to eat on the run.  This is yet another thing I have not done...

I have only 9 weeks left to my first 100 so wanted to know of any specific methods or recommendations for how to practice.

Should you only practice eating on long runs? Maybe I should see how many PBJ's I can eat on a easy morning 8 miler?  I can probably get a 40 minute run in during lunch should I eat during this?

Is the benefit of practicing to try to find out what you can tolerate, or to get better at tolerating what you eat?

See how many PBJs you can eat during your easy 8-miler. Then, keep going for another 20 and see how that works out for you.

I have no advice on practicing. My long-long runs, I stick with the drink/Blok plan below.

What's worked for me so far (26.2 - 100 miles):

   - 200 kcal / hr from Succeed Amino/Clip and Clif Shot Bloks

   - supplement with a little bit of whatever looks good at the aid stations

For me, there comes a point sometime after 12 hours where nothing is good (except chicken soup). I stick with the plan and choke the stuff down.

Caveat: I'm small - 5'5" and 105#. 200 kcal / hr (plus snacks) may not be enough for you. But, we can only handle so much at a time - I think I've read quotes going up to 300 kcal / hr.

See you at Umstead!

From my limited experience in 100s, one thing I would recommend is that you stay open to mixing it up.  If your plan, which has worked in training, suddenly goes to hell in the race, don't hesitate to mix it up...try something different, etc.  

An example is my run at Hardrock last year.  Normally, gels work fine... I can eat 2-3 hour and not have problems.  For some reason, at that race my stomach was just off... for about 50-60 miles.  On advice of my pacer, I threw out the gel plan and started eating stuff like pie, bacon, eggs, burritos, potatoes, etc... which *sounded* awful to me...I was absolutely certain it would make me puke.  Oddly...it worked.  Felt much better, sour stomach went away.  The rest of the race was quite pleasant.  No idea why..  

When I practice long runs

I typically do a loop (Car parked for supplies) that takes @ 1 hour - I eat a bigger thing on the hour + refill handhelds.  During the loop I eat a gel or 2 and take my s-caps.  I repeat this process until I do not want to run anymore.  I have done 21-28-35-42-49-56 miles.  I usually am targeting either 35 or 42.  But at times I feel like crap and I am "Done", other times I feel great and keep going.  I never read too much into either occurence - Sometimes you have good days / sometimes bad - I do not force to many miles out of a day I just don't have "it"

When I practice long runs

 

I typically do a loop (Car parked for supplies) that takes @ 1 hour - I eat a bigger thing on the hour + refill handhelds.  During the loop I eat a gel or 2 and take my s-caps.  I repeat this process until I do not want to run anymore.  I have done 21-28-35-42-49-56 miles.  I usually am targeting either 35 or 42.  But at times I feel like crap and I am "Done", other times I feel great and keep going.  I never read too much into either occurence - Sometimes you have good days / sometimes bad - I do not force to many miles out of a day I just don't have "it"

One thing mentioned above is doing X on the hour and something else at time Y, Z.  I think this is very important.  After being out there a while it is much easier to think about what needs to be done or attempted at certain points on the clock rather than a time.  I try to hit salt and ensure water consuption (~ bottle) every top of the hour as well well as take in 100 cals.  Then about 20 and 40 after I take in another 100 cals or so.  This is my way of taking in the obligatory 250-300 cals our bodies are supposed to be able to handle/process (I am sure some people do more or less but this comes with the practice).

Be prepared to switch it up and know that what works at one point wont at another.  As for large solids, doesn't work well for me but that is me.  crackers, gels, solution work well as do Larabars - they are mainly fruit and seem to digest well for me.

Never underestimate the power of bacon.

Mmm... bacon.... I think. Maybe. Depends.

But, looking forward to finding out this year at mile 90!

My crew had an obscene amount of food on hand. I was prepared for anything... cold pizza, cheese sandwiches, avocados, tortillas, chips, pretzels, cookies, gummy bears, nuts, fruit snacks, bananas, watermelon, G2, ginger ale, soda, red bull. I ended up eating one piece of pizza, once piece of watermelon and a few bottles of G2. I LOVE gummy bears and I had a bunch of them thinking they would be a real treat... and I ended up not touching them.

 

They had bacon at mile 90 at Cascade Crest and I could smell it like a quarter mile away it seemed. Made me want to vomit. But they looked at me like I was nutso so I am pretty sure everyone else appreciated the bacon.

The calories that are going to work best for you are the ones that you are putting down during a race.  You can practice with certain foods (lets use gu and PB&J as an example.)  Do all your long runs with it, maybe do a smaller race with it, get to the big day and by mile 45 it sounds terrible and it sits in all of your drop bags or your crew can't talk you into eating it. 

 

Rather than finding one or two types of food that work really well, I think it helps to find a bunch of foods that are going to provide calories without projectile vomiting or explosive diarrhea (although there are no guarantees late in the game).  Now you can pack your drop bags or provide your crew with sandwiches, chips, nuts, candy, gus, cookies, breads, drinks, etc.  Go nuts.  Whatever you don't eat during the race will last to be a snack the next day or can last for months.   The extras are worth it if you can complete the race without the tank going empty or having spent 35 miles fantasizing about your favorite type of cookie that days before you thought you wouldn't want.

jet blackberry GU ??