So I have been a food eater on my long runs. Anything over 12 miles, and around mile 7 I begin munching on something – usually a power bar, though in my first marathon I ate goldfish like they were going out of style (and then wouldn’t eat them for months after!)
Now I have a new strategy: Begin eating at mile 7 and make the power bar last for quite a few miles. If I eat too much too quickly my run suffers; if I don’t eat at all, my stomach feels empty.
I’ve tried gels, but don’t find they stick with me. Though they give me energy, I need something in my belly for the long haul.
So today’s question is this: When doing the distance, do you prefer to eat something or use a gel? And why? Also, at what mile do you begin?
No run today, just core and arms. Yesterday I did an easy 4 after Saturday’s 12. My legs felt good but tired. Still battling my weight. Today the scale dropped down so I’m 4 pounds lighter than i need to be. I ate everything in sightthe last two days, too, and when I say everything, I mean everything! If this doesn’t fix itself soon I’ll have to count calories, which I hate to do. I never carry through with it, it’s time consuming, and I just don’t have the extra minutes in the day!
Giveaway! Yes, we haven’t done this – I was so tired last week I didn’t come online, so today since my daughter is off for spring break she will be picking the winner of the core giveaway and I will post the results tomorrow. Good luck!
Happy Running!
I am a huge HAMMER NUTRITION fan. Huge. I have read everything on their website and really believe they’ve got it together as far as nutrition for an endurance athlete. So, with that, I never eat on a run or before it. During those long runs, I’d take a combination of HEED and Perpetuem and carry Hammer gels in my jog bras. I’d take one gel at the starting line and then one ever 6 miles after that. They are not filled with sugar as are other endurance products!
I think you mentioned them before, I am noting this so I can check it out this week! I feel I need something solid in my body when I run – that’s why I’ve gone with powerbars and goldfish. The gels don’t seem to ‘fill me up’ though they do give me a lift.
When I cycled for long distanced, I found that gels were ineffective for the long haul, as you mentioned, so I’d pack some small snack like peanut butter crackers or fruit to bust out at the rest stations (of course ours wasn’t much of a race, just a goal to cross the finish)!
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ah pb crackers! I never though of that! Great carb and protein mix, thanks! I love fruit at the end – esp. oranges. For some reason those are what I crave the most (oh, those and chocolate lol!)
Oh, I’m a gel girl all the way. My stomach still feels empty, but I can’t eat and run at the same time. And eating too close to a run makes me feel yucky. I’ll get stomach cramps and sometimes feel sick.
Katies last blog post..Training Update 1
I randomly found your blog on the web – very entertaining!
Was very curious to read about the question of food vs. gel. I am currently having a tough time keeping up. I used to use Crank e-Gel but found they were too tough on my system so I switched to Carb-Boom. I have found that I need one gel per 5 miles in addition to the two GU gels that I have in the water that I start with (in 500mL water bottle). In a recent marathon that was not good enough and I had to utilize the gel that I carried “in case.” I suffered pretty bad nausea at 35km mark with only 7km to go (Paris marathon). Note that I was consistently filling up that water bottle at the water stations. So now I don’t know what to do. I like your idea of a “salty” snack as I feel that I was both dehydrated and a bit hyponatremic – my legs were fine it is just my stomach that would not co-operate.
It is incredibly inspirational that you can maintain your fitness so well and run around after two little ones.
I hope that you had a wonderful weekend.
kind regards.