I've never needed anything before but know I'll want to figure out a plan for the marathon over the long runs I'll be doing in the next few months. In the first half marathon I ran, I drank a little bit of Gatorade at two different stops. I chose the Gatorade simply because it was the first thing I saw. On the second half marathon, I grabbed water twice, but that was it. I usually don't drink much, but did get a water bottle belt last month. I've used it twice on days where it was really hot out and my runs were longer than 8 miles.
All the gels and other products kind of intimidate me for some reason so I've never bought anything and don't really even know what to try first. I'm thinking I might just be the type of person to carry some candy but would love to hear what works for everyone.
Yesterday's short run was wonderful! There was a very light mist in the air and it actually felt cool. I checked the thermometer when I got back and it said 74.5 degrees. That's definitely the coolest it's been on one of my runs for awhile...of course, I was only scheduled for 3 miles yesterday and stopped at 3.75.
Last night's dinner - not too exciting. Stir-fried veggies over bean thread/cellophane noodles, but tasted good. Missed lots of veggies while on vacation.
Hydration is key, especially in a marathon...
ReplyDeleteI'm not too big into fueling while running but will drink gatoraid or eat a gel packet if it's offered during a race (though you should test out the product on a training run just in case it doesn't agree with you).
I hear good things about some kind of sports jelly beans or gummy bears... I haven't tried them myself but they sound a lot more appealing than a nasty package of goo!
You'll definitely need to fuel on your long runs when training for and running a marathon. I'm surprised, and a little jealous, that you did so well on your halfs without more than water and gatorade!
ReplyDeleteI've used gels like gu (my favorite) in the past, but mostly used shot blocks during my long runs last year cause they were pretty easy to deal with. But, towards the end of my marathon training I tried some more natural foods like salted almonds, granola bar pieces and salted pretzels (these really helped me during the race). Some people like candy, for the sugar, but I couldn't do that.
I suggest you just try a few different things till you find what works best! Good luck!
I'm the kind of person who just raids the pantry before a run. I'll break up a granola bar, or grab peanuts or raisins ... whatever's around and is easy to carry. I really only use GU or other fancy energy supplements if I come across freebies. :)
ReplyDeleteYou should find out what fluid they will serve at the marathon and start using that on your long runs. Hydration is def very important. Any time you run more than 60 minutes, you are supposed to drink a sports drink of some sort to balance out the electrolytes you are losing.
ReplyDeleteAs far as other fuels, when I got into the really long run range (16-20) I used gu's. I tried a couple of different ones and ended up really liking the chocolate or vanilla ones. The fruit ones were just too acidic for me and messed up my stomach as a result. But you have ot just play around and see what works!
They used to intimidate me too, but then I started using Gu's and they are fine and give you a nice little energy burst.
ReplyDeleteBut my favourite long-distance snack? GUMMY BEARS!!! Seriously, I will pack 200-300 calories worth depending on how long my run is and munch on a few every couple miles. They work GREAT!
I also drink gatorade on longer runs and when it's HOT out. I need to practice with the stuff my marathon is going to be serving though so I don't have any stomach issues on the day of!
I just came across your blog and I really like it!
ReplyDeleteLast summer I used the shot bloks for some of my longer runs, but I also did a crumbled chocolate chip cookie once. I really love the idea of Gummy Bears.