First Half end of September
yirara
Posts: 10,684 Member
So I signed up for the Scotland Half Marathon at the end of September. I'm super nervous about it as it has a cutoff time of 3:15, and I'm the slowest runner in the world. There's not much time for walking substantial parts of it either. It will certainly be the longest distance I've ever run. I'm aiming at finishing in 3 hours.
I'm on a structured training programme at the moment. Ran 12km last Friday, this weekend it will be 13. I guess my strategy will be to run 5km, walk for a moment to drink, refill electrolytes (I'm currently super-deficient in magnesium and potassium at least, maybe also in calcium), and maybe take an energy gel. Rinse and repeat.
I'm pretty nervous about this, and I really do hope I can keep my calm come race day and not run myself to bits within the first few minutes.
If someone wonders why I'm not running faster: I can't. I have some as of yet unexplained health problems. Every attempt at running faster has ended up in a complete crash, sometimes gotten my into hospital, in less severe cases I only had to call 999. Why? No idea... heart problems I probably were born with have been floated around, pulmonary hypertension, mitochondrial disease, glycogen storage disease, no idea... but I'm stuck with the NHS, and just seeing a specialist doctor takes ages - and if you finally see one he then tells you he knows nothing about this as he might a pulmonary specialist, but only in asthma
But yes, if I run at my comfort speed I should be able to do this, and not get sick again.
I'm on a structured training programme at the moment. Ran 12km last Friday, this weekend it will be 13. I guess my strategy will be to run 5km, walk for a moment to drink, refill electrolytes (I'm currently super-deficient in magnesium and potassium at least, maybe also in calcium), and maybe take an energy gel. Rinse and repeat.
I'm pretty nervous about this, and I really do hope I can keep my calm come race day and not run myself to bits within the first few minutes.
If someone wonders why I'm not running faster: I can't. I have some as of yet unexplained health problems. Every attempt at running faster has ended up in a complete crash, sometimes gotten my into hospital, in less severe cases I only had to call 999. Why? No idea... heart problems I probably were born with have been floated around, pulmonary hypertension, mitochondrial disease, glycogen storage disease, no idea... but I'm stuck with the NHS, and just seeing a specialist doctor takes ages - and if you finally see one he then tells you he knows nothing about this as he might a pulmonary specialist, but only in asthma
But yes, if I run at my comfort speed I should be able to do this, and not get sick again.
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Replies
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good luck0
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TavistockToad wrote: »good luck
Thank you
I'm super excited about this. Been trying to do this for two years, and this year it will happen 
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TavistockToad wrote: »good luck
Thank you I'm super excited about this. Been trying to do this for two years, and this year it will happen
I love your attitude. Congrats on making it happen, and good luck during the race. :flowerforyou:0 -
JustSomeEm wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »good luck
Thank you I'm super excited about this. Been trying to do this for two years, and this year it will happen
I love your attitude. Congrats on making it happen, and good luck during the race. :flowerforyou:
Awww, I love this smiley
Thanks a lot.
Posting here certainly holds me accountable, and it allows me to look back should I not feel like training one day.0 -
One thing you might do is start drinking/adding electrolites every 2 miles instead of every three. Most of the races I have done (small local races) had water tables every 2 miles, so I trained for that. When you get to about 10 mile long runs in your training (16 km?) start experimenting with Gus or gels or something like dates or figs for energy every 7-9 km.
Have you considered doing a Galloway type walk/run for your race? A lot of people do that for HMs and marathons. Supposedly the walk breaks put less stress on the body.0 -
spiriteagle99 wrote: »One thing you might do is start drinking/adding electrolites every 2 miles instead of every three. Most of the races I have done (small local races) had water tables every 2 miles, so I trained for that. When you get to about 10 mile long runs in your training (16 km?) start experimenting with Gus or gels or something like dates or figs for energy every 7-9 km.
Have you considered doing a Galloway type walk/run for your race? A lot of people do that for HMs and marathons. Supposedly the walk breaks put less stress on the body.
Yes, good one with the tables. I planned to do my walking breaks at the water tables, and they are indeed not at 5k intervals but at approximately 3m, 6.5m, 8.5m and just after 11. I also want to try out gels for the next longer runs to see how I react to them. Keep in mind, at my pace running 12km already takes 95 minutes. I'm looking at mixing my own electrolytes if I get the materials in time and carry those along in a water bottle. Plus my mega magnesium pill for after the finish.
I decided against real Galloway as you're supposed to run faster to make up for the time walking. This might not be the right thing for me in the end as I noticed with some mild intervals last night. And I need at least 1km to get into smooth, comfortable running with good breathing again after a walking break. Just running 1 mile at my usual slow pace and then walking for a minute for example will probably get me very close to the cutoff time. Hey, I want to buy the event jumper, but only if I manage to finish, and finish in time
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i like GU gels - they have ones with different amounts of sodium and caffeine in.
i like the SiS gels for their 'clean mouth' thing, but didn't find any flavours i like, whereas the salted caramel GU is just like caramel sauce, so i put up with the stickiness of it!0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »i like GU gels - they have ones with different amounts of sodium and caffeine in.
i like the SiS gels for their 'clean mouth' thing, but didn't find any flavours i like, whereas the salted caramel GU is just like caramel sauce, so i put up with the stickiness of it!
Sorry, I'm normally not into sweet things (crisps on the other hand...). Thus the whole idea of taking a gel sounds rather disgusting to me But it's the easiest solution compared to sticky dried fruits in my bumbag.
I've looked at some ingredients list, and many contain calcium, which I want to avoid as it's preferentially absorbed when calcium and magnesium are present. Caffeine is a no as I never drink coffee. Just sounds like a recipe for disaster. My requirement for a gel really is quick energy with nothing else, and electrolytes via my own water, and if needed other water from a water station.
I also bought a bloks jelly bar to try out. Might be easier to handle. And it certainly doesn't give me a sticky mouth feel. On the other hand, three of those equal one gel. More things to experiment with I guess.0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »i like GU gels - they have ones with different amounts of sodium and caffeine in.
i like the SiS gels for their 'clean mouth' thing, but didn't find any flavours i like, whereas the salted caramel GU is just like caramel sauce, so i put up with the stickiness of it!
Sorry, I'm normally not into sweet things (crisps on the other hand...). Thus the whole idea of taking a gel sounds rather disgusting to me But it's the easiest solution compared to sticky dried fruits in my bumbag.
I've looked at some ingredients list, and many contain calcium, which I want to avoid as it's preferentially absorbed when calcium and magnesium are present. Caffeine is a no as I never drink coffee. Just sounds like a recipe for disaster. My requirement for a gel really is quick energy with nothing else, and electrolytes via my own water, and if needed other water from a water station.
I also bought a bloks jelly bar to try out. Might be easier to handle. And it certainly doesn't give me a sticky mouth feel. On the other hand, three of those equal one gel. More things to experiment with I guess.
i think they do gels without caffeine as well. i got bloks but never ran with them as i have enough trouble with running/breathing/swallowing a gel, i figured that chewing would be too much trouble!!!
if you literally just want carbs/sugar then dried fruit based stuff might be a better idea?0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »i like GU gels - they have ones with different amounts of sodium and caffeine in.
i like the SiS gels for their 'clean mouth' thing, but didn't find any flavours i like, whereas the salted caramel GU is just like caramel sauce, so i put up with the stickiness of it!
Sorry, I'm normally not into sweet things (crisps on the other hand...). Thus the whole idea of taking a gel sounds rather disgusting to me But it's the easiest solution compared to sticky dried fruits in my bumbag.
I've looked at some ingredients list, and many contain calcium, which I want to avoid as it's preferentially absorbed when calcium and magnesium are present. Caffeine is a no as I never drink coffee. Just sounds like a recipe for disaster. My requirement for a gel really is quick energy with nothing else, and electrolytes via my own water, and if needed other water from a water station.
I also bought a bloks jelly bar to try out. Might be easier to handle. And it certainly doesn't give me a sticky mouth feel. On the other hand, three of those equal one gel. More things to experiment with I guess.
i think they do gels without caffeine as well. i got bloks but never ran with them as i have enough trouble with running/breathing/swallowing a gel, i figured that chewing would be too much trouble!!!
if you literally just want carbs/sugar then dried fruit based stuff might be a better idea?
Those bloks aren't too bad I think. They dissolve quickly, kind of like a more solid jellypudding, and aren't megasweet either. They're made with tapioca, which dissolves quickly I think. Not sure yet how they work when out running. I'll try out tomorrow or the day after on my long run.
Yes, I used dried fruits in the past. But they are easy to choke on and require lots of chewing, and are not superfast. And leave me with sticky hands. Did you ever run with sticky hands? Sweating is fine, but sticky hands are awful
I'm just trying out a few things for now to see what works. The race has cheap high5 gels with and without caffeine. Should have seen that before getting a few things to test as those might actually be fine for me. 0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »i like GU gels - they have ones with different amounts of sodium and caffeine in.
i like the SiS gels for their 'clean mouth' thing, but didn't find any flavours i like, whereas the salted caramel GU is just like caramel sauce, so i put up with the stickiness of it!
Sorry, I'm normally not into sweet things (crisps on the other hand...). Thus the whole idea of taking a gel sounds rather disgusting to me But it's the easiest solution compared to sticky dried fruits in my bumbag.
I've looked at some ingredients list, and many contain calcium, which I want to avoid as it's preferentially absorbed when calcium and magnesium are present. Caffeine is a no as I never drink coffee. Just sounds like a recipe for disaster. My requirement for a gel really is quick energy with nothing else, and electrolytes via my own water, and if needed other water from a water station.
I also bought a bloks jelly bar to try out. Might be easier to handle. And it certainly doesn't give me a sticky mouth feel. On the other hand, three of those equal one gel. More things to experiment with I guess.
i think they do gels without caffeine as well. i got bloks but never ran with them as i have enough trouble with running/breathing/swallowing a gel, i figured that chewing would be too much trouble!!!
if you literally just want carbs/sugar then dried fruit based stuff might be a better idea?
Those bloks aren't too bad I think. They dissolve quickly, kind of like a more solid jellypudding, and aren't megasweet either. They're made with tapioca, which dissolves quickly I think. Not sure yet how they work when out running. I'll try out tomorrow or the day after on my long run.
Yes, I used dried fruits in the past. But they are easy to choke on and require lots of chewing, and are not superfast. And leave me with sticky hands. Did you ever run with sticky hands? Sweating is fine, but sticky hands are awful I'm just trying out a few things for now to see what works. The race has cheap high5 gels with and without caffeine. Should have seen that before getting a few things to test as those might actually be fine for me.
my last half was handing out gels around mile 8, but who would take one if it wasn't their normal brand?! madness!0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »i like GU gels - they have ones with different amounts of sodium and caffeine in.
i like the SiS gels for their 'clean mouth' thing, but didn't find any flavours i like, whereas the salted caramel GU is just like caramel sauce, so i put up with the stickiness of it!
Sorry, I'm normally not into sweet things (crisps on the other hand...). Thus the whole idea of taking a gel sounds rather disgusting to me But it's the easiest solution compared to sticky dried fruits in my bumbag.
I've looked at some ingredients list, and many contain calcium, which I want to avoid as it's preferentially absorbed when calcium and magnesium are present. Caffeine is a no as I never drink coffee. Just sounds like a recipe for disaster. My requirement for a gel really is quick energy with nothing else, and electrolytes via my own water, and if needed other water from a water station.
I also bought a bloks jelly bar to try out. Might be easier to handle. And it certainly doesn't give me a sticky mouth feel. On the other hand, three of those equal one gel. More things to experiment with I guess.
i think they do gels without caffeine as well. i got bloks but never ran with them as i have enough trouble with running/breathing/swallowing a gel, i figured that chewing would be too much trouble!!!
if you literally just want carbs/sugar then dried fruit based stuff might be a better idea?
Those bloks aren't too bad I think. They dissolve quickly, kind of like a more solid jellypudding, and aren't megasweet either. They're made with tapioca, which dissolves quickly I think. Not sure yet how they work when out running. I'll try out tomorrow or the day after on my long run.
Yes, I used dried fruits in the past. But they are easy to choke on and require lots of chewing, and are not superfast. And leave me with sticky hands. Did you ever run with sticky hands? Sweating is fine, but sticky hands are awful I'm just trying out a few things for now to see what works. The race has cheap high5 gels with and without caffeine. Should have seen that before getting a few things to test as those might actually be fine for me.
my last half was handing out gels around mile 8, but who would take one if it wasn't their normal brand?! madness!
Yep, agree. Though I don't have a brand yet. I'd not take anything untested either though.0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »i like GU gels - they have ones with different amounts of sodium and caffeine in.
i like the SiS gels for their 'clean mouth' thing, but didn't find any flavours i like, whereas the salted caramel GU is just like caramel sauce, so i put up with the stickiness of it!
Sorry, I'm normally not into sweet things (crisps on the other hand...). Thus the whole idea of taking a gel sounds rather disgusting to me But it's the easiest solution compared to sticky dried fruits in my bumbag.
I've looked at some ingredients list, and many contain calcium, which I want to avoid as it's preferentially absorbed when calcium and magnesium are present. Caffeine is a no as I never drink coffee. Just sounds like a recipe for disaster. My requirement for a gel really is quick energy with nothing else, and electrolytes via my own water, and if needed other water from a water station.
I also bought a bloks jelly bar to try out. Might be easier to handle. And it certainly doesn't give me a sticky mouth feel. On the other hand, three of those equal one gel. More things to experiment with I guess.
i think they do gels without caffeine as well. i got bloks but never ran with them as i have enough trouble with running/breathing/swallowing a gel, i figured that chewing would be too much trouble!!!
if you literally just want carbs/sugar then dried fruit based stuff might be a better idea?
Those bloks aren't too bad I think. They dissolve quickly, kind of like a more solid jellypudding, and aren't megasweet either. They're made with tapioca, which dissolves quickly I think. Not sure yet how they work when out running. I'll try out tomorrow or the day after on my long run.
Yes, I used dried fruits in the past. But they are easy to choke on and require lots of chewing, and are not superfast. And leave me with sticky hands. Did you ever run with sticky hands? Sweating is fine, but sticky hands are awful I'm just trying out a few things for now to see what works. The race has cheap high5 gels with and without caffeine. Should have seen that before getting a few things to test as those might actually be fine for me.
my last half was handing out gels around mile 8, but who would take one if it wasn't their normal brand?! madness!
I got my first Clif Shot Gels at mile 8 of a half. I'd never used them, so they went into my pocket and I used the GUs I'd brought. Later, I tried the Clif Shot Gels on training runs, and they worked OK for me. Now, they're in my rotation. Marketing at its finest.
With that experience in mind, I have tried several brands of gels and found that, while flavors are of varying levels of acceptability, none of them gave me issues. I'd pretty much take any free gel on a race course now.2 -
TavistockToad wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »i like GU gels - they have ones with different amounts of sodium and caffeine in.
i like the SiS gels for their 'clean mouth' thing, but didn't find any flavours i like, whereas the salted caramel GU is just like caramel sauce, so i put up with the stickiness of it!
Sorry, I'm normally not into sweet things (crisps on the other hand...). Thus the whole idea of taking a gel sounds rather disgusting to me But it's the easiest solution compared to sticky dried fruits in my bumbag.
I've looked at some ingredients list, and many contain calcium, which I want to avoid as it's preferentially absorbed when calcium and magnesium are present. Caffeine is a no as I never drink coffee. Just sounds like a recipe for disaster. My requirement for a gel really is quick energy with nothing else, and electrolytes via my own water, and if needed other water from a water station.
I also bought a bloks jelly bar to try out. Might be easier to handle. And it certainly doesn't give me a sticky mouth feel. On the other hand, three of those equal one gel. More things to experiment with I guess.
i think they do gels without caffeine as well. i got bloks but never ran with them as i have enough trouble with running/breathing/swallowing a gel, i figured that chewing would be too much trouble!!!
if you literally just want carbs/sugar then dried fruit based stuff might be a better idea?
Those bloks aren't too bad I think. They dissolve quickly, kind of like a more solid jellypudding, and aren't megasweet either. They're made with tapioca, which dissolves quickly I think. Not sure yet how they work when out running. I'll try out tomorrow or the day after on my long run.
Yes, I used dried fruits in the past. But they are easy to choke on and require lots of chewing, and are not superfast. And leave me with sticky hands. Did you ever run with sticky hands? Sweating is fine, but sticky hands are awful I'm just trying out a few things for now to see what works. The race has cheap high5 gels with and without caffeine. Should have seen that before getting a few things to test as those might actually be fine for me.
my last half was handing out gels around mile 8, but who would take one if it wasn't their normal brand?! madness!
I got my first Clif Shot Gels at mile 8 of a half. I'd never used them, so they went into my pocket and I used the GUs I'd brought. Later, I tried the Clif Shot Gels on training runs, and they worked OK for me. Now, they're in my rotation. Marketing at its finest.
With that experience in mind, I have tried several brands of gels and found that, while flavors are of varying levels of acceptability, none of them gave me issues. I'd pretty much take any free gel on a race course now.
Great experience! I hope mine will be as positive as yours. Like I said I only ever used dry fruits before (chewy, and inhaling them is a bad idea), on not even a handful of longer runs. I will do this properly and start with gels at the first drink station. At 5km in this will be about 37-40 minutes after the start for me.
My biggest worry for this race really is that I lose my calm and make the same mistake I did on all previous races: run with the crowd, which just is faster than me. Second potential pitfall is to panic about the sweeper bus. This race has a cutoff time and it seems likely that I'll end up in the last starting group. The race rules state that if the bus overtakes you you're out. I should be able to do this well within the cutoff time, and based on my training at the moment with about 30 minutes to spare. But if I panic, start to run faster and run myself to bits due to that things will look very different. Guess this is more of an exercise in concentration and calm than in endurance for me
edit:runonsentencefixing0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »i like GU gels - they have ones with different amounts of sodium and caffeine in.
i like the SiS gels for their 'clean mouth' thing, but didn't find any flavours i like, whereas the salted caramel GU is just like caramel sauce, so i put up with the stickiness of it!
Sorry, I'm normally not into sweet things (crisps on the other hand...). Thus the whole idea of taking a gel sounds rather disgusting to me But it's the easiest solution compared to sticky dried fruits in my bumbag.
I've looked at some ingredients list, and many contain calcium, which I want to avoid as it's preferentially absorbed when calcium and magnesium are present. Caffeine is a no as I never drink coffee. Just sounds like a recipe for disaster. My requirement for a gel really is quick energy with nothing else, and electrolytes via my own water, and if needed other water from a water station.
I also bought a bloks jelly bar to try out. Might be easier to handle. And it certainly doesn't give me a sticky mouth feel. On the other hand, three of those equal one gel. More things to experiment with I guess.
i think they do gels without caffeine as well. i got bloks but never ran with them as i have enough trouble with running/breathing/swallowing a gel, i figured that chewing would be too much trouble!!!
if you literally just want carbs/sugar then dried fruit based stuff might be a better idea?
Those bloks aren't too bad I think. They dissolve quickly, kind of like a more solid jellypudding, and aren't megasweet either. They're made with tapioca, which dissolves quickly I think. Not sure yet how they work when out running. I'll try out tomorrow or the day after on my long run.
Yes, I used dried fruits in the past. But they are easy to choke on and require lots of chewing, and are not superfast. And leave me with sticky hands. Did you ever run with sticky hands? Sweating is fine, but sticky hands are awful I'm just trying out a few things for now to see what works. The race has cheap high5 gels with and without caffeine. Should have seen that before getting a few things to test as those might actually be fine for me.
my last half was handing out gels around mile 8, but who would take one if it wasn't their normal brand?! madness!
Yep, agree. Though I don't have a brand yet. I'd not take anything untested either though.
Just noticed when I was in my gym that the gel I got free was a high5 one! Might try it on tomorrows 10 miler!0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »i like GU gels - they have ones with different amounts of sodium and caffeine in.
i like the SiS gels for their 'clean mouth' thing, but didn't find any flavours i like, whereas the salted caramel GU is just like caramel sauce, so i put up with the stickiness of it!
Sorry, I'm normally not into sweet things (crisps on the other hand...). Thus the whole idea of taking a gel sounds rather disgusting to me But it's the easiest solution compared to sticky dried fruits in my bumbag.
I've looked at some ingredients list, and many contain calcium, which I want to avoid as it's preferentially absorbed when calcium and magnesium are present. Caffeine is a no as I never drink coffee. Just sounds like a recipe for disaster. My requirement for a gel really is quick energy with nothing else, and electrolytes via my own water, and if needed other water from a water station.
I also bought a bloks jelly bar to try out. Might be easier to handle. And it certainly doesn't give me a sticky mouth feel. On the other hand, three of those equal one gel. More things to experiment with I guess.
i think they do gels without caffeine as well. i got bloks but never ran with them as i have enough trouble with running/breathing/swallowing a gel, i figured that chewing would be too much trouble!!!
if you literally just want carbs/sugar then dried fruit based stuff might be a better idea?
Those bloks aren't too bad I think. They dissolve quickly, kind of like a more solid jellypudding, and aren't megasweet either. They're made with tapioca, which dissolves quickly I think. Not sure yet how they work when out running. I'll try out tomorrow or the day after on my long run.
Yes, I used dried fruits in the past. But they are easy to choke on and require lots of chewing, and are not superfast. And leave me with sticky hands. Did you ever run with sticky hands? Sweating is fine, but sticky hands are awful I'm just trying out a few things for now to see what works. The race has cheap high5 gels with and without caffeine. Should have seen that before getting a few things to test as those might actually be fine for me.
my last half was handing out gels around mile 8, but who would take one if it wasn't their normal brand?! madness!
I got my first Clif Shot Gels at mile 8 of a half. I'd never used them, so they went into my pocket and I used the GUs I'd brought. Later, I tried the Clif Shot Gels on training runs, and they worked OK for me. Now, they're in my rotation. Marketing at its finest.
With that experience in mind, I have tried several brands of gels and found that, while flavors are of varying levels of acceptability, none of them gave me issues. I'd pretty much take any free gel on a race course now.
I had intended to do this with a gel at one of my marathons except I did not realize that the helpful volunteers had opened the gels before handing them out. For whatever strange reason (logic isn't always working at it's finest at mile 16 of a marathon) I did not think to discard the gel. Instead I carried the open gel in my hand for the remainder of the race. I have photos of me crossing the finish line with an energy gel oozing all over my hand. Fortunately it was a PR race and I clearly did not even notice.6 -
Somehow I usually end up missing the free gels. I think I'm so focused on the water, I ignore the other voices yelling at me. One marathon had bacon, cookies, donuts, etc. lined up before the water tables. I was going nuts, looking for something to drink! They also had cold towels that I never found but really needed.1
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spiriteagle99 wrote: »Somehow I usually end up missing the free gels. I think I'm so focused on the water, I ignore the other voices yelling at me. One marathon had bacon, cookies, donuts, etc. lined up before the water tables. I was going nuts, looking for something to drink! They also had cold towels that I never found but really needed.
Hahaha! I never did a race with anything but water. But I'm in the UK anyway, thus temperature is not really an issue normally. Well, I tried one 10 mile race where they were supposed to have more choice, but it was such a stormy day that even the waterbottles got blown away. On the way to the turning point my legs were ripped away from below my body and I constantly kicked myself, and on the way back I had to walk and literally leaned against the wind. Not just occ. gusts but a constant blow of neverending strong wind. Never seen my HR higher 0 -
Just had a look: the other trial gel I bought it Gu Lemon Sublime. I hope to find something better as those are £1.70 a piece. That's super expensive if you're on a budget and a slow runner.0
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TavistockToad wrote: »
Absolutely! It might be cheaper than a shop.0 -
Just had a look: the other trial gel I bought it Gu Lemon Sublime. I hope to find something better as those are £1.70 a piece. That's super expensive if you're on a budget and a slow runner.
That's outrageous! Google tells me the current exchange rate is 1 US dollar = 0.77 British pound, so that translates to $2.21 in US currency. The highest local price I know of is $1.50, and I can get them around $1.00 each buying a 24 pack online. Online prices vary, but I wouldn't expect to pay over $1.10 per gel, or about £0.85 in your currency.
I don't mind paying a higher price to buy 2 or 3 of something new to try, but I'll stock up online with familiar flavors to use in long runs and races.0 -
Just had a look: the other trial gel I bought it Gu Lemon Sublime. I hope to find something better as those are £1.70 a piece. That's super expensive if you're on a budget and a slow runner.
That's outrageous! Google tells me the current exchange rate is 1 US dollar = 0.77 British pound, so that translates to $2.21 in US currency. The highest local price I know of is $1.50, and I can get them around $1.00 each buying a 24 pack online. Online prices vary, but I wouldn't expect to pay over $1.10 per gel, or about £0.85 in your currency.
I don't mind paying a higher price to buy 2 or 3 of something new to try, but I'll stock up online with familiar flavors to use in long runs and races.
They are stupidly expensive.
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TavistockToad wrote: »Just had a look: the other trial gel I bought it Gu Lemon Sublime. I hope to find something better as those are £1.70 a piece. That's super expensive if you're on a budget and a slow runner.
That's outrageous! Google tells me the current exchange rate is 1 US dollar = 0.77 British pound, so that translates to $2.21 in US currency. The highest local price I know of is $1.50, and I can get them around $1.00 each buying a 24 pack online. Online prices vary, but I wouldn't expect to pay over $1.10 per gel, or about £0.85 in your currency.
I don't mind paying a higher price to buy 2 or 3 of something new to try, but I'll stock up online with familiar flavors to use in long runs and races.
They are stupidly expensive.
Yep. I mean, I'm not British and the prices are what they are but even I was shocked.0 -
Just had a look: the other trial gel I bought it Gu Lemon Sublime. I hope to find something better as those are £1.70 a piece. That's super expensive if you're on a budget and a slow runner.
That's outrageous! Google tells me the current exchange rate is 1 US dollar = 0.77 British pound, so that translates to $2.21 in US currency. The highest local price I know of is $1.50, and I can get them around $1.00 each buying a 24 pack online. Online prices vary, but I wouldn't expect to pay over $1.10 per gel, or about £0.85 in your currency.
I don't mind paying a higher price to buy 2 or 3 of something new to try, but I'll stock up online with familiar flavors to use in long runs and races.
Oh well, on the positive side: I don't think there will be more long races over autumn and winter, and I'm too late with signing up for more recent ones. Saves money in the end But yes, imported things get ridiculously expensive in the UK. My guess is due to the useless pound in relation to Brexit, but who knows... Guess we'll all be using spuds and nips for energy soon. 0 -
Just had a look: the other trial gel I bought it Gu Lemon Sublime. I hope to find something better as those are £1.70 a piece. That's super expensive if you're on a budget and a slow runner.
I make my own gel by diluting honey with water (3:2 ratio), and putting it into a soft flask. This worked great for both a marathon and a 50K trail race. Not only was it cheaper, but I could just sip out a bit at a time rather then get a big slug of sickly sweet syrup. It was much neater to use too. No sticky foil packets to deal with. I don't get the fancy flavors you get with the commercial gels, but I love honey so I don't care.
I used one of these flasks to carry it:
http://www.ultramarathonrunningstore.com/Hydrapak-SF150-SoftFlask-p/sf150softflasks.htm
The one I used was 350ml, but this 150ml flask should hold enough for a half marathon. It looks like that store has a few different sizes. Good prices too.
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Wow, something went totally wrong at today's run! I'd planned to run 12.9km according to my plan, and did a short walking break at the distances of the race water stations. Well.. it felt so easy and relaxed, and I finished at 14km in the end. And not only that, my pace was quite a lot faster than at the last long run. This it it was at 7:42min/km (most of my 5ks are slower), while the previous 12km was at 7:57min/km and I felt rather dead at the end.
Big difference: I took a gel for the first time ever, one of those bloks things: 1 blok right before, and two more at 5km. I just never felt tired. Maybe this is the right product for me because I can dose it easier and don't need to take 100kcal like with a liquid. Also found it easy to chew and swallow. Only downside: I got a bit of reflux right after swallowing. Hmpf.. do I need to take gaviscone along???
Oh, some images:
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Gosh, I just realized that I've been a member in this group for a long time, and finally I'm getting towards longer distances 0
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Right, been running a bit more with two shot bloks beforehand, and my pace is much better in general. What's missing all of a sudden are those heavy legs. Mind you, I usually had dinner about 90 minutes before a run. I'm still not a fast runner, and my airways start to feel unpleasant again if I run too fast (say just below 80% HRmax) thus I should not be running too intensely anyway to prevent ending up in hospital again but this is such a massive improvement overall.0
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Looks like a nice enough route.
In addition to the various suggestions above, I've found some success with both Honey Stingers both chews and gels, and with TailWind which is liquid fuel.
I get them from X-Miles as Ant, the owner, generally shows up at the races I'm doing. He's a UK level ultra-runner as well, so knows his stuff.0
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