Feed Zone

girlcalledryan

Last month at my running club meeting a member did a presentation about Feed Zone and Feed Zone Portables.

Is anyone familiar with these? I do currently get diarrhea after runs over 10 miles, but am tackling a full marathon in October. I Have primarily used cliff shot blocks for fuel, in runs over 10 miles. I only eat 2 blocks though.

Assuming the science behine Feed Zone is accurate, I am interested in which recipes are actually practcal for long runs, vs stashing on a bike for triathletes.

Really any feed back would be welcome!

vmclach

I have no idea what a feed zone is... However, I've ran 6 marathons and never had to poop during/after... I don't take shots/gels/etc... Just gaterade and water.. I poop 3-5 times before the race.. No joke. If I don't poop AT LEAST 3 times, I panic. I have had bathrooms probsblens during 1 race once in my life. It happened around mile 10 of a half marathon. I pooped 1 time before the race. I felt like I didn't "have to go"... Thing is, I had more in there. You just have to get used to FULLY relieving yourself. Even if you think you're done, you're not. As gross as they is to hear.. You could be one of those people who stops to poop during races and that's fine, but I prefer not to!

lorierin22

Not sure on Feed Zone, but I would trust anything from Skratch labs. Their Skratch drink is the best ever!! It's not heavy or sugary. I can drink it while running and be fine...and gatorade/powerade really turns my stomach. Good luck!

TheBrolympus

It's just a "real" food alternative to Gels, GUs, Candies, etc. Like the Gels you would need to try them out to see if you can tolerate these foods while you run. I don't think I could do solid food while running.

The recipes I have seen are tailored mostly towards cycling and for me it's easier to eat solids while cycling.

http://www.skratchlabs.com/products/feed-zone-portables

SillyC2

So, having tried a number of recipes, here's what I have to say.....

They are damned good. Every recipe I make and I am impressed. These people know what they are doing. Do they ever know what they are doing.

1. Deeeeeeelicious! Yum yum yum yum yum! The whole family has loved everything I've made out of this cookbook.

2. Mouthfeel. They have some texture to them, but they are very easy to chew. I've found, personally, that getting real food chewed very well is critical to getting it to sit well in my GI tract. And here's where you have a tradeoff always. I love to eat real food, but it's hard to get it into my belly when I'm huffing and puffing. The feed zone portables are amongst the easiest foods I've found to chew and swallow, yet they are satisfying like actually eating. They end up in my belly and not in my teeth or worse, up my nose (which is what always happens to bread for me.)

3. High in calories! Some of the servings are, no joke, 400 calories. Sometimes you want that, other times not.


4. Related to 3, I don't think kennethr75 has so much nailed this as being "for cyclists", but what these are really for athletes that are sportsing for more than 4 hours. I mean, it's a full meal. Eating 2 feed zone portables (~800 calories) is kinda not a good idea for a half marathon. I'm an ultrarunner, so these are good for me, but I don't think I'd have much interest in them if the longest I went was 20 miles in training and 26 on roads for a run. THAT SAID.... they have some great recipes that are essentially bars made out of coconut sushi rice wrapped around a fruit center. Yum, and I would totally use that for nutrition on a half marathon. Just one bar, not 4.

scott091501

So Feed Zone was essentially developed for cyclists. When on a bike your body digests whole foods much better than when running. Cyclists will eat sandwiches, wraps, rice cakes, etc. Cyclists can divert the blood in their upper bodies to aid in digestion. Mostly because their upper bodies are stable, so you get less stabilizer usage/arm usage/etc in comparison to running. Diverting blood flow to deal with solids while running to aid in digestion will probably result in some form of GI distress.

SillyC2

Cyclists can divert the blood in their upper bodies to aid in digestion. Mostly because their upper bodies are stable, so you get less stabilizer usage/arm usage/etc in comparison to running. Diverting blood flow to deal with solids while running to aid in digestion will probably result in some form of GI distress.

You're overthinking this, but I'm wondering if this is some kind of myth bikers are passing around? A few months ago, I ran a bit with a cyclist and she got mad at me for eating a granola bar while running at the same time, like I was going to choke or something. Then she was all, "Don't blame me when you're puking - I tried to stop you."

Much like learning to eat on a bike is a skill, learning to eat on the run is a skill as well. But one that's not worth developing much unless you're going beyond the marathon.... and consequently running a bit slower. If you run fast enough, your enteric nervous system will shut off peristalsis (moving food through your system). BUT your enteric nervous system is capable of a bit of learning. It'll stop shutting off digestion if you make a habit of throwing back some little debbies while training.

But it's not really worth it unless you're running for longer than 4 hours or so. I'm betting bikers that do 1 or 2 hour races are eating wraps, and I doubt people running half marathons should be eating them either. I most DEFINITELY have eaten a wrap at an ultramarathon. And while running, not just during a "walk break".

TheBrolympus

BUT your enteric nervous system is capable of a bit of learning. It'll stop shutting off digestion if you make a habit of throwing back some little debbies while training.

Little Debbies while running, now you're talking my language.

girlcalledryan

Thanks for the info guys! I am a slow runner, my full marathon will take me around 5 hours. I am going to transition to just water on any runs less than 2 1/2 hours, and look into a feed zone cook book and maybe use 1/2 portions. Thanks!