Fuel during long runs

Amy_B

What do you eat/drink during long runs and/or races?

I am running my first half in two weeks. I have been experimenting with water, Swedish fish (suggested on a blog), and Gatorade. Today was my first time using the Gatorade during my 9 mile run. I think it gave me heartburn, but I know that I should drink it for the electrolytes. Thoughts? Maybe take an antacid before running?

YogaRunner

I always bring Gu Energy gels with me. They have several flavors and I tried all of them to figure out which I like. I take one every 45 min to an hour to keep my blood sugar from dropping. I usually drink water or gatorade just depending on how I feel at the moment and what is available.
Good luck on your race!!!
Risa

sweetmanjd

I don't know about good fueling for long runs but as far as Gatorade goes...I prefer Emergen-C's Sports Drink powder.
No sugar, just all the stuff you are supposed to replenish + a very mild citrus flavor. You just add it to your water bottle.
You should be able to find it at Whole Foods or any relatively "healthy" or organic oriented grocery store.
Good luck with your HM!!!

nikki_zav

GU's are a great source for energy, though it is recommended to train with them so you body is used to getting that fuel at a certain point. (Well, actually, that is true of anything, not just GU). They are great though, Double Chocolate is my favorite. I use them for races and ice hockey.

During my last half, one of my friend turned me on to salt pills actually. These are available at most running stores. As you sweat away all your salt, your body begins it's natural breakdown and at some point in there starts telling your brain (yo....we can't keep going like this!!! time to stop running buddy.) There are obviously better scientific explanations out there, but hopefully that makes sense. Popping two in the middle of my last race took me from wanting to quit around mile 6 to finishing 6 min under my previous time.

Most races have water & gatorade along the course. Some even have GU's or similar around mile 8 or 9.

Best of luck with your half!!! Congrats on getting there!

jeffrodgers1

Water, Gatorade, Gu Chomps and a granola bar or two. It really depends on how long I am going, but for runs over an hour and I try to consume something every 20 minutes to compensate for energy consumed.

Amy_B

Thanks! They will have GU's at the race, but since I won't be training with them, I will not be using them at the race. I think I'll see how the Gatorade goes next week with 10 miles. If it gives me heartburn again, I will buy some antacids to take before the race.

jeffrodgers1

What do you eat/drink during long runs and/or races?

I am running my first half in two weeks. I have been experimenting with water, Swedish fish (suggested on a blog), and Gatorade. Today was my first time using the Gatorade during my 9 mile run. I think it gave me heartburn, but I know that I should drink it for the electrolytes. Thoughts? Maybe take an antacid before running?

A lot of people have issues with Gatorade and end up watering it down (50/50) You are still getting the electrolytes, but its not as harsh on the belly.

ilsie99

The swedish fish should be fine for refueling. At that point your body will metabolize any sugar it gets and use it immediately, so it's all the same. If you haven't used gu up to this point then I'd advise against it in the race.

If the Gatorade is causing you stomach issues, go with the salt tablets suggested in this thread, or grab some nuun and try that in your water bottle.

Fernandomike

I learned a lot on my first half a few weeks back. The GU Chomps worked great for me as I felt a burst of energy after each one I took. The problem for me was hydration. I drank plenty of water leading up to the race, but I sweated so heavily that my leg muscles nearly short-circuited. It's weird. I felt like my body was giving my mixed messages. I was gearing up mentally for a strong finish since my legs felt good around the 11 mile mark, but then came a twinge in my calf indicating that a full-blown cramp was nearing. I really had to dial things back so that I could achieve my goal of running the entire way.

For me personally, I think that I will forgo the water offered during the race as I've since read that it can slow the absorption of the electrolytes present in sports drink. Obviously, you can't consume much without coming to a complete stop at the drink stations, but I want to get down as much of whatever brand of sports drink they are serving as I can. I'll also take salt tablets next time out. These are things that I am implementing in my training runs to hopefully prevent me from having to slow down at the finish the nest time that I race.

fteale

I have been having some zero cal electrolyte tabs in my water when I run, but I think it was giving me a dodgy gut. They make me less tired on longer runs, so I have yet to find a compromise.