MARATHONERS: Which pack should I buy?

jenn26point2
jenn26point2 Posts: 429 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Runners, I am training for my first marathon and am looking at packs for carrying all my junk. I need a pack that is large enough to carry 6 Larabars (If you don't know what that is, think the size of a protein bar), and possibly my phone. My water belt will hold my phone (barely, but it works).

What Nathan (or other brand) pack do you wear that holds all your junk but isn't bulky/heavy?
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Replies

  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
    I use a Nathan Intensity 2L hydration pack and love it...but why do you need 6 lara bars?
  • 7times2kindagirl
    7times2kindagirl Posts: 3 Member
    6 lara bars....that seems like quite a lot!
    Take a packet of mustard for cramping!
    They always have drinks and food along the route, look at your race it should tell you what they are having.
    otherwise, chomps, gu and jellybeans work just as good!
    Good luck!!!
    As for a pack....I use a super small one, so I am no help in that area!
  • jenn26point2
    jenn26point2 Posts: 429 Member
    B/c I'm paranoid about not having enough fuel. I don't use gels or other quick carbs. I ran 18 miles this weekend and ate 3 bars while running and one after - I was starving by mile 17. I figured 2 more bars would get me through the last 8 miles.

    I use saltsticks for electrolytes/cramping.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    I think reconsidering your thoughts on Lara bars vs. other carb sources and your need for so much food for a HM might be time better spent that researching a specific pack.

    There's a difference between bonking and being hungry. What is your aversion to being hungry at the end of your race?

    (Just throwing out some thoughts to break the ice for experienced marathoners to jump in...)
  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
    Just food for thought-

    The Lara bars seem like overkill. After a quick comparison, they have more carbs and sugar than a standard gel, so the whole 'I don't eat quick carbs' thing is moot - yes you do. More concerning to me would be that Lara Bars also have fiber, which, if you are eating 6 of them, would be worrisome on race day.

    Also, you just don't need that much to support a run. Each one is ~240 calories? That's quite a bit. If you are getting proper nutrition in your everyday life, its just, as I said before, overkill. I'm also wondering why you think you need salt tabs for a half marathon. Unless the temperatures are really high, that's pretty unnecessary. It seems to me that you are a bit producted-out.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    Buy a copy of "The New Rules of Marathon and Half-Marathon Nutrition" by Matt Fitzgerald.

    If you're eating properly during training and leading up to your race you shouldn't need more than a gel or two for a half-marathon (my last couple have been run without fueling along the way). I haven't run a full marathon yet (signed up for my first this coming October) but my more experienced running friends seem to think that 4 gels should be more than enough (taken along with a little Gatorade or similar sports drink)

    I like Larabars as a recovery food, I suspect if I ate 3 during a run I'd be puking my guts out.........

    BTW if you're not keen on commercial gels you can make an excellent homemade version.....3 parts honey, 1 part molasses, a pinch of salt and just enough water make it thin enough to sip from a gel flask (a fraction of the cost of prepackaged stuff and a typical gel flask is about the same as 4 or 5 gels)
  • jenn26point2
    jenn26point2 Posts: 429 Member
    I'm not doing a half... I'm doing a full...

    Nevermind... I should have known not to ask this here...
  • runnergrlfl
    runnergrlfl Posts: 82 Member
    Is it possible you're mixing your hunger and thirst signals? I just can't imagine consuming 1300+/- cals during a race and still being able to run comfortably.

    Have you actually tried any of the gels or beans? I like to toss back a few sport beans every mile or so, then use a gel or chomp at bigger mileage intervals.

    I would also suggest trying to run with less fuel on your training runs so you know what you body is really capable of. Feeling a bit of hunger isn't necessarily a sign that you're out of fuel.
  • KristiRTT
    KristiRTT Posts: 346 Member
    I can run 10 miles without breakfast or any gels/sport beans! Just so long as I have water! I think you need to start looking at how your fuel your body all week, not just during runs! Btw I am marathon training and one bag of sports beans lasts me 2 or 3 long runs of 10+ miles!
  • tameko2
    tameko2 Posts: 31,634 Member
    I'm not doing a half... I'm doing a full...

    Nevermind... I should have known not to ask this here...

    Fine, you're doing a full, but you asked marathoners for advice and marathoners are giving you advice AND it even answers your question. You want to know what pack to buy, and they are telling you that you don't need a big pack to run a marathon.

    And then you got mad because dammit, you want a big pack.

    So fine. Go buy one. The company that sells them will appreciate your money.
  • AlessisMore
    AlessisMore Posts: 179 Member
    I agree with everyone else about the larabars. That's a LOT of fiber that can really cause problems late in a race. YMMV but I've found I can't eat much of anything more complicated than a gel or maybe a couple of small pretzels in the last part of a marathon. If you really feel you need that much extra energy at the end of the race maybe you should consider something more easily digested.
  • ZenInTexas
    ZenInTexas Posts: 781 Member
    I'm not doing a half... I'm doing a full...

    Nevermind... I should have known not to ask this here...

    I would suggest posting your question here...http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/94-long-distance-runners.

    However, I would also suggest experimenting with different gels, beans and whatnot. Gels are much easier to manage than real food, one because of the chewing involved, chewing and running don't really mix that well, and also because of the amount of space that it will take up in your stomach. That much food while running is asking for stomach cramps. A gel has about 100 calories give or take, I took 5 of them during my marathon, one every 5 miles including one at the very start, I made up the rest of my calorie/carb needs with gatorade. To get the same calorie load you would only need about two and a half larabars. If you carb load sufficiently leading up to your race and have a proper breakfast you should not need that many calories during the race.

    I realize that was a lot of unsolicited advice. :smile: To answer your question I used a SPI belt for my marathon, they come in a couple of different sizes, the ones with a bigger pouch can hold quite a bit of stuff.
  • amandarunning
    amandarunning Posts: 306 Member
    Carry an energy drink in one hand and top that up at feed stations if necessary - prob just supplement with water. Then I used to wear regular baggy running shorts (not lycra) and cut an old sock just past the heel section and kind of sewed the new top a little. Put gels, sweeties and (in my case) a small flapjack in the new pouch and attach to insde of shorts with safety pin! Guys would have envied my new bulge but it did the job perfectly :-)

    If you need to take your phone get one of those armbands for it?
  • runner_esq25
    runner_esq25 Posts: 21 Member
    I agree with the above posters. We're not trying to be harsh, just helpful. Rethink your fuel strategy. I didn't really like gels so I used gatorade mixed with water, gummy bears, and/or pretzels. You shouldn't worry about being hungry; you just want to avoid bonking. As for packs, I have a nike water belt that has two small pockets that fits everything just fine. And I don't use a pack on race day...usually I just have friends at designated spots with the fuel that I will want.
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    I'm not doing a half... I'm doing a full...

    Nevermind... I should have known not to ask this here...

    Because you didn't get the answer you wanted?

    Instead, you got advice from 2 people who really know what they are talking about and gave you excellent advice. I would absolutely trust either one of them for all my running related questions.
  • CathOh
    CathOh Posts: 72 Member
    I don't run with a pack, but I've seen a number of marathon and running events not allowing packs or Camelbaks in their races. You may want to verify your event(s) before investing in a pack for training that you may not be able to actually use on race day.
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
    The de facto fueling recommendation for a marathon RACE is 100 calories every 45 minutes. That's one gel pack every 45 minutes. It's quickly soluble so that it absorbs into your system. Any more calories than that and the body has a hard time metabolizing them while running.

    For training, I don't believe that anything is necessary. It's called deprivation training. I do all my training runs, up to 22 miles, without fuel on a regular basis. The only exception is I will do a couple test runs with the gel that I intend to use during the race. The purpose of the long run is to train the body to use a higher percentage of fat stores for fuel during the effort. When you introduce an more easily accessible fuel source, like a gel, you are defeating one of the main purposes of the workout.

    I suggest you get Fitzgerald's book and read up on this before you design your own program. Most of the research has already been done for you.
  • amandalj
    amandalj Posts: 28 Member
    Buy a copy of "The New Rules of Marathon and Half-Marathon Nutrition" by Matt Fitzgerald.

    If you're eating properly during training and leading up to your race you shouldn't need more than a gel or two for a half-marathon (my last couple have been run without fueling along the way). I haven't run a full marathon yet (signed up for my first this coming October) but my more experienced running friends seem to think that 4 gels should be more than enough (taken along with a little Gatorade or similar sports drink)

    I like Larabars as a recovery food, I suspect if I ate 3 during a run I'd be puking my guts out.........

    BTW if you're not keen on commercial gels you can make an excellent homemade version.....3 parts honey, 1 part molasses, a pinch of salt and just enough water make it thin enough to sip from a gel flask (a fraction of the cost of prepackaged stuff and a typical gel flask is about the same as 4 or 5 gels)

    Just a friendly piece of advice - I don't think washing the gels down with Gatorade (or any other carby sports drink) is a good idea. Your stomach can only handle so much at a time and combining gel and Gatorade can cause some really unpleasant side effects (cramping, bathroom trouble :sick: ) that you don't want to experience at mile 16 of 26. Wash the gel down with water and supplement with sports drink in between.
    Good luck on your first full!
  • davemunger
    davemunger Posts: 1,139 Member
    I'm going to be a contrarian and say that depending on pace, Larabars can be fine fuel for a marathon. If you are running 8-minute miles then you probably want to stick with easily-digestible gels or maybe shot blocks if you don't like gels. But if your pace is closer to 12-minute miles, you are going to be out there for 5+ hours. That means you are really approaching the event more like an ultramarathon. Ultrarunners eat lots of solid food during races and it works out just fine for them.

    Unfortunately i don't have any advice on race vests that aren't also hydration packs. You might consider getting a very lightweight hydration pack that has lots of front pockets. If you don't feel like you need the bladder for the race, just remove it and use the space for storage (or leave it empty).
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    I'm not doing a half... I'm doing a full...

    Nevermind... I should have known not to ask this here...

    Like I said, the main point of my first post was bringing it to the attention of more people, some of them very experienced with the topic. Mission accomplished.


    (Oh, and I still completely stand behind everything I said in my first post too.)
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    The de facto fueling recommendation for a marathon RACE is 100 calories every 45 minutes. That's one gel pack every 45 minutes. It's quickly soluble so that it absorbs into your system. Any more calories than that and the body has a hard time metabolizing them while running.

    For training, I don't believe that anything is necessary. It's called deprivation training. I do all my training runs, up to 22 miles, without fuel on a regular basis. The only exception is I will do a couple test runs with the gel that I intend to use during the race. The purpose of the long run is to train the body to use a higher percentage of fat stores for fuel during the effort. When you introduce an more easily accessible fuel source, like a gel, you are defeating one of the main purposes of the workout.

    I suggest you get Fitzgerald's book and read up on this before you design your own program. Most of the research has already been done for you.

    ^this

    I'm pretty sure this guy and I have disagreed and argued about other topics a few times before on the boards here, but not this time, because I completely agree with everything he just said. OP, I strongly recommend that you read every line he posted and give it some serious consideration. Good luck.
  • RunMyOregonBunsOff
    RunMyOregonBunsOff Posts: 862 Member
    I seem to be weird (I have only made it up to 16 miles in training so far but I always feel sick if I exercise on an empty stomach or if I eat something that feels sloshy (yogurt, cereal with milk, smoothies and I feel SICK!) I eat something like toast and peanut butter and a piece of fruit or some oatmeal before hand and then I use shot blocks as needed. For me I have found that one about every 10 minutes past the first30 minutes works well for me. I may need something like a few dry pretzels later on. I also drink a lot of water when running (side affect from a med I take) and I plan on using a belt that holds two small water bottles (one with water and maybe the other with gatorade?) and supplementing with water stations and maybe have my support team have a refill of each bottle for me some where along the course because I'm not a fan of drinking out of the cups. I train with a pack because there is nobody along my way to refill me but I don't plan on using it in any races.

    I guess that may not be much help. If you haven't tried any of the gels and such, I really think you should give them a try as they are specially designed for runners and other endurance athletes.
  • fleetzz
    fleetzz Posts: 962 Member
    I would go with this guy. Join the long distance runner group too. You will see him a lot on there.
    The de facto fueling recommendation for a marathon RACE is 100 calories every 45 minutes. That's one gel pack every 45 minutes. It's quickly soluble so that it absorbs into your system. Any more calories than that and the body has a hard time metabolizing them while running.

    For training, I don't believe that anything is necessary. It's called deprivation training. I do all my training runs, up to 22 miles, without fuel on a regular basis. The only exception is I will do a couple test runs with the gel that I intend to use during the race. The purpose of the long run is to train the body to use a higher percentage of fat stores for fuel during the effort. When you introduce an more easily accessible fuel source, like a gel, you are defeating one of the main purposes of the workout.

    I suggest you get Fitzgerald's book and read up on this before you design your own program. Most of the research has already been done for you.
  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
    I'm not doing a half... I'm doing a full...

    Nevermind... I should have known not to ask this here...

    Experienced distance runners have given you very reasonable (and might I add, free) advice. Sorry you didn't like it. By all means, keep buying trendy crap you don't actually need.
  • amandalj
    amandalj Posts: 28 Member
    I would go with this guy. Join the long distance runner group too. You will see him a lot on there.

    How do you join the long distance running group? I'd be very interested! :flowerforyou:
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
    I would go with this guy. Join the long distance runner group too. You will see him a lot on there.

    How do you join the long distance running group? I'd be very interested! :flowerforyou:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/111-long-distance-runners
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
    The de facto fueling recommendation for a marathon RACE is 100 calories every 45 minutes. That's one gel pack every 45 minutes. It's quickly soluble so that it absorbs into your system. Any more calories than that and the body has a hard time metabolizing them while running.

    For training, I don't believe that anything is necessary. It's called deprivation training. I do all my training runs, up to 22 miles, without fuel on a regular basis. The only exception is I will do a couple test runs with the gel that I intend to use during the race. The purpose of the long run is to train the body to use a higher percentage of fat stores for fuel during the effort. When you introduce an more easily accessible fuel source, like a gel, you are defeating one of the main purposes of the workout.

    I suggest you get Fitzgerald's book and read up on this before you design your own program. Most of the research has already been done for you.

    ^this

    I'm pretty sure this guy and I have disagreed and argued about other topics a few times before on the boards here, but not this time, because I completely agree with everything he just said. OP, I strongly recommend that you read every line he posted and give it some serious consideration. Good luck.

    Another thing we CAN agree on is that you are actually Walter White. :laugh:
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    I'm going to be a contrarian and say that depending on pace, Larabars can be fine fuel for a marathon. If you are running 8-minute miles then you probably want to stick with easily-digestible gels or maybe shot blocks if you don't like gels. But if your pace is closer to 12-minute miles, you are going to be out there for 5+ hours. That means you are really approaching the event more like an ultramarathon. Ultrarunners eat lots of solid food during races and it works out just fine for them.

    Unfortunately i don't have any advice on race vests that aren't also hydration packs. You might consider getting a very lightweight hydration pack that has lots of front pockets. If you don't feel like you need the bladder for the race, just remove it and use the space for storage (or leave it empty).

    I'll be contrary with you. I'm a slow runner. Did my half in 2:51. A full marathon would be nearly 6 hours running. I would eating my arm by 3.5 hours LOL. I wouldn't eat as much as the OP is proposing, but if it's working for her training, why wouldn't it work for the marathon? In my 3 hour half, I only ate some crackers with peanut butter and some gatorade at one of the stations. But afterwards, I wanted to eat everything in site. They had chocolate milk and cookies at the end and yes, I ate a bunch!

    I have a very small spibelt that I used for my half. But it wouldn't hold anything like you need. I also don't carry water at all.
  • ElliottTN
    ElliottTN Posts: 1,614 Member
    As a side note (sorry if I derail), is it bad that I have been known to carry my debit card with me and hit up a gas station for a can of coke and snickers bar while mid run?

    Back on subject, I have a nathan gel pack for anything under 8 miles to just carry my phone for music, ID, "personal protection device"

    For anything longer I have a camelbak dart for water and phone, cars, etc.

    I love the camelbak, as an added bonus I feel like it adds a bit more weight to help with my training....until that weight gets in my belly.
  • fleetzz
    fleetzz Posts: 962 Member
    As a side note (sorry if I derail), is it bad that I have been known to carry my debit card with me and hit up a gas station for a can of coke and snickers bar while mid run?

    Back on subject, I have a nathan gel pack for anything under 8 miles to just carry my phone for music, ID, "personal protection device"

    For anything longer I have a camelbak dart for water and phone, cars, etc.

    I love the camelbak, as an added bonus I feel like it adds a bit more weight to help with my training....until that weight gets in my belly.

    You don't look like you need a personal protection device :noway:

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