Long Distance Runners - Nutrition Question

I only carried gatorade...diluted a bit...when I ran for more than 1 hour...or more than 7 miles if doing mileage....I always made sure I did a good job of eating great fuel the day before a long run...and I ate a good breakfast of carbs...ie a whole wheat bagel with some pb before I got in the car...I liked doing long runs somewhere "pretty" anyway...during my marathon I wish that I had experiemented more with nutrition....I also get quite ill with Gu..so I think gummie bears and oranges will be my next experiment...probably every 2 miles once I hit 10 miles is what I think I will try out...I am 5 ft tall and about 115 lbs....Problem with a question like this is much like shoes...there are great shoes out there for everyone...but I can't guess what would be best for you....you have to find what works for you...running nutrition is much the same...you find what works for you...I know a guy that Gu's every mile after one hour....that makes me gag just thinking about it but he says it works for him

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I am working towards water only on runs less than 10 miles. However, for double digit races, 10 miles and up, I usually do gummy bears every 3 miles up to the last mile or two...b/c @ that point, it makes no sense to eat them since you will be done w/the race before they kick in.
Oatmeal and a banana are my favorite pre-race meal. But I can do a 5k on an empty stomach, and a 10k on an energy bar w/no problems. But anything longer and I gotta eat!!
I also don't really eat to "fuel" for runs per say. But I do try to get in extra healthy carbs the day before a long run, and I make sure I keep it "clean" the week before a big race.

I also completey agree that you have to play around with everything to find out what works for you. One suggestion I do have would be to change over just to water and ditch the Gatorade. Even though it's diluted, it may be making a big gooey mess in your tummy with the Chomps.

150ish

I don't go by distance, I go by time when thinking about nutrition during a run. For an hour or so run, only water. If I think I'll be much longer (like 30 or more minutes), then I might do Nuun water (electrolytes only) and have a few Sports Beans or Honey Stinger chews.

I've never run longer than 2 hours and that might be because my mid-run nutrition is lacking. I don't really like to eat during runs and I don't like drinking anything other than water.

I listened to an interview with Hammer Nutrition for The Extra Mile Podcast. I thought it was pretty interesting.
http://theextramilepodcast.blogspot.com/2010/07/extra-mile-podcast-experiment-episode-5.html

The mp3 of the podcast is here: http://media.podshow.com/media/15071/episodes/239930/theextramilepodcast2-239930-07-14-2010_pshow_401096.mp3

Interview with Hammer Nutrition starts at about 27:20.

Im afraid to ditch the gatorade because during my last half marathon I think I dropped my sodium too low, so I think I need the electrolytes...

I have no colon (surgically removed) and I feel like this complicates things for me!

You don't need Gatorade specifically for electrolytes. Check out Nuun tabs. Or you could make your own electrolyte drink (google!).

Have you tried different brands of sports drinks?

My husband thought Nuun was gross too. It was OK to me. What flavor did you try?

There's a lot of stuff out there. You might just have to keep trying til you find something that works for you.

Have you tried just making your own sports drink?

What a great post! I have loved hearing everyone's responses! My strategy is outlined below, but it is based on research I have done regarding how your body uses food for fuel. In a nutshell, your body can draw on its own energy reserves for only so long, at some point you have to give it "easy" energy or else you are going to bonk far before your time. Also, electrolytes are uber important and you can't expect your body to replenish those magically (you need a sports drink!). Finally, you really have to get around the mentality that you don't want to consume calories during the run for fear that you will be sabotaging your "burn"...feed the body during the run and you will see returns tenfold! OK, enough soapbox: here are my stats:

- 159 pounds (as of this morning)
- I try and take in about 300 calories a few hours before every work out (about 30g carbs for cross training/short runs and 50g carbs for long runs)
- On a regular run (8 miles or less) I do nothing, no water, fuel on run, etc.
- For a training run more than 8 miles I take in about 6 oz diluted sports drink (I use GU Brew) to replace electrolytes, refuel the run, and to get used to stopping every two miles during a race (train how you will race, very important!)
- For training runs lasting 12 or more miles I take in GU every 6 miles
- After every run or workout I drink a shake that's about 300 calories, at least 20g protein, and a few grams of fat.

I had to experiment a lot before I found an energy drink/supplement that worked for me on a run...try as many different kinds as you can because they really make all the difference!

I like to eat real food on a run. I like fig bars or homemade lara bars (dates and cashews in a food processor) usually on long slow runs of 10 miles or more. I try an always drink water before I run and bring a water bottle with just plain water. Test what works for you. Some recovery runs where I know I'm pretty tired, I'll bring food and it'll help when I feel really depleted.

Maybe the no colon issue is central to all this. Maybe its relevant to your general nutrition absorption. Is there a ports nutritionist you could speak to?

I was wondering if this article would be helpful to you? A friend of mine is an endurance runner suffering from Crohns and she posted this on another forum where someone had a similar querie:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1859261/

It looks at salt and water balance in endurance running ileostomates. It seems to suggest that loss of sodium is a big issue, creating electrolyte imbalance? If that's the case you might do better with salty snacks than sweet ones?

I only drink water on runs of less than 10 miles and add GU every 4 miles for runs over 10 miles. If I am training for a marathon and running in excess of 15 miles, I will mix water with a sports drink and carry both the mixture and plain water during the run. On race day, I alternate water and whatever sports drink they offer during the water stops and carry GU with me, again eating one packet every 4 miles.