MFP Long-Distance Runners/Cyclists...

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songbyrdsweet
songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I would like to hear what you guys do for electrolytes/carbs while running/cycling for very long periods of time.

Bf and I are really slow, so just 8 miles will take us about 1 hr 45 min. After about an hour, it's important to get some carbohydrates and sports drink. We are trying to come up with a better plan than having it in the car waiting for us after the run LOL. Luckily it was chilly last week, so the 7 miles didn't feel like much, but we were close to bonking by the end of it since it took about 90 minutes.

Do you use a fuel belt or camel bak or something else?
Do you just sip Gatorade? 1/2 Gatorade/Water?
Do you use energy gels?
Do you eat gummies or dried fruits at all?

We are looking for hydration packs online at the moment. I'm thinking we'll keep plain water in there and then bring dried bananas since they have carbs, potassium, and sodium.
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  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    I would like to hear what you guys do for electrolytes/carbs while running/cycling for very long periods of time.

    Bf and I are really slow, so just 8 miles will take us about 1 hr 45 min. After about an hour, it's important to get some carbohydrates and sports drink. We are trying to come up with a better plan than having it in the car waiting for us after the run LOL. Luckily it was chilly last week, so the 7 miles didn't feel like much, but we were close to bonking by the end of it since it took about 90 minutes.

    Do you use a fuel belt or camel bak or something else?
    Do you just sip Gatorade? 1/2 Gatorade/Water?
    Do you use energy gels?
    Do you eat gummies or dried fruits at all?

    We are looking for hydration packs online at the moment. I'm thinking we'll keep plain water in there and then bring dried bananas since they have carbs, potassium, and sodium.
  • alyfin
    alyfin Posts: 103
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    I am a distance runner, and I stay away from food immediately before and during my runs. It makes me feel like puking, and give me cramps.

    The best drink I found is cytomax. It is a powder that you mix with water. I like it because it has sodium, which some drinks don't, and it isn't super sweet (again to avoid the pukey thing). I usually carry it in a water bottle. If I want to get really into it I will switch hands to get an even workout in my arms. :)
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    I am a distance runner, and I stay away from food immediately before and during my runs. It makes me feel like puking, and give me cramps.

    The best drink I found is cytomax. It is a powder that you mix with water. I like it because it has sodium, which some drinks don't, and it isn't super sweet (again to avoid the pukey thing). I usually carry it in a water bottle. If I want to get really into it I will switch hands to get an even workout in my arms. :)

    Yea, I don't do well with food either. Apparently the bacteria in my intestines really love to chow on some sugars and it causes severe GI problems at times. :sick: The cytomax looks good, pretty close to the Gatorade powder but with a slightly different sodium:potassium ratio.
  • yoginimary
    yoginimary Posts: 6,783 Member
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    I just did a 3.5 hour bike ride two weekends ago - it was supported, but I brought a trail mix of dried fruit and nuts. I don't like anything that is not food. I didn't feel like sugar overkill until I finished the bag off on the way home from the ride. (Burned 1600 calories - average HR 144 - I was hungry). I had a water cage on the bike, but I was also able to get water at the stops. I have a basket on my bike for extra stuff too (tire repair, etc) so I could have had extra water there. I don't feel that the camelbacks can be cleaned properly.

    My main problem if I didn't have the stops would be restroom breaks. I guess if I was going for long walks/hikes I would have a back pack or at least a man purse - but I'm also someone that brings 2 weeks worth of clothes for a 1 week trip.
  • shorerider
    shorerider Posts: 3,817 Member
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    Well, SBS, you know I cycle-I use 1 bottle (20 oz) per hour roughly. Every other one with Electrolyte mixed in the water. And, I eat some kind of snack every 45-60 minutes--1 hour GU, the next something like Fig Newtons. Seems to be the best combo to keep up my BG levels.
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    Yea, the fig newtons look great. They don't take a lot of chewing and are calorie-dense so I don't have to carry many. Plus they have a fat free version which helps avoid further GI issues. I wish I had a better system for carrying water though, I really don't want to carry a bottle for 8 miles, it's annoying! :tongue:

    As far as bathroom breaks, I have to go RIGHT before I start running. Then while I'm out, those processes generally stop. But I still get a gurgling in my tummy at about 4 miles which tells of the impending doom after I'm done running. :sick:
  • runnerdad
    runnerdad Posts: 2,081 Member
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    Hi SBS,
    For my shorter runs/rides ( less than 60-70 minutes), I may have 8 oz of gatorade before I start out, but only drink water during the run. For longer runs/rides, I may have a light snack before going out, and will carry gels (one every hour). If it is really hot, I carry electrolyte capsules as well., typically take a couple an hour ( I find if I rely on sports drinks alone for hydration and electrolytes, I take in an insane amount of calories ). By taking my carbs and electrolytes separately, I can drink as much water as I want for hydration. (I live in Florida, and some long work-outs get so hot, you can drink liters and liters of fluids, so the sport drinks can really add up calorically).
    Gels used to really turn my stomach too, but I think the key is to make sure you drink enough water when you take one, to dilute it out and avoid the 'sugar bomb' feeling. That's when water is also better than sports drink. Gatorade + Gu = barf.
    I wear a fuel belt for my long runs, both for water and to carry my gels / electrolytes. I have a camelbak for biking - I find it easier to deal with when riding, but the belt is more comfortable when running
  • jadaigle
    jadaigle Posts: 161 Member
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    I take two water bottles with me on long rides. I'll usually fill them with an electrolyte drink: I used to use Powerade but I had too many problems with it so I'm still looking for the perfect mix. Right now I'm using a Luna mix. I also do one gu every 45 to 60 minutes on the bike. For running, I haven't done a long run (over 6 miles) in a while, but I have a carrier that slides over a water bottle so I can grip it better (plus but my house key and a coulple of gus in the pocket). I can't remember what it's called but I found it at a running store. For anything under 6 miles, I use water. Above 6 miles, I do an electrolyte drink.
  • shorerider
    shorerider Posts: 3,817 Member
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    I take two water bottles with me on long rides. I'll usually fill them with an electrolyte drink: I used to use Powerade but I had too many problems with it so I'm still looking for the perfect mix. Right now I'm using a Luna mix. I also do one gu every 45 to 60 minutes on the bike. For running, I haven't done a long run (over 6 miles) in a while, but I have a carrier that slides over a water bottle so I can grip it better (plus but my house key and a coulple of gus in the pocket). I can't remember what it's called but I found it at a running store. For anything under 6 miles, I use water. Above 6 miles, I do an electrolyte drink.

    I really like the mix I use--sugar-free/sodium-free. Works great! I even use it around the house sometimes lately after I take the pup for a good long walk. Tastes is ok--not too strong and just enough that it's "not water". It's called Emergen-C
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    I take two water bottles with me on long rides. I'll usually fill them with an electrolyte drink: I used to use Powerade but I had too many problems with it so I'm still looking for the perfect mix. Right now I'm using a Luna mix. I also do one gu every 45 to 60 minutes on the bike. For running, I haven't done a long run (over 6 miles) in a while, but I have a carrier that slides over a water bottle so I can grip it better (plus but my house key and a coulple of gus in the pocket). I can't remember what it's called but I found it at a running store. For anything under 6 miles, I use water. Above 6 miles, I do an electrolyte drink.

    I really like the mix I use--sugar-free/sodium-free. Works great! I even use it around the house sometimes lately after I take the pup for a good long walk. Tastes is ok--not too strong and just enough that it's "not water". It's called Emergen-C

    Ah, I've had emergen-C before, I used to take it when I acted in high school because of the looooong nights.

    I think I'll have to invest in some of that and some energy gels when I can get back out on the road.
  • nuctec
    nuctec Posts: 33 Member
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    Last year I ran the portland marathon. I mixed my gu with gatorade. I was puking around mile 21. Now I carry a 4 bottle fuel belt for my 3 to 4 hrs runs. I never mix gu and gatorade and I alternate water with gatorade. I eat 1 and half hour before my long runs. No one person's body works the same. You learn as you go by your mistakes. I just learn no to do a heavy lower body training session 7 days before my next 1/2 on Sunday. Big mistake for me, but I will make the best of it.
  • shorerider
    shorerider Posts: 3,817 Member
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    Last year I ran the portland marathon. I mixed my gu with gatorade.

    :sick: :sick: :sick: :sick:

    That makes me sick to just think about it!
  • nuctec
    nuctec Posts: 33 Member
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    Tell me about! I could not drink gatorade for weeks!!
  • Angiebangie
    Angiebangie Posts: 191 Member
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    I've been running marathons for 3 years, I've don 5 and every distance on down. I have 2 different fuel belts, one is a camelback for running, and the other is the nathan human belt. I don't have any issue with food, so I eat an hour before long runs. On the run I use gu's, sport beans, Larabars (very tasty, but no electrolytes, fine for 8 or so), Also no electrolytes, but Gerber's toddler fruit snacks melt in your mouth, and are about the 100 calories you need. When I'm on a training run, I eat less than when I'm racing, every hour or so, and I just drink water. When I'm racing I eat some sport beans or gu 30 minutes before and about every 5 miles, so 45-50 min. depending on my pace, and I drink a water and a gatorade at every water stop which I walk through, that 30-60 second walk will make such a difference, and you'll probably finish faster, and feel better. Also if your stomach can handle it on a run, trail mix, fruit, danimal yogurts :laugh: , fig newtons are fine too.

    Good luck!
  • runnerdad
    runnerdad Posts: 2,081 Member
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    I really like the mix I use--sugar-free/sodium-free. Works great! I even use it around the house sometimes lately after I take the pup for a good long walk. Tastes is ok--not too strong and just enough that it's "not water". It's called Emergen-C
    Not to be critical, but if you are doing endurance stuff, especially in hot weather, you really need the sugar and sodium.
  • shorerider
    shorerider Posts: 3,817 Member
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    I really like the mix I use--sugar-free/sodium-free. Works great! I even use it around the house sometimes lately after I take the pup for a good long walk. Tastes is ok--not too strong and just enough that it's "not water". It's called Emergen-C
    Not to be critical, but if you are doing endurance stuff, especially in hot weather, you really need the sugar and sodium.

    Not when you're diabetic with HBP. I have a hard enough time maintaining my levels without adding in more stuff in my drinks into the mix.
  • firegirlred
    firegirlred Posts: 674 Member
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    Angie-which camelbak do you use?
  • nuctec
    nuctec Posts: 33 Member
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    Thanks Angie....I had only ran 1 full marathon, 3 1/2 marathon including the one this Sunday. So, I am pretty new. Starting Dec I will be going to Boston for the long runs. I am planning to do Boston to raise money for the leukemia and lymphoma foundation. I have my ear open for any suggestion veterans runners have!

    Arlene
  • runnerdad
    runnerdad Posts: 2,081 Member
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    Not when you're diabetic with HBP. I have a hard enough time maintaining my levels without adding in more stuff in my drinks into the mix.
    My bad!! Couldn't figure out why you weren't just drinking water, but, yeah, it gets old when you're drinking a lot of it.
  • Angiebangie
    Angiebangie Posts: 191 Member
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    CamelBak Alterra, it holds more water than it says, I think like 24 oz.. It's $45.00, It was my first fuel belt and I liked it better than any others I tried, because it fit so nicely around my waist, when it was bigger, now I use the Nathan Human one, with two bottles in the back, the Fuel Belt brand drove me crazy, because my arms would brush against it when I put it on.

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