Endurance running and biking - Logging fuel while on course

runnermom419
runnermom419 Posts: 366 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I had a lot of time to think while running a trail half on Saturday.

After I took Gatorade at the first aid station, I wondered and questioned how (and if) I would log it.

When it comes to endurance running and logging (2+ hours), what's the recommendation for logging fuel taken on the course? I'm considering a long distance (metric century or a full century) bike ride and a 6 hour trail run. Most of these events have well-stocked aid stations. I do carry a few of my own gels/bars, but do look forward to the snacks at the aid stations. Just not sure if it's feasible to stop and write down that I had 10 pretzels/whatever. And usually I'm foggy afterwards and don't remember everything I took.

Or, am I overthinking this?

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    sounds like over thinking it to me

    not sure why you're even considering stopping to log stuff? unless you'd be stopping anyway?

    keep the wrappers, log it later. or just guesstimate based on your fuelling for training runs?
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    You’re probably overthinking.

    Carry all your own fuel if you want to be exact about it. Otherwise, I’d estimate 100 calories per aid station, since that’s about how much energy is in a gel. Obviously you’d estimate higher if you tend to eat more on a ride.

    I would pre-log or log it later...no way would I stop in the middle of a race to log.
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
    I tend to not log on race days. The way I figure, fueling for the race is more important and I don't want to spend my mental powers on race day worrying about my calories. I eat what I need to eat and drink what I need to drink to run well and then celebrate with a post-race meal that I may or may not make an actual effort to log. Since I do track/weigh daily, sometimes I'll quick add based on estimations at the end of the day, but not always.
  • runnermom419
    runnermom419 Posts: 366 Member
    Thanks! Generally the long distance days I don't log and call it a wash since I'm burning 1000+ calories. But thinking I should try to log the best I can.

    Runs I generally carry my own gels since my stomach gets iffy at times if I do anything out of the norm. For a full I'll sometimes have a banana or orange if they are handing them out on the course.

    For rides, we'll stop at the aid stations to stretch and get a snack.
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
    I do log my long runs, just not race days. I prelog on long run days (and most days, actually).
  • runnermom419
    runnermom419 Posts: 366 Member
    fitoverfortymom wrote: »
    I do log my long runs, just not race days. I prelog on long run days (and most days, actually).

    Agreed, my last post wasn't totally clear. Long run/ride days, I'll log the fuels before hand. Race days can be a little chaotic.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    runnermom419 wrote: »
    Thanks! Generally the long distance days I don't log and call it a wash since I'm burning 1000+ calories. But thinking I should try to log the best I can.

    Runs I generally carry my own gels since my stomach gets iffy at times if I do anything out of the norm. For a full I'll sometimes have a banana or orange if they are handing them out on the course.

    For rides, we'll stop at the aid stations to stretch and get a snack.

    i suffer badly from runger, so i always log long runs to try and make sure i hit my macros without going completely mental.

    if you're counting your own gels then you know how many you start with an dhow many you finish with?
  • runnermom419
    runnermom419 Posts: 366 Member
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    runnermom419 wrote: »
    Thanks! Generally the long distance days I don't log and call it a wash since I'm burning 1000+ calories. But thinking I should try to log the best I can.

    Runs I generally carry my own gels since my stomach gets iffy at times if I do anything out of the norm. For a full I'll sometimes have a banana or orange if they are handing them out on the course.

    For rides, we'll stop at the aid stations to stretch and get a snack.

    i suffer badly from runger, so i always log long runs to try and make sure i hit my macros without going completely mental.

    if you're counting your own gels then you know how many you start with an dhow many you finish with?

    Long run training days I can log all day long; and I do. But race days can get a little messy.

    Maybe I'll do what I've been doing and not worry too much about race days.
  • The_Enginerd
    The_Enginerd Posts: 3,982 Member
    I usually pre-log the fuel I bring and keep a mental tally for road races, or take a quick note/voice note/photo on my phone for ultras since the aid stations there tend to be more well stocked and I eat more during a long race like that. But I'm a bit OCD in my logging :lol:

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  • acbraswell
    acbraswell Posts: 238 Member
    fitoverfortymom wrote: »
    I do log my long runs, just not race days. I prelog on long run days (and most days, actually).

    This. Then I don't eat back many exercise calories because I'm fueling during training runs. I don't worry about race day. Trying to keep up with and estimate fuel and post-race beers(!) is too much for me.
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    edited July 2018
    figure about 6-8oz for the gatorade x the number of stations you use
    i only use gels or chomps so i look those up by flavor
    then i guess on things like banana, cookie, post run beer/food

    but i try not to worry too much
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    If I was running a half marathon I would just not worry about it. You’re burning so many calories.

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