I am glad people posted about consistency. I was curious as to what the gel was like-more like cake icing gel or like jelly? I may pick up a few different ones and just taste them to see what I can stomach before actually trying them while running.
More like icing gel (I think) - definitely not as thick as jelly. On a warm day, however, especially if you are carrying them in an inner pocket, they can be pretty runny. On a really cold day, they're pretty solid, but that's the only time they're like jelly.
So my next question is, how often do you take the gel? If I remember the package said one 45 minutes before running and then every 45 minutes once you have started. Is this something I will have to play around with to find out what works or is there a "system" to doing the gel? And in regards to hydration, folks have mentioned the Gu drink stuff.
It depends. For a long training run, when I am trying to emulate what I will do on race day, I aim for one every 45 minutes (or so). And, just as helpful advise -
always take a Gu/Clif Shot/whatever with water. It helps go down, and a lot of people (though not everyone) have GI problems if they follow up a shot of Gu with a quick hit of Gatorade.
If I were racing - I don't bother with a Gu for anything under a half. A half-marathon has me taking one, at about the 50 minute mark. (If I took another, it would be almost at the finish line, which would be too late to do any good.) For a marathon, I take one every 45-50 minutes (more or less).
Oh and what's up with the caffeine? Not good to use or a personal preference? My caffeine consumption is limited to one 16oz cup of coffee per day, which I will not give up for love or money (trust me, you do not want me using sharp instruments in your mouth if I have not been properly caffeinated

)

I don't understand it either. My addiction to this rather inferior stimulant aside, caffeine appears to be beneficial (under laboratory conditions, at least), to distance runners.