Just curious but at what length of time do you start fueling during runs? I've run 6 miles which takes me about 1:12 to complete and I haven't fueled. I have a 7 mile run planned on Saturday and I'm not sure if I should fuel or not. Plus, will the people on the treadmills give me odd looks
. I feel exhausted during these runs (obviously) but I'm not sure if fueling will actually changed anything. Also, do you only do GU or do you experiment?
I could have used this last night! I took an impromptu rest day. I was bone tired and made the mistake of going home instead of going straight to the gym. The longer I sat on the couch the more exhausted I felt and just knew that the run wouldn't be good and I mentally wasn't in it.
One motivation for getting to my goal is because I want to feel healthier. Before, I used to feel my muscles when I moved. I felt like I could do a pick up game of basketball or just break out into a sprint and it wasn't weird and I didn't feel out of shape. Then I went to Disney for my wedding in 2014 and I was soooo out of shape. My legs hurt, my feet hurt, my back hurt. I felt like an 80 year old woman! It was the first time that I could remember going to a Disney trip and not feeling like a kid. And I didn't like it. Which is when I decided to change.
Disney also has motivated me to run with the races. I have always despised running. But then I got on the Dis boards and read some trip reports about the dopey challenge and I was hooked! I knew I wanted to do it. And oddly enough, I am loving running now. Which has helped with my progress.
Overall, my motivation is to be happy and healthy. I want to feel beautiful in my skin. I want to feel attractive for my husband (even though he loves me know matter what I look like) and I want to feel attractive for myself. I want to have kids some day but I want to be my healthiest self when I do it.
I'm thinking EPCOT but I have no idea what kind of ride it would be!
Hi
@dsnyfn1022 I thought I'd pipe in on your fueling question, because it made a big difference for me, right where you are at. The general advice of trainers and nutritionists, is if you are going to run over an hour (some even say 45 minutes) you should fuel. You only have so much easy to burn fuel stored in your body at a time and if you go through is when you "hit the wall" as people refer to. And, you need to start early, because once you get to a deficit, its hard to recover. That said, it does not have to be a ton, and may depend on if you ate in the hour or two before you started running, and what you are drinking if anything. I waited a long time to experiment with fueling, because I have a very sensitive stomach and had heard horror stories about fuels really messing with people. But it was when I got to the 7-8 mile mark for long runs that I really felt drained at the end of the run, and it tended to continue through the day. I bought a few things, and first ate a small amount at home separate from exercise, or after a run or bike ride. Then, I took what I liked best (Clif shot blocks) to the gym and had it during a treadmill run, so a bathroom was close by
In the end, my fuel of choice did not mess with me at all, and it really, really helped. I am a prolific and salty sweater. I come home crusted in salt from some outdoor runs. So, I use Clif Margarita Shot Bloks because they have 3x the replacement salt. Makes a huge difference. I take my first one at 20 minutes into my run, and then, every twenty minutes there after. I have a sip or two of water with each block and a sip every 10 minutes between blocks. If I am going to be running more than 2 hours, such as for a half, I might take two blocks at a time the first time (at 20 minutes) and again when I am 1 hour 20 minutes in. But that would mainly be if I knew I was low on carbs the day before, and/or went out so early I skipped breakfast, like Disney race days. I also have a fuel belt with 2 (or 3 if I add it) water bottles. On really hot days I will have 1 or 2 bottles be straight water and 1 will be a mix or water and gatorade. I'll use the mix between fueling to make up for the additional sweating.
The bottom line is you have to find what works for you. Some people can get by just drinking gatorade or the like instead of fuels. Its not enough for me. I for one gag on GU. I applaud anyone who can tolerate it. Its just a consistency thing. My favorite flavor and consistency wise is honey stinger chews, but I need all the salt in my Margarita shot blocks.
Question of the Day - February 5
Let's talk... snack foods.
Guests living onboard the Axiom have only the best options to choose from for food - just kidding!
They're drinking Buy n Large slurpees flavored with pizza, hotdogs, and burgers. Um... yuck!
How do you manage snacking and snack foods?
What are your go-to snack foods? What are your weaknesses?
Bonus: Would you want to try a hamburger flavored slurpee, like those featured in Wall-e?
So snacking is the make or break for me. My meals are easy. I really solidly ingrained them in my brain back when I first started, and so I have great control and make what I think I generally very good choices for meals. But snacks, oh snacks. I love snacks. And I need them. I exercise enough I can't get by on three meals a day. I have a lot that are good choices and that keep me on plan, but I love a lot of less healthy choices too. My favorite good snacks are plain greek yogurt with a small serving with dark chocolate chips an ground flaxseed, bell peppers dipped in hummus, cheese sticks, a hard boiled egg, 3-4 slices of deli meat rolled up with a sliced of cheese divided and rolled in the middle of each, and fruits like berries and citrus.
My problems are oreos, grabbing the bag of chocolate chips meant for my yogurt and eating them by the handful, ice cream, oreos, chocolate chip cookies, oh and oreos
And removing the oreos from the house isn't really an option. I have a son with multiple food allergies, and as a result there is a lot he can't eat. Oreos he can. When we need a safe snack for a celebration at school (there is a list we have to go from) Oreos is the go to.
Bonus: No, Just no!
My weakness is definitely Doritos or salt and vinegar chips so I avoid buying those often. 
