HELP -- When to GU??

[swim-mom]

Hi everyone -

I am signed up for the Princess in March, it is my first 1/2 and I am following a modified ver. of "marathonrookie" plan (thanks to help of Charles for his guidance).

I have my first 4 miler tomorrow and wanted to know when do you go add the supplement? Is there a golden rule in doing so and how often?

I can run 3.1 miles fine, and my best time this week was 35 min - happy with that considering I am officially just 5 months post-op from cervical surgery

Figured this was the best place to find out the why and why not's since everyone has been such a huge help and support to me

thanks in advance!!

 

[Ronda93]

Unless I'm going to be running over an hour I don't take in anything but water. I train in the dark though. If I was in the heat of day I might use Powerade/Gatorade. If it's going to be over 60 minutes I Gu at 45 and ever 20 minutes after that until it ends. I'm a newbie, but haven't bonked yet with this strategy.

Ronda

 

[cewait]

Rhonda is spot on but I want to expand.

100% correct – anything less than an hour water only. You should have some kind of light meal (1-200 Kcal) within the hour before if strenuous)
I am not a real fan of Sport Drink on a hot day and shorter than an hour but it will not harm you. It really adds needless Kcal to your diet. You can use an electrolytic mix that does not contain carbs if electrolytic balance is an issue.

Now, longer than an hour to an hour and a half (the range is because you really don’t need to supplement glycogen up through the 90 minute mark but then you may….depends on you) you need to think about adding a gel or other form of CHO supplement to your run.

The rule of thumb is to start with a gel at 45 minute intervals. You may find that is too long and need to shorten up the interval, you may find that an hour is the proper interval. So ranging this spread is 30-60 minutes. You are looking to supplement between 100 and 200 Kcal per hour. The range depends on your weight, and effort relative to your anaerobic threshold. Tolerance also plays a role. Experience is the only way to figure it out.

Rhonda since you intervals work for you, keep at it. Though one day I am expecting you will find that 3 an hour may leave you looking to resolve a GI issue. But stay with what works until proven otherwise.

Here is how to take a gel. As you come to your point where you need to gel it should line up with an aid station, water point or walk break. You want to take a sip of water. Does not need to be anything but enough to wet your mouth. Take the gel. It’s simple; squeeze the top to push the gel to the bottom of the packet; rip the top then roll up from the bottom to squirt it in. Once you swallow be prepared to drink a cup of water. Two may be necessary. Do not take sport drink at a gel stop. The added salts and CHO in the drink may overload the stomach’s ability to process.

You may not be able to take a full gel at a stop. Don’t worry. In a race setting, simply do the above and only squeeze in half a gel. Push the contents to the bottom and pinch the top over. When you get to the next stop take the remaining gel. You may get a little sticky but this helps a lot of folks who simply cannot deal with the oz of gel.

What kind of gel is best? You will find quickly that there are several manufacturers of gels and each have multiple flavors. Some have caffeine and some have double caffeine. Caffeine will give you even more boost that the gel but the caffeine boost may only be short lived and also takes a little hydration away from the body. Only buy one or two flavors and multiple brands as you try to figure out what you can handle. As an example, I will use two brands and three flavors from these two brands. I have a couple ‘special’ flavors that I have with me but keep out of my rotation. One is a double caffeine flavor that is really tart. I use it at the start of a run. It forces me to take a nice swig of water at the line.

As time goes on, through weather changes and at differing levels of effort, what tastes good at first might not taste good later. Don’t stock up with more than a month’s supply at any given time. Gels have a short shelf life since they have no preservatives.

Near the end of a marathon or IM I really hate gels. I find that I tend to favor one flavor and leave the other and I cannot predict which flavor that will happen to. I learned a trick from a fellow triathlete. Put you gels in a fanny pack and mix them well. Then as you need to gel, reach in and take the first one you feel. This will keep you from overdoing one flavor and in the end you will still have a selection should you really hate one flavor.

 

[FFigawi]

I take my first goo after 90 minutes and then take one every 45-60 minutes after that, depending on how I'm feeling, the temperature, etc. In comparison, my wife takes her first one at 9-10 miles and then one every 6 miles after that. I think the best thing for you to do is to experiment during your long runs and see what timing work best for you. I'd also experiment with different brands and flavors. Not everyone reacts to the same ones the same way. There's also chewable blocks and jelly beans that work the same way but can be easier to digest. Try some of each and you'll end up finding the ones you like the best.

 

[Sarah_Rose]

You'll have to experiment to see what works for you! Unless it's really hot out, I don't carry water for anything under 5-6 miles. Anything over 6 miles, I carry my hydration belt, with one bottle of water and one bottle of Poweraid/Gatoraid. I carry the water because you need to take Gu/Shots/Chomps/whatever with plain water, not a sports drink. Your body needs the water so that you can absorb what is in the Gu.

Now, this is what I do with my Gu. I'm not saying it works for everyone, but you need to experiment with what works well for you. I only take Gu if I'm going to be out for 2 hours or longer, and I only take my first one at 1.5 hours. I used to take my first one at 45 minutes, but I've found that I like to push myself a little farther and force my body to use its stored energy before I give it the sugar. After that, I take one every 45 minutes, as long as I will be running at least 30 minutes past my last Gu. It takes 15 minutes for your Gu to be absorbed and used, so there's no point taking it if your run is almost over.

 

[Ronda93]

I am expecting you will find that 3 an hour may leave you looking to resolve a GI issue.

Yeah, I've only used them a few times during my MfM training. The interval will likely be dictated by walk breaks (would be closer to 25 minutes) and water stop availability. I drink a lot ; )

I wish Gu had a "litter leash" on their tabs. Who does that? Clif? I've actually dressed up a few with duct tape to avoid having to keep track of little devil tab.

Ronda

 

[cewait]

Yeah, I've only used them a few times during my MfM training. The interval will likely be dictated by walk breaks (would be closer to 25 minutes) and water stop availability. I drink a lot ; )

I wish Gu had a "litter leash" on their tabs. Who does that? Clif? I've actually dressed up a few with duct tape to avoid having to keep track of little devil tab.

Ronda

Correct Cliff has the Litter Leash. You can 'leash' all gels if you stop just short of ripping off entirely. On the run that is difficult.

 

[Kirsty-Leigh]

I think Charles covered most of it, just wanted to add that I don't really take them for anything under 10 miles, as Charles mentioned, to those with sensitive stomachs like me less can be more! I don't really go by milage any more, I keep track of where and when I take them but I find the more I train the more I can tell when my body needs one, I get like wierd cravings for gu around mile 10 and then every 5 miles ish! That could just be me though!

I too drink lots, even if it's cold I need tonnes of water but unless it's really hot I don't have any powerade - it just makes me more thirsty!

Good luck with your training

kirsty

 

[wellesleyprincess]

I'm with Kirsty I don't take them if it's under 10 miles. I can't imagine using one on a 4 mile run. I'll occasionally take one on something like a 15k race if I know I haven't eaten enough before.

On a long run (usally 13+ miles), I take the first at 6-7 miles (~ 50-60 minutes) and then every 5-6 miles there after (~45 minutes). Anything <15 miles I only take one over the course of the run, 15-18 miles I take 2 gels, 18+ I take 3.

 

[RunningGirl]

I only take them if my run is 13 or more. I will take them every 6 miles which seems to be just enough for me! My favorite is the chocolate GU - tastes like brownie batter!

 

[VernRDH]

I tried the Gu, its like eating toothpaste to me so I use the Sport beans. On short runs I don't use them, but long runs I will take them. This may sound strange, but this is what works for me. I eat 6 beans every 3 miles. Drink only water with them. There are like 24 beans in each pouch, so one pouch will get me thru the half. Sometimes I do not eat them all, depends on how I am feeling. I like the watermelon ones with the caffeine.

DH's cousin, who has done IM 3 times, tells me I should be doing a WHOLE pack every 3 miles, or half a pack every 2 miles. Seems like overkill to me. My system works for me, worked when I ran my first half this Sept in 2:36. So that's my plan and I'm sticking to it.

It really is trial and error to figure out what works, because my plan may not work for anyone else.

PS. my inlaws (age 67 FIL, who will be running the half with me next week, and age 57 MIL) take NOTHING before or during a race. NOTHING. NADA. ZIP. I have no earthly clue how they manage it, but not a molecule passes their lips while running. They make fun of me and my beans though.

 

[swim-mom]

thank you everyone for your posts!!!

I am here in lovely southern NJ, and I think I am in Kansas - we have 50mph winds so my long run of 4 miles has been placed on the back burner. Was hoping to do it today and OMG the wind is horrible, I love being outside and since I have 4 children I love being alone to just zone out and to think

Needless to say the wind has helped my DH realize that I need a TM, I got a elip last year when I blew up my TM -- however it does not help me with my long run (s) for the princess

So off to Sears!!!

Again thanks!!