In Training: Marathon Weekend 2015 (Dopey Challenge)! **COMPLETE**

[Ariel484]

Hi! I hope you don't mind me joining on your bandwagon, as I am also signed up for the 5k and Wine and Dine Half. Any tips as you've done it before? This would be my 6th and 7th Disney race. I'm hoping one day to have tried them all, but I'm a little scared of the marathon distance!

Not at all, thanks for being here!

Tips? Hmm...well, when I did the 5K with my husband we brought breakfast from home (bagels with PB) and then had a good-sized brunch afterward at Kona. After brunch we went back to our resort and took a pretty long nap. I think that was key for me feeling okay later in the evening.

Then we had an early (4PMish) dinner at Via Napoli. That's my traditional pre-race dinner because I know it doesn't upset my stomach. And it's delicious. From there it was back to the resort to get ready for the half and at the staging area I had another bagel with PB. Come race time I felt pretty good except for the foot injury I was running through!

So in summation, this is what worked for me...

1. Bringing my own pre-race food from home
2. Having a decent-sized meal after the 5K
3. Taking a 1.5-2-hour-long nap in the afternoon
4. Eating an early dinner --> a lot of people suggest eating a large lunch and a light dinner but I knew I'd be insanely hungry later if I didn't eat more
5. Drinking a TON of water throughout the day and during the days before
6. Trying my best to stay off my feet

What worked for me may not work for you...or maybe it will. You know YOU best!

Also...I used to be scared of the marathon distance and here I am training for #3. You never know!

I have never been able to follow Galloway. However I still do short runs (compared to you ) I do a my speed run of 2 miles... and then a couple more 4 to 6 milers... I may take it up to 7 or 8 as I get closer to a half... but not as soon as you will in your plan.

Yeah, I know Galloway has done a LOT for running and has gotten lots of non-runners moving, but his plans just aren't for me anymore.

I think that is the way I would have to do it too. Just one week at a time. The great thing is it is laid out so nice and neat. I ALMOST makes me think I could do a challenge. Then again... I see that 20 miler

Agreed, I can totally see where HH is going with the plan and why it should work out great for Dopey! The Galloway plan makes less sense to me - a 20-, 23- AND 26-mile long run?! No thank you.

This is great!! I love how clearly laid out it is.

This is actually brilliant. I have not tried this and since well... what you are talking about can tend to happen every now and again.. I probably should.

HAHA! Oh good, I'm glad you had that reaction! The things we runners talk about...

One of my favorites too!

Gotta stick with what works!

Howe does the camelbak feel to wear?

It feels...okay. Not perfect. It doesn't slosh around or anything, which is good. If I get the straps adjusted just right it's pretty comfortable for a backpack full of water. If I wear a sleeveless shirt with it I sometimes get chafing on my arms. But I don't think I'll be doing long-enough runs to justify wearing it until late fall/early winter so my arms will be protected by sleeves. I still need to tinker with it.

This is been my experience too. Train with water... but alter with powerade at races.

Are these big? I can handle honeystinger chews... but despite their size they are rather soft.

They're about the same size as the Honey Stinger chews. The HS ones were too soft for me, these ones aren't as soft. I might try HS again someday though, I like the idea of all-natural ingredients.

Do you think this is just something you need for a full (and beyond) or would you need this for a half?

I think it depends on the person and how much they sweat. In my case - this is something that had NEVER happened to me before and hasn't happened since...it didn't happen to me when I ran the marathon alone in 2012 or in any other halves I've run so I have to think it was a result of my sweating so much that weekend in all of those races. I must have just really depleted myself of sodium...or something.

Great recipe! However... I am lazy. Chocolate milk usually works best for me.

Oh yeah, I totally get that! Can't go wrong with chocolate milk.

I think it is easy to think that calories don't count with all the energy we expend during running...thing is, running doesn't use as many calories as one might think. Sounds like your smoothie is a great way to get back what you need from the run without adding calories.

Great... now I am going to have to be less lazy.

I used to hear stories of people taking up running and dropping lots of weight easily...didn't happen for me! The scale did not move until I changed my eating habits.

I think that the beauty of all of this is what works for one may not for another. We all can do what we need to do and still make it to the goal...what ever our goal is. I don't ice for foam roll... dh does both.

I don't ice or foam roll as much as I used to...but I know I should. Especially now when I'm just getting "back into shape."

 

[Ariel484]

Week 3 of 10-miler Training
Monday, March 3, 2014 - Sunday, March 9, 2014

21 miles complete/20ish miles planned
34.1 miles completed in 10-miler Training so far
85.1 miles completed in 2014 so far

Monday, March 3: Strength Training (ChaLEAN Extreme Burn 1)
I'm finally feeling somewhat like myself again, except that I had a HORRIBLE night of sleep last night and my throat is incredibly dry. And I still have a teeny bit of, for lack of a better term, chest "tightness." I wish I could come up with a better way to describe it because I think saying it's "tight" makes it sound like a bigger issue than it really is. Overall I feel about 85-90% normal and would feel even better after a full night of sleep.

This morning was my first strength training session in over a week! It felt good to be moving around again...I know I needed the rest last week but I'm glad to be getting back into a normal routine. I'm sure I'll be sore later but overall I don't feel like I lost too much strength over this past week, which is a relief. I'm VERY nervous to run again because I think that'll be the true test...I'm not sure what kind of cardiovascular shape I'll be in after being sick. My guess is the first couple of runs will not be super fun.

Completely forgot about the ab DVD this evening! BOO!!

Tuesday, March 4: Run #1 (3 miles on the treadmill)
In trying to get back into the running schedule, I promised myself two things: 1. I'm not going to try to "make up" the runs I missed while I was sick...just going to skip over them and pick back up in the schedule, and 2. I will build back up SLOWLY if I need to.

With that in mind, I headed to the gym this morning and hopping on a treadmill. I feel almost 100% at this point - just occasional coughing and CONSTANT dryness in my mouth/throat. So I brought a water bottle with me and did run/walk intervals, running 5 minutes and walking 1 minutes (both things that I normally don't do for shorter runs). Total time for 3 miles was 32 minutes on the dot, 10:40ish/mile pace.

I was very pleased with this run! It wasn't perfect (slower than usual for me and I coughed a bit) but for my first run since being sick I really can't complain. I felt better than I expected to! Yeehaw.

Also...tried a skinny vanilla macchiatto from Starbucks today. NOT impressed. I’m sure "skinny-fying" the drink makes it not taste as good but there was almost no flavor to this thing. Caramel is where it's at.

Wednesday, March 5: Strength Training (ChaLEAN Extreme Burn 1)
Out of the 3 burn workouts, I think this one is the hardest in general. Lots of deadlifts and lunges, meaning that I can go with heavier weights.

I'm still sort of coming back from being sick. And I think my body is freaking out with eating normal quantities of food again after a week in Disney followed by a week of being sick (where my appetite was down) and not working out at all. Put all of those things together...it was a struggle today, to say the least. I felt super hungry and had to take more than a few breaks to make it through. BOO! Oh well, at least I got it done.

One thing I did NOT do this evening - the abs DVD. Again! We had a cable technician over to investigate why our DVR wasn't working (turns out a squirrel chewed through an outside line and that may have been the issue...okay???). Anyway, dude was working HARD for over an hour, so we had a later-than-normal dinner...thus no abs DVD. BOO!

Thursday, March 6: Run #2 (5x800 @ 5K pace with warm-up/cooldown and 0.25-mile rest intervals...4 miles total)
This was the workout I'd been dreading since the beginning of this week. After being sick and taking a week off I wasn't sure I'd make it through all of the intervals.

I started with about 5 minutes of walking/light jogging on the treadmill. The first 2 intervals went okay (my speed intervals are at a 8:49/mile pace...which doesn't seem super speedy but it's certainly challenging for me). Interval 3 was tough. Interval 4 felt weirdly awesome. Interval 5 was a struggle and I really had to talk myself through it..."you're strong, you're awesome, think how great you'll feel when you can look back later today and know you completed this workout!"

And I did! Woohoo! It took me almost 44 minutes total and after the last interval I was at about 3.88 miles...so I walked until I got to 4 even for my cool-down.

And I was right...I DO feel great knowing I successfully completed this workout! The speed and tempo runs are always pretty challenging for me but I know I have to do them if I want to get faster. And I definitely want to get faster.

Also...today was weigh-in day and I gained 0.2 pounds. This was my first weigh-in since mid-February (skipped one week because I was in WDW, skipped the next because I was sick). I know I gained about a pound in WDW gorging myself on cupcakes and whatnot, so with that knowledge plus the fact that I didn't exercise at all the following week and just ate whatever I felt like (chicken noodle soup most of the time)...well, I'm satisfied with a small gain. Next week will be better!

In other news...8 months until I leave for WDW for Wine & Dine weekend #2! Woohoo!

Friday, March 7: Run #3 (8-mile out-and-back)
48 degrees, sunny with light wind

First, I must mention...today marks 10 months until the WDW 5K (aka the start of the Dopey Challenge)! It sounds far away, sure, but I know these 10 months will fly by.

ANYWAY...I was very nervous for today's run. It's the first long run I've done since before the 2013 Wine & Dine Half Marathon in November (not counting my broken-up 6-miler from a couple of weeks ago).

It was sort of a frustrating run. It's finally a little warmer outside (yay!) which means that all of those snow mounds that have been around for weeks are melting quickly. Also, I ran at a somewhat busy time with lots of traffic...so there was lots of stopping to gingerly walk through/around puddles and to wait at crosswalks. On the bright side, my feet didn't get soaked and I didn't get hit by a car...so there's that.

Splits:
Mile 1: 10:23
Mile 2: 10:38
Mile 3: 11:07 (1-minute walk/water break at the beginning of this mile)
Mile 4: 10:45
Mile 5: 11:26 (1-minute walk/water/Gu Chomp break at the beginning of this mile)
Mile 6: 10:18
Mile 7: 11:03 (1-minute walk/water break at the beginning of this mile)
Mile 8: 10:41 (took 2-3 walk breaks during this mile, ugh)

Total time for 8 miles: 1:26:27, 10:48/mile average pace

For my goal race time my long runs need to be between a 10:30 and 11:00/mile pace, so overall I'm pleased with this run. Miles 1-4 felt pretty meh, miles 5-7 felt pretty good, and I felt like I completely had no energy for the final mile, hence the extra walk breaks. So I'm not thrilled with how zapped I felt by the end. Clearly I still need to work on pacing a little bit. Also, my legs definitely felt sore and tired...most likely because I did speedwork yesterday, but this just works out better for my schedule this week. But for my first long run in months coming the week after I was sick, I'll take it.

After the run I FINALLY did the ChaLEAN Extreme Abs DVD (and could definitely feel that I hadn't done it in awhile...oof), made some pizza crust (Friday is pizza night in these parts!) and a smoothie (and remembered how much I HATE our blender - didn't blend the banana all the way so I had gross banana chunks, AND I could smell the motor burning). Glad to have this run done!

I was hoping to get in one more strength training session this week, either today or tomorrow, but I don't want to overdo it right after missing a week and being sick. So I’m hoping to just get my 6-miler in this weekend (preferably tomorrow) and call this week good.

Saturday, March 8: Rest Day
10 months until the WDW 10K and 8 months until the Jingle Jungle 5K/Wine & Dine Half!!

Today was pretty jam-packed, so I didn't get my run in like I wanted to. Most of the day was spent at a Toyota dealership, where we brought a new car! This one will primarily be my husband's car - a 2014 Toyota Prius. I'm so jealous! We traded in my husband's 2005 Corolla and got a pretty great deal.

We got home around 3 and my husband had to take off for indoor tennis practice (he's the JV coach) and I decided at that point that I'd grocery shop and call that day a rest day. Later we went out for burgers...yum! After dinner we bit the bullet and bought a new blender! This is something I've been thinking about for - literally - years . It was definitely expensive but I was able to use a coupon from Bed Bath and Beyond, so I at least got 20% off. Very pricey day for us over here but I think we got some good deals on things we really wanted, so we're happy.

Sunday, March 9: Run #4 (6 miles on the treadmill)
10 months until the WDW Half marathon!!

First of all, can I say...I HATE Daylight Savings Time!! I keep feeling like it's earlier than it really is and the day is totally getting away from me. BOO!

The run: I probably should have done this run outside...I guess I was feeling wimpy. It was about 30 degrees out and sunny today...I've done long runs in worse conditions. But whatever.

Total time for 6 miles: 1:03:44, 10:38ish pace

Still not breaking any speed records but this was an okay run. PLUS...I did all 4 runs like I was supposed to and ended up with 21 miles for the week. That's my highest weekly total since JULY!

Afterward, ate some lunch and made smoothies for me and Will in the new blender. Oh my gosh...I LOVE that thing. So much better than the old blender and so much easier to clean. Yeehaw!

And with that, week 3 is officially done and next week is a step-back week (decrease in mileage).

Byeeeeeee!

Look, it's like he's waving at you!

Continued in Next Post

 

[annmarieda]

I am so glad you are closer to 100% better! You did awesome this past week! I had a few hard weeks after I came home where my runs were a bit harder for me than I liked... I think it goes along with recovering from being ill. Way to go on your mileage!!!

 

[Ariel484]

I am so glad you are closer to 100% better! You did awesome this past week! I had a few hard weeks after I came home where my runs were a bit harder for me than I liked... I think it goes along with recovering from being ill. Way to go on your mileage!!!

Gah, me too! As we've discussed, the time AFTER being sick where it just lingers is so annoying. But I can feel that I'm getting closer to 100%!

Thanks for the encouragement, Ann! I appreciate it!

 

[annmarieda]

Hey, Shannon... I forgot to mention something. The starbucks drink... I use to try and get the skinny drink and found them pretty yucky. I have since gone to half the pumps of syrup instead and that seems to taste much better. The vanilla macchiatto with half the pumps is my new favorite drink there. Maybe it still won't impress... but I just thought I would share what helped me to cut the calories without getting those icky skinny drinks. (and I think the skinny vanilla is one of the worst)

 

[Ariel484]

Hey, Shannon... I forgot to mention something. The starbucks drink... I use to try and get the skinny drink and found them pretty yucky. I have since gone to half the pumps of syrup instead and that seems to taste much better. The vanilla macchiatto with half the pumps is my new favorite drink there. Maybe it still won't impress... but I just thought I would share what helped me to cut the calories without getting those icky skinny drinks. (and I think the skinny vanilla is one of the worst)

That's a great idea...if I decide to give the vanilla macchiatto another shot I will definitely try that. I've gotten used to the skinny caramel syrup but the vanilla...meh.

 

[annmarieda]

That's a great idea...if I decide to give the vanilla macchiatto another shot I will definitely try that. I've gotten used to the skinny caramel syrup but the vanilla...meh.

Ok- shows what I know.... They have a skinny caramel?!?!? I thought it was just mocha and vanilla . I may have to try the caramel!!!

 

[ZellyB]

Sounds like your training is moving right along. We've just started doing some training again. We've just done a 5 miler so far. Was planning to do 6 on Saturday but it started raining on us at mile 3 and we were done.

We are trying to work through some food options for this training season. We've usually done Cliff bars, jolly ranchers, sports beans, etc, but we just recently completed a Whole 30 diet and have converted to a largely paleo diet. So, we are trying to figure out what to eat during long runs that doesn't have a lot of added sugar or grains. The prevailing suggestions on the internet seem to be pureed fruits (aka baby food/buddy fruits) and things like a hard boiled egg pre race. I've always been a toast and peanut butter girl in the past, so it will be interesting trying to adapt.

 

[Ariel484]

Ok- shows what I know.... They have a skinny caramel?!?!? I thought it was just mocha and vanilla . I may have to try the caramel!!!

Skinny caramel AND skinny cinnamon dolche! I also hear them call out a drink order for someone using skinny hazelnut. Let's be honest though...none of them taste as good as the non-skinny versions.

Sounds like your training is moving right along. We've just started doing some training again. We've just done a 5 miler so far. Was planning to do 6 on Saturday but it started raining on us at mile 3 and we were done.

Stupid weather! Getting in the way of your training! I forget, have you guys decided whether you're doing the marathon or Goofy?

We are trying to work through some food options for this training season. We've usually done Cliff bars, jolly ranchers, sports beans, etc, but we just recently completed a Whole 30 diet and have converted to a largely paleo diet. So, we are trying to figure out what to eat during long runs that doesn't have a lot of added sugar or grains. The prevailing suggestions on the internet seem to be pureed fruits (aka baby food/buddy fruits) and things like a hard boiled egg pre race. I've always been a toast and peanut butter girl in the past, so it will be interesting trying to adapt.

How did the Whole30 go?! I've looked into trying that a few times but then I always chicken out. I'll be really interested to hear how trying different fuel before/during runs works out for you. I've never heard of eating a hard-boiled egg before a run!

 

[ZellyB]

Stupid weather! Getting in the way of your training! I forget, have you guys decided whether you're doing the marathon or Goofy?

How did the Whole30 go?! I've looked into trying that a few times but then I always chicken out. I'll be really interested to hear how trying different fuel before/during runs works out for you. I've never heard of eating a hard-boiled egg before a run!

We are doing Goofy. At least that's the plan right now. I can't resist the idea of that anniversary medal. Oh, Disney, you know how the allure of special bling is irresistible.

The Whole30 went great. There were some really hard times in the beginning and the hardest thing for us to give up was sugar. But, we are now almost 2 weeks post Whole30 and though we've tried a few things since (dairy, gluten, soy), nothing has really made us want to keep it as a regular part of our diet. We are still mostly eating Whole30, but just not worrying as much about if we are out to eat and something has some added sugar or soy or something. It was eye-opening though at just how many food items have added sugar and soy and corn syrup that you would never imagine. Still, I'm worried about fueling for long runs, but there is a lot of information about there from people who have done it, so we just need to figure it out.

 

[annmarieda]

Skinny caramel AND skinny cinnamon dolche! I also hear them call out a drink order for someone using skinny hazelnut. Let's be honest though...none of them taste as good as the non-skinny versions.

Agreed!

We are doing Goofy. At least that's the plan right now. I can't resist the idea of that anniversary medal. Oh, Disney, you know how the allure of special bling is irresistible.

You and Shannon both have me I will do "just" the half.

 

[Ariel484]

We are doing Goofy. At least that's the plan right now. I can't resist the idea of that anniversary medal. Oh, Disney, you know how the allure of special bling is irresistible.

They sure do! I'm super curious to see what the Goofy medal will look like - I was very surprised that they re-designed it for 2014.

The Whole30 went great. There were some really hard times in the beginning and the hardest thing for us to give up was sugar. But, we are now almost 2 weeks post Whole30 and though we've tried a few things since (dairy, gluten, soy), nothing has really made us want to keep it as a regular part of our diet. We are still mostly eating Whole30, but just not worrying as much about if we are out to eat and something has some added sugar or soy or something. It was eye-opening though at just how many food items have added sugar and soy and corn syrup that you would never imagine. Still, I'm worried about fueling for long runs, but there is a lot of information about there from people who have done it, so we just need to figure it out.

Wow, that's great! I hope you find something that serves as good fuel before/during your long run. I could see how that would be somewhat difficult with your new, healthier eating habits.

Agreed!

You and Shannon both have me I will do "just" the half.

Well thank you, but...JUST the half?! You stop. Doing the half is awesome!

 

[annmarieda]

Well thank you, but...JUST the half?! You stop. Doing the half is awesome!

I know... I shouldn't say "just". But when marathon weekend includes mileage totals like 49... 13 seems a bit low. Don't get me wrong though... still proud... just in awe of those of you able to go greater distances. Who knows though... maybe someday I will be up for the challenge. The donald in 2015 will be my 5th half... it might be time to step it up the following year. faint: I did not just say that )

 

[ZellyB]

I know... I shouldn't say "just". But when marathon weekend includes mileage totals like 49... 13 seems a bit low. Don't get me wrong though... still proud... just in awe of those of you able to go greater distances. Who knows though... maybe someday I will be up for the challenge. The donald in 2015 will be my 5th half... it might be time to step it up the following year. faint: I did not just say that )

And so it begins...before you know it you'll be running the full and then Goofy and then Dopey.

 

[annmarieda]

And so it begins...before you know it you'll be running the full and then Goofy and then Dopey.

I don't have time to train for those! I already feel like all I do is run.

 

[Ariel484]

I know... I shouldn't say "just". But when marathon weekend includes mileage totals like 49... 13 seems a bit low. Don't get me wrong though... still proud... just in awe of those of you able to go greater distances. Who knows though... maybe someday I will be up for the challenge. The donald in 2015 will be my 5th half... it might be time to step it up the following year. faint: I did not just say that )

YES YOU DID, I just saw you!!!

And so it begins...before you know it you'll be running the full and then Goofy and then Dopey.

I don't have time to train for those! I already feel like all I do is run.

Gisele is right, it's a slippery slope! Just you wait...

 

[Ariel484]

Stridebox - March 2014

This is something that I have been thinking about trying for about a year or so and finally decided to take the plunge!

From their website...

StrideBox is a fun and exciting way to discover running products and accessories. Each month, as a member, you will receive a curated box of apparel, accessories, and nutrition products to fuel your training sessions, workouts, and races.

So basically you fork over $15 per month and get sent a small box of runner-friendly goodies. You can take a break or stop at any time.

I've been interested in doing this for awhile now...getting mail is fun and $15 per month won't break the bank. I can cancel any time, so why not?! I signed up (and forked over the cash) around mid-February and got my first Stridebox in the mail yesterday! I was so excited!

For some reason I was surprised by how small the box was - smaller than a Kleenex box.

An enclosed card lists out the contents of that month's box:

The goods:

I think once I try each of these things I'll include them in posts or something and link them back to this main one. For now...here's what was in the box. The stuff in italics is what is written on the information card, which include pricing information.

First up...a Honey Stinger protein bar. Made with 25% honey, 10g protein and 22 vitamins and minerals, this bar is a great between run snack or an afternoon recovery bar. Retail: $34.35/15 bars

I've tried Honey Stinger gels (WAY too sweet for me) and chews (too soft) before, but nothing beyond that. Hopefully this bar is good. I'd like to try the Honey Stinger Waffles at some point too.

Review (4/1): I tried this bar after my 8-mile long run on 3/28. For some reason I was expecting something similar to a granola bar, so when I removed the wrapping I was very surprised to find that it was closer to a candy bar. It reminded me a lot of a Three Musketeers bar, except that the filler was more dense. Pretty decent flavor too. It was good but not something I'd feel the need to look for and purchase on my own, if that makes any sense. I'm not sure it helped me recover from the run any better.

Hylands - Bioplasma Sport with Electrolytes. Developed to dissolve instantly on the tongue, or in water, Bioplasma Sport keeps you invigorated whether training, or on race day. Retail: $13.39/12 packets

Even after googling this stuff (because I felt like the Stridebox card information was super vague and not incredibly helpful) I still don't really feel like I understand what this stuff does. Their website says it's primarily for "mineral loss" and I guess helps with aches and pains? I don't know. I'm not too excited about this one.

Lenny & Larry's - Fit Protein Brownie. Packed with 13g protein and 7g of fiber, and no artificial ingredients, this gluten free bar is a guilt free way to snack. Retail: $23.88/12 brownies

Not too excited about this one either. I hope it doesn't taste gross!

Review (4/14): I tried this after my 9-mile long run on 4/12. It was fudgy and dense, but it just didn't taste right. After one bite it was in the trash.

Fluid - Recovery Drink Mix - Chocolate Wave. Made from 100% natural ingredients, this great tasting recovery drink contains complex carbohydrates to restore muscle energy levels. Retail: $2.49/packet

I've recently started to try to pay better attention to what I consume after long runs (making sure to have chocolate milk or a smoothie), so I'm very curious about this one. Hope it's good!

Skin Strong - Slather Anti Chafing Cream. Subtle cooling formula protects against chafing and hot spots. Can be used before to prevent chafing, or to moisturize after your run. Retail: $12.99/6oz tube.

I hope to not to have to use this one! I don't chafe TOO much...I've made it a habit to use BodyGlide around the one area I do tend to chafe (rib cage due to stupid bras) and that works well for the most part. I can't imagine that having a thick cream slathered on would feel good while running. I think if I do use this one it'll be post-run, and hopefully I won't need it.

Gu Energy - Electrolyte Brew - Lemon Lime. Featuring a 2:1 ratio of complex to simple carbohydrates, and a mildly sweet flavor, Gu Brew will keep you going on your most grueling runs. Retail: $32.00/24 packets.

This is something I have wanted to try for awhile, so it's one of the things I was most excited to find in the box. I don't love lemon lime flavor - if I were buying this on my own I'd most likely go for the blueberry pomegranate - but this is something I was going to look into at some point, so at least I can try just the one packet without buying the whole thing. From their website:

What's in it?

Carbohydrate Blend - The mix of maltodextrin and fructose found in GU Electrolyte Brew serves a dual role: it supplies working muscles with easily available fuel, and it speeds up the rehydration process by stimulating the absorption of both electrolytes and fluid in the stomach. Research shows that the featured 2:1 ratio of complex to simple carbohydrates will improve endurance performance by increasing the rates of exogenous carbohydrate absorption.
Sodium and Potassium - Electrolytes facilitate the neuromuscular system’s ability to work effectively so that your muscles keep doing what your brain tells them to do. Simply put, electrolytes help to avoid cramping. GU Electrolyte Brew packs 325mg of sodium and 50mg of potassium (Blueberry Pomegranate contains 490mg of sodium and 40mg of potassium) into one 21 oz. serving.
Natural flavor and color - Studies show that taste, aroma, and color will most likely determine whether or not you keep drinking. Too much flavor or sweetness—often found in artificially flavored drinks—will cause you to stop hydrating after a while.

I mentioned in this post that I had horrible foot cramping at mile 12 of the 2013 WDW Marathon, and that is something I definitely want to figure out how to avoid for Dopey in 2015. Hopefully something like this will help with that.

Review (4/14): I tried this during my 9-mile long run on 4/12. One word - DISGUSTING. Like someone had opened my water bottle when I wasn't looking and poured in table salt. Simply awful.

Gu Energy - Energy Gel - Salted Caramel. NEW FLAVOR - This seasonal flavor could soon become a mainstay in the Gu gel like. Great taste, and all the energy you'll need. Retail: $34.80/24 packets.

Looking forward to trying this one. I don't use gels very much, but when I do I tend to go for vanilla Gu gels. Hopefully this one doesn't remind me too much of real dessert (I had that happen when I tried the chocolate Gu gel - I was on a run and took the gel, it reminded me of frosting and I almost yakked right then and there ).

Review (4/1): I tried this gel during my 8-mile long run on 3/28. I actually really liked it! I find I crave salt after runs a lot, and I hate gels that are too sweet, so the salt in the Gu was pretty awesome to me. If I want to buy more gels I'd definitely go with this flavor. Lately my beloved Gu Chomps have been getting stuck in my teeth so I very well may switch to gels for awhile. We'll see!

Stash Sports - Lace Locker. Looking for a solution to stopping mid-run to re-tie? Lace locker ensures your laces never come untied or get loose again. Retail: $7.95/pair.

Not at all excited about this one. I double-knot my laces and that seems to work fine.

Sticker! Good advice for all runners.

Overall I'm not as in love with this month's box as I expected to be. I'm pretty "meh" on protein bars in general and the lace lockers do nothing for me. Like I said, as I use stuff I'll post about it here. If I feel the same way about the boxes over the next few months I'll probably cancel my subscription.

As for Stridebox itself...they sent me an email with a tracking number when it shipped, which was nice. I think the info card could be better - I don't consider myself a fabulous writer or anything but I think the card is poorly written and would be more useful if it had information about what the product actually does, not just a 1-2 line ad. For example: the description for the Salted Caramel gel is not super useful in my opinion.

We'll see!

Continued in Next Post

 

[annmarieda]

YES YOU DID, I just saw you!!!


Gisele is right, it's a slippery slope! Just you wait...

We will see.

Stridebox - March 2014

This is something that I have been thinking about trying for about a year or so and finally decided to take the plunge!

From their website...


So basically you fork over $15 per month and get sent a small box of runner-friendly goodies. You can take a break or stop at any time.

I love subscription boxes. So fun to get stuff in the mail and not know exactly what you will be getting. I am subscribed to graze boxes. Some pretty yummy stuff in them. They are smaller than I expected too.

The goods:

I think once I try each of these things I'll include them in posts or something and link them back to this main one. For now...here's what was in the box. The stuff in italics is what is written on the information card, which include pricing information.

You got quite the haul! You definitely will have to let us all know how you like everything!

 

[ZellyB]

I'll be curious what you think of some of the items you got. I can tell you I tried that salted caramel gu before. I was not a fan. And, I really love caramel, so I thought I would like it, but it was really a strong flavor.

I've had the honey stinger waffles before and I do like them, but I've never tried a bar from them before.

 

[Ariel484]

We will see.

I love subscription boxes. So fun to get stuff in the mail and not know exactly what you will be getting. I am subscribed to graze boxes. Some pretty yummy stuff in them. They are smaller than I expected too.

You got quite the haul! You definitely will have to let us all know how you like everything!

Graze boxes...never heard of that one! I'll have to check it out. I'm also subscribed to StitchFix and got my first box for that the same day as the StrideBox came in. I only kept one item of the 5 in the StitchFix box though... That was a little disappointing.

I'll be curious what you think of some of the items you got. I can tell you I tried that salted caramel gu before. I was not a fan. And, I really love caramel, so I thought I would like it, but it was really a strong flavor.

I've had the honey stinger waffles before and I do like them, but I've never tried a bar from them before.

I'll definitely report back! I haven't tried anything yet. Bummer about the salted caramel gel!

I'm definitely going to give the waffles a shot at some point. Have you found new long run fuel that is Whole30-friendly?