Testing out "fuel"

[Figment1990]

So.... Now that I've got the shoe thing sorted and the running/walk interval thing sorted, training is going pretty well. But now it's time for me to figure out how to fuel on the Long runs so I'm prepared for the half. I have a slightly sensitive stomach and can't afford to mess up my long runs because there really are only about 6 of them left before the race. I can't eat soy flour (not a soy allergy, just soy and some wheat flours bother me) so a lot of clif stuff is out. I bought a bunch of things at the store last weekend - some chews and gels and honey stingers. But how can I try these out without chancing cutting short one of my long runs? My mid week runs are usually 45-50 min or so, can I try some at say, 35 min or will that really not give me an accurate gauge because it's just too early? I'm really just interested in figuring out which will not upset me during the race. Once I find one that I think will work, I will definitely try them on my long runs.

Ideas? Advice? TIA!

 

[Mamasmurf227]

So.... Now that I've got the shoe thing sorted and the running/walk interval thing sorted, training is going pretty well. But now it's time for me to figure out how to fuel on the Long runs so I'm prepared for the half. I have a slightly sensitive stomach and can't afford to mess up my long runs because there really are only about 6 of them left before the race. I can't eat soy flour (not a soy allergy, just soy and some wheat flours bother me) so a lot of clif stuff is out. I bought a bunch of things at the store last weekend - some chews and gels and honey stingers. But how can I try these out without chancing cutting short one of my long runs? My mid week runs are usually 45-50 min or so, can I try some at say, 35 min or will that really not give me an accurate gauge because it's just too early? I'm really just interested in figuring out which will not upset me during the race. Once I find one that I think will work, I will definitely try them on my long runs.

Ideas? Advice? TIA!

I am by no means an expert, but I started experimenting with them on my shorter runs (around 50 minutes). I actually ate some of the chews before I headed out since my main goal was the same as yours: make sure they didn't upset my stomach.

I honestly only ever tried 2. I started with the Honey Stinger (pink lemonade-not the ones with caffeine) and they were great. I've tried the caffeinated ones and I'm not as crazy about those. Good luck! I'm running out of weeks before my first half so I understand the concern over a botched/missed long run.

Good luck!

 

[Reep]

My favorite is Shot Bloks, followed by Gu Chomps (but I don't like those as well). Gels make me nauseous and gag and upset my stomach more. Caffeinated Bloks are the best.

 

[John VN]

Not meaning to sound sarcastic, but, you can try anything you want at any time during the day to see if it bothers you.

Think of it this way, if something bothers you when you are not running, it most certainly will when you are running. Unless for some reason that bouncing around of your stomach and other internal organs when you are running somehow smooths things out, but that is very unlikely.

Fueling even before short runs can give you a feeling of how things react.

 

[Reep]

I would think trying them in the middle of your mid-week runs would give you enough of a clue if they upset you. I would not put much stock in eating them while not running. I can eat almost anything while not running, but only a few things work for me while running.

 

[Figment1990]

Not meaning to sound sarcastic, but, you can try anything you want at any time during the day to see if it bothers you.

Think of it this way, if something bothers you when you are not running, it most certainly will when you are running. Unless for some reason that bouncing around of your stomach and other internal organs when you are running somehow smooths things out, but that is very unlikely.

Fueling even before short runs can give you a feeling of how things react.

I don't find your idea sarcastic at all. I actually thought of doing that initially and figured it would work fine too. (if its bad before running, it will be bad when running). But I was just curious if anyone had experience the other way (stuff that didn't bother them normally but did when they were running) or if there was some scientific way these things are made that makes them better digestible (is that a word?) with the way your body is after running for an hour. (given that I've always read to take them if yo r going to be running for an hour or more but are not needed for a short run).

 

[John VN]

I don't find your idea sarcastic at all. I actually thought of doing that initially and figured it would work fine too. (if its bad before running, it will be bad when running). But I was just curious if anyone had experience the other way (stuff that didn't bother them normally but did when they were running) or if there was some scientific way these things are made that makes them better digestible (is that a word?) with the way your body is after running for an hour. (given that I've always read to take them if yo r going to be running for an hour or more but are not needed for a short run).

Nothing scientific at all as for my system. I once posted about going out for long bicycle rides to see how things digest and was told by a poster that the effort in bicycling can not be compared to running. That is true in that you do not experience the bouncy-bouncy actions when biking but you can spend much greater times out on the bike to see how the fuels effectively work and then with short bouncy runs you will see how your digestive system can tolerate them.

Worked for me.

 

[dragitoff]

I have a fairly sensitive stomach in regards to running (can eat pretty much whatever otherwise) so I, too experimented with alot of different stuff. Personally, I've found the Clif Bloks to be the best. Only have to eat 3 of them every hour or so as opposed to the jelly beans which was something else I found that didn't bother my stomach. Any of the bars made me a little queezy. I was going to try gels after the Bloks, but loved them so much and felt they worked great, I never tried them.

 

[cewait]

So.... Now that I've got the shoe thing sorted and the running/walk interval thing sorted, training is going pretty well. But now it's time for me to figure out how to fuel on the Long runs so I'm prepared for the half. I have a slightly sensitive stomach and can't afford to mess up my long runs because there really are only about 6 of them left before the race. I can't eat soy flour (not a soy allergy, just soy and some wheat flours bother me) so a lot of clif stuff is out. I bought a bunch of things at the store last weekend - some chews and gels and honey stingers. But how can I try these out without chancing cutting short one of my long runs? My mid week runs are usually 45-50 min or so, can I try some at say, 35 min or will that really not give me an accurate gauge because it's just too early? I'm really just interested in figuring out which will not upset me during the race. Once I find one that I think will work, I will definitely try them on my long runs.

Ideas? Advice? TIA!

I don't find your idea sarcastic at all. I actually thought of doing that initially and figured it would work fine too. (if its bad before running, it will be bad when running). But I was just curious if anyone had experience the other way (stuff that didn't bother them normally but did when they were running) or if there was some scientific way these things are made that makes them better digestible (is that a word?) with the way your body is after running for an hour. (given that I've always read to take them if yo r going to be running for an hour or more but are not needed for a short run).

Not to cloud the waters, but if you look at several brands and flavors, you will find what works. I would not put 100% faith in the if I like it on the sofa I will like it on the run... or even if I hate it on the sofa I will hate it on the run. ALso, just because I like brand x flavor y is not a good reason for you to think it will work for you.

We are all an experiment of 1 Simply, training is all about trying to figure out what works well for each of us. I would wait until your runs are longer so you fuel at a mid point of 45-50 minutes. If you fuel at 25 minutes of a 50 minute run you are not going to be under the same stress as a longer run, you r system is not as glycogen depleted and you may settle on a fuel that will fail on a longer run. Really all you are testing on a short run is can I rip open the pack while moving.

The process is simple. Plan on fuel at aid stations and take with water. So the process is sip, fuel, then a drink to wash it down.

 

[mickeysgal]

Really all you are testing on a short run is can I rip open the pack while moving.

I had to laugh. There is truth to this. Sometimes this isn't so easy to dig it out of your pocket/spi belt, open it up, and in my case, share it with DH, lol.

 

[John VN]

Not to cloud the waters, but if you look at several brands and flavors, you will find what works. I would not put 100% faith in the if I like it on the sofa I will like it on the run... or even if I hate it on the sofa I will hate it on the run. ALso, just because I like brand x flavor y is not a good reason for you to think it will work for you.

We are all an experiment of 1 Simply, training is all about trying to figure out what works well for each of us. I would wait until your runs are longer so you fuel at a mid point of 45-50 minutes. If you fuel at 25 minutes of a 50 minute run you are not going to be under the same stress as a longer run, you r system is not as glycogen depleted and you may settle on a fuel that will fail on a longer run. Really all you are testing on a short run is can I rip open the pack while moving.

The process is simple. Plan on fuel at aid stations and take with water. So the process is sip, fuel, then a drink to wash it down.

The instructions for Gu gel.....

TRAINING--eat one Gu 15 minutes before and then one Gu every 30 to 45 minutes during training.

RACING--eat one Gu 45 minutes before the start, one Gu 15 minutes before the start, and then one Gu every 30 to 45 minutes during the race.

While it is true that during exercise there are other processes taking place within the body that might make the gel, or other fuel, digest-ably trouble free, I for one would not want to follow the recommended instructions and find my body reacting horribly after 15 minutes of waiting for my training to start or at 45 minutes before a race and then having to add another gel on top of that ill feeling 15 minutes before the start. I equate that wait time to a "like it on the sofa" time frame.

e.g.--I had a 56 mile bicycle ride today. I took a Gu 15 minutes before my ride started, sofa time, as usual. I would not have been able to leave my driveway and head into the wind at 23mph if the Gu was upsetting my stomach at that time even though it might be just fine during my ride. I will do like wise tomorrow when I head out for a 17 mile training run.

Experimentation, not faith, will let you know how things work.

 

[Figment1990]

Ok. Op here. So last night I broke open the pack of clif shot bloks and just ate one to see. Yum! I actually like the taste and consistency and it did not make me feel sick -at least while not running, just going about the house doing weekend stuff. So I'm willing to give them a shot next week on my long run. Thanks everyone for your feedback and advice! I love being a new runner that I'm learning all this stuff. I've run off and on for years but never significant distance and never so consistently or for a race. Great community here on this board!

 

[John VN]

Ok. Op here. So last night I broke open the pack of clif shot bloks and just ate one to see. Yum! I actually like the taste and consistency and it did not make me feel sick -at least while not running, just going about the house doing weekend stuff. So I'm willing to give them a shot next week on my long run. Thanks everyone for your feedback and advice! I love being a new runner that I'm learning all this stuff. I've run off and on for years but never significant distance and never so consistently or for a race. Great community here on this board!

Great to read that you are OK with the bloks. Now Go Kick Butt and enjoy.

 

[bigdave10000]

I wouldn't fuel at all. The half is to short to worry about it. Just drink some sports drink at the aid stations. Practice drinking some sports drinks on your long runs. Remember, don't do anything new on race day.

 

[thndrmatt]

I wouldn't fuel at all. The half is to short to worry about it. Just drink some sports drink at the aid stations. Practice drinking some sports drinks on your long runs. Remember, don't do anything new on race day.

Errr, let's caveat this one with there's nothing "short" about a half. In fact it can be a 3 or 3.5 hour endurance event depending on the person, and that is a long time to be in motion burning calories without taking any in, or just relying on the 50 calories one gets from a few cups of sports drink. Especially based on temperature at race time...

Every person is different, definitely experiment, definitely discover what works in training, and definitely don't try anything new on race day.

 

[Reep]

The instructions for Gu gel.....

TRAINING--eat one Gu 15 minutes before and then one Gu every 30 to 45 minutes during training.

RACING--eat one Gu 45 minutes before the start, one Gu 15 minutes before the start, and then one Gu every 30 to 45 minutes during the race.

I couldn't tell if this was your recommendation or on the package, but I would advise thinking about taking gels before the race. There are many good studies out there that show eating gels/carbs at, or just before, race start is bad for your system and starts you burning carbs instead of fat. I don't think any elite racers eat or otherwise ingest any carb source until at least 3-5 miles in. Many in the half wait until mile 7-10. I have had good success waiting until at least the 3.5 mile mark.

I wouldn't fuel at all. The half is to short to worry about it. Just drink some sports drink at the aid stations. Practice drinking some sports drinks on your long runs. Remember, don't do anything new on race day.

Everyone is different, but this would be a sure crash for me. The half is short for me (low 1:20s), but I still take in 4-6 shot blocks in the middle miles. If I didn't I would hit a wall around mile 10.

Our bodies burn different ratios of fat and carbs depending on how much we are exerting and our individual metabolisms. In some races, I know I went out too fast and needed extra carbs to cover the early glycogen depletion I faced. Ideally, I would have a bottle or two on the course of my own mixture of relatively strong sports drink (I don't like the weight of carrying my own)--as most elites do. But, since I can't do that, I supplement with shot bloks.

 

[indygirl99]

I wouldn't fuel at all. The half is to short to worry about it. Just drink some sports drink at the aid stations. Practice drinking some sports drinks on your long runs. Remember, don't do anything new on race day.

I am totally new to running and expect the half to take me 3+ hours to finish. I don't call that "short" in my books.

If I took your advise as a novice I would be passed out before mile 5.

Maybe you need to qualify your advise?

 

[cewait]

Remember all, we are all an experiment of one!

I have a running buddy who does not fuel as a marathon runner. He is not fast, rather, just shy of Boston times in his better days and more in the 5-6 hour range today. He also cannot stomach sport drink, so he lives off of the stores his body stored up through the week. Oh, to make matters even more interesting.... Saturday night is Manhattan night, so he also add a little metabolic stress to the system. For me, I fuel pre-race then once every 50 minutes or so for a race lasting a couple hours or longer.

Referring back to John's post, I suggest reading the directions for all fuel. Start with recommendations and titrate out to what works for you.

Finally, I actually agree that a half marathon is short. Please no flames let me also say that I remember when I first started and I will say that 6 miles was a danged long way. Heck even now a two mile run can feel long if I am not mentally into it. It's all a perspective based on where you are physically and mentally. So fo a runner just starting a 10k can be a huge hurdle. For person running 40 miles a week, a 13 mile run can be just a longer base run.

 

[John VN]

I couldn't tell if this was your recommendation or on the package, but I would advise thinking about taking gels before the race. There are many good studies out there that show eating gels/carbs at, or just before, race start is bad for your system and starts you burning carbs instead of fat. I don't think any elite racers eat or otherwise ingest any carb source until at least 3-5 miles in. Many in the half wait until mile 7-10. I have had good success waiting until at least the 3.5 mile mark.



Everyone is different, but this would be a sure crash for me. The half is short for me (low 1:20s), but I still take in 4-6 shot blocks in the middle miles. If I didn't I would hit a wall around mile 10.

Our bodies burn different ratios of fat and carbs depending on how much we are exerting and our individual metabolisms. In some races, I know I went out too fast and needed extra carbs to cover the early glycogen depletion I faced. Ideally, I would have a bottle or two on the course of my own mixture of relatively strong sports drink (I don't like the weight of carrying my own)--as most elites do. But, since I can't do that, I supplement with shot bloks.

The instructions are on the box of Gu gels. I have followed the instructions and credit following them in allowing me to have a PR of 2:11:12 WALKING last year's Space Coast 1/2 Marathon even though I was not feeling the best that morning.

I am totally new to running and expect the half to take me 3+ hours to finish. I don't call that "short" in my books.

If I took your advise as a novice I would be passed out before mile 5.

Maybe you need to qualify your advise?

I totally agree and think it might be helpful for readers, that responders to posts note their pace information and age. I am 62 years old with bad knees and have been walking my competitions since starting in 2010. I can not complete a half marathon in 1:20 and my energy requirements are far different than someone that can do so or even a competitor who might be much younger than I or will be taking 3 hours to finish.

BTW, congratulations indygirl99 for your perseverance!!!!

 

[indygirl99]

BTW, congratulations indygirl99 for your perseverance!!!!

Thank you John.

I have many reasons to run and finish the Tink half but the most important is the increase in health and confidence I am getting from the training.