I’m partial to the Cliff Bloks. Use to use Cliff Shot gels. Liked the taste of the chocolate ones but in general I don’t want to have to deal with the potential mess of gels when I’m on the bike. The Cliff Bloks are “no fuss no mess” and taste good too.
Gertrude, some members of my group like Jelly Belly sport beans - I have never tried them, but they seem to be an enhanced jelly bean. So, you might like them if you like jelly beans!
Pizzagirl, Mr. Sabaray requested a pina colada when he came out of his sedation. He doesn’t like coconut or pina coladas. Hope your procedure goes well.
Jelly Belly sport beans? Those sound right up my alley!
Can’t stop laughing at MOfWC’s bizarre encounter with the diarrhea prophet. 
It made me a little paranoid.
I hate the colonoscopy prep- but it’s been 8 years…
I am due for one soon… 
Maybe I’ll just have a clear GU gel or two instead of the disgusting prep?
sabaray, thanks for the encouraging reviews of Matt Fitzgerald’s running book! Ordered it and found his column, too. This post make sense! This is what my PT was telling me eons ago: you either carry your butt on you, or you make it carry you!
Sitting kills glutes.
I arrived in China a couple hours ago. Usually I go for a run when I get in, I think it helps with jetlag and getting my body on the new time zone. But it’s raining and I’m really tired so I’m just not going. And I sure wasn’t happy to discover that I now have a 10:00pm conference call - not sure how I’m going to stay awake another 5 hours. Arrgghh!
MOWC-I bought a couple of those beanies with the LEDs last winter for H and me. They are perfect to wear to take the dog out for a walk so I use mine both in the morning and night during the fall/winter months. But it’s not something I’d want to run with. I don’t think it’s bright enough (I probably need to replace the batteries in mine) and I’m not sure that it’s washable.
The discussion about gels/shot blocks/jelly beans is interesting. Nutrition during the race and during long runs is one of the main things I need to improve on.
Pizzagirl-good luck with the prep and the colonoscopy. As everyone says, it’s really not that bad.
I just worked out (I do 5:30 am with a trainer two days a week). I am the kind who likes a big breakfast, moderate lunch and small dinner so I think the morning is going to be the worst just from hunger! Unfortunately my procedure isn’t til 3 pm on Fri so I have 2 days of hunger!
"And I sure wasn’t happy to discover that I now have a 10:00pm conference call - not sure how I’m going to stay awake another 5 hours. "
I feel your pain. I am finally done with international travel for work. There have been times where I really feared I’d fall asleep mid sentence. It is rough on your body!
6.3 miles this morning with friends followed by a pup walk - good start to the day. That will last until I get to work!
No colonscopy should be scheduled that late in the day - that is inhumane! Were you directed no fluids at all tomorrow? You’re going to be dehydrated by 3pm! Any chance they can move it up???
With all the chat about gels and similar products, it may be worth thinking about what they’re good for and what they are not. If you look at the ingredient labels of these products, they are all based on high glycemic carbohydrates, usually in the form of cane and rice syrup with some containing “fruit purée” (fructose) and some containing maltodextrin (an artificial sweetener made by processing potato or rice starch). Simply put, they are all made of simple sugars of one type or another. As such, they are designed to create a quick infusion of sugar. The result is a quick acting but short lived spike in blood sugar levels. That can be beneficial to an endurance athlete who has depleted his or her glycogen stores, is approaching bonking and needs an energy boost to get over “the hump” to finish an event. They will not, however, provide a sustained renewal of energy sources and if they are used throughout an event, you will end up with your blood sugar levels cycling through spikes and corresponding drops. In my view, not the best way to maintain a consistent, sustainable level of performance and there can also be side effects like gastric bloating (or worse ).
Far more important to endurance event performance is pre-event nutrition the week before and the morning of to assure that your glycogen stores are fully replenished (although the concept of carbo loading the night before is not scientifically sound either and and can cause it’s own gastric issues day of). In fact, there’s a lot of “conventional wisdom” out there, based on lab studies and field experience, that with proper nutrition and training, our body’s inherent glycogen stores are more than sufficient to get you through events of 2 hours duration or less and it’s only if you are doing events of more than 2 hours in length that you need to be concerned about nutrition during the event (except, of course, for keeping hydrated).
In addition to pre-event nutrition, post event nutrition is also important. Within the first 30 minutes after finishing, you should try to eat stuff that will provide protein and food based simple sugars. During this period, your body will maximize protein utilization to start the rebuilding and repair process of muscle tissue that is torn down during any performance event. In addition, the food based simple sugars are used to give an immediate boost to glycogen levels. After 30 minutes, intake of carbohydrates should shift to complex carbohydrates to provide a steady, sustained rebuilding of glycogen supplies.
For me, I really don’t even think about nutrition on rides less than 40-45 miles long. On rides of 40-50 miles or so, I will generally carry an energy bar with me in case I get hungry because of the start time of the ride compared to when I ate breakfast that morning, but I don’t anticipate needing ride nutrition to replenish energy levels so I can finish the ride. It’s only for rides of 60 miles or more that I take gels, Bloks etc with me “just in case”. After my rides, I typically drink a protein/fruit smoothie.
Just some thoughts, for whatever it’s worth.
I know - I did everything possible to move it up but no dice! I can have fluids up til 5 hours before. I’m allowed to have black coffee and I’m sucking it down at an amazing rate!
Michael- I find that eating a Huma or even some sports drink at mile 5 or 6 of a half marathon really gives me a boost. Maybe it’s psychological, but it does seem to help. In a marathon- especially now that the race isn’t over in 3-3 1/2 hours- I will do more. I will do a gel every hour plus some sports drink. If I’m really having a bad race, I might eat some of the random stuff they put out- like a peanut butter sandwich! Sugar Pepsi or Coke has really hit the spot after 20 miles, too.
Michael, thank you, great info, as usual.
I use a similar strategy to MOfWC’s. I discovered experimentally, as documented in the early pages of this thread, that I bonk at about mile 16 into the run. I need one packet to preempt that, so I eat a gel at mile 8-9 and then another one or two later to carry me for the first 20 miles. After mile 20, I am so motivated to reach the finish line, I will crawl if I need to. Huma gels go down like sweet and salty treats, Gu - not so much. No matter what flavor I tried, I don’t like Gu. I think chocolate-mint ones taste ok. Mr. likes Cliff blocks and some Stinger gummy candies - they are less messy. I am afraid to eat them during my runs in fears of choking!
After the races, I turn into a carnivor! My muscles ask for protein. After Boston, I ate a turkey burger and discarded the bun, but had some non-alcohol Becks. It was the best post-race food I ever had.
I can’t/don’t have much of an opinion as I have not had to endure a long race needing nourishment (besides water!), but knowing myself, I think I would like the jelly belly + beans just for the fact that it would be an “activity” - popping one in and sucking or chewing on it - that would distract me from the distance to go, pain in my body, etc.!!! Plus of course the possible sugar burst. Although, seems you would need to ingest a lot of jelly beans to make a difference.
On my 15K, I brought 2 gummy lifesavers and used them at miles 8 and 9. They probably had minimal physical effect, but they gave me an outstanding mental boost. That, and Freddy Mercury belting out “Don’t Stop Me Now” ! Now that I’m getting closer to half-marathon distances (that will definitely take me longer than 2 hours) I will look into the Cliff Blocks & the Jelly Bellys & the Huma gels. Definitley not a Gu lover! I noticed that no one else in the group was really indulging in them either.
I am very fond of the Jelly Belly sport beans. (Note that they have a caffeinated version and an uncaffeinated one.) One reason I like them is that there are ten or so in a package, so I can can space them in time as needed so that I don’t get a mad sugar rush. Unless I want a mad sugar rush, in which case, down goes the whole packet. The flavor is good–think salty jelly beans. I compete in dog agility events which involve a long day of walking slowly–ten or more miles over 8 or 9 hours–interspersed with frantic sprints (the moments of actual competition). I find the sport beans help with the afternoon tiredness. In addition, I carry them during long bike rides (40 or more miles). I don’t always eat them, but I have them. A few times, they’ve made a big difference between enjoying the last ten miles and suffering through the last ten miles. Since I mostly run 5Ks (with the occasional 10K run), I haven’t felt the need for nourishment during runs.
BTW, I’ll just say that, while I read this thread from time to time, mostly you all are pretty scary. I’m pretty fit–I swim, run, bike–but you all talk about distances and training amounts that are astonishing. I don’t know how you find the time, much less the energy!
I have trouble chewing the jelly beans and running at the same time.
dmd- We are really a very varied group and most of us don’t spend more than an hour a day- of that- on exercise. Weekend long runs or rides might take more time. We are very supportive of each other- whether it be someone taking up yoga or Pilates for the first time or someone training for their first 5K or marathon!
I’m surprised anyone finds us scary. We have the same struggles as everyone else with nutrition, healthy eating and finding time to do our fitness activities. I work a demanding, fulltime job and usually try to get my exercise in before work. Often I do a couple of treadmill miles after work (if I’m home) while I watch the news. It is a mental transition for me and also gets my weekly mileage up where I want it to be.