Energy Gels scare me.
What is it, why should I use it, how will it affect my ability to have kids years from now? I think these are all valid questions. Tomorrow we are slated to run a ten-mile long run, and I was thinking it might be a good opportunity to simulate the actual race conditions a little bit. Having water drops around Buffalo, and water on my belt will keep us hydrated. To help us with energy, on race day the B.A.A provides us with PowerBar Energy Gel at mile six. This will be roughly an hour into our run then, and I thought it might be a good idea to test the product out ahead of time to see two things. First, does it do anything? Second, will it ruin my stomach?
Stuff is scary!
I am a little apprehensive to dive into these types of products. Part of it is simply that I don't really like artificial crap, or at least intentionally consuming it. I'm sure it is safe and fine, but I guess I am just a little paranoid. I know though, that we will need something to keep going strong. After the eight mile run a couple of weeks ago, I was feeling a little more shaky than usual.
Perhaps it is my race inexperience coming through, but I am curious to hear if people have had experiences, good or bad, with energy products like gels or goo. I remember the morning of my first 5k race, they passed out latte energy drinks, and afterwards Ellie and I kept hearing about how much people regretted drinking it before running. We thought it was pretty funny.
Have a good weekend, and I am looking forward to writing a ten mile recap!
I actually ran 2 half marathons before trying out any gel type product and did just fine, however now I usually take one around mile 7-8 for a half distance. Most people suggest taking one every 6 miles, but I hardly ever do for anything under 10 miles.
It is best to experiment because some will mess with your stomach, but it varies so much with each person. Also, it is a little tricky to eat while running, so the more you practice, the less likely you are to trip and fall and end up with sticky stuff all over your face.
If you aren’t liking the PowerBar stuff, take something else on you and bypass that station. I really like Clif Shots (apparently they are less artificial than most, but I really don’t know). They also make bloks which are good pre-run. It is a daunting, and there are so many options, but I think you should be safe from any disastrous consequences!
Thanks for the recommendations! Do you clip the clif shots on some how or use a belt? The only reason I thought about the gel was so that I wouldn’t need to carry anything.
My shorts have little gel pockets (I think they are technically key pockets, but they fit a get just fine), so I just keep them in there.