Howdy, Stranger!
Categories
Re-fueling during long runs
spitfire51
✭✭✭
Hi all,
topic discussed in other threads, but thought it is okay to collect some fresh opinions
have been increasing mileage while training for Amsterdan Marathon (19 Oct). I will only take part if I feel ready and confident to do a proper race.
Trying to find the best way to re-fueling during long runs. I am sick of gels (mainly SiS) and last weekend tried jelly beans. Although okish, they are hard to swallow, even after gulp of electrolyte.. I am thinking of trying Clif Shot Bloks, but really expensive at £2.50 a pop (half pack to provide 24g carbs)
I tend to think that banana would be perfect, as I had a good experience while running Berlin last year. But I cannot carry it (using belt only to carry hydration bottles).
Has anyone tried anything else for long runs? Thought about some cereal bars in the belt pocket and give it a try (30g bar provides 21g carbs - 9g sugar).
I would be interested in hearing your comments and experience.
cheers
The materials in this website are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor, qualified personal trainer, therapist, dietitian or nutritionist Runners's World, Part of the Hearst UK well-being network © Copyright 2017
Comments
I don't eat/take anything. Do you know from experience that you run out of energy if you don't refuel assiduously, or do you just do it because you always have and think you ought to?
(PS: that's not meant to be patronising, it's just I think some of the articles on refueling are a bit scaremongerey, and so are the instructions on gel packets etc.)
If possible I try to carry around as little as possible and try to get used to what will be on offer on the day.
I have gone off SIS gels recently and now use GU as I like the different flavours.
Just an edit to back up what Lit has said. Take the recommended doses with a pinch of salt. They all seem on the high side. If you experiment in training you will probably find you need a lot less.
If I take more than 3 gels for a marathon I start to feel a bit sick. It had taken a bit of trial and error to get this far.
hi guys thank for the quick replies...
I tend to lose to much salt during long runs. Last year on a 20-mi training run for berlin I only drank water and felt sick/de-hydrated afterwards. Had to go to A&E for a drip.
This year, without proper training, I tried to run Paris and had to pull out at Km35 de-hydrated again. This time I took gels, but only drank water as they were not supplying electrolytes. Had to go to a drip again.
I have since started a more robust training (for my capacity), and have been improving my performance. This time I want to run a comfortable marathon in a sense of running, enjoying and not feeling sick.
Hence me being a bit "scared" and trying to cover everything. Mrs is also concerned because twice I ended up on a drip....
How much water did you drink? And were you de-hydrated both times, or just lacking electrolytes (not necessarily helped by drinking too much water)? Either way, it sounds like it's more important to sort out the hydration/salts than to start trying to force down cereal bars.
Pre-stoned dates in a sandwich bag are working a treat for me. Really cheap at the moment.
4 at 6 mile
8 at 10
10 at 15
10 at 20
And work better than any synthogel from synthocorp plc for me any hoo
I'm going to start experimenting with solid blocks of dates with a banana mix later
Dates? on a marathon? Dont they give you the squits Plazzy?
Amsterdam provide a sports drink on the route (AA). that's got some electrolytes in it.
Apart from that - look at gels, sandwiches, jelly babies, midget gems etc.
Not pooed meself yet! They don't run through me that bad though the fibre does allow for a steadier release of pure sugar than, say, pure sugar alone.
Forgot to say, you can put a spot of peanut butter or salted almonds in the middle for your other electrolytes, loads of potassium/Mg in dates.
Dried whole bananas also work for me.
I get fed up with sugar by about 18, seem to crave a bacon butty with brown sauce. May take one next time.
Guiness loading at the weekend didn't work for me, I'll scrub that one off.
Plazzy - that's interesting. I know a few friends that have gone the dried fruit way and had to make like a bear.
I can imagine Guiness wont be your best bet. I can also not recommending eating ribs the night before a marathon
Guiness and rib loading. Lets patent it.
'Wow, he ran that hard, he hocked his own rib cage up'.
Loads of people manage to run long runs on just water, without ending up in the medical tent.
I like to carb load sensibly the day before. That will bind water up with the glycogen, which will help you stay hydrated through the run too.
Jaffa cakes for very long runs or runs that I intend to add in sections at MP. otherwise I only use a sport drink, although I will carry on me something to eat, on runs that I do not intend to eat, just in case I feel muscle fatigue. (which is rare tbh)
I ran Amsterdam last year and am running it again this year, and highly recommend you take some water in a hydration belt or make arrangements to pick up additional water from someone on the course.
The water available on the course was provided in those silly conical paper cups, and unless you walk through water stops and take several cups every time, you are likely to end up with dehydration problems again.
I also found rehydrating with Heinekin was a good plan!
compressed fruit bars are lovely. Dried fruits taken on a run will not send you scampering for the bushes - it takes more than a few hours for food to go right the way through the digestive track (unless you are a goose)!! Also pretzl sticks (salty), jaffa cakes, malt loaf, bananas, kendal mint cake, tangerines, digestive biscuits, cold cooked new potatoes, nuts, etc..... any or all of the above! Isotonic drinks work well if it's salts and hydration that you need. Try different ones to see which ones you like - Nuun and SIS Zero are two popular ones. On LDWAs (which are a bit slower) I've even taken small cans of baked beans eaten cold and diced cold meats! Yum. Mind you I think I was a labrador in a previous life!
everyone: Thank you so much for the tips and suggestions. I will try compile a list and try few of the suggestions.
tbh I don't feel like eating during a run; just drinking electrolytes. However to be on the safe side I am now carrying something on long runs and trying to refuel throughout.
Tolster: thank you for the tip. I contacted AA drinks company sometime ago to find out where I could buy the sports drink in the UK; however it is not available over here. I will definitely carry my belt with 2x 10oz bottles of High5 electrolytes.
Tolster: Checking the AMS Marathon website it seems that they will provide sports drink on all but 2x stations. Was it the case last year?
If you want - I can send you some. I'm in NL at the moment and coming to the UK this weekend. I'm doing it for another forumite running Amsterdam.
That's correct. AA drink is provided at most of the stations but you just need to check that you pick up the right cup. I agree the cups are a pain but use those as my walking break.
I like Zipvit gels and bars and Torq gels. Don't usually need more than 1 or 2 gels for long runs. When doing endurance events though I like to eat something solid and that's where I like the Zipvit bars (Chocolate coated strawberry and yoghurt coated peach slip down easily). The other thing that works for me, mainly because I just like them are Sainsbury's soft jellies. Easier to swallow than jelly babies and beans.
No carbs on marathon training runs for me.
I did my longest, 24mi, on Sunday on just water. I did feel quite bonky towards the end, but when I got home I had a chocolate High 5 Recovery shake. Works a treat!
Hi E mmy,
You are always here and everywhere, amazing!!!!
I would really appreciate if you could bring some for AA iso-lemon (the one they will supply during the race). I hope this will not be an inconvenience for you. You then let me know how to sort out the payment
I also use water stations to walk and drink properly....
I'll take that as a compliment
I'm going to the supermarket today and picking some up. I'll let you know if i find them. Last week they only had orange and no iso-lemon.
Superwoman
OK - I have them
I'll PM you for your address and info.
Well i would... but you dont have PM enabled...
Can you enable it or PM me your info
I am PM'ing you now
Not sure if this helps, but electrolyte loss varies a lot - distance, pace, temperature, body fat. I personally take a couple of salt tablets just before a spring-summer marathon. On ultra runs I take Nuun tablets or GU brew during the run. They make effevescent tablets you can add to water and clearly a light way of carrying electrolytes.
Run the Wild, I tend to lose a lot of salt (after a long run my face is full of salt). I am using High5 tablets at the moment and going well. I believe the sweets, cereal bar, gel (sick of it), is just to be on the safe side, re-assure that I will be in one piece.
I have been improving on my run to be honest. Lost weight while still eating loads of healthy food. Achieved sub-50 (10K), sub-2 (half) and hoping to run a nice marathon all the way, finish smiling (hopefully within 4h30min).
Trial and error has me taking a high5 ISOgel every 45 mins for long runs over two and a half hours.
TLparker: where do you normally get them from?
Just found them at Evans Cycles close to work
Spitfire - I can also send you some of those
got a stash of them here from a buy 1 get one free of the boxes! ( i read gel not boxes 
).
I use GU Brew for my electrolytes as I find them a lot easier to digest and drink. The issue with isostar for me is the additional sugar. It just seems to give me a tummy ache.