I'm training for a half marathon. This is all new to me. I done 10mile last week and suddenly hit a wall and was exhausted. I went to the shop and had a can of pop and felt fine. Was thinking of taking gels with me on a run but I really don't want to take water out for my run. Do I have to have water for a run of this distance. Any advice on fuelling would be much appreciated. Thanks
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PS You say can of pop? Most canned drinks in the main are fizzy and don't rehydrate you I'd say?
I'd get one of those belts with the bottles attached so it doesn't get in the way. Or, if you don't want to do that, plan a route that goes via a water fountain.
You shouldn't really need gels for a half - your body generally has enough glycogen for a couple of hours. I usually only use them for marathon training runs where I'm going to be out for much longer. If you want to try, though, I've found the SiS gels are a bit more liquid than some of the other brands (I prefer the flavours of Torq gel but the SiS gels definitely go down easier and you don't need water with them).
If you're running out of energy after 10 miles -are you eating or hydrating properly the rest of the time ?
Maybe running too fast ?
You'll get used to it - i know i used to take water out a lot with me when I began but I didnt really need it.
If you can introduce some re-fuelling into your running, and you can train better as a result, then why wouldn't you?
Also, I believe the latest science suggests performance starts to taper off long before glycogen stores are depleted. It's thought to be an issue of blood sugar dropping away. This tends to happen around 45mins into running. So a bit of sugar (jelly babies, Starbursts, energy gel, whatever) around 40-ish mins into a run (and every so often after that) can help stop you from crashing.
If I'm running for 2+hrs (like most new half-marathoners are) then I would want a pocketful of sweeties, and actually some water would be quite nice too.
All advice is welcome. Thanks
You don't run out of glycogen after 10 miles (or 13), you just got tired out from the unfamiliar distance, or going too fast, or both.
In general, get well hydrated, let your digestion clear out, and decide in advance what type of run you're doing. If it's an easy run then go easy (enough to breathe through your nose or thereabouts). It brings a load of benefits and you're good to go again the next day.
For the race itself, if you're looking at <-1hr30 then a few sips and a gel may be all you need. If you're circa 1hr45 then something around 45min and 1hr15 would be fine. Anything 2hr+ and you'll ideally need 3+ stops on a hot day.
A stop can be simply grabbing a beaker for the faster runners to help down a 100cal gel, to a short walk and half bar with elec drink for slower runners.
Very much depends on the individual - predicted time, conditions of the day, weight and sweat rate of athlete.
Elite Ironman, Ultra Trail Runner
I think its far more personal than that depending on how your unique body reacts, and also perhaps more importantly your background training.
For example, say 3 years ago when I hadnt been running that long I found a gel every 5km would improve my performance in a half marathon race ALOT, say maybe worth 5-8 minutes in a 1:40-1:50 HM. Now, with a couple more years of solid training under my belt I'd maybe carry one as a backup in my pocket but pretty sure I didn't even have any on my most recent PB, as I don't need them now my body is more adapted. They don't seem to give me the boost they once did.
Similarly I used to take a lot more water on longer training runs that I simply don't need now my body is more used to running.
So I would say use your training to experiment and see what you need. If you find you need gels/water at certain distances then go with that. And whatever you do find works for you, be prepared for that to change as your training increases/decreases in future years.
Presumably you've repeated the 10 mile since - how did you get on ? Consistent and progressive running is what you need.
If you really feel that you need energy - go get some jelly babies and have one a mile. Easy to eat - a little treat to mark each mile and they go down easy without water. Also a lot cheaper and less messy than gels.
I think it's gonna be more mental than anything if it helps you though.
I think JD 41 has it right though - try a few different things and see what works best for you. I'd suggest try taking a gel after 45mins, and see if you feel better/stronger in 10mins time. If you have stomach issues, then try taking the sweets with you next time you run, and so on. If you feel no benefit from either, then you don't need 'em!
I'd also caution you to be careful of the potential stomach / digestive issues. Some people will be fine, but if I had gels and an energy drink I'd be in a mess... and so would the floor near me!
In the heat though it may be a necessity but pouring over the head seems to work almost as well as drinking it. Don't try that with Sports Drinks though.......
Personally I prefer not to be carrying anything where possible, though I do find I need to take on fluids for a long run so will often carry a bottle of water or lucozade. In races I use gels and the water supplied by the race (plus gels in 1 or 2 training runs beforehand to check there are no adverse reactions), so that I don't have to carry anything.
But each to their own.
Still no need for gels/sweets/drinks other than as an effective placebo, but unless you get tummy probs take what you like, won't make any difference except in your mind.
Water is something which every runner takes in abundance at every race - whether they need to or not. If it's hot then yes, make sure you drink enough, but most people drink too much rather than too little. I will usually take a bottle at every stop or every other stop - I'll take a couple of sips and then tip the rest over the head / neck / arms to cool down a little and discard the rest.