Jelly babies or Gel?

2

Comments

  • I tend to find raw cod most rewarding on a long run.

    Jelly babies are sure to revolt and start melting mid run. I am reliably informed that Gels are akin to a gaining a cold oral climax - being a man I couldn't substantiate this - so the merits of cod fillet mid route are quite high.

  • Raisins don't exist.

     Raisins are in fact ...rabbit poo

  • El Bee... what rubbish. People like you make this forum so fantastic.

    You speak out of your arse with much skill.

     ..ya, like, I run a half marathon and only have a sip of water ya.

    Running is the best and worst of sports - each to their own and all that. Eat if you need to , drink if you want to... to coin the phrase...'just do it.'

  • I wonder if it isn't as much to do with time on your feet as anything else.  If I was a fast runner I can see that I could nip round a half marathon with just a bit of water.  As I'm a slow runner (the clue's in the name), I'm on my feet for two hours doing a half, and although I can do - and have done - the distance with just water, I feel more energetic over the last few miles if I've had a couple of fruit gums.

  • Sorry. I enjoyed too much Chablis last night.

    Very bad boy.

  • But with good taste in wine.
  • Another vote for Jelly Tots, as bacon butties tend to go cold

  • In my first half in Glasgow last year I had three gels at 3, 6 and 9 miles and then at 11.5 I lost the plot, couldn't stand, dizzy, nauseous. Someone gave me two jelly babies and I was away, back up to speed for the last mile and a bit. Coventry half 6 weeks later, jelly babies saw me round no worries, So for me, jelly babies.
  • With the jelly babies are you only talking a couple of sweets? Not like half a bag. Also do you just have water at the stations and is tha tgenerally enough (Half marathon distance)
  • kittenkat wrote (see)
    Nothing on a half, I don't even take in water at that distance.


    hi Kittenkat - welcome to the ranks of

    "Those Who Speak Out Of Their Arse With Much Skill" ™210bpm

    image

  • im yet to use jellybabies for a half but i am definatly going to try it, also you definatly need to be taking on some sort of liquid for a half, i think its hard to drink cupped water from the water stations but if you can find a drinks bottle you can carry for an event that has a decent squirty top on it i would use, as anyone who knows drinks station water mostly end's on your belly or your head instead of in your gob lol

  • Good thread.

    Do the caffeine gels make a difference from the normal ones?? Im thinking of the SIS one. Does it work better? 

  • I'm a devotee of jelly babies.  Only take a few (so don't eat the whole bag) and have a rule that they come out at mile 5 and I only eat one after a hill, or after a mile marker.  Always get left with the black or red ones though, not as nice.

     Disadvantage is I have to hide them at home so my (non runner) other half doesn't eat them.

  • Up to about 1 1/2 hours - no need to eat, probably.  But if I'm going to be going for longer, I'll start nibbling at about 1 hour.  Jelly babies every time - pref the green, yellow or black ones!

    Just take a handful (5 or 6) with you - or even buy the big bag of little packets which only have about that many in.

    Plus  couple of mouthfuls of diluted energy drink (too sweet and sticky otherwise) every couple of miles on a longer run.

    I tried the gel - as someone else commented, the texture is just totally gross!  image Couldn't decide whether to spit it out or swallow it - and I'd paid for this? 

    On to happier things - what about muesli bars and the like - esp the ones with raisin in?   

  • there is an interesting article in this weeks Cycling Plus saying that muesli bars are good (over long distances), much better than flap jacks which used to be a cycling favourite (with some anyway)... I would have thought however that they could be a little dry if you are running.  Worth trying though. 
  • I find that I can't eat too much before a half marathon. I try and eat a bowl of porridge with a bannana on it and find that I find very sick afterwards. I'm tending now to eat more carbs the night before and then an energy drink in the morning a couple of hours before the start of the race.

    During the race I tend to have a Lucazade energy drink with me and if I feel I need a boost I have a small sip. I have tried the gels but find that they are quite hard to 'swallow'.

    What do people end to have after a race?

  • LS21LS21 ✭✭✭
    Beula Clarkson wrote (see)

    What do people end to have after a race?


    After the Dublin Marathon I had 2 pints of Guinness and a packet of Hula Hoops!

  • LS21LS21 ✭✭✭

    It was actually!

     I suppose the best thing would be something carby with protein - so a Tuna Sandwich or similar would be ideal. After really really long runs I struggle to get anything down though, and I find some form of chocolate milk seems to work ok for me - just to get some calories inside me really. I often use SiS Rego or the For Goodness Shakes drinks, but I'm struggling to find the latter now.

    I think if you can get soemthing down you within 30 mins or so of finishing then you'll be ok - quite often it's a case of eating whatever you think you can stomach at that point though, so I've had all sorts of weird stuff!

  • After the last GNR - ham sandwiches that my long suffering wife had carried around since 6 in the morning, dry roasted peanuts, malt loaf, banana, followed about 1/2 later by mars bar and lots of coffee to keep me awake on the coach home!

    After the last local 1/2 marathon (excellent Brass Monkey in York) hopped back onto my bike, cycled home, had shreddies, nuts and a twix!

    Spot the common theme - nuts, nuts, nuts!

  • Oh, I had some Jelly Babies, too!image
  • I love the nuts so that's a good idea!!

     I have tried the Lucazage recovery stuff but it tastes abit weird.

    Thanks for the adivce.

    I managed a boiled egg on Sunday after my half marathon.

  • el Bee - wrong use of a trade mark surely?

     KK...I'm dissapointed in you, when do you learn to speak out of your arse?

    Joking aside, I think the point I was trying to make the other night - in my slightly wine addled state - was that (get ready) we are all different. I de-hydrate very badly and will take water on anything over 6 miles. After a 6 miler, I need to take bin loads of fluids on board if I'm to avoid trouble.

    It seems to me that there are those who regard not drinking as being more hard core and up to the job than those that need to drink. That people even assume that bragging rights exist on this issue is as laughable as people actually bragging about it.

     On the other hand, am I overly sensitve about this and read a perfectly reasonable sentance in the wrong context?....... goes away to think....which will hurt....a lot.

    Back on thread....I do find jelly babies put in the 'bum pocket' of my running shorts (some ouf you will know what I mean I hope) tend to get a bit guey after a number of miles....so where should they be carried?

  • Hi have been training for my first half marathon on the 8th March, having started running six months ago.  I have been really sensible with my training and have been reading the threads re nutrition, fluids etc.  Yesterday knowing that I was going to do a long run today I stocked up on complex carbs including jacket potato, peanut butter on multi-grain bread, porridge with fruit and honey this morning about two hours before I ran.  I always take a little squirty bottle with water in it (more for comfort than anything else on a shorter run) and a took sips from this about every fifteen minutes, didn't feel I needed anything to eat and have just got in and wolfed down a Marks and Sparks cranberry and cashew bar (they are delicious if you like these sort of bars)  I have also tried putting a fruit smoothie in my bottle and that works for me on a longer run but I can imagine that some people would feel sick with a smoothie.  It really is each to their own at the end of day, what works for one person doesn't work necessarily for another.  Good thread cheers Wendy
  • I'm going to start incorporating jelly beans into my longer runs to see if my tummy can handle taking anything onboard whilst I'm running.  If I eat any less that 2hours prior to going out for a run then I get killer stitch after 25mins and no amount of deep breathing, pulling myself more upright to stretch my tummy will shift it.  As for the drink thing, I take my doughnut bottle with me if I'm planning on being out for any longer than 45mins as I get really dry mouth which just isnt pleasant and i will take little sips when needed.

  • 210BPM - ".I do find jelly babies put in the 'bum pocket' of my running shorts (some ouf you will know what I mean I hope) tend to get a bit guey after a number of miles....so where should they be carried?"

    I actually have a Hilly waist bag which fits nicely under the remains of my paunch (used to be more of one whne I started running!image).  As well as having a place for my PDA & mobile, wallet, keys, ID card etc (I run to work a couple of times a week) and somewhere for a lightweight waterproof, it has lots of little pockets sutiable for sweeties!

    And when I'm not carying all that kit around I still put it on and run because it has room for a bottle instead - as well as the JBs and cereal bar.

  • ^ Doesn't it bounce a bit though?

    I'm now taping gels to my camelbak if I'm on a half or longer. I'd rather have jelly babies, but the whole bum bag thing would do my nut.

     As for carrying keys and phones.... that weight would take at least 1 mnute off per mile, so you should factor that in when you look at your chip times!

  • MD

    try everything out

    what suit one does'nt suit all

    energy drinks and gels leave a foul tatse in my system and i re- gurgitate the lot

    but i chew bananas and cereal bars - yougerts etc

  • 210bpm

     There was nothing 'hard-core' or testosterone-slinging regarding my first post on this thread.  

    I completely agree that we are all different - and some people require more fluid for a half marathon than others.
    And even THAT changes with prevailing conditions - and the actual effort that you are making in a particular event!

    But from a purely physiological point of view - there should be no need (except in people with known issues with hypoglycaemia) to take on food over the half marathon distance.
    People DO
    And some people will swear blind that they HAVE to
    And the psychological support that it gives cannot be underestimated.

    But it doesn't make it a physiological neccessity

    Respectfully

    eL Bee!

    Managing Director
    Those Who Speak Out Of Their Arse With Much Skill Inc.

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