Gu or whatever during a marathon

[James Moore]

One of my goals for my next marathon is to get better at taking on fuel. I'm going to start trying to eat something on my long runs. Does anyone have any suggestions of what to eat, where to get it, how often, how much. I really have no idea, so anyone who has had any kind of success could help me.

[Jon Allen]

There is always the old reliable gu's or shot blox.  I prefer something cheaper- I'll sometimes take a granola bar or some fruit snacks to eat half way through a long run.  Nothing like some gummi bears, either.  Stuff that gives you some energy but is easy to digest.

[allie]

jon, don't forget about danish and brownies. 

i can only handle two things - gu (vanilla flavored only) and bananas. anything else i have tried has brought on stomach troubles. everyone is different, but for me, on the "how often" part, i eat a banana before the run and if i do eat a gu it's usually around mile 17. but i have heard of people taking in a gu every 3-4 miles. to me that seems excessive, but it all depends on what you need to sustain your energy levels. i have also had success with the sports drink cytomax.

[Paul Petersen]

Bananas are good, Gu is good (I actually prefer Honey Stinger). I also like dried papaya and raisins.  During a marathon, I may take food around Mile 10 and then again around Mile 18-20. If it's hot I'll take Gatorade at every aid station, which has good calories, if if it's cool out, I'll alternate water and gatorade.

[Jon Allen]

jon, don't forget about danish and brownies.

That's for the post-run recovery.  Along with the Nestle Quik.

[Neil Price]

Stay away from chocolate pudding.  I won't make that mistake again!

[allie]

Stay away from chocolate pudding.  I won't make that mistake again!

yikes. i don't want to know.

[Jose Jimenez]

A couple of wheat pancakes with Maple Syrup and Gatorade about 45 mins before you run.  I also took a Hammer Gel halfway through the run.  I thought this was going to kill me but I actually felt great.  I kept having problems with bonking too early and I think it's because I probably don't have enough fuel in me.  And, yes, stay away from chocolate pudding.  And whatever you do, please do not go for the Orange Burst Gu.  That stuff is toxic.

[jtshad]

And whatever you do, please do not go for the Orange Burst Gu.  That stuff is toxic.

I really like the Orange Burst Gu (I have a hard time with the vanilla, sorry Allie!).  I have some of the new PowerBar Gel Blasts which are good but dense and would be hard to each while running.

For marathons, I take fuel and hydration early to stay ahead of the bonk and monitor the need later on based on feel and pace.  I will take a gel about 7M and then again about 14-15M and then see what I need from there (I have actually eaten as many as 6 gels when I was really crashing!!).   

[Sasha Pachev]

James:

Be patient. Wait for your body to learn to store enough glycogen and absorb whatever you can get at aid stations well enough to race the whole distance. It takes time, but it eventually happens.

When you have glycogen in the leg muscles you are racing. When you don't you are jogging. When you take stuff in during the run you up the blood sugar, but no significant amount of glycogen is added to your legs. You'd have to eat a meal and rest for a while for it to happen. Therefore, Gu/Powerade/Shots improve your jogging speed, which could be worth money in a race like Ogden/TOU, but if you start jogging at any point, unless you are a 2:12 or faster guy, you are not going to the Trials. Therefore, if you want to race the whole way the focus should be on loading your legs with glycogen and learning to use it sparingly at fast speeds.

The best thing you can do in your training is 10-15 mile tempo in the middle of your long run. Healthy diet and good sleep are also important. Very important to reduce stress one week out before the race, otherwise glycogen storage does not happen during the taper.

[James Moore]

Well thanks for your comments. I'm going to experiment I guess and see what works. And Sasha, I really appreciate the training advice. How often do you recommend doing these tempo runs in long runs?

[Sasha Pachev]

Every long run if you can handle it.

[Burt McCumber]

When you take a Gu or a Hammer Gel, do you down the whole thing right away?  Do you just nibble away at it?  Do you take it right before you get to an aid station so you can wash it down with Gatorade or water?  There are no instructions on the package.  So for me it's like, take this, everyone's doing it.

Do you elite runners ever stop to take a quick drink?  I see lots of people stop, and I keep going.  Then before I know it, they pass me up.  I'm afraid if I stop I won't be able to get going again.  That's probably because I haven't built up glycogen levels in my legs, too, huh?

[Dallen]

When you take a Gu or a Hammer Gel, do you down the whole thing right away?  Do you just nibble away at it?  Do you take it right before you get to an aid station so you can wash it down with Gatorade or water?  There are no instructions on the package.  So for me it's like, take this, everyone's doing it.

Do you elite runners ever stop to take a quick drink?  I see lots of people stop, and I keep going.  Then before I know it, they pass me up.  I'm afraid if I stop I won't be able to get going again.  That's probably because I haven't built up glycogen levels in my legs, too, huh?

I try to get the whole gel down before an aid station so I can wash it down, otherwise it lingers in the mouth. For me it takes a few minutes to get one down at race pace. Some people might be able to take it in one big gulp, but I can't.

A for drinking, most faster people tend to try to drink while running. It's hard to do and I will get water up my nose at least once in a marathon. You will probably only lose about a minute if you stop to drink a few times. It might be worth it if you have a minute to spare. Many people lose many minutes due to dehydration.

By the way, your posted high school mile PR is a few seconds faster than mine, so I have faith that you can run a pretty fast marathon if you work on it.

[Paul Petersen]

When you take a Gu or a Hammer Gel, do you down the whole thing right away?  Do you just nibble away at it?  Do you take it right before you get to an aid station so you can wash it down with Gatorade or water?  There are no instructions on the package.  So for me it's like, take this, everyone's doing it.

Do you elite runners ever stop to take a quick drink?  I see lots of people stop, and I keep going.  Then before I know it, they pass me up.  I'm afraid if I stop I won't be able to get going again.  That's probably because I haven't built up glycogen levels in my legs, too, huh?

Usually I nibble on the gel, but I've done it both ways. I always wash down gels with water, otherwise it's a sugar overload, and can cause me stomach problems.

I have stopped and walk through aid stations before. I think at Ogden in 2005 I walked through most of them because I was doing the Grand Slam that year and wanted to recover well (it worked). It's usually worth the extra hydration, although I've gotten better at getting quality drinks on the run without slowing down much, so haven't done it much is recent years.