Training Tips Thursdays!

I can't let a little July 4th Bloody Mary Fun stop me from posting training tips!

Seriously delicious.

Eating on the Run  

Since many of us who are marathon training are hitting 9 miles this week, I thought I would pass along some tips and ideas for eating on the run.

For runs that are between 30 and 60 minutes, your body typically only needs water.  As runs become consistently over 60-90 minutes, you should definitely think about bringing some fuel on your long runs.

Why eat on the run?  When you run for over an hour, your body’s glycogen (glucose + carbs in muscles) stores become depleted and need to be replaced in order to continue to have optimal performance.

How much to eat on the run?  Your body will typically need 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour of running.  This amount will depend on your size, and how much you’re exerting yourself.

What to eat on the run? This is where the experimenting begins!  I’ll go through different eats that are available, but your body will tell you what is right for you.

Liz’s Most Important Tip: ALWAYS drink water when you’re taking in carbs on the run.  Running gel + no water = really upset stomach

Sports Drinks (and some fun math!):

Most sports drinks contain 6-8% carbohydrates (15 grams per 8 ounce serving), but watch your labels!  A lot of the “low cal” sports drinks contain far fewer carbs per 8 ounces.  Additionally, some sports drinks are starting to incorporate a 4:1 carb:protein ratio, which I personally think adds to the yuck factor.   My concerns: I’ve had a lot of poorly mixed sports drink during a race, sometimes I hate the flavor/brand on a race course, and I can’t personally drink 16 to 32 ounces of sports drink per hour to keep up with carb needs, so I usually go for the solid options…

Solid Options:

Gels – GU, Cliff Shots, Hammer Gels, PowerBar Gels, and so on…

Most gels contain 25 to 30 grams of carbohydrates per gel (and 100 calories), so you will need to consume 1-2 gels per hour depending on how hard your working/your size.  I typically need a gel every 4-5 miles when I’m running, and I tend to only favor gels when the weather favors liquid substance.  I find them to be a sticky hot mess in the summer, and pretty gross when they get cold. 

Blocks/Beans – Shot Blocks, Sport Beans, Honey Stinger Gummies, PowerBar Gummies, Luna Moons and so on…

Most running blocks/gummies contain 5 grams of carbohydrate per piece, so you’ll have to take in 6-12 pieces per hour.  I’ve really been favoring gummies lately because I find them to be texturally better than gels, and they hold up better in the heat.  If you’re going for shot blocks, it’s easier to transfer them into a plastic bag, or cut the tube in half so it’s not as cumbersome. 

Bars – I don’t personally do bars because they’re too “solid” for me and I get confused by the fat:protein:carb ratio that’s best for running.  If you’re going with a bar, it should have 200-250 calories, and I would aim for a bar every hour or two

CANDY!! – When looking for running candy, I would lean towards candy that is high carb, low fat/protein.  Think Swedish Fish, Skittles, Twizzlers.  I would leave things like M&Ms and Milky Way’s for the movies.  You’ll have to read the packaging to find out the carb content per piece, and pack accordingly.   

Perils and Pitfalls:

·      Not bringing your own fuel to a race: more and more races are starting to offer gels on the course.  This does not mean that they’ll still have gels when you get to the table, and just beware (like sports drinks) that this may not be a flavor or brand that you like.  Which brings me to…

·      Trying something new on race day:  Be careful out there!  Different brands of gels have been known to do weird things to my stomach.  That Starburst seemed like a good idea, until it wasn’t such a good idea…

·      Not taking fuel with a glass of water: See Liz’s most important tip

·      Beware of caffeine content:  Caffeine is being added to some brands (flavors) of energy gels due to claim that it helps with endurance performance.  Data is +/- on whether it helps, and if you’re not used to caffeine I’ve seen stomach and jitteriness issues.  Just be aware of whether or not there is caffeine in your gels.  I typically will only consume one product with caffeine in it per event.

That’s all the craziness I have for this week!  

Except for this hilarious sticker I found on someone's car in my garage:

I honestly hate car stickers, but this one is pretty amazing