She Says: Simple Monday
Morning Everyone! I am about to set out on my 10 mile run that I postponed from yesterday. I am hoping the rain holds out for just a little while! Getting wet would not be fun.
I had a small breakfast because I haven’t found that magic food combination that does not make me sick while running.
This was the heal of the bread, my favorite part, with Peanut Butter, flax and cantaloupe.
Last week when I did my long run, I ran out of gas and it felt awful. This week I am packing some mid-run fuel in the form of Sharkies – these were the only thing I could find at Target, Whole Foods & Trader Joe’s! Where do you guys find your gels, etc.?
I dread having to whip these out and eat them while running, but I’ve learned that it is important and might be necessary. While researching why I might need to fuel up mid-run, I found an interesting article comparing different types of sports drinks, bars and gels. It explained that running performance is limited by four fueling factors:
- Loss of body fluids.
- Drop in blood sugar levels.
- Depletion of muscle carbohydrate stores.
- Altered amino acid levels.
Check out the full article here. Interestingly, I’d heard that dried fruit was not a good fuel source, but according to this article it is!
May 4th, 2009 at 8:37 am
Good luck on the run! Just the thought of running 10 miles makes me nauseous.
May 4th, 2009 at 8:38 am
Good luck on your run! Kick some behind! I don’t do well on my runs if I’ve had too much or too little to eat either. I find that a piece of fruit 45-1 hour before my runs keeps my tummy happy. I don’t normally run any more than 6 miles so I don’t really need to fuel mid run so I can’t help too much with that! Hope the sharkies work well!
May 4th, 2009 at 8:39 am
i get my gels and chews at a running store or at sports authority.
different things work for different people. one of the aspects of dried fruit that may be bad is the fiber content! but, i think as long as it has sugar (and maybe some salt for longer runs) you’re golden!
May 4th, 2009 at 8:40 am
Hope you have a good run, it’s raining here, and outdoor activity is minimal for me, so I’m jealous!!
And pb toast made with the heel of bread is awesome!
May 4th, 2009 at 8:42 am
Good luck!
May 4th, 2009 at 8:47 am
Good luck with the 10 miler! I get my gels at local running stores. I prefer GU in Tri Berry, but everybody is different! You can also find gels at Dick’s and REI if you have one in your area, but I tend to stick to the smaller local running stores if I can!
I usually take one gel every hour of running, or every 6 miles whichever comes first.
I have found the secret of gels is just to swallow them like a jello shot! That way you don’t have to really taste them. It’s also essential to wash them down with a swig of water if you can.
May 4th, 2009 at 8:50 am
have a great run – I hope you don’t get rained on! i’ve never tried any of the goos/special gummies. I’ve thought about just taking a dried apricot or 2 with me when I start doing longer runs
May 4th, 2009 at 9:08 am
i find the hammer gels (espresso=mmm!) at whole foods. i am going to look for clif shot blocks tho to try out the next time around.
May 4th, 2009 at 9:28 am
I just ran a 10k yesterday and fell in love with the watermelon sport beans with caffiene. I am not sure if they worked or I just thought they did. I had great energy and finished thinking I could have run more. I got them at Sport Chalet here in San Francisco area.
May 4th, 2009 at 9:28 am
Have an awesome 10 miler! My runs are getting longer as well and I’m trying to figure out what kind of fuel I need…let us know how the sharkies work out for you!
May 4th, 2009 at 9:40 am
REI usually has a lot, or my local running store. I have purchased boxes of Shot Bloks on Amazon. Good luck with your run…it’s raining here too:)
May 4th, 2009 at 10:07 am
I end up having to go to the specialty running store in my city
I’ve seen those Sharkies before – I’m sure they do the same trick!
May 4th, 2009 at 10:17 am
The heel of the bread is the best piece! Thick and dough
Hope you have a great run!
May 4th, 2009 at 10:25 am
REI is always a good place for gels, or most running stores.
That’s my favorite part of the bread, too
May 4th, 2009 at 10:31 am
Good luck on your run! I also have to learn to incorporate fuels into my run. I too have a very sensitive stomach so I really have to start working them in to my long runs before even contemplating taking them during a race. I would like to know how you felt after you took them on the run.
May 4th, 2009 at 10:33 am
Hope your run goes well!!
May 4th, 2009 at 10:48 am
ok, im not really one to comment on this bc i wasnt so successful on my half marathon due to this exact dilemma, but ive been doing some research too, and i have been thinking of getting a camel back thing and filling it with a water/electrolyte combo. usually i think gatorade is kinda gross, but it basically saved me on my half, so im not knocking it anymore.
May 4th, 2009 at 11:29 am
Good luck with the run! I’ve never tried those gels, but I’ve only seen them at Target.
May 4th, 2009 at 11:45 am
i def need to invest in mid run snacks as soon as i start upping my miles again…i def hit that wall when i’m running and i know it’s because of a lack of energy/food.
May 4th, 2009 at 11:55 am
Hope your run goes good!
May 4th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Hey! You should be able to get gels at Jack Rabbit or any running store in NYC/Jersey. If you can’t find them let me know and I can mail you some!
May 4th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
My regular grocery store has Clif gels and Power gels, but I like Gu and Hammer, which I get at sporting goods stores (Academy, REI).
May 4th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
The local bike and running stores usually carry the gels around here. If you check out online, REI has a sale right now and EMS will have one this weekend, to get a bunch cheaper at once.
May 4th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
I usually get my fuel at REI or online (where you can buy it in bulk for cheap if you know what you like!). I use Honey Stinger Energy Chews, which taste fantastic (most energy gels/chews are gross!), and they are organic if that’s important to you! I highly recommend them.
May 4th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
There is a CitySports right across the street from my office that sells Luna Moons and some of those Sports Beans. If you can’t find any, let me know and I’ll make you a variety pack and put it in the mail to you. Just send me an email!
May 5th, 2009 at 6:57 am
Hey love your baking with agave! brownies look amazing
I totally got the sharkies for awhile! I liked it because you can find them at Target too. I am glad you liked them! I am hoping to grab some shot blocks at REI today, I know they have them there if you have a store near you. We don’t have any sport authority places.
The reason I said that dried fruit probably wasn’t as good as the energy gummies was because of the fiber and more natural sugars- They actually take longer to digest and get into your system than the energy designed gummies. The gummies typically have the electrolytes as well so they are faster-acting in getting your glucose stores back up into cells.
Your muscles can only store a limited amount of glycogen, once it uses that up- you “bonk” because your brain still requires glucose while your muscles can turn other things into glucose for energy (ketones, amino acids). Dried fruit has glucose as the chews do so it can provide that for your brain but fiber is indigestible so it slows digestion. When you are exercising, your body wants to burn energy ( glucose/fat ) but when you eat , your body wants to store energy. The sport chews are almost immediately digested, absorbed because they are mostly just simple sugars with electrolytes to help get it into cells.
My exam today is on what happens when your body is fed vs. fasting and how it metabolizes protein and makes glucose…etc.
Have a wonderful Tuesday!
May 5th, 2009 at 8:43 am
High-sugar foods like dates and bananas are what work best for me. Sometimes I add nut butter, but not very much. High fat foods make me feel gassy when I run!