I thought that the people here might be more knowledgeable in regards to fueling yourself for long runs than I am, so I come here for advise.
2 weekends ago I ran 1h53 (13K) on water and jelly-shots. 1 jelly-shot = 1/5th of a regular 'gel' and I take every 30 minutes 1. I was fine, but for 2 days after I was HUNGRY. So I was wondering whether my jelly-shots might not be enough to fuel my body for such a long run. So I thought to look into other kinds of fuel.
My plan is to run 2h00 (13K to 14K) next weekend and 2h30 (16,1K) the weekend after. To fuel myself I thought to try real gels, instead of only my jelly-shots. I have now bought 2 isotonic gels and 2 electrolytic gels to use 1 of each on my 2 runs. I know that everybody fuels differently and everybody has different preferences and such, but my idea was to try 2 gels now to see what those give. I can try other things later on, though after my 10 miler, I will return back to 90 mins (10K) for which extra fuel is not needed.
But now my questions is, when do I take these gels? And do I still use my jelly-shots in between the gels or not? Of course I am taking water along, though these gels don't need to be taken with water (SIS).
1 gel at 1h and 1 gel at 2h or 1 gel at 5K (40 min) and 1 gel at 10K (90 min) or something else still?
Hi Evy. I have to start by saying I’ve never tried any brand of gel, only jelly babies or Haribos, but as you correctly say, we’re all different! You seem to have a good formula planned out, so maybe just use trial and error?
Personally I have a JB or Haribo every 2k or so on runs over 12k and I pop an SIS electrolyte tablet or half a Tailwind sachet into my water, which I’ll start sipping around 10k (before if it’s hot).
But …… this weekend I did the GSR and I’ve rewritten my script! I had pasta on Saturday evening, then as our wave didn’t start until 11am the next morning, I had toast, berries and yoghurt at 8am (risky because I’ve never eaten so much before a race before ….. 😳)
It worked an absolute treat! I ran the 10 miles and have never felt so good. No wall, very little wilting even though it was warm, and I knocked a substantial chunk off my 2019 time. I didn’t even need any jelly babies.
So for me, it looks like enough fuel beforehand is key.
Thanks, I might have to eat a bit more the day before too. A colleague also said to not eat only my muesli as breakfast before my run, but to add a banana or some honey or so too. Will have to look into this some more. Thanks!
I too ran the GSR. I ate a load of pasta the night before and a large bowl of porridge with blue berries an hour before I left the house. One gel at 6miles. Seemed to work for me 😀
Hi cheekychipmunks I have to agree with you regarding fuel beforehand, for the whole week prior to the HM I followed Anita Beans runners cookbook recipes (mainly healthy pasta veg rice etc) and pasta the night before and that kept me going throughout I didn't need my jelly babies at all and I can't eat anything before running! I also kept myself well hydrated and only needed the water stations on the way and didn't need the sis drink I took with me.
Yes Hidden , I think fuelling properly in the days leading up to a long run is really important too. Ordinarily I wouldn’t eat such a large breakfast before running, but the 11am start on Sunday made it possible, and I’ll definitely consider doing the same again next time, even if it means getting up extra early!
Crikey it’s complicated, when I ran my first 10k it took me 1hr 45 mins so distance less but time not much less, it was a warm sunny day and unplanned, i just kept going, I found after about an hour after a rummage in my pockets that I had nothing with me, not even a mint which was unusual, not even a tissue either, so yes we are all different, i think if i planned a long run i would take something but not sure what,
As you say, everyone is different and IMO part of the fun of increasing your mileage is working out the fuel strategy that suits you best.
I’m with cheekychipmunks and have never even tried a gel. I have quite a sensitive tummy and even the thought of a gel makes my tummy growl 🙄
I need food before I do anything and am a “grazer” food-wise so I definitely need to eat well before a run and during long ones otherwise I just feel faint and have zero energy.
When I started to need fuel I took dates and this worked well for me. A bit tricky to eat though and sticky so I switched to making my own flapjacks. I found the recipe by accident and I know there are lots of people here who love this recipe. Easy to make, they store well and they are packed with everything we need as runners. And they are delicious!
I then went through a phase of not wanting to eat during a run at all and so I tried Tailwind only. This has worked very well for me and that’s all I take now on long runs up to, and including, HM distances. Although I sometimes take a nibble of a flapjack with me as I do like something to chew on too 😋
You also need to experiment on the timing of your fuelling. Start taking it earlier than you need it as it takes a while to work through your system so that it’s effective. I generally start to take fuel at around the 6K point and then top up every couple of K’s. But again, everyone is different and you need to try this out.
Have fun and let us know what you try and how it works out. It’s always interesting to hear what other runners take 🙂
I have never heard of flapjacks. Can you imagine I actually thought they were like pastry things with apples or meat in them? I really wondered how on earth you take along something like that 😂. Now I see they are a bit like energy bars, homemade. It does sound interesting, though I do wonder how it would settle on my stomach...
Tailwind looks VERY interesting too. Only don't know where to get it here in Belgium. And with these stupid new regulations of extra taxes on imports from outside Europe I fear it might get tricky and expensive. But I am going to look it up if I can find it somewhere.
I just got the gels in. They are BIG 😶. I do am going to try them though. I chose these ones as they are less heavy on the stomach and can be taken without water (others need water to dilute in the stomach). But also might try a flapjack...
You're welcome. I don't use gels myself, but totally sympathise with the taxes issue.
Also agree with your colleague that if you're going for a longer run you might need to eat a little more than you would usually. I found I could run before breakfast for shorter runs, but once I'm going out for a couple of hours or more I need to have eaten first, ideally a couple of hours before. This is regardless of fuelling during the run.
Yeah it's a bitch. I regularly ordered things from outside Europe. But now? Last thing I ordered was for about 50 euro and I had to pay 20 or 30 (have forgotten) in taxed extra. I found it ridiculous. If Europe doesn't want us ordering abraod, then they have to supply the same stuff themselves.
I'm a Brit who's been living in France for over 15 years. I've not had problems ordering stuff - not for running btw - from North America. However I've more or less given up on post-Brexit UK.
These energy bars are great. I make a batch and cut them into small bars, wrap in foil and put in the freezer. I put one in my flipbelt and it’s thawed by the time I eat it. It’s very soft so easy to eat on the run.
For breakfast I’ll have porridge with berries and maple syrup, or make overnight oats which has frozen berries in it.
They taste so good, If I didn’t hide them in the freezer, they’d be gone IP. There are too many calories to eat them without a run, even if they are healthy natural calories . 😂
I don't like porridge, tried it a few time but it is a no go for me. But I think muesli with a bit of honey and a banana might be good too? A colleague suggested that as breakfast.
I do use gels, it’s trail and error for when you use them. For me if I’m running 10k I don’t really need them, but for 10miles I’d have one around the 6mile (or 10k mark). I find the gel takes 2k to kick in for me, so I take them before I get tired. For a HM I’d take one at 6miles and another at 10 miles, or there about.
Try it out and see how you feel. I use High5 but there are many brands.
Thanks, I bought SIS. Apparently they are less heavy on the stomach (though also less energetic). When to take it is so different with everybody. You say at the 10K mark (90 mins for me) and a colleague says after 20 minutes (which I honestly thinks rather early). I think the difficulty is to know on beforehand when you'll get tired. Running is more 'difficult' than I thought 😂
It’s a bit of fun to try it out. You could fir example, next time you run you could mark when you’re getting tired (or look back at any Garmin or Strava data), then when you run again take a gel 10mins before that point and note how you feel later in your run. Did you get tired at the same point or later, that type of thing. Good luck!
How can I see it in Garmin data please? When a run goes good, mostly I only start feeling tired when I realise I am at the last kilometer (I have the same when walking).
You could either use your Pace (see if you’re slowing down cause of tiredness) or depending on how fit you are, your heart rate may show signs of fatigue. The best measure is how you feel though, and that’s not an exact science 😂
Hmm... my pace usually increases during a run (I start slow). My heartrate slowly increases, but gradually, so no remarkable changes. I guess I'll have to take a chance and guess it 😂.
Evy, it's always a good idea to fuel before you feel you need to, coz at that point it's generally too late
Totally agreed with that, and a lesson I learned on my 10 mile Sunday run.
Because I went out a little later (and with less inside me) I found I needed more jelly babies to give me a little boost, and it took a while to kick in. I now realise I need to take something in about the 9km point just so that I don't start to fade at about the 13km point.
There aren't a huge numbers of Calories in jelly babies, but they probably give a tiny sugar boost to take the edge off the problem. I only needed about six for my HM last month, but needed ten for the 10 miles last weekend.
I can recommend something having eaten something starchy a few hours before. Something light and starchy like buttered toast could be eaten an hour before.
And it's pretty much inevitable that you'll be hungry for a couple of days after any long run. For me a 10 mile run is about 1200 Calories, which is over half my resting energy consumption.
That's a decent evening meal, or in fast food terms an XL Bacon Double Cheeseburger with regular fries from BK. (It's a good few years since I had one of those.)
And here I was hoping running would tighten and tone my body a bit. But on contrary I'm going to become a bear before its winter sleep, eating as if there is no tomorrow 😂
Actually, I still lost weight when I started to do the longer runs, in spite of eating more for a few days after. There was also a change in rate of metabolism following it, which meant the weight kept off.
I'm now well below the weight I aimed for, so I have to make sure I eat enough. From straining the waistband of 32 inch waist jeans I now need a belt that wouldn't fit me on its widest setting 18 months ago to stop them flapping about! I don't have a six pack, but my midriff now goes in either side of where one would be. Starting from my heaviest at 82kg, I'd originally aimed for 75kg but have now hit 70kg.
And by longer runs, I mean duration, not distance. Anything over 90 minutes causes The Hunger.
As you can see from the replies above, we are all different and there are many, many options!!! For what it's worth, my latest approach is water with electrolytes (high 5 or SIS tabs), plus an energy bar from Veloforte. They are big and solid and I only used three quarters of one in the HM this weekend - I just took a small bite each time I took a drink at the water stations (which were approx 7k, 12k, 16k and 19.k). I'd had plain porridge for breakfast about 2 to 3 hours before the race and a banana about an hour before. That was plenty for me. I think I used to overeat/overfuel when I first started HM distance - not sure if my needs have changed or whether I just went over the top initially 😀. Good luck and have fun experimenting.
I still don’t think I’ve nailed it tbh Evy - if I could put a buffet in my vest I would. I get HUNGRY running longer distances regardless as to how much I’ve eaten an hour beforehand, which is generally porridge, wheat bran, and chocolate protein powder. Just before I go out I have half a banana and a Belvita biscuit. If it’s a long run I conscientiously eat a good meal the night before - pasta and veg or some such (I’m vegetarian). On the way round more Belvita biscuits and Percy Pigs. Weirdly I’m never very hungry when I get home - prob because I’ve already had a picnic en route 🤣. Tried a gel once and it was horrible, and I don’t use any additions to my water. I find it’s about being fuelled before you think you need it really. But as said, everyone is so different, I really like the flapjack idea so may give that a go. Best of luck! 🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️
I bought the four gels now, but am a bit intimidated by their size. According to the site these are less 'heavy' than regular gels, but still. A flapjack sounds indeed interesting too, might look into that myself too. Main issue now though I think is the timing... And will up my breakfast of muesli with a banana and some honey maybe.
As others have said everyone is different. I regularly run 10k training runs and ran the GSR at the weekend. I make sure I am well hydrated the day before (no alcohol) and have a light breakfast before the run. When on the run I don’t eat or drink anything. I did the GSR in less than and hour and a half and felt fine. Try out different approaches but avoid expensive snake oil.
Agreed on expensive snake oil. As with many of these things the actual ingredients are often really cheap. eg. glucose, flavourings, various salts.
I wonder this would work... A jelly mix made up concentrated so it's the consistency of jelly cubes, but with added extra glucose and a bit of salt, using an ice cube tray as a mould. (There are vegetarian jelly mixes which use agar instead of gelatin.) On the other hand there might be no preservatives in the mix, so they wouldn't have much of a shelf life. They'd make a very good medium for culturing nasty bacteria, so the water needs to have been well boiled.
I don't tend to need anything for 10km myself. Like you, I regularly train at 10km nowadays. However, I definitely need something for runs over 90 minutes. Not much, but something.
My 10K situates itself just below the 90 minutes (85 to 87 minutes) and I don't think I need anything for that distance either (besides water). Though I do use 2 or 3 jelly-shots just for the case of it. 1 jelly-shot is 1/5th of a regular gel. It looks like a big round jelly-bear but with a liquid core with the gel-substance in.
I’m still experimenting with fueling but I would take one gel at 45mins and another one at 90mins. I wouldn’t worry about taking anything else except water. Hubby ran his first HM last week and took two gels one at 9k and one at 15k and that worked well for him 👍🏻
I was kinda thinking about those times as well. My colleague is also going to bring something to put in water, but I don't think I will use it. I think 2 gels will be more than sufficient. I am not even sure if 2 gels won't be too much and if I should keep it to only 1 gel...
I have done some more research on the gels I bought and I have been a little bit wrong I think with buying 1 of them. I bought from SIS 2 isotonic gels and 2 electrolytic gels. Apparently the electrolytic gels are mainly for when it is very warm and you sweat a lot. Seen the temperatures are decreasing, I don't think it would be wise to use this electrolytic gel.
I might keep it to only 1 isotonic gel for both my long runs. As to when I will take them, that's something I'm still researching. I have heard / read after 20 minutes, after 45 minutes, after 60 minutes, when you feel tired, ... .
When I'm having a good run, I mostly don't feel tired until the last kilometer (it's a mental issue). But I find taking a gel on the last kilometer a bit foolish. I understood that it takes 15 minutes for a gel to work. I estimate that I need 2h05 for 14K and 2h25 for 16K. I wonder whether I don't best take it around 1h30 (10K)?
And shall I take my gel-shots (1/5th of a gel) as always and take 1 every 30 minutes? Or should I leave them. I am also going to buy a protein bar to take along and eat right after my run. I read it can help the muscles to recover after sports.
So much to think about... luckily I will go back to 10K after my 10 miles. 10K (90 minutes) is easy, don't need anything extra 😀
So first off well done for your long efforts!! you'll get hooked and just go on and on, it's goos fun chasing the endorphin rush!! I have run half marathons, marathons, and more recently a Half Ironman so fuelling is serious stuff .On all of my runs, I always take a Camelbak with water and 1 tsp of pink Himalayan rock salt to replace the sodium that the body loses in endurance exercise. I choose the Camelbak so that my hands are free and also at events you may only have to stop at the last aid station. Every 9 to 10k I will have a Cherry Power gel by PowerBar, it has caffeine to boost energy and electrolytes. I steer clear of PowerAid drinks or GatorAids as they are just too sweet for me. Hope this helps - it works for me but as everyone says - we are all different - Good luck and happy running!
Thanks, very interesting. HM and marathon are not there for me yet. Not sure if they will ever be, but never say never of course. First I'm going to tackle this ten miler, then go back to 10K's and we'll see what the future brings. At the moment I have the possibility of 1200 ml of water in 2 flexible bottles that fit in my hydration vest with long straws to sip from. My vest can also fit a 1.5 liter bladder in the back, but I don't have one (yet). I think that for 10 miles 1 or 2 of these flexible bottles will be sufficient. I haven't tried any sports drinks yet, but from the very long ago past I think to remember I found them rather sticky in the mouth. So I prefer to stay with plain water if possible. Thanks again for your insight.
My hydration is more or less ok. During a run I now sip a small bit of water every 5 to 10 minutes and a bit more when I take a gel-shot. Outside of the running, I should drink a bit more again. I had a period when I drank 2 bottles a day at work (not 1.5 liter, but my refillable bottle). But now it's back to 1 bottle a day + what I drink at home with meals. So I should up this again a bit. And in weekends I dare drink hardly anything. If I don't fill a bottle in the morning and drag it with me during the day, I hardly drink anything at all except during meals.
For a long run you really need to up your water intake a few days before so that you are well hydrated ed from the off. The pee colour test is a good indicator. I also use a high 5 zero tablet (replacing electrolytes) the day before , and straight after the run.
Ok, I'll do my utmost to up my water intake. Atwork they already look weird at me for running to the loo so often in the morning (250 ml milk with muesli + 150 ml water as breakfast + more water at work). I'll try to have them question me even more 😹
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