Friday, January 1, 2016

Getting Fuel in During the Marathon

"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses--behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road--long before I dance under the lights" - Mohammed Ali

I hope all of you got some cool running gadgetry or clothes over the holidays and are ready to put them to some good tests. I spent my Christmas up in Boston with family and I must say it is crazy running in Boston in December and it's 65 degrees. And one last stray note...I don't hide that I am not an Alabama fan, but after watching them completely dismantle Michigan State last night, I am convinced that nobody could beat them. Guess that's why they're 7 point favorites to beat Clemson, an undefeated #1 team! OK, on to running stuff.

Last week, I got to talking with one of our newer marathon trainees and the talk drifted towards what to take in during the long training runs or the race itself. As I said a few blogs back, the body can only store maybe, about 2000 calories in carbohydrates, and seeing that carbs are the absolute #1 preference for your engine to use as fuel, and also seeing that you burn about 100 calories per mile, it doesn't take Watson The Computer to figure out that somewhere around 18 miles, your engine will start sputtering and your GAS light will come on. This is simple science. You can alter the carbs/fat burning ratio quite a bit during training (that's why training MUST be consistent), but other than that, you better be throwing some carbo-logs into the fire along the way.

When I’m running a marathon, I take in 4-5 gels during the race, usually about 45-60 minutes apart. This provides about 150 calories of carbohydrates per hour to keep me running strong (a totally relative reference). In addition, I like to drink whatever sugar drink (Powerade, Gatorade, etc) they have, so totally (gels + drinks), I supplement my rapidly depleting energy stores with about 250 calories/hour. Depending on your bodyweight and your pace, you may need more or less than this, but 250-300 calories is about all your engine can process/hour without mucking up the food-to-energy continuum.

I have found that gels are the most convenient form of carbohydrates for me to carry during long distance runs. They are small and easy to carry in the pockets of my shorts or in a waist belt. Plus, I actually like the taste of most of them, but we are all different and some people just can’t stand the taste or texture of gels. I’ve had the opportunity to try many brands (Gu, Powergel, Hammergel, etc) and there are some that I prefer over others. To me, they go down easily, and they are easily digested, so generally, it should get into your bloodsteam in about 10 minutes IF you dilute it with water (otherwise you wind up with a big carbo-ball sitting in your stomach). I generally like lighter flavors like vanilla, strawberry, raspberry, or citrus vs. stronger flavors like espresso, although my favorite is Peanut Butter Gu.

Now, some of these gels have 25mg or 50mg of caffeine, but how it affects your performance is a whole other bag of potatoes. But being I brought it up, here goes...when I mentioned caffeine to this runner I mentioned above, she says "Man, if I take one of those Powergels with caffeine, I get too hyped up!". C'mon folks, a cup of coffee has something like 120 mg of caffeine and if you're a Starbuck's fan, then you're talking 200mg. Powergel has 25 mg! The 2X has 50mg - HALF A CUP OF REGULAR COFFEE!! I don't think that's going to have you bouncing off the walls. It's meant to give you a little kick, but mostly rather than jolting you like a Starbuck's Double Latte, caffeine has been shown to help with the breakdown of fat into muscle fuel and increase the speed the absorption of ingested carbohydrates (which is what Powergel is). But, the mind is a strong (though sometimes not very smart) muscle, that can have a dramatic effect on how you respond to all aspects of the race. Like I've always said (paraphrasing my grandmother), "If you BELIEVE tying a piece of garlic around your neck will make you run faster, then tie it around your neck - AND YOU WILL RUN FASTER!!.

If you don’t like gels, the fact of the matter is that a carbohydrate molecule is the same no matter it's source and there are a lot of alternative forms of carbohydrates that you can try. As with gels, be sure to test them out on your training runs to make sure they are convenient for you to carry, that you can eat them on the run without choking on them, and that they don’t upset your stomach causing your body to hit the "reset" button...otherwise known as throwing up!


Here’s a list of other carbohydrate-rich foods that you can try though I REALLY hesitate recommending some of them;
Clif Shot Bloks (fancy Gummy Bears)
PowerBar Gel Blasts (same as Bloks)
Honey Stingers (they make gels and some waffle-like things. Good, but hard to carry)
Sport Beans (c'mon, they're Jelly-bellys)
Twizzlers
Gummy Bears
Jelly Beans
Tootsie Rolls
Hard Candies
Bananas
Raisins
Go-Gurt (squeeze-pack yogurt)
GoGo Squeez Applesauce (or other fruit)
Cookies
Fig Newtons (nutritionally, very close to Powerbars and a whole lot cheaper)
Energy Bars (hard to chew on the run...impossible in cold weather)
De-fizzed Coke or other soft drink
Honey (I saw somebody once drinking it straight - Yecchh!)

You can get a lot more specific of which forms of carbohydrates are better to consume, but generally, the big picture is pretty much the same...keeping fuel in your engine to get you to the finish line balloons. Find something you like, but more importantly, something you believe in. Now, if we can come up with that lasagna flavor gel, then we're really cooking!!

I'll see you on the roads - AL

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