sports gels

nutzzz123

I know there are many threads about gels and races etc but this has certainly confused me http://www.multidays.com/html/articles/energy_gels.htm,
Im currently in training for the cork marathon and I was all set for using gels and sports drinks but now im back to square one. Can someone with experience please shed some light on the best route to take i.e. gel and water or just sports drinks with no gel.
I thought maybe gel would copmensate for over 4 hours without food.

any advice for this newbie would be gratefully appreciated.
nutzzz

Cerlan

Hey nutzzz123

I'm a newb training for the Cork marathon as well. That article is damn confusing. Did a 20 mile long run on Sunday and washed down 3 packs of gel with lucozade sport during the course of it. First time I ever used the gels. Definitely found it boosted my energy and had no issue with "molasses stomach" whatever that is.....

Think I'll do the same during the race itself. I'd say try em out during your long runs and don't worry bout exact measurements. Then again, I could be completely wrong, have heard some people chuck their guts up on em....

shels4ever

nutzzz123 wrote: »

I know there are many threads about gels and races etc but this has certainly confused me http://www.multidays.com/html/articles/energy_gels.htm,
Im currently in training for the cork marathon and I was all set for using gels and sports drinks but now im back to square one. Can someone with experience please shed some light on the best route to take i.e. gel and water or just sports drinks with no gel.
I thought maybe gel would copmensate for over 4 hours without food.

any advice for this newbie would be gratefully appreciated.
nutzzz

Just read that article now, my head hurts....

Milesandmiles

Hi,

too lazy to read the article but gels and drinks work for me. I wear a belt, I drink powerbar every 15 mins. I make it slightly stronger than the reccommended dose. I also use gels, again powerbar blackcurrant with caffine. I don't drink tea, coffee or coke so the caffine probably has a stronger effect on me than the average person. After an hour I take the first gel and take another about 35 mins later. I take some water to wash them down but not the 200ml the manufacturer suggests. I'm sure other brands and flavours work but that's what I'm used to.

No matter what the research says it's what works for you. I'm sure some of my "gel power" is pacebo but as long as it works who cares. A word of caution I have a v strong stomach... I can pretty much get up from my bowl of porridge and go training if I'm pressed for time. I've been using the gels in training and racing about 15 months now.

Krusty_Clown

Follow the instructions on the side of the gel packet. It's usually either 200ml or 400ml of water with a gel (to deliver it to your small intestine). Alternatively, take an isotonic gel, which doesn't require any water. SIS Tropical flavour are actually quite nice!

nutzzz123

lol... sorry for confusing you guys but I had to post it lol...
I have been taken gels for my long runs but got confused when I read that ,

Peckham

Gels are designed to be taken with water (not isotonic drink), as they need to be diluted so can be digested efficiently. Taking them with isotonic drink could lead to stomach problems. You may not be feeling it in training, but come mile 22 of the marathon when your body is under incredible strain, you could react badly to a gel-isotonic combination.

Then again, you may be fine......

Krusty_Clown

I do think that the Isotonic gels are a Godsend (insert your favourite deity here). They are well worth the extra weight and bulk. For Connemara, I pinned three to my shorts, and had an extra one and a caffineited Powerbar gel in my pocket. I was fine with the three Isotonic gels and didn't need the rest. Also because you do not need to take them with water, you're not restricted to taking them at the waterstations.

trotter_inc

Cerlan wrote: »

Hey nutzzz123

I'm a newb training for the Cork marathon as well. That article is damn confusing. Did a 20 mile long run on Sunday and washed down 3 packs of gel with lucozade sport during the course of it. First time I ever used the gels. Definitely found it boosted my energy and had no issue with "molasses stomach" whatever that is.....

Same boat as you Cerlan...for my 20 milers I am taking 2 gels on average.

I am hiding a bottle of water around the half way mark of my routes and am using that to wash down the power bar gel. I also use a fuel belt for additional water.

I find the vanilla flavour Powerbar gels to be fine. Also, the Hi 5 orange flavour Isotonic gels are nice enough too.

911sc

trotter_inc wrote: »

I find the vanilla flavour Powerbar gels to be fine

+1. I love those.

As well as gel, may be try to add an energy bar. Your stomach will so full of fluid ,that a bar you chew very slowly along 1 or 2 kms will very appreciated and satisfying.

I have found this very effective after 2 gels (gel 1 at 10-12kms, gel 2 at 21-22kms , bar from 30-ish kms. It allows to focus on something enjoyable before it gets though going towards the 32-34km mark.
I did exactly that during last Dublin marathon, did not hit the wall, and felt very well all the way. So well actually that i tried to pick up the pace from top of Fosters Av to finish, but each attempt led to cramping in hamstrings.

trotter_inc

911sc wrote: »

+1. I love those.

As well as gel, may be try to add an energy bar. Your stomach will so full of fluid ,that a bar you chew very slowly along 1 or 2 kms will very appreciated and satisfying.

I have found this very effective after 2 gels (gel 1 at 10-12kms, gel 2 at 21-22kms , bar from 30-ish kms. It allows to focus on something enjoyable before it gets though going towards the 32-34km mark.

Exactly what the guy in the shop said actually I got a 'Sports bar' energy bar, tasted lovely (chocolate and caramel) but ate it after the run to help bring back my energy levels. They are quite bulky to carry on a run though, about 1.5 times the size of a kit kat bar, maybe something similar can be got in a smaller size though.

Bambaata

in Dublin i had 3 gels with water and to give the stomach some substance i grabbed some nuts from the crowd.

In Barcelona i had one gel for the entire duration and i actually felt way better than Dublin. to compensate i had much more nuts which were at the aid stations. they didn't have any gel's available on the course.

911sc

That's the bar i was referring to.

The bar is so dense that you should chew pea size each time, and that will keep you chewing for minutes. So, you can in fact just bring half a bar, which would be the same size as a gel.

Stupid_Private

Bambaata wrote: »

in Dublin i had 3 gels with water and to give the stomach some substance i grabbed some nuts from the crowd.

In Barcelona i had one gel for the entire duration and i actually felt way better than Dublin. to compensate i had much more nuts which were at the aid stations. they didn't have any gel's available on the course.

You've got to remember that gels aren't a magic solution. Other factors than the gels come into play when comparing marathons - hell you could have been a lot fitter and better trained for Barcelona and hence felt better.

A lot of people seem to expect a magic kick from gels when they take their first one at 15 miles and already starting to lag. I take them around every 5 miles from the start, well before I'm feeling tired, using them to maintain my levels rather than trying to use them as a pick me up. They work for me. They don't work for others. That's the same as most things in running - there's no right thing. Just what works for you.