Skip to main content

chews vs gels

Chews and gels can be very helpful when pounding out the miles to maintain your nutritional needs.  Fueling yourself with carbs and electrolytes during longer runs and races will prevent you from running out of energy and help boost your performance.  
That's good to know, but how do you know how often to take them or which kind you should take.  All of this depends on your preference.  Try as many as you can during training and figure out what works best for you.  Stick with that.


Personally, I enjoy chews best, but I'm not completely sold on a brand.  I tried Honey Stingers last year and really liked them because they are smaller.  I also chew Clif Chews as well, but I think this year I'll go with the Honey Stingers.  
I took me years to figure this out.


Some people swear by gels.  I don't like the feeling of eating chews (while it's in my mouth).  I always want to spit it out.  Not the point.


The general rule is to take about 100 calories an hour of running.  I generally do not follow this rule.  I usually take in less than that.  Again, try different things and figure out what's best for you.


Here's a reference article you can use.


Some people even eat candy.  I haven't tried this strategy, but have a feeling I wouldn't like it.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

museum field trip

i've been doing really well on my field trip resolution . yesterday i hit up another one:  the chicago history museum .  it turns out it was a free day there, even though i was going to get in free anyway.  that means it was busy! which is fine, i still got to take a gander around.   I've never been to the history museum before so that in itself was exciting. probably my favorite part was when they talked about the world's fair in chicago (i can't remember the exact name).  the buildings were so much grander than i imagined them in my mind while i read, devil in the white city a couple months ago.  it was fun to see what it was really like.  and wow! there was also an awesome exhibit about workers rights and such. so it was a fun little excursion.  

thanksgiving time

( via ) Yes, I like Santa.  But why is everyone so anxious to start with Christmas?  Why can't we appreciate Thanksgiving first? don't get me wrong, i'm excited to watch Love Actually again (when it's in-season.  i actually watch it all year long). everyone kept talking about christmas being everywhere this month, but i really only encountered it when i walked around the mall with Greta (my sister-in-law) on Monday.  it was all over the mall.  it could have been december. look what Nordstrom is doing i'm actually really excited for thanksgiving this year... (details to follow) but as far as today goes... I have to share this with you because I think it's funny ( via ) actually... at 11:11 I was running around looking for a book called The Moon Seems to Change

Birthday

i was yawning? Here I am: 28! Top 5 of 27: LouFest Marathon Florida (how can a vacation not make it?) New Job trip to Savannah to meet Callie ! My parents came to Chicago last weekend to help me celebrate & celebrate we did!  It was a super fun weekend!  And it was 40 degrees! Friday I was on the phone with a member from Kansas City.  He started chatting with me about the weather and I said, "we are currently experiencing a heat wave in Chicago of 34 degrees."  He responded, "it's supposed to be 60 here this weekend, we're going to pull out our bbq grills."  I laughed, but thought, 'why are my parents coming here?!? why am I not going where it's warm?!?' SIXTY DEGREES!  We won't see that til...april?  may? obsessed  i made a baby snowman, no one wanted to help so i went with a tiny one... ;) What I would give for the day off today!  I want a nap ;)