I basically repeated what I tried before, but with a small change. I had half a Bobo’s Bar the first two loops, and while I liked it, I was not drinking quite enough, so it was a bit tougher to swallow.
But generally, I still love the Bobo’s Bars, I’m glad they’re a normal part of my fuel now.
This was paired with Nuun sport, which I’m actually liking more and more. I think it’s a bit expensive, and I’m still unsure why the marathon switched from Gatorade, but it’s a good alternative, and I’m enjoying the mango flavor.
My last loop, I had another complete cookie (I found that they do a small version, so each cookie is 200 calories), this time, the birthday cake flavor. I liked the mint a lot better: for whatever reason, the birthday cake one was more solid and I liked the chocolate mint one being soft and basically melting in my mouth.
I called my long run after 12 miles, but still had a chance to try some new fuel. After my first loop, had half a Bobo’s Bar, and after my second loop (when I thought I’d be able to go for more), I had half of a ‘Complete Cookie.’
I really liked the Complete Cookie, I’m a sucker for chocolate and mint, and it was super soft and easy to eat. The downsides are one, they’re expensive, and two, each cookie (which is huge by the way), is 400 calories. So maybe that’s something I’ll keep in my back pocket for the later hours of a race, a quick and delicious way to get more fuel than I otherwise would, plus a fun treat!
My long run was only 14 miles this week, but on the jail trail loop, gave me a chance to go past my car twice. Tried out nutter butters, which a friend uses as fuel for marathons, as well as ultras.
I grabbed two each time, and they were okay. But nothing spectacular I suppose, and maybe a little dry. However, I love peanut butter, so for a good mental boost, they’ll be something I’ll remember in the future!
PRANK this weekend gave me a great chance to try out some food!
I had jelly beans, which worked really well, much better than I expected, actually. So I’ll be keeping them in the standard rotation.
Before our last loop (we were running until about 1 or 1:30 a.m., after a day of work), I had about half of a dark chocolate bar with espresso beans. As long as it’s higher quality dark chocolate (so no Hershey’s), I can eat it, and I usually go for the mint ones. However, having the espresso beans, and whether it was enough caffeine to make a difference or a placebo, was amazing! Will be keeping this in rotation as well!
Remember last week when I wrote this:
After my first and before my last loop, I had half a Bobo’s bar. This was really good! Easier to chew with a Clif bar, filling, but also sat really well. Each half was about 85 calories, so I’ll need to supplement with something else, but it was a really good find. Easy to eat while walking, didn’t make my jaw sore from chewing, tasted good and sat in my stomach well!
Well, turns out I read the label wrong, and half the bar is 170 calories.
Still great to eat, and if the ‘goal’ for most people (at least before you start to fiddle and figure out what your actual goal is), is to eat 200 calories/hour in an ultra, maybe that’s why this works so well for me!
Either way, good to know for my own calorie counting (both for weight loss and ultra fueling)!
Another weekend of loops which means another chance to try out some different fuel! First up, I had some candy orange slices. These were a lot better than the Swedish Fish from last week, but I feel like they didn’t stay with me for long and I was hungry quickly after eating them. Plus, I then had a bunch of extra slices after I was done running so I just kept eating them. Will do in a pinch, but I don’t have the restraint to stop.
After my first and before my last loop, I had half a Bobo’s bar. This was really good! Easier to chew with a Clif bar, filling, but also sat really well. Each half was about 85 calories, so I’ll need to supplement with something else, but it was a really good find. Easy to eat while walking, didn’t make my jaw sore from chewing, tasted good and sat in my stomach well!
Another weekend of loops which means another chance to try out some different fuel! First up, I had a Kind Pressed Fruit Bar, banana chocolate. It was good, although it was very, very banana-y. Not really a problem, but good to know the future.
I also had Swedish Fish, which I expected to really like, but I have never been more wrong. Granted yes, it was cold so they were tougher than normal, but chewing them and getting bits of them stuck in my teeth was awful. My jaw was sore, and my stomach didn’t enjoy them either. So they’re getting crossed off the list!
On my long run this weekend at Jackpot, I made sure to try out two new bits of fuel! First up, I tried Tailwind. Normally I run with Nuun, which has basically no calories (especially since I use half a tablet, not a full one), so having Tailwind was way different. I liked it, although I could tell I was consuming calories. I believe we had some kind of mixture of all the flavors, and I have a sample of the orange to try on another run, so that’s good!
For chewable fuel, I could not be more excited for a PRorER tradition: Nuggies! We had a nug run and I made sure to set aside a box for myself for later. Every two laps (so every five miles), I snagged a few, and honestly, even cold, they were amazing. Good amount of salt (I didn’t take any salt tabs), easy to eat, would highly recommend!
From what I’ve read and learned from my team, fueling for an ultra is much different than fueling for a marathon. The constant stream of fuel your body needs turns it into an eating contest with running thrown in.
I’m a strange case, but I actually like Gu. Most of it is that I’m highly allergic to dairy, and all of their energy gels are vegan (unlike Honey Stinger, sadly), and it gives me a chance to get some chocolate in my life, something that otherwise, I have very little of. So for marathons and training runs 22 miles and shorter, I know what works for me and how to space out fuel.
But I also know that after so many hours on my feet, I’ll need more than just energy gels. So now begins the fun work of figuring out what I can stomach while I’m running!
Like all good Yinzers, I made a Sheetz run!
I’m sure I amused the clerk after wandering the aisles reading nutritional labels for things that were dairy free!
This past weekend I ran 18 and started trying things. After my first loop I had the RX Bar, which was really good and sat well. My only reservation is that further into a race, it will be hard to chew. That was also about 200 calories, which is what I think I should be aiming for, although I’m used to 100 calorie Gus. Something to think about I suppose.
After my second loop, I grabbed two Oreos. Oreos are wonderful because they’re vegan. They shouldn’t be, there should be some dairy in that filling, but thanks to those sweet, sweet chemicals, I can always have an Oreo! Anyway, those were no problem to gobble down, although they sat a bit uneasy in my stomach, which surprised me.
Anyway, the plan, whenever possible, is to keep trying new foods on runs and seeing what works. Having a looped course works for this, as I’d rather not use a vest or anything like that and having my car as a mini aid station works perfectly. I need to try to find some jelly beans and some non-dairy Pringles (Sheetz only had flavors with dairy), and I want to try some boiled potatoes as well. From there, I’ll be scouring what races list as their offerings at aid stations and see what I haven’t tried yet, and continue to train my stomach to eat solids as I run!
