Nutrition Update: Fueling Options

Back at the end of February, I mentioned (HERE) that I wasn’t loving the way I was feeling on my runs and that it was time to take a much closer look at what I’m eating – both on run and rest days. So for the past couple of weeks I’ve been running my own little pre-fueling/fueling test lab, experimenting with different options on my long run days.

Here’s some of what I’ve learned so far:

  • Before runs, I’m finding that either a whole wheat English muffin with almond butter and a little honey or Honey Stringer Waffles with half a banana seems to be sitting well with my stomach.
  • The Stringer Waffles and banana don’t seem to have as much “staying power” so with this combo I need to start fueling sooner than the 5 mile mark.
  • I read that coffee can help pre-race — I’ve tried a half a cup a couple of times and the jury’s still out on that one.
  • While in the past I’ve been using GU Chomps during my runs, I do not enjoy how stiff and difficult they are to chew when the temps drop, and they require a lot more water to get them down – which leads to the dreaded sloshing feeling…not pretty!
  • Huma GelI recently discovered Huma Gels and so far this is a win as a fueling option – no stomach issues, they’re all natural, they taste good and my energy levels were good – win!
  • Still trying to work out the best timing on when to take a gel. Usually I take one at 5, 8 and 11 during a half marathon, but in my last race I started getting light-headed at mile 12 and I was forced to walk for a minute or two. So I’m still working on whether I need to fuel more often in those later miles.
  • For now I’ve gone back to just plain water during my runs – I kinda wanted to get the gel thing resolved before introducing anything else.

I’m feeling pretty good where I am so far – especially since I still have weeks to go before my next half marathon at the end of May.

So tell me – how often do you fuel on a long run? What’s your favorite fueling option?

*The opinions expressed here are from my own experience. I am in no way affiliated with the products mentioned.

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Running and eating

One of my goals for 2013 is to set back and take a hard look at my nutrition. As I have said before while I don’t eat a lot of junk, I know there’s room for some improvement. Lately, I’ve been feeling really sluggish during my runs – this morning’s slogfest was a perfect example!  I need to not only re-examine what works best as fuel during my runs, but look at what I’m eating both before and after a run – not to mention what I’m eating on rest days.

This isn’t about dieting per se (though I am about 6 pounds above “fighting weight” at the moment) – it’s really about fueling my body for optimum health.  So it’s time to do some research  like testing out fueling options to see beyond whether or not they agree with my stomach to whether they’re actually providing real benefit. It’s time to do some reading, try out some new recipes and make some shifts in my overall diet.

My brother-in-law gave me Scott Jurek’s Eat & Run – which I have been dying to read and now seems like a good time to start. I’ll also be posting more regularly about nutrition – what’s working and what’s not and hope you’ll share tips and tricks that work for you.

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Kona Kase Review

As I’ve mentioned on more than one occasion, I’ve been on the hunt for the fueling options that will work best for me.  So when I was contacted by the guys at Kona Kase I was definitely intrigued.

What is Kona Kase?
Kona Kase is a subscription service delivering a collection of endurance nutrition samples to your doorstep every month. (Each Kase is $15 and shipping is free.)

Kona Kase Goodies!

I received the September Kase which included 10 products: Hammer Heed, Honey Stringer Waffle, Cliff Bar, Cliff Shot Bloks, GU, PR Bar, Cytomax, Picky Bars and Urgent Rx Headache Relief.

I appreciated that the day my package arrived that I received an email from Taylor at Kona Kase saying that he saw that my Kase had been delivered and was interested in my feedback.

 So I’ll tell you what I told him:

  • Loved the collection of products, (it’s a good mix of products I was familiar with and others that either I wasn’t familiar or had never tried).
  • It would be very helpful if some product information was included in the Kona Kase to help educate recipients about the products. 
  • Also, along with the product information, recommendations for how best to use the products (pre-workout, during a workout and recovery) would be helpful.

Taylor told me that starting with the October shipment that they are including educational inserts and are labeling the products pre/during/post-workout. And, soon recipients can go back to the Kona Kase site and order their favorite products from the Kases.

Overall, I really like this concept behind Kona Kase! There are so many products on the market, I think this is a great way to see what’s out there and to sample until you find the ones that work best for you! (Hint to my family – a subscription would make a great Christmas gift 🙂 )

I received a Kona Kase for the purposes of a review. As always, the opinions expressed here are solely my own.

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Thursday Thoughts: More hills, Mocktails and Pre-Run Food

It’s Thursday so its week 2 of my new hill workouts. I got some quizzical looks from a couple of people putting out their trash this morning as I barreled up and down their street. I don’t know if it was the fact that I was running the hill over and over that got them, or all the muttering and cursing that went with it 😉

4 weeks till ZOOMA Cape Cod and the excitement is building! ZOOMA just announced that they will be hosting a Mocktail Hour the night before the race for all you ladies who are running and their “fan clubs!” The event is sponsored by Hint, and will be a great time to hang out with friends, meet other runners and special guest Finessista. Be sure to RSVP on the ZOOMA blog.

Of late I’ve been finding that my tried and true pre-run breakfast of a multigrain English muffin with almond butter has not been sitting well with me lately on my runs – especially the long runs. So I’m going to try to play with some other options and see if I can find the right combination before my fall races.

Do you find you have to change up your pre-run meal? What’s your favorite go to food before a run?

 

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