Where do I store my Food??

petermijackson

I'm doing a half marathon at the weekend (only my second one) and would like to carry some sort of food with me. I carried a Nutri Grain bar the last time without any problems as I put it in the pocket in my shorts. However in the last few weeks I have changed to wearing lighter, shorter shorts which don't have pockets.

How do other's manage food when you don't have pockets? Or do I need food for a half martathon?

mloc123

petermijackson wrote: »

How do other's manage food when you don't have pockets? Or do I need food for a half martathon?

IMO, no. Water should be enough.

tinydave

A race belt that holds your number and gels / bars should do the trick

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/run/8/Salomon_XT_Twin_Belt/5360047508/

or

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/run/8/Hilly_Race_Number_Belt/5360042608/

robinph

I have to carry gels on me for anything over an hours worth of running due to being diabetic. I don't particuarly like it, but I just stick with wearing the larger shorts that have the bigger pocket in them and stuff that full of my supplies.

In training I have a waist belt Camekbak so that I have water and gels in that,but for a race I'll just carry the gels and take them when I see a water station coming up, although I did only take the one gel during the half in Kildare yesterday.

I'd not found a reliable other method of carrying the number of gels I'd need for a marathon that is better than a pocket, but have seen other people with the belts and pinning them to the inside of their shorts.

plodder

mloc123 wrote: »

IMO, no. Water should be enough.

+1. It's much more efficient to have the muscles well tanked up from normal food taken in the day or so, beforehand. You shouldn't really need to refuel during a half marathon, imo (--edit unless you've got some condition like diabetes ...)

How Strange

++1

For a half marathon water is definitely enough and you don't need to eat anything (unless of course for medical reasons)

happy_73

I think it depends on how long it's going to take you. If you are talking about running for over 1 hour 45 bring a gel, anything under that you should be able to do without.

S

petermijackson

I found that during my last (and first) half marathon the food was like a little treat tat I awarded myself after 8mile (and climb from the 5 mile marker). But if you think that I should be able to go without then I should be ok

Krusty_Clown

An isotonic gel (doesn't require water) is very convenient to carry, and can provide a much needed (possibly psychosomatic) boost, if you find yourself flagging. While you mightn't need it, it's nice to know it's there. It'll sit in a pocket, or can be pinned on to a pair of shorts.

petermijackson

can be pinned on to a pair of shorts

Thanks Krusty, I might try this during my short runs this week just to check the comfort. It's prob more psychological but still no harm if it gets me to the finish

TheJones

Agree that water should be enough for a half marathon, try and get some nutrition details on what to eat prior to racing in order to fuel your run efficiently, that said everone's needs are different and I have to admit to liking robinph's idea of pinning an emergency gel to the inside of your shorts!

DustyBin

Like Tinydave said:



I wear this on long runs and wouldn't even notice it was there, and its dead cheap
Personally I wouldn't bother getting one of those with space to carry water bottles
Reason being that in the marathon they will give you water, and if you're doing an lsr you can drop water in the ditches beforehand
Be careful trying to pin them to your shorts, I tried it on the outside and couldn't stand the way it slapped around, and tried tucking it on the inside but was worried the sharp edge would cut my hip

I spotted a lot of dropped gels (unopened) in yesterdays race. I reckon that they likely fell out of peoples pockets so maybe be careful of going this road?

robinph

DustyBin wrote: »

I spotted a lot of dropped gels (unopened) in yesterdays race. I reckon that they likely fell out of peoples pockets so maybe be careful of going this road?

That is where a pocket with one of these devices fitted comes in really handy.

DustyBin

robinph wrote: »

That is where a pocket with one of these devices fitted comes in really handy.

What is this new technology you speak of??

Very funny robinph
I meant when people are fumbling around trying to get out one but leave the other, or maybe forget to close the zip

Ah, why do I bother ...

eliwallach

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

An isotonic gel can be pinned on to a pair of shorts.

Tried this for the first time in a recent Half-M*.
Made the rookie mistake of initially pinning them in such a manner that they (for there was two) hung down inside the built-in knicks of my running shorts at the front, in the ~ahem~ groin area.
Big mistake! What with sharp edges and competition for space, it was not only a non-runner but bordering on dangerous.
My tip: pin them at your hip and then hang them down inside your shorts. Alot more agreeable.
Further tip: make sure you pin them in such a way that the safety pin ends up on the outside of your shorts, and NOT on the inside.

* aslo forgot to plaster my nipples that day, and am still paying the price for that :eek:.

911sc

In your stomac:) IMO no need for food during HM.

Moycullen1

Each to their own but I believe if you can stomach the gels you should take every bit of help you can get. For anything over seven or eight miles I take a gel every four or five miles. Although they say your body can store about 90 minutes fuel plus whatever you start with in your stomach why would you run the risk of running yourself to empty when you can top up. I read somewhere that you can metabolise about forty grams of carbs every half an hour so a gel every four or five miles to my mind is perfect. The longer the run the more noticeable the benefit. I wear a belt with pockets but the link below will give you an example of light shorts with pockets. My sister is in America and she got me a pair in black. They are really comfortable with three good sized pockets at the back. I haven't been able to get anything similar here. BTW if you are considering them go up a size. I'm normally a large but the large was tiny. I had to change them for XL.

http://www.soark.com/shorts_distance.shtml#size

Blueskye

DustyBin wrote: »

Like Tinydave said:



I wear this on long runs and wouldn't even notice it was there, and its dead cheap
Personally I wouldn't bother getting one of those with space to carry water bottles
Reason being that in the marathon they will give you water, and if you're doing an lsr you can drop water in the ditches beforehand
Be careful trying to pin them to your shorts, I tried it on the outside and couldn't stand the way it slapped around, and tried tucking it on the inside but was worried the sharp edge would cut my hip

I spotted a lot of dropped gels (unopened) in yesterdays race. I reckon that they likely fell out of peoples pockets so maybe be careful of going this road?

Dusty, where did you buy that? I've looked around online for one before and couldn't find one.

littlebug

eliwallach wrote: »

My tip: pin them at your hip and then hang them down inside your shorts.

Why the inside I pin mine to the outside of my capris. Much less invasive:cool: There's a bit of jiggling but nothing too annoying and no chafing. I was once told I looked like a clothes line I had so much stuff pinned to me.

plodder

littlebug wrote: »

Why the inside I pin mine to the outside of my capris. Much less invasive:cool: There's a bit of jiggling but nothing too annoying and no chafing. I was once told I looked like a clothes line I had so much stuff pinned to me.

Apparently, it keeps them warm, which makes them easier to consume :cool:

Moycullen1

http://www.hillyclothing.co.uk/Details/-NEW--Runners-Waist-Pouch-Fluo/

http://sports.ciao.co.uk/Hilly_Runners_Pouch__7359582

This is the pouch I mentioned earlier. Its very comfortable and light and holds a lot of stuff. I've gotten so used to it that I even wear it on training runs now. For marathons I add one or two phone pouches to the strap at the front for gels. This also balances it a bit so that it doesn't slide down my 'glutes' when it is full of gels etc. I never liked those belts to which you strap the gels. During marathons I've seen loads of gels barely hanging on and I can only assume that a lot of the unopened gels you see on the road have slipped out of those belts.

DustyBin

Blueskye wrote: »

Dusty, where did you buy that? I've looked around online for one before and couldn't find one.

Hi Blueskye
I got it on wiggle, tinydave posted a link for it up above, but here you are: Hilly race belt
That's the one I got and it holds 4 gels and does the job grand, but I see they now have a SiS Marathon belt
It's slightl;y more expensive but might be a better buy depending on what you want it for



@ Moycullen
I use the Sis isotonic Go-gels with the hilly belt, they're big bulky gels and no danger of them falling out of the belt. I used to have the high5 regular ones which are much less bulky, not sure how they would get on in the belt loops in fairness