Gels for Running

busterjones

Hi all – training for my first marathon (connemarathon in April) – starting to increase the length of weekend runs (up to 12 miles last Sunday) and from what I’ve read I should be taking gels etc. at regular intervals but know next to nothing about them and was hoping for your advise.

How often should I take them during a run?
Mix in water or take undiluted?
Can they me rough on the stomach?
Can you recommend a brand/ type?
Where to get them at a reasonable price?
Any other considerations?

Thanks in advance,

Cheers,

BJones

rainbow kirby

How often should I take them during a run?
Up to yourself - roughly once every 50-60 minutes usually work for me.

Mix in water or take undiluted?
You can do either, the usual is to take it straight from the sachet but to have some water with it. It will leave a manky feeling in your mouth if you have it undiluted without having a drink of water with it though.

Can they me rough on the stomach?
They can be - you need to practice with them in training, try a few different brands, try some with and without caffeine, isotonic or non-isotonic, a few different flavours to know what works for you. You may find you can't stomach them at all.

Can you recommend a brand/ type?
Personal favourite: Hammer Apple and Cinnamon, it tastes like the inside of a McDonald's apple pie.

Where to get them at a reasonable price?
Try IrishFit, bike shops, running shops, Wiggle etc. It's always cheaper to buy a box than to buy them individually.

Any other considerations?
Stock up before your marathon. Trying to find your preferred one the weekend before the race is a pain in the arse.

Also, I'll see ya there at Conn, am also doing the marathon there.

metamorphosis

Il also move to ART for ya OP -

robinph

You should definately practice taking them on training runs before the race. I had to take the High5 ones every 20 minutes during Dublin last year, and despite managing to syncronise the taking of them with the water stations so I could wash them down they still become a bit much after 3 hours. The isotonic ones can allegedly be taken without water if your looking to reduce how much you are carrying but I expect that water is still preferable.

jiffybag

Torq gels work best for me . Bonaffee flavour is my personal favourite.
Found Powergels too much for my stomach whilst High5 just dont work .

Try a few different brands to see what suits your tastes (in the end they all taste like sh1t!!)

brownian

I apologise up front if there's a thread on this already - I couldn't find one, but spent ages reading other interesting threads that the Search threw up .

I'm working on adding gels to my longer runs (anything over 15km), to see if they give me any benefit. My impression is that gels give a sugar energy boost about 20 minutes after you take them, but then cause a 'crash' about 20 minutes later. At that 'crash' stage you'd better be finished your run, or take another gel.

What do others do?
- take a gel before a run/race
- take one every half an hour, even over a marathon (6-10 gels...urgh)
- take one before a known "hard patch" on a run

Basically I'd have no problems taking one or two gels over a long run, but when's the best time to do so?

I've started a minor experiment - took one about half an hour before planned finish on a long, wet trail run last weekend. Next half an hour did indeed go pretty well, but then it was mainly downhill. Following 20 minutes were indeed a bit tougher, but don't know if that was 'crash' or simply due to the run being flat rather than down, my legs being tired, my breakfast wearing off.... This posting might help to add external inputs to my experiments!

Thank you!

RayCun

There's another thread on the front page :rolleyes::)

I've never had a crash after taking a gel, and hadn't heard that before either. When I started doing more than about 14 (?) miles on marathon training long runs I would take a gel on the run. Somewhere past the halfway mark, at least an hour before the end of the run (to give it time to kick in).
Then in the marathon I took one at 6, 12, 18, and 21 miles.

Oryx

If you take 6 - 10 gels in any run youll probably end up sick as a dog.

On a longer run, 10mile or half mara, Id take one at the halfway point or when my legs are beginning to suffer. To me it gives my legs a bit of a refresher. I dont get that crash thing you talk about. In the marathon I think I took 3 or 4. I never take one before a race, just an isotonic drink or a chunk of energy bar if I havent eaten a lot.

I take powerbar ones, and they need water to wash them down. Make sure you have water or are coming to a water station when taking those. I think some other brands dont need a drink with them.

Gels ALWAYS wreck my appetite after a race and I cant eat for ages.

brownian

RayCun wrote: »

There's another thread on the front page :rolleyes::)

You're right, I'm an idiot :eek:

Please don't reply to this thread, there's a perfectly good one here

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056152746

Apologies - I just used Search rather than actually LOOKING.

mod merged the threads. Brownian, two laps of the Circuit of Avonbeg for penance /mod

sconhome

I found some of the gels are hard on the stomach and can cause cramping if not used to them.

Another option is to try something like the ride shots ( a jelly which you can tuck into the side of your mouth and allow to melt) aimed at cyclists or sport beans. Both of which pack the same per 100g punch as gels but slightly easier to swallow and you can space out your energy spikes a little easier.

Try them out singly on training runs and when you find one that works for you, get them by the box.

ThisRegard

amphkingwest wrote: »

but slightly easier to swallow

I'd dispute that, last time I took one it was like the everlasting gobstopper from Willie Wonka I found that at the time of taking it my mouth was pretty dry and it was just horrible to try chew and swallow, you really need water to wash it down with.

Oryx

I love those jelly ride shots, but I tend to eat too many at a time cos they are yummy. The ones I tried are really easy to eat.

anymore

After my first marathon, I have switched over to Power Bar gels( caffinated) and use them on long trainning runs as well. Definitely get used to your chosen gel/before trying marathons. I tried a Lucozade gel at 18 mile mark on Dingle marathon and nearly threw up !
I usually take 4 or at most 5 gels on marathon and without drinking water.They can leave you with sticky fingers but are definitely a big asset.
I have also got used to eating a banana or two on most long runs ( one or at most two) and find I can stomach them easily though if I had to choose between either gel or banana, i would choose gels.
I also discovered that on long runs in cold/very cold weather, that it is much easier to swallow gels than water as water tends to be much colder and chills the insides as it goes down.

anymore

Oryx wrote: »

If you take 6 - 10 gels in any run youll probably end up sick as a dog.

On a longer run, 10mile or half mara, Id take one at the halfway point or when my legs are beginning to suffer. To me it gives my legs a bit of a refresher. I dont get that crash thing you talk about. In the marathon I think I took 3 or 4. I never take one before a race, just an isotonic drink or a chunk of energy bar if I havent eaten a lot.

I take powerbar ones, and they need water to wash them down. Make sure you have water or are coming to a water station when taking those. I think some other brands dont need a drink with them.

Gels ALWAYS wreck my appetite after a race and I cant eat for ages.

I got used to taking the gels without water and mostly drink water at separate times to gels. I usually take the gel over maybe a mile or so, just one mouthful at a time.

brownian

brownian wrote: »

You're right, I'm an idiot :eek:

Please don't reply to this thread, there's a perfectly good one here

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056152746

Apologies - I just used Search rather than actually LOOKING.

mod merged the threads. Brownian, two laps of the Circuit of Avonbeg for penance /mod

Thanks. No penance, especially on a day like today. Shame to be at work

petermijackson

Where can one get single gels? I want to try various ones before I invest in a box.....

Peterx

Bike shops, outdoorsy shops, health food shops, de internet shops all stock gels.

Gels are magic if they don't wreck your stomach and IMO best thought of as emergency help and not basic food intake.
Two big bowls of porridge at breakfast for the first 80~90 minutes of the marathon with gels every 30~40 minutes for the second half should get most folk home.
A lot of gels are replacement energy only so consider supplementing the gel intake with dioralytes or similar salt/mineral replacement sachets too to help stave off cramp.

some bike shops stock lube oil in gel shaped sachets do be careful out there:eek: