Gel and water or gel and sport drinks or ...

Drexl Spivey

I'm not new to short distance running but I am new to long distance and I have DCM in sight this year, so I have started weekend long runs (100 miles in August)

Since nutrition and hydration is key to endurance, I wanted to test a few options.

These are genuine questions:

=> Why would I carry a bottle of water and a few gels when I can just either carry a sports drink or use this: http://highfive.co.uk/product/energy/energy-source-41

I am thinking:
** effectiveness (hydration + glycogene refueling)
** practicality (carrying 1 bottle as opposed to several items.)


I ran 14 miles last weekend and was in a heap at the end (no intake whatsoever).

Tomorrow (Sunday) I'd like to go on a long run (for me 12-15M is a long run) and maybe experiment with hydration+carbs intake. I would have liked advice or shared experiences given my 2 above points (effectiveness/practicality).

plodder

I find sports drinks get very frothy and hard to drink from being shaken around if you carry them running. Also, I think most experienced runners prefer not to carry any liquids when running and certainly for 12-15 miles, you definitely shouldn't need to take any. Having said that sports drinks/gels are a benefit for running marathons, and it's important to practice taking them (as opposed to needing them for training purposes). One option is to stash a bottle or two out on your running route in advance. If you don't mind carrying water, and gels, then that's an option too.

rom

Used to drink lucozade sport a few years back but would dilute it with half water. Did the trick. Only drink water now but thats a different story.

RayCun

in a race you will get water at water stations. Much easier to carry gels and take the water given out than to carry a sports drink
similar in training. Carry a couple of euro and a gel, stop at a shop and buy your water. Easier than carrying a drink all through the run

echancrure

Just my small 2 cents (only one marathon and a 50k in my legs so I am not an expert).

I prefer to carry my own drink (700mls) of (half orange juice half water) and also use the water stations. My own drink contains a little energy, which helps. It means I am not worried if I miss a water station because it is too busy I can concentrate on my runnoing, I don't have to slow down as much too. Also I find it very difficult to drink properly out of cup while running (bottles are fine obviously). I can also use a water station to cool myself with the water rather than drinking it. It also encourages me to drink more than I would otherwise which I need to do. Finally I can drink whenever I want rather than when the water stations appear. I can also stuff gels in my water belt.

On the downside it means carrying about 0.9kg extra at the start of the race, 0.5kg towards the middle and 0.2kg at the end. That's about the only negative.

The vast majority of runners don't seem to do it, but for me the positives outweigh the negatives so I do it.