Friday Five: My 5 Running Fuels

Happy Friday! And a happy Friday it is indeed! This week was my first FULL week of work without any delays, snow days, half days, holidays, etc. It definitely felt like the longest week. Luckily I have a fun-filled weekend ahead of me so I've had something to look forward to! Today's Friday Five is a little different from previous weeks as I am sharing 5 of my favorite running fuels with you!

I'm hoping that my previous posts have given you a better understanding of who I am as a runner. What I like, where I come from, and all of that fun stuff. Today I'll be sharing with you the fuel I choose to use during my runs. I emphasize the word "during" because these are only things I eat while I am on my runs typically longer than 5 miles. What I eat before and after I run is a different post for a different day :)

Source

1. Gu 

Yes, I am a gel type of runner. I know a lot of people are not, but somehow I can manage to slurp down one of these (with the help of water) during my runs. I have tried many different flavors from many different brands throughout my years. It wasn't until this past fall that I found my absolute favorite brand and flavor: Campfire Smores Gu. I personally think it tastes like a melted piece of chocolate. While regular chocolate would definitely upset my stomach while running, this Gu doesn't cause me any tummy issues, thank goodness!

I typically use Gu during runs that are any longer than 7 miles and choose to have one every 7 miles. Everyone is different, so you need to figure out what works best for you. It took me a lot of trial and error before figuring out the best timing for me to down my Gu during a long run or race. During races I will try to eat/drink (what do you REALLY do with a gel?!) when I am approaching a water station so that way I can drink the water to help wash down the gel.

2. Gummy Bears
It may sound goofy, but gummy bears (specifically Haribo!) are my favorite running fuel! I choose Haribo brand specifically because they aren't too mushy and don't tend to melt in your running belt/hydration backpack during a run in warmer weather. Gummy bears have just enough sugar to give me energy in between fueling up with gels. I like to reward myself at every mile marker by eating a few gummy bears. It gives me something to look forward to while also giving me energy. I eat gummy bears during most of my runs but I'll limit my consumption during a shorter run because I don't want to overdo it with sugar. These may not work for everyone, so once again, figure out what works best for you! I've heard that some people will eat Starburst or other sugary candies during their runs.

Source

3. Pretzels
As most of you should know, you lose sodium as you sweat during exercise. I never really addressed this issue until I ran my third half marathon in September of 2016 on one of the hottest days of that month. I was dragging myself through the miles, taking in as much water as I could at each water station. No matter how much water I was consuming, I still wasn't feeling so good throughout the race. Finally, I was given the greatest gift of all at one of the aid stations: pretzel Goldfish crackers. At first, I just took them because I felt like my body just needed something other than gels and water. To my surprise, eating the pretzels made me feel a whole lot better! What I didn't realize until later was that my body had been lacking sodium which the pretzels helped out with. Since then, I try and bring pretzel Goldfish crackers with me on hot long runs. The Goldfish crackers are great because they don't crumble as easy as other pretzels so they do well packed into a belt or pocket.

Source

4. Gatorade
I typically don't drink anything other than my morning coffee and tons of water, but eventually water can get boring during long runs. Sometime throughout my first round of marathon training, I was introduced to Glacier Freeze Gatorade (the light blue one). I began incorporating it into my long runs by bringing one water bottle filled with water and the other with Gatorade and alternating drinking both. When I get closer to a race, I will switch to the lemon-lime flavored Gatorade because that tends to be at some water stations and I want my body to be used to it. I didn't drink much Gatorade during my second round of marathon training which I think may be thanks to be super hydrated with my hydration backpack!

Source

5. Fig Newtons/Bars
I'm not sure where I got this idea to eat fig bars on my runs, but it really is a great choice for me! I usually use the Nature's Bakery brand since they are a little more filling, less likely to crumble in my pack/belt, and come in a variety of flavors. Sometimes a fig bar will be all I eat before or in the middle of my run. When training for and running a marathon, I always have these on hand for those times when hunger hits. They keep me full for awhile! I know I said these would all be things I eat during a longer run, but I sometimes eat these before a run as well as during!

I am in no way a nutritionist and everyone is different when it comes to fueling, so this is just a list of what I personally use. If you feel as if you need to switch up your fueling game, then feel free to try out one of these suggestions! 

Question of the Day: Do you use anything different to fuel your runs? If so, what is it?