I've had the same Raspberry Gu packet in my jacket pocket for about three weeks.Here's my confession: I'm afraid to try it. I like the gummies -- Gu Chomps, ShotBloks, PowerGels. But I can't bring myself to try the fast acting stuff.
I don't want to try it for the first time on a long run because I don't want to have to quit early because my poor, wicked sensitive stomach rejects it. When else would I want to give my body a shot of concentrated carbs and caffeine? So that means this week I will try it on a shorter run.
I was off work this week so I've been up in Lakewood with the parents. I'm driving back tomorrow. I tried to do one run outside, but it was so bitter cold and windy by the lake. Did 15 miles total. I was feeling exhausted and sluggish through Wednesday, but Thursday I did a treadmill hills workout and totally rocked it.
Instead of the normal MIT long run I'm doing the winter run in Granville Sunday. 15 miles. I took an extra rest day today.
And I'm still addicted to Lost. About halfway through Season 2... Jack and Ana Lucia just decided to start an army.
The good news is that if you don't want to try the gu's you don't have to! The gummies and what not work just as well. I do think trying them out on a shorter run might be a good idea though for the first test drive. Good luck! I hope they work for you and if GU brand doesn't try Clif or PowerBar.
ReplyDeleteA lot of my team are afraid of it also! We're trying gel blast and the gummie texture stuff too. I love it for running and cycling.....
ReplyDeleteNot all of the GUs have caffeine - there are are some Gu brand that don't and some Clif Shot brand that don't.
ReplyDeleteI have a very sensitive stomach, too, so I know how you feel.
Jelly Belly makes Sport Beans - they are good and you can take them in smaller amounts/doses so they may be easier on your stomach.
Kim
I like Gu a lot. I think you'll find the biggest benefit over Shot Bloks, Sport Beans, and other chewable gummies is the ability to eat it while still running hard. It's hard to chew gummies at marathon pace and faster.
ReplyDeleteI'd personally recommend trying them on a marathon pace run. It's one thing to eat at the pace you'd run your long runs at. It's a completely different story eating them at race pace. Not only is the actual act of eating them harder, but your stomach may react differently to them since blood will be shunted away from your gut and into your legs.
Thanks for all the comments. I want to try them because I want something more fast-acting. Plus I have a ton of them, we got a season's worth with my running club membership. I really do like the gummies, though. Gu Chomps are my favorite so far but the powerbar ones weren't bad either. Sport beans didn't do much for me! I'll suck it up and try them on my next short run.
ReplyDeleteIf you're looking for what acts the fastest, you'll want to experiment with different gels across brands, rather than just going Gu vs Gu Chomps. Different gels use different formulations, and it might be worth it to see how your body handles sugars like maltodextrin vs brown rice syrup vs fructose vs whatever, whether or not your stomach does well with added caffeine (and if so, how much is ideal), whether or not you want added amino acids, etc. That will make far more of a difference than the form in which you get the sugar.
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