forgot my gels

[belleville runner]

Okay, I need feedback here....I did my last long run before my marathon (20 mi) yesterday, and at 7 a.m. on a Sunday morning, I realized I'd forgotten to buy more gels.  I had NONE.  So I grabbed a banana, a bag of almonds and that's it, because I had nothing else.  No candy, nothing. (I know, I could've stopped at a Macs and bought some jujubes or something with lots of sugar....hindsight!)  So I did a 6 mile loop, and ate half the banana and a handful of almonds....did another 6 mile loop, ate  the rest of the banana and another handful of almonds.  I was drinking lots of water and the required amount of gatorade too.  The last 5 or so miles of my last leg (which was 8 miles) was HORRIBLE.  I had nothing left.  My legs were almost numb, they were so tired and heavy feeling.  I managed to run the whole thing, just walked for 30 sec. for a couple of water breaks.  I finished, and I didnt' feel as if I were going to collapse or anything, but I just had NOTHING left in me.  The last two 20-milers I did, I felt good at the end, and could actually imagine myself doing another 6 miles.  But at the end of this one, I could barely imagine walking another 20 yards.  So, do gels make THAT big of  a difference???  It seems ironic that it's the only time I've run a long run without them and I ended up feeling so burned out.  Has anyone else had the misfortune of having to do a long run without their "regular" nutrition, and if so, how did it affect you?

[Sandy]

Gels per se don't make that big a difference but sugar does.  A banana is only 100 calories.  Almonds are more dense, fiberous and contain protein.  Protein takes up to 2 hours to digest and the fiber adds time to that so they are not providing you with any energy for your run.  Protein has it's place but not as a primary energy source.  For a 20 miler (presumably in the 3 hour range give or take) you would need somewhere around 6+ gels or the equivalent of 600+ calories.  They could come from jelly beans, jujubes, cliff bloks, or a variety of other simple sugar sources but gels are the easiest.

Hope this answers your question, congrats on getting your last 20 miler in!

[belleville runner]

so since you say sugar makes the big difference, it's safe to say that I felt like crap because I didn't have all the sugar that I would've received from the gels I normally ingest....what I 'm trying to determine is why I felt so sluggish....funny what you said about the almonds...the whole time I was eating them I was thinking to myself "these are not going to do a darned thing for me" but It was like I was stranded on a desert island and they were the ONLY food I had.  Live and learn...we still learn so many lessons after years and years of running don't we....

[Sandy]

Yes.  Becuase you didn't have the sugar from your gels you were running on empty....literally.  You have enough stored sugar for about 90' then you have to add to the tank.

[Jane]

It sounds like an interesting experiment!  Not that you meant it to be though! 

Now all they have to do is find a way to make us feel like ingesting that much sugar.  I find after about the third one I normally feel like   

Would Pot of Gold chocolates work just as well?  (I have a box still left here from Christmas - unopened).  Maybe I should bring them for our next LONG run!  Or for our next Fun Run -- we could make them the Pot of Gold at the end of the run or something!

[ShoppinShannon]

I have forgotten once but it wasn't  too long of a run, I think it was 1hr 15, but the good thing was I had Jelly Belly's in my pouch and I chewed down a bag of them.  Now I go through 6 gels easily for my long runs.  Don't have tummy problems or any thing.  I do know the importance of them,  I'm strict on when I take them and with how much fluid thanks to Sandy, I now know the right amount to get me to the end of my race.

[Janet]

Well Jane,
  You know that chocolate is good at any time (that's why I like trail races so much).  And I have to admit variety is good out there. I know when I ran my marathon I was so sick of gels that I thought I would be sick if I had to injest one more.  Thank goodness for Gummy Bears! 
  Just to add some more into the equation,  what had your nutrition and water habits been the days before bellevillerunner?  I know that wouldn't make up for not having gels, but it could have added to the problem.  Good luck in your marathon (are you going to Ottawa?) Hope all of this helps

[Sandy]

Variety doeas help.  I like to take Infinit for the first hour then switch to gels which I take every 20-30 minutes depending on the course but NEVER take the same flavour two in a row.  I mix up companies as well.  If it's a trail race I add something from the aid stations like coke or chips, sometimes pretzels, a handful of m&m's.   Hmmmm I'm getting hungry! 

[belleville runner]

Yes I 'm doing Ottawa.  As for what I ate/drank before my long run, I feel like my diet was fairly normal.  Lots of pasta and my breakfast was the "norm".  I eat the same thing before all my long runs...oatmeal and a bagel.  I drank lots of water the day before, no more or less than I have in the past.  The ONLY thing I did differently was no gels...never again!

Sandy, I dont' think I could ingest a gel every 20 min.  The ones I ingest every 45 min. I find hard to swallow after three....but I like your idea of mixing things up a bit...I might try that.  Now I'm wondering why, when the packaging recommends ingesting one every 45 min, you ingest yours every 20 min?  Just curious.  But I know my guts couldn't take that many.  It takes me 4.5 hours to run a marathon, so that would mean 13+ gels...yuck!  I think I'd puke!

[ShoppinShannon]

Different packages state different times.  One here says after 1 hour and then every 30 min.  This other one says, after 45min, then every 30min.
Correct me if I'm wrong Sandy.  Isn't it about your personal exertion and It's finding the correct balance of carbs and calories?
It took me 2 years to finally find the right "formula".  I tried many different drinks, powders, and tablets.  I've chewed bars, ate chocolate and sucked on candies of many varieties, but for me, I use Nuun sodium tablets for my drink and gel throughout my run and for the first time in training for a race, I have not had a single issue with my stomach and my legs have always felt good in the end.  It's just finding the right thing that works for you.

[Sandy]

Right you are Shannon!