I bought a case of Accelerade Gel last year when I was training for the marathon. Turns out, I hate gels. Argh! I've been consuming them on my long runs, though, like a good cheap midwesterner. I don't like the consistency--hard to swallow--the taste--too sweet--the drip factor--I always manage to get some on myself. That said, they are very easy to carry on a long run. But when I run out, I won't be buying any more. I love the Clif Shot Bloks. The CranRazz are my favorite. I find them easy to eat out of my bento box on the bike, but it would be harder to carry them on a run, unless you run with a fanny pack type thing. The Sport Beans are good, and only a little bulkier than the gels. I particularly like the orange ones--a little salty, and not so sweet.

You must drink at least 4 oz water with any one of those things. I know you'll be on top of the hydration. On long summer rides, I take Accelerade in one bottle, and water in another. You can carry a little baggie of Accelerade to mix in your water bottle, if you don't mind carry stuff and stopping to mix it. That's never been worth it to me on a run. Eating on the long runs has made a huge difference for me. I can go about 8 miles before I really need to take in some calories. I could've used about double the amount of calories I took in on the marathon last year, but it's hard to carry that much stuff with you! So, I eat gels. I think I will try a Clif Shot or two, though, and see if I like them any better than the Accelerade gels. Good luck!