Drinking/eating while running troubles!

[JTri's]

I live in San Jose, California and it can be hot here, but even if I was running someplace cooler 12 miles with no liquids would leave me with energy troubles. Of course, it depends on how fast you're running, and lets just say that it is gonna take me awhile to run 12 miles.

I'm going to start by taking frequent small sips of water. I'll try one every 15or 20 minutes.

I've read that after an hour and a half of running, you should start taking in some calories, and with my biking I have found that this is true for me. So, I'm also going to try "sipping" a hammergel on my 8 mile run this weekend. I think I could divide that into 3-4 sips.

I'll let you all know how it goes and thanks for the suggestions! I appreciate them all!

[VeloVT]

I don't know what your goals are as a runner, so this may not apply to your situation, so please give me a pass if it doesn't . I'm really not trying to sound preachy or like some sort of know-it-all so I really hope it doesn't come across that way. This is just my take, based on reading I've done. But this is the reason for my comments on gel use above.

If you are trying to build endurance for long events (half-marathon to marathon), one of the favorable adaptations of training is that your body actually becomes faster and more efficient at producing energy aerobically (if you are interested you can find information on how this happens, chemically -- I'm not able to explain that process though ). I can confirm from experience that this happens -- when you first start training, if you're a little out of shape, a 6 mile run might be tiring. After six weeks of training, you're doing 12 miles before work without batting an eyelash. Two more weeks and after 12 miles you feel totally revved, with enough energy to sprint the last half-mile. And so on. To acheive this benefit though, you have to subject your system to stress beyond its current abilities (just like when you're lifting weights, you want to lift to failure). If you go too easy on it you don't stimulate these adaptations. By using gels on runs that aren't so long that you're already at the outer limits of your body's ability to produce energy (or, near the end of the glucose stored in your muscles), you risk slowing the rate at which your body adapts and gains endurance.

For me, and I acknowledge that this may be completely personal and not true for other people, running is not the same as cycling at all in terms of energy balance (I drink like a fiend on the bike and try to keep a steady flow of calories too). This may be because I'm currently a more efficient runner than cyclist. (It may also have something to do with the fact that the culture and therefore literature of running with regards to nutrition is still somewhat different than the culture of cycling or tri).

Just another set of opinions to take or leave. I hope you are having fun with your running!

[JTri's]

Hi Liza, thanks for your comments. I am indeed a new runner, so I am still finding out what works for me.

I've done a lot of reading though, and from what I read gels start helping after your muscles have burned off the stored glycogen, which usually happens after about an hour, at least thats form what I've read, but you seem to think it lasts for two hours or more...I'll have to keep researching.

So far, I've felt great after all my "long" runs, the longest of which has been 8miles, but I am not exactly fast. At 12 min a mile, I'm out there for well over an hour. And, I'll be out there for a longer time for that half marathon. I want to finish feeling as great as I do now, on my shorter runs, which is why I'll use a gel as my runs get longer. I may not need one on these 8-9 mile runs, but I want to get my stomach and GI tract a test run a few times to see how I tolerate them.

This weekend, I practiced drinking plain water (small sips!), and felt good the whole 8miles. I was delighted. I must have been taking larger drinks before without realizing it. I felt much less thristy after my run and ended with a good sprint. Before, I was feeling so parched that it was uncomfortable, so I'll continue to practice my little sips of water technique.

[KSH]

Happy to hear that taking small sips of water helped!

Also, if you do move into doing gels on runs... I would suggest putting the gel into a gel flask. You can buy them at running stores. They can hold up to 4 gel packets in them and they make it so easy to sip on gel as you run.

The downside for me was that it got all shook up in the bottle and I couldn't tell how much I had taken in by the end. So, I didn't get all the gel in that I needed. Next time I'll take gel sips every 15 mins versus 30 mins on my long runs (12 miles).

[colby]

I like the flask, too, but I've lost a couple. After you get used to it, you can judge the amount you're supposed to take in pretty well -- for me one big slurp is about right. You could also dilute it that way if you didn't like the texture or wanted it a little more liquidy.

I do really like using my Camelbak because then I can drink as I please, instead of having to wait for an aid station for water, and then gulp it down all at once, which makes my tummy feel sloshy. It might not cause side stitches, but it feels weird. I can take in a whole gel and a few long sips of water, but beyond that, it feels icky.

I generally go by the "more than an hour of running = carry water and food" rule, but I live in a not so humid climate. I do also have to make sure that I'm hydrated ahead of time no matter what or I get to the point where my temp starts rising and feel thirsty.