Experimenting....

So, last week I found out something really important.  I need to start thinking about eating during runs.  During my 11-miler last Saturday I got to mile 7 and my body felt great.  My legs felt strong, I felt hydrated, I was ready for the last 4 miles and then my stomach started grumbling.  And of course, I didn't have anything to eat.  At 9 miles I was starving.  When we finished 11 I was close to chewing on my own arm.  Luckily, we only had a short walk back to Simmons where I had a banana and pb&j awaiting my arrival.
This week we ran 12.  I knew that I needed to eat something during my run.  As it turns out there are a lot of options and choosing what works best for your body is really just trial and error.  On Friday, the BPE marathoners/staff (Kelly, Erin, Todd and myself) took a trip to City Sports.  I left with a handful of possibilities ($7.97 later).

I left with two of these, one chocolate and one vanilla.  They are called "Gu" - sounds appetizing, right?  I've heard mixed reactions on Gu.  Some people hate it, some people swear by it.  I had the chocolate packet during my 12 miles, between 6-7.  The consistency was frosting/pudding with a chocolate pudding taste.  Not too bad.  Later on, it was not so good (not going in to that with all of you).  My Aunt suggested trying the Power Gel brand as it is nicer to your tummy.  What I liked about Gu is that I really didn't need anything else during the run (the whole wheat bagel and a banana at 6:30 that morning may also have helped...)

I also brought these guys along on my run.  The Clif Shot Bloks.  I saw Laura eating them the week before and they actually looked good, so I bought a pack.  I only had one during my run, it tasted good but it was really, really, really chewy.  I think I will try them again!

Laurelin suggested I try these.  Caffeinated energy Jelly Beans - Jelly Belly brand.  I've had one or two in the past and one or two doesn't do the trick.  I would obviously have to eat the whole package, next run I'm going to try them and see how I feel.  Update to follow.

I fully realize that this is cheating.  It's not really what you would think of eating during a run.  My biggest worry was that when I get hungry I don't want Gu, or gummy bites, or jelly beans; I want food.  ME WANT FOOD.  Really, all the time.  This I grabbed at Trader Joe's ($1.99).  I figure when we get into longer runs if I really need to put legit food in my stomach I will eat one of these because they are tasty and filling.

The most important part about eating all of these mid-run snacks is having water to chase them with.  Otherwise, you are going to feel like you ate a rock and that would be horrible.  That's why even on the group runs where they kindly set up water stops for us, I like to carry my new Fuel Belt (not tool belt, Kelly) with one of the bottles filled with water and the other a water/gatorade mixture (thank you Erin for the water/G mixture tip).  That way I can snack at my leisure without having to wait for the water stops.

This week the long run was a great success.  I had a ridiculous amount of energy after 12 miles and for the most part I felt great.  I did eventually need a nap and sadly could not join Jessey and his friend for a night of dancing (there's no WAY I could have danced yesterday-- ouch).  But today I am pain free.  Although, it does feel like my calf muscles are growing by the second... weird.

I'd like to end with some thank yous!  My favorite part!
Thank you to Erin McGrath, co-worker, fellow marathoner, and baker extraordinaire for your donation that bumped me up to 25%!

AAANNNDDDD to...
 Stephen Sacco for your very generous donation!  And, thanks for reading my blog!  :)

AAANNNDDDD to...
Grandma and Grandpa VanGinhoven for your donation!  We miss you lots!

Last but not least, thank you to Pamela, Laura and Miki for being at our run bright and early Saturday morning to share our mission and work our water stops!

Really, thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout this endeavor.  There have been so many people who have helped me in so many ways already.  This has been such an amazing experience already and we still have 3 and a half months to go!

**Also, I have an event coming up on Friday, February 26.  Please email me for details:
baker.jessicaa@gmail.com
Chances are, you'll hear from me soon anyway!