I am doing a 20mile run this weekend as part of my marathon training and I was wondering, at what stage do you start to take energy gels or drinks? Im guessing it might be an idea.
I might head to my running shop this week and get something for carrying water and maybe a chocolate bar or something for the longer runs.

Any help would be good.

O.

Hi Owain

There's lots of different strategies people use. I generally, for training, have a gel or two in the last 3rd of my long runs, and about 3 in races, 1st at half-way, next at mile 18/19, next at 22/23.

The idea is to boost your energy and blood sugar that's available, so not much point early on (since you have loads naturally still). Chocolate's always good, gels or isotonic gels are maybe better, as they release energy faster and are designed to be absorbed quickly

I found some energy gels in my local Tesco which don't seem to have to many nasty things in them i.e. Aspartame or MSG so will give them a go this weekend, if I am doing a 20mile run I might take it about the 15mile mark? Would that make sense since I am comfortable with 13miles.

Carry pouches, what do people recommend? I don't want something thats going to bounce around or hinder me.

O.

I would think the 15mile mark may be a little too late... From my hazy memory of reading various articles - your body uses muscle glycogen while you run, and where stores are full they should be good to last you around 1hr30? I think i also remember reading that your body will take like 20-30mins to feel the effects of the carbs from energy gels - so I'd probably suggest taking the first one after around an hour... as for how regularly you need them? no idea!

I went for an 18miler a couple of months back and used two energy gels... I struggled in the last mile a lot - energy seemed to just dissappear! (possibly the wall?!). Others may vary massively but that was my experience

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Cheers Richard, I know for the Edinburgh marathon they are giving out energy gels at the 5.5 mile mark and the 21.5 mile mark. I think I might pick up a gel at the 5.5 mile mark but not use it until the 13mile, 5.5 mile marks seems a tad early.

I think its going to be trial and error, so probably best to give it a go this weekend and see how I feel.

Anyone else used gels for long runs?

O.

I used energy gels on long runs before, the Powerbar Powergels are my faves, followed by the Locozade ones.

I usually took one around the 5km mark and then every 10km after that. That eqaulled three gels on a 20miler.

I'd get a triathlon style race belt and find a way of taping the gels to it or something along those lines. I'm not sure if it'll work, it should, but if you get a race belt and go into your local bike shop and ask for some tubular tyre tape (it's double sided and sticky as hell) then you can put the tape on yout number belt and whack the gels sideways on that.

I use tub tape in triathlons for everything! energy gels onto the cross bar on the bike, under my inner soles in my running shoes to stop them moving when a sticky bare foot gets jammed in at high speed, same with my bike shoes. Ok so not quite everything, but it might be worth a try.

I'd start taking gels after 1 hour, In a triathlon I will take 2 on the bike one after 10 minutes, one after 40 minutes. So at 30 mins and 1hr into the race, don't take anythign on in the run section usually, but the higher pace makes it hard to get anyhting apart from oxygen in!

If you really want a hit of good stuff I'd recomend getting some Agisko, I'm not sponsored by them so this is a plug because it's amazing stuff! It has MCT's and a number of different natural sugars. You buy the gel in concentrate and make it up yourself. You can take a load of it right before you start and it'll be a massive boost to your energy supply. A 400ml bottle of concentrate contains 5000Kcal if my memory serves me correcty. If you dilute 50/50 then it gives you a lot of extra energy in your system before the start which will prolong your performance. I take the gel 10 minutes before the start of every big race and I have yet to not run a PB and feel good at the end.

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I use SiS gels and on a 20 mile training run I'd get away with 3, one at 5 miles, one at 10 and one at 15

In a marathon I take 5... at 5m, 10m, 15m, 19m, and 23m

thanks for the feedback guys and gals

These are what I have found in Tesco:
Click here

Im guessing for marathons and long runs (20miles) power gels are a very good idea?

O.

Indeed... your body needs fuel, and if you don't supply it in the form of food, it'll start finding it from elsewhere in the body which usually results in a slow and painful end to your run (i.e. hitting the wall). It doesn't HAVE to be gels though... isotonic drinks would be suitable, just as long as you pay attention to what carbs you're taking on board

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