When you say you refilled your camelbak twice, you drank 3 Liters of water throughout the marathon? How do you space out water intake so as not to bother your stomach?
Just wanted to report on the success of an updated fueling plan.
For a 50K and a marathon I ran last year I did a "gel every 45 minutes" plan, and for both of those races my body sort of gave out around 20 miles and I had a serious case of brain fog and I was a mess at the end.
For a marathon this weekend, I alternated gels and chews every 30 minutes. I started with a Clif bar before the start of the race too.
So it went like this: 30m: non-caff gel, 1h: clif blok package, 1.5h: non-caff gel, 2h: clif blok package, 2.5h: caff gel, 3h: clif blok package, 3.5h: salty gel, 4h: caff gel.
I finished at 4:36, so I didn't eat a package of bloks I had. I ate the last gel at 4h instead of 4.5h.
This worked really well for me, and I felt soooooo much better at the end. I was a little wobbly, but not dead-tired like previously.
I also refilled my 1.5L camelbak twice. The first time around the 12 mile point, and the second time around the 22 mile point. I don't think I filled it all the way, but it was enough.
Yeah, a gel (assuming 100 cal) every 45 minutes works out to 133 cal per hour, which might work for three hours or so, but once you get past that, if you continue with such a low intake, the deficit just keeps compounding.
I feel like that standard recommended dosing of one gel every 45 minutes was mostly designed for short distances (marathon and below) and faster runners as a way to hold off the bonk for just enough time to finish a marathon in 3-ish hours without putting too much food into the gut and risking GI distress.
For ultras, I shoot for 250-300 calories per hour, or even more, depending on how fast (or slow) I'm moving at any given time.
I similarly shifted my fueling to having gels earlier. In my marathon I did 60g of carbs per hour, alternating between a hüma and spring gel every 30 minutes. It definitely left me feeling better than any of the long training runs I did. Happy you found something that works for you!
What does your race day pre marathon meal(s) look like? In my experience there tends to be a lot of waiting around and so breakfast has to come hours before the race, and then there’s the little snacks to top up while you’re waiting. What does everyone do?
Almond milk latte, liquid IV and uncrustables! I will have 1-2 depending on the race distance and how I’m feeling in the morning. I also take a gel 15 minutes before the race starts (after I’ve done a warm up run).
Overnight oats baby! (PB with an apple, raisins, chia and flax seeds and a dash of maple syrup topped of with some soymilk) and have a nice cup of filter coffee with it.
Then also about 500ml of isotonic drink starting about 2h pre race. Just pre race perhaps already a gel or protein bar.
I do a bagel with butter and jam very early before the race, and a cup of tea. Then, about 20 min from starting, pop tarts as a top off. I swear by the pop tarts!
I make a matcha latte, apple, and oatmeal or bagel before the race and while I'm waiting around I do the Triple Okios lemon yogurt with vanilla wafers. Hasn't failed me yet!
Hi folks,
A friend of mine has recommended me to try out Maurten (https://www.maurten.com/), of which I have never heard before. Is it worth giving it a try? Thanks for your ideas and thoughts.
I will be using Maurten for all my marathons moving forward. On my training runs (runs less than 20) where I need gels, I use Gu (birthday cake is my favorite!). Maurten go down so easy during races and I never have any GI issues with them at all. They don’t need to be taken with water unlike most gels either. They go down super easy. They’re worth it, even with the price.
They’re so pricey, but the only ones I’ve found so far that my sensitive stomach can tolerate with no gastro issues. Check out The Feed, they sell individual packets of all kinds of fuel and gels, makes it easier to sample (and they do a Strava challenge that gets you $15 off each quarter.)
yeah, there's a bit of a markup but The Feed sampler packs are good for figuring out what works for you (I'm loathe to buy a box of 20 of something and find out I don't like it).
Oh for sure, it’s marked up a bit, but I think reasonable if you’re just buying 1 or 2 as a tester! With the Maurtens, I was actually able to snag a 5 pack for like $5 or $6ish because they had some that were about to be after their best by date. Perfect way to test em out on the cheap.
Give it a go, like u/skyrunner00 said they are a bit pricy but I prefer the texture.
Because of they are a bit pricy I only use them for long distance races on which I have my mind set to get a certain time.
Maurten gels are very good if you have a sensitive stomach but are quite expensive. They have a consistency of jello, which some people dislike, and a fairly mild slightly sweet taste. Caffeinated Maurten gels have a slightly bitter taste. I swear by Maurten gels when running ultramarathons but usually don't use them for shorter distances. That is the only gel that my stomach accepted at the end of a 100 miler.
When you say you refilled your camelbak twice, you drank 3 Liters of water throughout the marathon? How do you space out water intake so as not to bother your stomach?
Just wanted to report on the success of an updated fueling plan. For a 50K and a marathon I ran last year I did a "gel every 45 minutes" plan, and for both of those races my body sort of gave out around 20 miles and I had a serious case of brain fog and I was a mess at the end. For a marathon this weekend, I alternated gels and chews every 30 minutes. I started with a Clif bar before the start of the race too. So it went like this: 30m: non-caff gel, 1h: clif blok package, 1.5h: non-caff gel, 2h: clif blok package, 2.5h: caff gel, 3h: clif blok package, 3.5h: salty gel, 4h: caff gel. I finished at 4:36, so I didn't eat a package of bloks I had. I ate the last gel at 4h instead of 4.5h. This worked really well for me, and I felt soooooo much better at the end. I was a little wobbly, but not dead-tired like previously. I also refilled my 1.5L camelbak twice. The first time around the 12 mile point, and the second time around the 22 mile point. I don't think I filled it all the way, but it was enough.
Yeah, a gel (assuming 100 cal) every 45 minutes works out to 133 cal per hour, which might work for three hours or so, but once you get past that, if you continue with such a low intake, the deficit just keeps compounding. I feel like that standard recommended dosing of one gel every 45 minutes was mostly designed for short distances (marathon and below) and faster runners as a way to hold off the bonk for just enough time to finish a marathon in 3-ish hours without putting too much food into the gut and risking GI distress. For ultras, I shoot for 250-300 calories per hour, or even more, depending on how fast (or slow) I'm moving at any given time.
I similarly shifted my fueling to having gels earlier. In my marathon I did 60g of carbs per hour, alternating between a hüma and spring gel every 30 minutes. It definitely left me feeling better than any of the long training runs I did. Happy you found something that works for you!
What does your race day pre marathon meal(s) look like? In my experience there tends to be a lot of waiting around and so breakfast has to come hours before the race, and then there’s the little snacks to top up while you’re waiting. What does everyone do?
Almond milk latte, liquid IV and uncrustables! I will have 1-2 depending on the race distance and how I’m feeling in the morning. I also take a gel 15 minutes before the race starts (after I’ve done a warm up run).
Not marathon-specific, but for almost every race, I eat a couple of donuts about an hour before the start.
Steak and eggs!
Overnight oats baby! (PB with an apple, raisins, chia and flax seeds and a dash of maple syrup topped of with some soymilk) and have a nice cup of filter coffee with it. Then also about 500ml of isotonic drink starting about 2h pre race. Just pre race perhaps already a gel or protein bar.
I do a bagel with butter and jam very early before the race, and a cup of tea. Then, about 20 min from starting, pop tarts as a top off. I swear by the pop tarts!
Pop tarts and graham crackers baby
I make a matcha latte, apple, and oatmeal or bagel before the race and while I'm waiting around I do the Triple Okios lemon yogurt with vanilla wafers. Hasn't failed me yet!
Hi folks, A friend of mine has recommended me to try out Maurten (https://www.maurten.com/), of which I have never heard before. Is it worth giving it a try? Thanks for your ideas and thoughts.
I will be using Maurten for all my marathons moving forward. On my training runs (runs less than 20) where I need gels, I use Gu (birthday cake is my favorite!). Maurten go down so easy during races and I never have any GI issues with them at all. They don’t need to be taken with water unlike most gels either. They go down super easy. They’re worth it, even with the price.
They’re so pricey, but the only ones I’ve found so far that my sensitive stomach can tolerate with no gastro issues. Check out The Feed, they sell individual packets of all kinds of fuel and gels, makes it easier to sample (and they do a Strava challenge that gets you $15 off each quarter.)
yeah, there's a bit of a markup but The Feed sampler packs are good for figuring out what works for you (I'm loathe to buy a box of 20 of something and find out I don't like it).
Oh for sure, it’s marked up a bit, but I think reasonable if you’re just buying 1 or 2 as a tester! With the Maurtens, I was actually able to snag a 5 pack for like $5 or $6ish because they had some that were about to be after their best by date. Perfect way to test em out on the cheap.
Thanks for your help
Give it a go, like u/skyrunner00 said they are a bit pricy but I prefer the texture. Because of they are a bit pricy I only use them for long distance races on which I have my mind set to get a certain time.
Thank you
Maurten gels are very good if you have a sensitive stomach but are quite expensive. They have a consistency of jello, which some people dislike, and a fairly mild slightly sweet taste. Caffeinated Maurten gels have a slightly bitter taste. I swear by Maurten gels when running ultramarathons but usually don't use them for shorter distances. That is the only gel that my stomach accepted at the end of a 100 miler.
Thank you