May 9, 2016

My Top Mid-Run Fuels

As I'll soon be gearing up for marathon training season and getting serious about long runs, I thought I'd share what my go-to mid-run fueling products are.  

I'm the type of person that always eats before a long run or race. I also follow the general recommendation of taking in 100-200 calories (25-60 grams of carbohydrates) every hour, after the first hour of running.  For me this mostly applies to longer runs or marathons.   

Sometimes I don't eat anything during a half marathon, but if I do it's either some gummy candies, chews, or a gel around mile 7 or 8 if I feel like I need it.  Obviously this is just my preference and what works me. I encourage you to grab a bunch of different types of fuels and flavors and see what you like.  Lots of people also eat natural fuels, which I have tried. Honestly it's easier for me to grab these pre-packaged fuels, and so far they have all worked for me. 

For me I want something that has enough carbohydrates, sits well in my stomach, and is pleasant to eat (both taste and texture!).  I still sometimes try out new flavors, but here are what are really my top mid-run fuels: 

top-mid-run-fuels

 nuunhydration-plus

nuun hydration plus and active

Obviously as a Team Nuun athlete, I use nuun hydration as a hydration product to replenish electrolytes during and after workouts or runs. I usually always drink a glass of nuun with me before long runs and drink it during workouts or runs if I carry water. I mentioned before that nuun active has been reformulated to better work with the body and is vegan, gluten-free, non-gmo, less than 12 calories a serving, and free of any artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or preservatives!   

Recently nuun launched a product called plus for nuun which contains carbohydrates. You mix 2 tablets of plus for nuun with 1 tablet of nuun active with water. Each serving of this will contain 11g of carbs, 48 calories, as well as calcium, sodium, potassium, and magnesium. I love using this during runs where I don't really want or need to take any fuel to eat and as a supplement during races. 

1 tube of 10 tablets of nuun active is $7.00 and 1 tube of 6 servings is $6.99 MRP. 

HoneyStinger Waffles and Gels

I also am a member of the HoneyStinger Hive this year and really like their products. Their organic waffles are these crumbly, delicious waffle snacks which now come in some gluten-free varieties. I mostly eat them before a run or race but sometimes I'll cut one up and take it with me on a run.  It also totally caters to my sweet tooth. They also weirded me out before I tried them, but now I like them a lot! 

I also really like the HoneyStinger gels. I'm a big fan of the taste of honey so I sometimes get the flavored gels but usually go for the Gel Gold which is 95% honey and gluten-free. 1 Gold Gel packet is 100 calories and 27g of carbs. It literally just tastes like honey plus I like that it is more of a natural sugar product.  

honeystinger-waffles
Here's the actual unwrapped and cut up HoneyStinger waffles! 
1 box of 16 HoneyStinger waffles runs for $22.74 and 1 box of 24 HoneyStinger Gold Gels runs $33.40 MRP. 

 GU Salted Caramel Gel

salted-caramel-gu-energy-gel

GU is one of the most popular running fuels out there.  I like some of the other flavors like Salted Watermelon and Chocolate Outrage but Salted Caramel is my undisputed favorite. I discovered this flavor when I was training for my first marathon and it carried me through on race day. Each packet is 100 calories and 22g of carbs.   The only downside to GU is you really need to take it with some water for optimal absorption and because it is pretty sticky. I totally end up with GU all over my face when I'm eating these mid-run sometimes. Really super attractive. 

1 box of 24 GU Energy Gel runs $34.80 MRP. 

Gummy Candy or Chews 

 Ugh this photo sucks. I'm sorry, but I'm not a professional and it was the best of the bunch. 

gummy-bears-honeystinger-chews

A pretty simple go-to for me, especially when I'm not marathon training or practicing a specific fueling is just to take some gummy bears or Swedish Fish with me on a run. They are delicious and provide some simple sugars (aka carbs!). Plus I like that they are small so I pack some in a little baggie and eat them as needed. Or just eat the whole bag because they are delicious. A bonus is you can pretty much buy candy at any gas station or convenience store if I find myself in need of fuel in a hurry.   

I also really love the HoneyStinger Chews if I'm carrying a fuel chew.  This was the first HoneyStinger product I like because they just taste like gummies and are really soft and easy to eat.  My favorite flavors are the Cherry Blossom, Pink Lemonade, and caffeinated Cherry Cola chews.  For the Cherry Blossom organic and gluten-free chews, each packet is 160 calories and contains 39g of carbohydrates.  

1 bag of candy is going to be about $2. 1 box of 12 HoneyStinger Chew packets retails for $27 MRP. 

Disclaimer: Through my partnerships with nuun hydration and HoneyStinger I receive a discount on product. I totally loved these products and this is not a sponsored post. As always all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

This post was linked up with Weekend SnapshotsMIMM, Wild Workout Wednesday

What do you eat for fuel mid-run? Do you use natural or store-bought products? 

12 comments:

  1. I'm also a pre-packaged fuel fan. I've tried taking dates and figs with me and it leaves my fingers really sticky. for my first marathon I actually had two raisin buns with honey along the course :) but usually I stick with gels (I use SIS) and Clif shotbloks. I also like PowerBar chews. If we had HoneyStinger here I'd be ALL over that. Same with Gu. We don't have much Gu selection here and it's pretty expensive. So I stick with what I know works and try to get a good deal. Luckily we can buy some things in bulk and share with other runner friends. That always helps.

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    1. Haha a raisin bun sounds yummy but yeah I can't even stand when GU gets on my fingers and makes them sticky. Sharing with friends is a great idea-especially if you want to mix and match flavors!

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  2. This is a great list! I am a pre-packaged fuel fan also. (I just don't have the time to make my own!) My go-to products are usually Gu or CLIF shots (chocolate or some variation of coffee flavor), or those Honey Stinger waffles and/or gummies. I love that you use gummy bears!

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    1. I agree about going for convenience. Anything that tastes like candy is good with me haha!

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  3. Great write up! I really like Honey Stingers and Gu (Salted Caramel) too. I find if I take one just prior to my long run and then halfway through, it helps me with energy and fuel. Good stuff!

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    1. Thanks so much! Salted Caramel is SO delicious :)

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  4. Surf Sweets! I love those! I use either Vega gels or PROBAR Bold energy chews. I like having the little gummy chews because they feel like a midrun treat :)

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    1. Haha yes-I love my gummies. Ooh I really like the PROBAR bolt chews as well-those taste just like fruit snacks!

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  5. I've never tried Honey Stinger but I am ALL about Nuun! :) Thanks for linking up and sharing!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by! Definitely check out Honey Stinger if you're looking for new fuel options :)

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  6. Honey Stingers are SO good, and I love how GU is coming out with so many yummy gels. :) They're almost like a little dessert.

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