I can fuel without food!?

The first time I heard about energy gels and other type of fuels I thought, "What? I can get fuel for my run with out eating food?" The whole idea of an energy gel was new to me. Well, pretty much anything that had to do with endurance sport nutrition and fueling my body for work was new to me. Just think of it, I could consume something called a gel and I wouldn't have to eat food and risk getting sick or cramps during my run.  That is GREAT!

Although, I was a bit leery of the taste and texture of such a product. I set out to acquire a few samples and see if these things were for me. The first product I came across was from a company called GU.

I first came across this company when I was signing up for the marathon I will be running this fall. Although there are many companies that produce gels this was the first that I was able to find locally. So I stopped by our local sporting goods big box store and picked up a couple of flavors. Chocolate Outrage, Vanilla Bean,  and Lemon Sublime just to start off. I chose these because they had no added or very little caffeine as I have difficulty with some forms of caffeine when taken on an empty stomach.  I would try eventually try all of the GU flavors even those with double caffeine with the exception of Orange and plain, neither of these flavors appeal to me. Also I have found that the caffeinated flavors not only agreed with me, but  work the best for providing me with the fuel I need plus the added benefit of better focus, especially on the long runs. Of these I prefer the Jet Blackberry which has 2x caffeine.  Now from what I had read you were to eat the whole thing at once about 15 minutes before your activity to give your body time to start using the new energy supply.

My first flavor was to be chocolate, so with a good squeeze down the hatch it went , the whole packet. It tasted great, just like chocolate frosting, and with the same consistency. I almost gagged, and had no way to relive my reflexes as I was not going to spit it out. At around 1.25 per packet it is a bit pricey to waste, but definitely worth the cost.   Not that I could have if I wanted to, nobody told me it was going to be this sticky.  I was stuck, I could do nothing but swallow and consume water en mass to try and wash it down. Lesson learned: when they state "to be consumed at one time," it is not meant to be the whole thing at one time.

With that unfortunate learning experience behind me, I must say I noticed an improvement in both my focus and progression of  my morning runs.  Now not all of the improvement in my running came just because I started to fuel with the gels in the morning and during my long runs. Most of the improvement came from my dedication, hard work , and desire to reach my personal goals. The gels are just a tool that I find have helped me in making those goals happen a little bit faster.  By not having to worry about what I am going to make to eat or if my body is going to enter starvation mode and keep me from burning the fat I need to lose my weight, I can focus just on the running.