Are You Gellin’?
A funny thing’s happened since I barfed my way to a DNF in Long Beach a month ago. I’ve been unable to consume Gatorade or Gu. Just the thought of either makes my stomach churn.
So, in the weeks since that disastrous day I’ve gone Old School, relying on just water during my standard two-hour weekend long runs. I eat a potassium-rich banana beforehand and suck on a couple of wintergreen-flavored Lifesavers when it’s time to bring the blood sugar back up. If I return from my run especially sweaty, I’ll make a cup of Gookinaid HydraLyte, the low-calorie electrolyte replacement drink they serve at our track workouts. It’s gentle on the digestive system. Within minutes of downing a glass of Gook, I’m easing into post-run stretches and contemplating how I’ll spend the remainder of my day. I’m never sore and have energy to spare.
This, if you recall from past posts, is a sharp contrast to the crappy runs that plagued me during my summer marathon training.
For some time I’ve wondered about the ‘overgelification’ within the running community. I took up marathoning back when a sound training schedule and decent pair of shoes were all you needed to cross the finish line. I never trained with anything but water, and neither did my running partners who were far faster than me. Gatorade came after a hard run and mostly to make sure we didn’t bonk on the way home. Gels? Nope. I’ve read other runners’ blogs with rapt attention on this subject, finding many routinely ingest gels and credit them with helping push through physical barriers. I admit, that’s how I got sucked in.
I abandoned my Lifesaver approach for the more expensive energy gels several years ago, convinced they’d improve a waning performance. But they mainly made me thirsty and, if I took another too soon, they made me sick. I’m starting to believe all those carb-loaders contributed to my considerable weight gain in recent years, too.
This afternoon I saw a movie that reinforced what I’ve been feeling. Alex and I went to see an advanced screening of Yours, Mine and Ours but the movie hadn’t arrived, so the theater showed The Greatest Game Ever Played instead. It’s about caddies of humble means competing in a high-stakes golf championship with an uppity crowd due a comeuppance. The movie reminds us that raw talent always outshines the advantages money can buy and that motivation can make or break you. They didn’t need fancy clubs to finish on top. I’m starting to think I don’t need expensive energy supplements to help me top my last big finish.
So, in the weeks since that disastrous day I’ve gone Old School, relying on just water during my standard two-hour weekend long runs. I eat a potassium-rich banana beforehand and suck on a couple of wintergreen-flavored Lifesavers when it’s time to bring the blood sugar back up. If I return from my run especially sweaty, I’ll make a cup of Gookinaid HydraLyte, the low-calorie electrolyte replacement drink they serve at our track workouts. It’s gentle on the digestive system. Within minutes of downing a glass of Gook, I’m easing into post-run stretches and contemplating how I’ll spend the remainder of my day. I’m never sore and have energy to spare. This, if you recall from past posts, is a sharp contrast to the crappy runs that plagued me during my summer marathon training.
For some time I’ve wondered about the ‘overgelification’ within the running community. I took up marathoning back when a sound training schedule and decent pair of shoes were all you needed to cross the finish line. I never trained with anything but water, and neither did my running partners who were far faster than me. Gatorade came after a hard run and mostly to make sure we didn’t bonk on the way home. Gels? Nope. I’ve read other runners’ blogs with rapt attention on this subject, finding many routinely ingest gels and credit them with helping push through physical barriers. I admit, that’s how I got sucked in.
I abandoned my Lifesaver approach for the more expensive energy gels several years ago, convinced they’d improve a waning performance. But they mainly made me thirsty and, if I took another too soon, they made me sick. I’m starting to believe all those carb-loaders contributed to my considerable weight gain in recent years, too. This afternoon I saw a movie that reinforced what I’ve been feeling. Alex and I went to see an advanced screening of Yours, Mine and Ours but the movie hadn’t arrived, so the theater showed The Greatest Game Ever Played instead. It’s about caddies of humble means competing in a high-stakes golf championship with an uppity crowd due a comeuppance. The movie reminds us that raw talent always outshines the advantages money can buy and that motivation can make or break you. They didn’t need fancy clubs to finish on top. I’m starting to think I don’t need expensive energy supplements to help me top my last big finish.
