So I'm new to the running world, when I went to the running store earlier this week he was shocked when he saw my shoes I'd been running in. They were Nike's, not even worn out...I thought they were good, but in my short time spent there I learned that running can get quite technical. This post is not about shoes though.
He suggested at checkout that I should start looking into supplements for my longer runs, like Cliff cubes and Gu and weird stuff. Luck would have it, I would run into
another article about the very thing he was trying to sell me on. So I read up to see if it was something I really needed or not.
Runners, if you're out there, please correct me if I'm wrong. This is what I learned.
Basically there are all these companies making gel like energy supplements, that now even come in a gummy form, even jelly beans! They are concentrated...glucose, aka sugar. You know how I feel about sugar! (I'm anti sugar in most things) So we need carbs to exercise, and those carbs are broken down in our bodies....to glucose. So these gels basically skip the step your body usually does and gets right to the point giving your muscles energy.
One runner in the Boston Marathon ate
PEEPS because they aren't hard to open like some of the gels, but it's an instant sugar surge. (Ashley will LOVE this advice if she reads this, she loves peeps) ;) This isn't a suggestion from me, but things that have no fat or fiber and can be absorbed directly into the body can instantly give you results, when you are in a long distance run/race you will want the results quick!
This article I read was kinda funny, but basically informing you that the energy gels that you pay a pretty penny for a "ketchup packet" sized portion is basically the same as eating the easter marshmallow delite PEEPS. Once it's in your body, your body doesn't really know the difference.
If you've made it this far...you can go see a photo slide show of
How Peeps Are Made . Just for fun!
If you're interested, read the
full article here. It was quite entertaining!
He suggested at checkout that I should start looking into supplements for my longer runs, like Cliff cubes and Gu and weird stuff. Luck would have it, I would run into another article about the very thing he was trying to sell me on. So I read up to see if it was something I really needed or not.
Runners, if you're out there, please correct me if I'm wrong. This is what I learned.
Basically there are all these companies making gel like energy supplements, that now even come in a gummy form, even jelly beans! They are concentrated...glucose, aka sugar. You know how I feel about sugar! (I'm anti sugar in most things) So we need carbs to exercise, and those carbs are broken down in our bodies....to glucose. So these gels basically skip the step your body usually does and gets right to the point giving your muscles energy.
One runner in the Boston Marathon ate PEEPS because they aren't hard to open like some of the gels, but it's an instant sugar surge. (Ashley will LOVE this advice if she reads this, she loves peeps) ;) This isn't a suggestion from me, but things that have no fat or fiber and can be absorbed directly into the body can instantly give you results, when you are in a long distance run/race you will want the results quick!
This article I read was kinda funny, but basically informing you that the energy gels that you pay a pretty penny for a "ketchup packet" sized portion is basically the same as eating the easter marshmallow delite PEEPS. Once it's in your body, your body doesn't really know the difference.
If you've made it this far...you can go see a photo slide show of How Peeps Are Made . Just for fun!
If you're interested, read the full article here. It was quite entertaining!