1/2 marathon nutrition

Do any of you recommend taking in some of the sport gels during a 1/2 marathon?  If so, at what point?

thnx:--)

This is really personal, but I can't get through an entire 1/2 without some nutrition.  I also can't eat a whole gel at once.  So, I start consuming some gel about 45 min to 1 hour in - about 1/3 packet with every walk break (every 10 min or so). 

If you can get a whole gel down at once, more power to you!  They are a bit messy so if you don't have to carry a half full packet that would be preferable. 

Someone here talked about sport beans a while ago (jelly beans but made of sport gel).  You may want to also give those a try.  Good luck!

I did see the beans at the store but the thought of chewing while running really doesnt' appeal to me...but who knows?  The gels seems to have its challenges too so I will have to try them out to see how they work....my long runs in the next few weeks will be experimental! ha...still trying to figure out where to put the gel packs...I dont' want to wear a belt so I will have to figure something out!

I recommend taking short walk breaks while eating / drinking.  Slowing down will likely save time as you are less likely to spend time recovering from choking :-). 

You can get used to a belt - they are not wonderful, but are highly functional.  You should be carrying water with you - very few races have enough aid stations, and it can still be quite warm in Sept.  The water will also help get the gel/beans down.

Clif Shot makes gel cubes too that are like gummy bears.  They are good, but a little too sweet for me while racing.  Definitely practice with the gels during your training... it took me a long time to get used to them.  I've seen people safety pin the top of the gels onto their shorts so they can just tear it off and use.  There are shorts you can buy with external mesh gel pockets on them too.  Good luck on your race!

This is my first time posting, but I just had to put my two cents in.  I ran a marathon last year, which included running a few half marathon races while training for the the full.  Anyway, I played around with the different nutritional supplements while training and found that my stomach just could not tolerate the ones that contained caffeine.  My stomach would cramp and it made me miserable for the rest of the day.  Other people in my running group found that they couldn't tolerate other supplements.  One girl couldn't eat the banana strawberry and one couldn't do the sport beans.  I would highly recommend that you use some sort of gel, but I would also recommend that you find out what works for you.  You don't want to try something new in your race and end up with a sick stomach. 

x2 for practicing your nutrition... I can't eat chocolate Gu without having serious cramping, and those sport beans give me headaches (I think from the sugar, but who knows).  Practice on your long runs to see what works.

Anyway, what works for me is 1 gel 15 minutes before the start and then 1 every 40-45 minutes during the race.  If you can't eat a whole gel, you might want to carry a gel flask.  I use the flask because I take 1/2 servings on the bike and also because I hate all the garbage that the gel packets create.

Makes you wonder how people ran before gels were invented? Personally, I don't see the point of eating during what is, after all, "only" a half marathon.

I hear you on the importance of water and having a guarantee for a water source during the race:  the last 10k I ran was so poorly planned that the second water station ran out of water before 2/3 of the runners got there!!!  I was soo parched and was cramping up...not a good experience. 

Hanno, since the 1970s the number of people participating in endurance sports has skyrocketed.  Most of us are not elite athletes.  As a result, we are 'out there racing' for a whole lot longer than the winners.  Personally, I feel that I have raced really well if I only take twice as long as the winner of the race.  So, it's one thing for an elite athlete who will finish a 1/2 marathon in an hour or less to go without nutrition.  It's another thing entirely for someone like me who will be out there for 2+ hours. 

Also, in the past 20+ years there has been considerable study on things like endurance sports and nutrition, most of which points quite clearly to maintaining your hydration and nutrition levels throughout the race.  Certainly it's possible to complete a 1/2 marathon without water or nutrition.  But, likely your time will be worse, and you'll feel lousy.  I prefer to complete mine feeling good.

In the time before beans and gels, there were power bars.  Before that, granola bars.  Before that, usually raisins and nuts. 

The clif "shot bloks" are really great.  I like them better than the gels because they aren't gooey.  They are like big gummy bear blocks and taste good.  They are also in bite size pieces which is nice, because I know I can't eat a whole gel pack at once... I gag.  There are directions on the pack as to when the best time to eat them is... I think 30 minutes before strenuous exercise and every 30 or so minutes during (can't remember).  I can feel when I need one now when I'm running.  I also wear a Fuel Belt with water/ gatorade and the shot bloks.

 Here's the clif site if you want to read up on them.  http://www.clifbar.com/eat/shot_blok.cfm?loca tion=shot

I ran one marathon without eating anything and I totally lost all energy. The next two I was careful to munch on small things every two miles or so, and it really made a big difference. For a half, I would maybe eat once halfway through and then nibble if I need to the second half, whenever I could.

I can't stand the goo, however, nor the shot blocks. So I carry small luna bars or candies with me. Wash it down with lots of water. I'm not very fast, so a marathon for me takes 4 hours; a half takes me 2. That's a long time to not eat anything. But I had to figure out what worked best for me, since I REALLY can't stand the goos and blocks.

Good luck!