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After my terrible run last week, I reverted back to my old strategy by taking in some calories during my long runs. This morning I was out for 22 miles and a pleasant tour of Davidson. Albeit the first hour was dark and it was a beautiful sun rise. But I digress.

Every two miles, I popped a sports bean.
I was a little slower going out the 10 miles but I was a lot faster during the last 12 mile. This is how I want the runs to go easy going out, hard in the middle miles, and feel strong heading to the finish.

This is the first time that I have used the sports bean during a run. Previously, I had tried them during my bike rides, but riding doesn’t create the same type of stomach issues that running does.

But there were no surprises and the stomach remained calm during the entire run.

I chose the lemon lime flavor sports beans because I tend to favor the gels with very strong or tart flavors. And, I could not imagine myself taking a blue berry bean.

One other important note, I choose the Sports beans because I could get them in a caffeine free version. Taking caffeine can have a positive effect on the body during endurance performance, but I try to shy away from taking them because I am extremely caffeine sensitive. Even the smallest amount can leave me with a head ache the next day. I rather avoid the caffeine than have those headaches.