Multiple Flavors

Tonight, I thought that I would write about selecting the Gel flavors in your next marathon.

During this past summer, I was finishing up the last few miles of my long run when I reached in to my pocket for a Gatorade Chew. I pulled out the next Strawberry flavored block. I looked at it for a long second. While I knew I needed to take it, just the thought of chocking it down was less than inviting.

Similarly in several of my marathons, I have pulled out my last Power Gel. Looked at it, and tucked it back in my pocket. Pretty much for the same reason, while starting out I loved the taste and the texture, but after running 20+, I just couldn't stomach another bite.

Maybe others have this same problem may be not.

So I pondered what to do about it.

So happens, I was by the store picking up some additional Gatorade Chews for my next long but they were out of the Strawberry flavor. Instead, I picked up a couple of different flavors.

I didn't think too much about it at the time but when I was preparing for my next long run, I realized that I had 3 different flavors of chews. Usually, I only take one flavor on a long run. However in this case, I had to take server different flavors to cover the entire distance.

On my long run and much to my surprise, I found myself rotating through the different flavors. Even thou, the texture was the same, having different flavors made all of the difference.

I decided to test out my theory during my 50k a few weeks ago. Yes, the test went well. I actually looked forward to taking them during the later miles. Then, a couple of weeks ago, I used the same strategy during my marathon. And, I found them much easier to stomach.

We all have favorite flavors, but when we are hot and tired, even something that is a favorite can seem unpalatable. I found something that works for me, so maybe it will help others.

The Cool Down Runner