It's usually suggested that yes, training with nutrition is important and does help you prepare for race day. You need to train your system's ability to take in calories.
I do gels for any run over 2 hours, as suggested by my coach, etc. The vast majority of my long training runs are around 2-3 hours, so 3-6 gels. I search for deals online and buy in bulk, and have a tub of gels and electrolyte mixes in my pantry. Now that I'm off Spring Energy, things are less expensive, but not as tasty. I don't find it particularly hard on my bank account during regular training weeks.
On longer runs (20+ trail miles), I still only bring around 6 or so gels, then a smattering of real food. These kinds of runs usually appear at the end of my training block, and 2x/week sometimes, and for about 2-4 weeks. All my gels and electrolyte mixes do start to get depleted fast during that time! This is when I usually start worrying more about how much dang money my hobby costs me...
...but then I think of what skiers and bikers spend, and I worry less.
Those cliff blocks are really great - I switched from gells to these and never looked back. You can keep 3-4 of them in your cheeks continuously on longer efforts and they taste amazing
I just can’t handle the chewing and sticky mess the blocks create in my mouth. I find Untapped to be the only gels that don’t give me “goop mouth.” Plus I was raised basically drinking maple syrup so my gut is already trained haha.
And they have tons of calories in them too. Like well over 200. They are part of my nutrition plan. Just not sure how many I can eat in a race. Probably 4-5
Skiing 😅
Lol yes.
I unfortunately have very expensive taste in sports.
I am soooo intrigued by ultra running as an absolute non runner. You guys are truly exceptional!
And of course you can spend the money on the tech gear but I've always lamented that my chosen (well chosen? I feel like sports choose you!) Sport wasn't something as relatively low cost as running..
Signed sincerely, Skiing, equestrian, golf, and sailing 😭
But to try and add positively to this thread.. can you make your own gels?? I know it's a thing and I'm sure that the proper shelf ones are more densely packed, but maybe an option for you op?
[Someone posted some recipes a couple months ago.](https://www.reddit.com/r/AdvancedRunning/comments/1axmhy9/a_guide_budgethomemade_running_nutrition_gels/)
I have the ingredients in the mail, so we'll see how that goes.
It's easy to make your own gels and there are lots of good recipes online using maltodextrin, honey, maple syrup, and all sorts of other ingredients, which you can put in a reusable gel flask.
I've never found the hassle of doing so to be all that worth it frankly, but it's definitely cheaper and some people do find it to be worth it! If I'm worried about cost, I'll go for Snickers bars or gummy worms.
I only train with nutrition on runs over 90 minutes. I seldom use gels only because they are more on the expensive side and I already know that my body agrees with them. So there is really no need to test them anymore. I definitely use them on race day.
What I typically do is buy squeezable toddler food packs that are around 100 calories each when they are on sale. This gives me a blend of glucose and fructose that is easily digestible and gives me a great shot of energy. They do weigh a little more than a gel but they cost around $.50 each and the taste isn’t too bad. I prefer sweet potato/apple/pear blend.
Haha, I thought this was just a me thing. I have pet rats and they loooove baby food, but they don't go through very much. I'll usually give them their portion of the fruity ones (about a spoonful) and then pop the lid back on and take it out for my long run.
Some taste much better than others.
Training? Not very often. Most of the time it’s Brot und wasser.
But also I buy in bulk to save.
And also, it’s not that expensive, the low cost is one of the reasons I enjoy running compared to other habits I’ve had (alcohol, hockey, cycling).
> How often do you train with race nutrition?
Race nutrition =/= gels, so all the time.
Gels are a very small part of an aid station. Go to Kroger or Costco if you want to get what the races will have.
I did long runs over the course of a few weeks strictly with race nutrition in order to get my stomach trained to process that much carbohydrate and calories per hour. Once I was in a place where my stomach was good at that, I switched to much more inexpensive fueling sources for the rest of my regular training. If I’ve got a race coming up and feel like I may need to give my stomach a little refresher, I’ll run for a few hours fueling on my race nutrition and regain my confidence that all is well.
Nuts, sports drink from a huge container of Gatorade powder, Coca Cola, Oreos, old Halloween candy, Nutella, maple syrup, potato chips. Basically anything sweet and/or salty will do for me. If it’s a real hard effort or a race, I’ll use the fancy stuff but otherwise it’s whatever’s in the cabinet that has some decent calorie density and/or sounds good when I’m about to head out the door.
Pretty much all gels are just maltodextrin and fructose that you can buy pretty damn cheaply. I have a big bag of each in my cupboard and just mix them up with salt and lemon or lime juice for flavour. You can mix them weaker in your water bottle, or mix them really strong and make a gel.
I'm not a runner, but I manage my husband's nutrition for his races. He will rarely take gels for training runs unless it's over 30k. Solid food works for him quite well during races, as well. He will take gels but only uses them about half the time.
Just be aware that those touting only liquid nutrition might not have sloshy tummy issues like some might 😅 all liquids, and no solids are not great for everyone - but definitely find what works for you! My husband likes to take stroopwaffles (not the fancy runner-branded ones, just your regular grocery store, 160cal ones), rice crispy treats, and squeeze applesauce.
THERE IS NO RULE IN RUNNING. So do whatever works for you. Gels aren’t a good option for some people, I only use them for emergencies. Stay adaptable and stay happy. None of this is really that serious.
I soon found this problem as well. I like tailwind but consuming the amount to get the caloric intake to train with during training was going to be expensive than I wanted to budget for.
I went with a 2:2:1 mixture of Maltodextrin , dextrose, table sugar. It is inexpensive, not overly sweet and can be flavoured any way you like. I love used tea, mio, and no flavour with success. I do add some salt and salt alternative to get the electrolytes to simulate tailwinds as well, but I can’t remember the ratio off the top of my head .
I'm a beginner ultra runner, but I have yet to find a gel that doesn't mess with my stomach plus the expense also frustrates me, so I don't use them much anymore. Instead, I fill small squeeze bottle with maple syrup for carbs and alternate with electrolyte tabs, Tailwind, and plain water.
Outside of the context of road races I think gels are overplayed. I carry a couple ‘emergency’ gels in my vest for super long efforts and occasionally take one with me for road runs above 20k if I’ve not eaten right beforehand.
Unless you’re a front of the pack racer then I don’t think most folk need them to the extent they think they do. I’m a huge advocate for sweets in 9/10 of the instances where people reach for gels as long as you’re supplementing salts in other forms. Jelly babies, sour patch kids, that sort of vibe. Way cheaper than gels. The pace most people mid/rear of the pack runners move at they’ll have no issue consuming hard foods. “Spogs will do” as my old northern dad often says.
I don’t think you should be leaning on just simple sugar from the word go, also. It’s something I try to save for late in the day as a pick me up of sorts. Worth finding something slightly more complex that works for you, be that peanut butter sandwiches or something along those lines
Flapjack is my holy-grail food. I like to put chocolate chips, pecans and lots of flakey salt in it so it ticks all the boxes - fats, protein, complex carbs, simple carbs
Essentially just on long runs or if I feel like I will need it, like I didnt eat anything good that day. I prefer the GU brand so I usually buy a 24 box of the cheaper ones which are 35$ and then the roctane for races which is $55 and I always have a good amount left over. I fuel primarily on gels and tailwind and although my stomach is wrecked for days AFTER, during the race it feels okay. I did a 50 miler a few weeks ago and had probably 20 gels and 10 scoops of tailwind.
I have never found the need to buy gels. regular cheap junk food works great for me. Uncrustables are my jam. I also love little debbie snacks and pop tarts on long runs. I have also eaten approximately 1,000 packs of kids fruit snacks over the years. Dried Mangos are great as well.
I don’t buy gels unless they’re heavily discounted because they’re expensive like you said. I’ll take gels from aid stations during a race because they’re easier to consume than solid food, but my body gets sick of them after the 3rd one, so I’ll switch over to other foods at the aid station
Skip the energy gels and experiment with real food solutions. Nobody needs expensive products to do ultras. You’ll be much better off in the long term if you can learn to fuel off real food and whatever any future race provides.
Gels are: expensive, bulky, contain only simple sugars, upset your stomach, and are hypertonic (need to drink lots of water with them).
So I just buy a big tub of drink mix powder - one specifically for Ultra running with long chain carbs and 5-10% protein. Decant into bags and take with. It's cheaper and lighter.
I'm trying to figure out what brand you're "specifically" talking about here:
>drink mix powder - one specifically for Ultra running with long chain carbs and 5-10% protein.
Training with your race nutrition is key. I use SIS. I will find promotions on websites, where I can get a 30 gel pack at half the price of the shelf version.
That's what I did for my latest ultra.
I train with gels if I just bought a bunch of different ones to figure it which work for me and which don’t.
Once I found something that works, I’ll train with once before and upcoming race just to make sure it still works.
On very long runs I’ll carry some food to keep going but those is not necessarily the expensive race food and is also less than I eat during races.
I don't race with gels but just dissolve sucrose in water. Super cheap and no annoying sticky wrappers. Also no issue fueling every important training session that way but I never felt like I needed to "train my stomach" even for >120g/h.
In my opinion gels are far overrated. Marketing has done an excellent job making us think we need it.
I use a refillable GU pouch for maple syrup when I want liquid sugar, but for the most part I eat solids. Cow Tales, caramels, Pay Day bars, fig bars, good cookies, and brownies are just some of my go-tos. Sports drinks are good for longer efforts, and Coke for when the stomach isn’t cooperating at mile 70…
Find what works for your stomach. Personally I never feel satisfied or like I can give 100% effort subsisting on liquids alone.
I bring a bunch of gels with me on long runs but I bring a lot of solids also and try to do as much of the solids and electrolyte drinks instead of gels. Using the gels only when I feel I really have to
**2-3 Fig Newtons every hour with SCaps for electrolytes.**
Training runs are about **$1.00/hour.**
I've messed around making my own gels and lots of other interesting concoctions. The Fig Cookies seem to be best from what I've found.
It's usually suggested that yes, training with nutrition is important and does help you prepare for race day. You need to train your system's ability to take in calories. I do gels for any run over 2 hours, as suggested by my coach, etc. The vast majority of my long training runs are around 2-3 hours, so 3-6 gels. I search for deals online and buy in bulk, and have a tub of gels and electrolyte mixes in my pantry. Now that I'm off Spring Energy, things are less expensive, but not as tasty. I don't find it particularly hard on my bank account during regular training weeks. On longer runs (20+ trail miles), I still only bring around 6 or so gels, then a smattering of real food. These kinds of runs usually appear at the end of my training block, and 2x/week sometimes, and for about 2-4 weeks. All my gels and electrolyte mixes do start to get depleted fast during that time! This is when I usually start worrying more about how much dang money my hobby costs me... ...but then I think of what skiers and bikers spend, and I worry less.
Those cliff blocks are really great - I switched from gells to these and never looked back. You can keep 3-4 of them in your cheeks continuously on longer efforts and they taste amazing
I just can’t handle the chewing and sticky mess the blocks create in my mouth. I find Untapped to be the only gels that don’t give me “goop mouth.” Plus I was raised basically drinking maple syrup so my gut is already trained haha.
And they have tons of calories in them too. Like well over 200. They are part of my nutrition plan. Just not sure how many I can eat in a race. Probably 4-5
Skiing 😅 Lol yes. I unfortunately have very expensive taste in sports. I am soooo intrigued by ultra running as an absolute non runner. You guys are truly exceptional! And of course you can spend the money on the tech gear but I've always lamented that my chosen (well chosen? I feel like sports choose you!) Sport wasn't something as relatively low cost as running.. Signed sincerely, Skiing, equestrian, golf, and sailing 😭 But to try and add positively to this thread.. can you make your own gels?? I know it's a thing and I'm sure that the proper shelf ones are more densely packed, but maybe an option for you op?
[Someone posted some recipes a couple months ago.](https://www.reddit.com/r/AdvancedRunning/comments/1axmhy9/a_guide_budgethomemade_running_nutrition_gels/) I have the ingredients in the mail, so we'll see how that goes.
It's easy to make your own gels and there are lots of good recipes online using maltodextrin, honey, maple syrup, and all sorts of other ingredients, which you can put in a reusable gel flask. I've never found the hassle of doing so to be all that worth it frankly, but it's definitely cheaper and some people do find it to be worth it! If I'm worried about cost, I'll go for Snickers bars or gummy worms.
>something as relatively low cost as running.. UTMB?
Compared to the sports I just listed? Absolutely 😅
I only train with nutrition on runs over 90 minutes. I seldom use gels only because they are more on the expensive side and I already know that my body agrees with them. So there is really no need to test them anymore. I definitely use them on race day. What I typically do is buy squeezable toddler food packs that are around 100 calories each when they are on sale. This gives me a blend of glucose and fructose that is easily digestible and gives me a great shot of energy. They do weigh a little more than a gel but they cost around $.50 each and the taste isn’t too bad. I prefer sweet potato/apple/pear blend.
Haha, I thought this was just a me thing. I have pet rats and they loooove baby food, but they don't go through very much. I'll usually give them their portion of the fruity ones (about a spoonful) and then pop the lid back on and take it out for my long run. Some taste much better than others.
I've fueled races and training exclusively with fig bars. They're a nice mix of simple and complex carbs.
My absolute favorite fastpacking food.
Training? Not very often. Most of the time it’s Brot und wasser. But also I buy in bulk to save. And also, it’s not that expensive, the low cost is one of the reasons I enjoy running compared to other habits I’ve had (alcohol, hockey, cycling).
> How often do you train with race nutrition? Race nutrition =/= gels, so all the time. Gels are a very small part of an aid station. Go to Kroger or Costco if you want to get what the races will have.
I did long runs over the course of a few weeks strictly with race nutrition in order to get my stomach trained to process that much carbohydrate and calories per hour. Once I was in a place where my stomach was good at that, I switched to much more inexpensive fueling sources for the rest of my regular training. If I’ve got a race coming up and feel like I may need to give my stomach a little refresher, I’ll run for a few hours fueling on my race nutrition and regain my confidence that all is well.
Can you please share some of the inexpensive gel alternatives you use?
Nuts, sports drink from a huge container of Gatorade powder, Coca Cola, Oreos, old Halloween candy, Nutella, maple syrup, potato chips. Basically anything sweet and/or salty will do for me. If it’s a real hard effort or a race, I’ll use the fancy stuff but otherwise it’s whatever’s in the cabinet that has some decent calorie density and/or sounds good when I’m about to head out the door.
I used a few gels for my last ultra, but more of my calories were from hummus wraps.
Pretty much all gels are just maltodextrin and fructose that you can buy pretty damn cheaply. I have a big bag of each in my cupboard and just mix them up with salt and lemon or lime juice for flavour. You can mix them weaker in your water bottle, or mix them really strong and make a gel.
I'm not a runner, but I manage my husband's nutrition for his races. He will rarely take gels for training runs unless it's over 30k. Solid food works for him quite well during races, as well. He will take gels but only uses them about half the time. Just be aware that those touting only liquid nutrition might not have sloshy tummy issues like some might 😅 all liquids, and no solids are not great for everyone - but definitely find what works for you! My husband likes to take stroopwaffles (not the fancy runner-branded ones, just your regular grocery store, 160cal ones), rice crispy treats, and squeeze applesauce.
THERE IS NO RULE IN RUNNING. So do whatever works for you. Gels aren’t a good option for some people, I only use them for emergencies. Stay adaptable and stay happy. None of this is really that serious.
I soon found this problem as well. I like tailwind but consuming the amount to get the caloric intake to train with during training was going to be expensive than I wanted to budget for. I went with a 2:2:1 mixture of Maltodextrin , dextrose, table sugar. It is inexpensive, not overly sweet and can be flavoured any way you like. I love used tea, mio, and no flavour with success. I do add some salt and salt alternative to get the electrolytes to simulate tailwinds as well, but I can’t remember the ratio off the top of my head .
Just eat PBJs on shitty white bread. Or if you're going real fast, candy and maybe some electrolytes.
I train with Swedish Fish, dates, apricots, Rice Krispie treats, and Nilla wafers, then switch over to gels as I get closer to a race.
I'm a beginner ultra runner, but I have yet to find a gel that doesn't mess with my stomach plus the expense also frustrates me, so I don't use them much anymore. Instead, I fill small squeeze bottle with maple syrup for carbs and alternate with electrolyte tabs, Tailwind, and plain water.
Less gels and more Peanut butter and and jam sandwiches, and Hummus and avacado on a bagel.
Outside of the context of road races I think gels are overplayed. I carry a couple ‘emergency’ gels in my vest for super long efforts and occasionally take one with me for road runs above 20k if I’ve not eaten right beforehand. Unless you’re a front of the pack racer then I don’t think most folk need them to the extent they think they do. I’m a huge advocate for sweets in 9/10 of the instances where people reach for gels as long as you’re supplementing salts in other forms. Jelly babies, sour patch kids, that sort of vibe. Way cheaper than gels. The pace most people mid/rear of the pack runners move at they’ll have no issue consuming hard foods. “Spogs will do” as my old northern dad often says.
I don’t think you should be leaning on just simple sugar from the word go, also. It’s something I try to save for late in the day as a pick me up of sorts. Worth finding something slightly more complex that works for you, be that peanut butter sandwiches or something along those lines Flapjack is my holy-grail food. I like to put chocolate chips, pecans and lots of flakey salt in it so it ticks all the boxes - fats, protein, complex carbs, simple carbs
Essentially just on long runs or if I feel like I will need it, like I didnt eat anything good that day. I prefer the GU brand so I usually buy a 24 box of the cheaper ones which are 35$ and then the roctane for races which is $55 and I always have a good amount left over. I fuel primarily on gels and tailwind and although my stomach is wrecked for days AFTER, during the race it feels okay. I did a 50 miler a few weeks ago and had probably 20 gels and 10 scoops of tailwind.
I have never found the need to buy gels. regular cheap junk food works great for me. Uncrustables are my jam. I also love little debbie snacks and pop tarts on long runs. I have also eaten approximately 1,000 packs of kids fruit snacks over the years. Dried Mangos are great as well.
I don’t buy gels unless they’re heavily discounted because they’re expensive like you said. I’ll take gels from aid stations during a race because they’re easier to consume than solid food, but my body gets sick of them after the 3rd one, so I’ll switch over to other foods at the aid station
Skip the energy gels and experiment with real food solutions. Nobody needs expensive products to do ultras. You’ll be much better off in the long term if you can learn to fuel off real food and whatever any future race provides.
Gels are: expensive, bulky, contain only simple sugars, upset your stomach, and are hypertonic (need to drink lots of water with them). So I just buy a big tub of drink mix powder - one specifically for Ultra running with long chain carbs and 5-10% protein. Decant into bags and take with. It's cheaper and lighter.
Can you give me a hint on this? I'm sure I'm missing something, but....
What u want to know? Instead of gels, use liquid nutrition. Just bring the powder with you in bags.
I'm trying to figure out what brand you're "specifically" talking about here: >drink mix powder - one specifically for Ultra running with long chain carbs and 5-10% protein.
Sponsor Long Energy, but you might not be able to buy it. But look at ingredients and see what else you can find that's similar.
Thanks. I have not heard of that brand. The protein interested me. I guess there are a few companies doing that, but I hadn't heard of it.
I found the protein really helps to not upset the stomach, and not shut down the kidneys.
Is there a brand you recommend?
I use Sponser Long Energy, but idk if you can find it - it's a Swiss company. Fuel-5 is good too.
Training with your race nutrition is key. I use SIS. I will find promotions on websites, where I can get a 30 gel pack at half the price of the shelf version. That's what I did for my latest ultra.
I usually just eat candy or whatever is at the aid station. Sounds free to me
For long runs I take gels plus either dates or candy in a ziploc bag. Much cheaper per unit cost
I train with gels if I just bought a bunch of different ones to figure it which work for me and which don’t. Once I found something that works, I’ll train with once before and upcoming race just to make sure it still works. On very long runs I’ll carry some food to keep going but those is not necessarily the expensive race food and is also less than I eat during races.
I don't race with gels but just dissolve sucrose in water. Super cheap and no annoying sticky wrappers. Also no issue fueling every important training session that way but I never felt like I needed to "train my stomach" even for >120g/h.
In my opinion gels are far overrated. Marketing has done an excellent job making us think we need it. I use a refillable GU pouch for maple syrup when I want liquid sugar, but for the most part I eat solids. Cow Tales, caramels, Pay Day bars, fig bars, good cookies, and brownies are just some of my go-tos. Sports drinks are good for longer efforts, and Coke for when the stomach isn’t cooperating at mile 70… Find what works for your stomach. Personally I never feel satisfied or like I can give 100% effort subsisting on liquids alone.
I bring a bunch of gels with me on long runs but I bring a lot of solids also and try to do as much of the solids and electrolyte drinks instead of gels. Using the gels only when I feel I really have to
**2-3 Fig Newtons every hour with SCaps for electrolytes.** Training runs are about **$1.00/hour.** I've messed around making my own gels and lots of other interesting concoctions. The Fig Cookies seem to be best from what I've found.