A while back I posted about 5-hour energy and Gels....well, I'm here to report that I am now up to 9 miles and using 2 gels during my long runs. The gel that works the best for me (since I dump) are the Cliffs brand...they are 90% organic and do not kill my stomach. So happy that these still work for me as I have a few half marathons planned and now I don't have to worry about losing fuel.

I did it!!! Today I ran a 13.6 miles which is the distance of a 1/2 marathon. I can't believe it. When I stopped my legs felt like rubbery noodles and I had terrible leg cramps. Afterward' date=' I sat in ice Water for 5 minutes, took 3 Aleve, put Biofreeze all over my legs, drank a huge electrolyte drink, ate a Protein bar and stretched, stretched, stretched. My legs feel great, but tired. In fact, I'm at Monster Jam with my husband and child.

I'm finally excited about my 1/2 marathon on the 23rd of this month. I know now that I can do it. I came back from my injury and did it. Woo! Hoo! I'm on cloud nine!!!!

Congrats to all of YOU who made some goals this week. All it takes is one foot in front of the other and we can achieve anything. Yay us!!!!

Sent from my iPhone using VST[/quote']

That's wwonderful and I am sooooooinspired!!

Hey all, sorry I am late to the party. I haven't read all the posts, but I thought I would share some of what has worked for me.

I, too, use the energy gels or squares for runs over 45 minutes. I've tried GU, Roctane, Cliff, Hammer ... they all have pretty much the same effect on me and that is to keep me from bonking, something which was common before I used them. I thought it was cheating, but I discovered it helped me have better, more rigorous workouts. We are already challenged nutritionally, so we need every bit we can get. As I was running almost daily with runs in excess of 15 miles on the weekends, I started searching for a way to make my own gels:

Blackstrap molasses (half Tbs)

Honey (half Tbs)

Brown Rice syrup (1 Tbs)

Salt (couple shakes)

Yes, it is sweet, but it does the trick. Have a bottle of Gatorade handy to shoot it down. On race days, I would crush a caffeine pill in, too. It opens the blood vessles for better circulation. Nope, it's not cheating, either. Look at all the other racers with their Starbucks in hand ...

I talk about clothing on my blog under the Equipment section. I still think the information is relevant any time of year. I would caution against running without a shirt as the moisture remains on the skin. Stay away from cotton, too, (Shirt, socks, shorts, underwear) as it doesn't wick the moisture away as well the performance-wear.

I hope to get back to running in the next couple months as I recover from my second back surgery in 3 months. (Ruptured disk) I get so jealous when I pass other runners on the road. I have been able to maintain my weight, though, through it all by falling back to the basic guidelines of sleeve eating.

Remember to do active stretching before running and static stretching after. Roll your IT Bands and wear proper footwear, clothing and reflective gear ... even in the day. Don't run at the same pace for every run. Muscle memory is a bad thing for runners. Mix it up. Get training guides online. If you're not sure ... ask.

Left knee is getting sore below the cap.

What does this mean?

Am I pounding the belt too hard ( yesterday, went 1 hour) or too fast (6.5 miles in 1 hour, 5k 25 min with interval sprints for 30-60 seconds at a time) or bad form? Not enough stretching? I am concerned because this is following my ache on my left hip / butt that comes and goes after running ( not bad). Should I recover more ( currently run every other day)?

Maybe it is from me sitting in my computer chair all day for my job or I am not sitting ergonomically correct. I have a really expensive office chair (300 dollars), so can' t really blame it. All i know is that running is somehow correlated to this knee pain when I am sitting for a while.

Sorry for info overload. Any advice is needed.

Trying to train for an upcoming 5 k race in 1 month. My next timed 5 k will be for tomorrow which means I will be in race mode to get optimal 5 k time.

Left knee is getting sore below the cap.

What does this mean?

Am I pounding the belt too hard ( yesterday' date=' went 1 hour) or too fast (6.5 miles in 1 hour, 5k 25 min with interval sprints for 30-60 seconds at a time) or bad form? Not enough stretching? I am concerned because this is following my ache on my left hip / butt that comes and goes after running ( not bad). Should I recover more ( currently run every other day)?

Maybe it is from me sitting in my computer chair all day for my job or I am not sitting ergonomically correct. I have a really expensive office chair (300 dollars), so can' t really blame it. All i know is that running is somehow correlated to this knee pain when I am sitting for a while.

Sorry for info overload. Any advice is needed.

Trying to train for an upcoming 5 k race in 1 month. My next timed 5 k will be for tomorrow which means I will be in race mode to get optimal 5 k time.[/quote']

Patellar tendinitis....pain just below the knee cap. Repetitive use injury. Google it. There are some good self therapy measures you can do....plus ice. Take it easy. You could always get you some of these.....I swear my knees feel worse when I don't run.

I don't wanna sound like I'm pitching anything again....but do you heel strike? Just curious.

Hey all' date=' sorry I am late to the party. I haven't read all the posts, but I thought I would share some of what has worked for me.

I, too, use the energy gels or squares for runs over 45 minutes. I've tried GU, Roctane, Cliff, Hammer ... they all have pretty much the same effect on me and that is to keep me from bonking, something which was common before I used them. I thought it was cheating, but I discovered it helped me have better, more rigorous workouts. We are already challenged nutritionally, so we need every bit we can get. As I was running almost daily with runs in excess of 15 miles on the weekends, I started searching for a way to make my own gels:

Blackstrap molasses (half Tbs)

Honey (half Tbs)

Brown Rice syrup (1 Tbs)

Salt (couple shakes)

Yes, it is sweet, but it does the trick. Have a bottle of Gatorade handy to shoot it down. On race days, I would crush a caffeine pill in, too. It opens the blood vessles for better circulation. Nope, it's not cheating, either. Look at all the other racers with their Starbucks in hand ...

I talk about clothing on my blog under the Equipment section. I still think the information is relevant any time of year. I would caution against running without a shirt as the moisture remains on the skin. Stay away from cotton, too, (Shirt, socks, shorts, underwear) as it doesn't wick the moisture away as well the performance-wear.

I hope to get back to running in the next couple months as I recover from my second back surgery in 3 months. (Ruptured disk) I get so jealous when I pass other runners on the road. I have been able to maintain my weight, though, through it all by falling back to the basic guidelines of sleeve eating.

Remember to do active stretching before running and static stretching after. Roll your IT Bands and wear proper footwear, clothing and reflective gear ... even in the day. Don't run at the same pace for every run. Muscle memory is a bad thing for runners. Mix it up. Get training guides online. If you're not sure ... ask.

Hey PDXman. Some questions....do you carry your homemade gel on runs, and if so what do you put it in? Little ziplock bag? Also, doesn't caffeine restrict capillaries and raise BP and HR or do I have that backwards? Lastly, was your back injury related to all those miles you were running or was it something else? I know you have got to be anxious to get back to running....I took off 5 days and nearly went crazy.

Glad to see you posting over here.

Patellar tendinitis....pain just below the knee cap. Repetitive use injury. Google it. There are some good self therapy measures you can do....plus ice. Take it easy. You could always get you some of these.....I swear my knees feel worse when I don't run.

I don't wanna sound like I'm pitching anything again....but do you heel strike? Just curious.

I heel strike when running faster (6.5-7 mph), but strike on the balls of my feet when running at comfortable speeds (5.4-5.6 mph). I think I need to cut out my HIIT training so form is not lost with regards to where the foot strikes the ground. I just noticed it today after the HIIT sprints / run performed yesterday during first 30 min of hour long run. HIIT is supposed to make me a better racer and it also helps to blast the remaining fat. Thoughts?

Also, doesn't caffeine restrict capillaries and raise BP and HR or do I have that backwards?

Caffeine is on the list of restricted performance enhancers. Research has suggested that a dose of 2 mg of caffeine per kg of bodyweight before competition is the minimum amount required to produce an enhancement of performance. A dose three times larger—6 mg/kg—is believed to represent the ceiling of benefit. If you take any more than that, you’ll get no additional performance enhancement.

Patellar tendinitis....pain just below the knee cap. Repetitive use injury. Google it. There are some good self therapy measures you can do....plus ice. Take it easy. You could always get you some of these.....I swear my knees feel worse when I don't run.

I don't wanna sound like I'm pitching anything again....but do you heel strike? Just curious.

Thanks again for this response. Googling did in fact lead me to a good set of info on wikipedia. Furthermore, I am feeling better today which indicates my "injury" as being stage 1 or 2. It is good to read that I can still run with this type of injury, but I will take it easy and focus on slower long distances rather than push my speed with timed 5 k or HIIT sprints.

Patellar tendinitis....pain just below the knee cap. Repetitive use injury. Google it. There are some good self therapy measures you can do....plus ice. Take it easy. You could always get you some of these.....I swear my knees feel worse when I don't run.

I don't wanna sound like I'm pitching anything again....but do you heel strike? Just curious.

Thanks again for this response. Googling did in fact lead me to a good set of info on wikipedia. Furthermore, I am feeling better today which indicates my "injury" as being stage 1 or 2. It is good to read that I can still run with this type of injury, but I will take it easy and focus on slower long distances rather than push my speed with timed 5 k or HIIT sprints.

For my distance running friends...since this thread started out about gels, here's a great article about healthy substitutes to keep your body fueled during a long run.

http://www.trailrunnermag.com/health/race-day-nutrition/article/325-no-more-gels

For my distance running friends...since this thread started out about gels' date=' here's a great article about healthy substitutes to keep your body fueled during a long run.

http://www.trailrunnermag.com/health/race-day-nutrition/article/325-no-more-gels

Thanks a bunch! I hope u all got in a good run this weekend. The weather in CA is gorgeous. I just finished my long run. I've got spring fever!

Sent from my iPhone using VST

Thanks a bunch! I hope u all got in a good run this weekend. The weather in CA is gorgeous. I just finished my long run. I've got spring fever!

Sent from my iPhone using VST

I found the biggest little bridge in the area that had a sidewalk that was safe to run on, and I ran up and down that thing till puking became a viable option...then I quit.....fun.

Hey PDXman. Some questions....do you carry your homemade gel on runs, and if so what do you put it in? Little ziplock bag? Also, doesn't caffeine restrict capillaries and raise BP and HR or do I have that backwards? Lastly, was your back injury related to all those miles you were running or was it something else? I know you have got to be anxious to get back to running....I took off 5 days and nearly went crazy.

Glad to see you posting over here.

I use the Amphipod Hydration belt which has a little gel bottle module thingy. Works for me.

As far as caffein goes, most energy gels already have it in there. Here is an article that addresses it peripherally. Definately a personal choice.

Here are some interesting articles:

Do The Performance Benefits Of Caffeine Come At A Cost?

The Benefits of Caffeine at Runner's World

Caffeine is on the list of restricted performance enhancers. Research has suggested that a dose of 2 mg of caffeine per kg of bodyweight before competition is the minimum amount required to produce an enhancement of performance. A dose three times larger—6 mg/kg—is believed to represent the ceiling of benefit. If you take any more than that, you’ll get no additional performance enhancement.

When I looked into using caffeine in my gels, (since it was already in the store-bought packages), I figured it wouldn't be an issue for training, but what about competetion? I just looked it up again and here is the World Anti-Doping Agency website has:

• The following substances included in the 2013 Monitoring Program (bupropion, caffeine, nicotine, phenylephrine, phenylpropanolamine, pipradol, synephrine) are not considered as Prohibited Substances
  

Another site referenced for 2012 shows:

Substances Banned in Competition:

• Stimulants including:
  
  1. Amphetamines
     
  2. Ephedra
     
  3. Cocaine
     
  4. Caffeine (currently permitted)
     

Kinda funny how they list it as banned, but say it is currently permitted. It would seem it is in flex. I always see runners with big cups of Starbucks on the starting line sucking them down. Since I can't do that with my sleeve, I don't feel to bad having it in my gels. Especially since the gels they give out during the race have caffeine in them as well.

The 1 caffeine pill was 200 mg, so with me weighing in around 80 Kg, I would need a minumum 160 mg, max 480 mg to receive the benefits.

I use the Amphipod Hydration belt which has a little gel bottle module thingy. Works for me.

As far as caffein goes' date=' most energy gels already have it in there. Here is an article that addresses it peripherally. Definately a personal choice.

Here are some interesting articles:

Do The Performance Benefits Of Caffeine Come At A Cost?

The Benefits of Caffeine at Runner's World

When I looked into using caffeine in my gels, (since it was already in the store-bought packages), I figured it wouldn't be an issue for training, but what about competetion? I just looked it up again and here is the World Anti-Doping Agency website has:

[*]The following substances included in the 2013 Monitoring Program (bupropion, caffeine, nicotine, phenylephrine, phenylpropanolamine, pipradol, synephrine) are not considered as Prohibited Substances

Another site referenced for 2012 shows:

Substances Banned in Competition:

[*]Stimulants including:

[*]Amphetamines

[*]Ephedra

[*]Cocaine

[*]Caffeine (currently permitted)

Kinda funny how they list it as banned, but say it is currently permitted. It would seem it is in flex. I always see runners with big cups of Starbucks on the starting line sucking them down. Since I can't do that with my sleeve, I don't feel to bad having it in my gels. Especially since the gels they give out during the race have caffeine in them as well.

The 1 caffeine pill was 200 mg, so with me weighing in around 80 Kg, I would need a minumum 160 mg, max 480 mg to receive the benefits.

I am glad that caffeine is not banned this year. What do you think about Cellucor C4? This stuff really helps with maintaining efficiency and form during a long run as a pre workout drink. I think it also helps with recovery.

I am glad that caffeine is not banned this year. What do you think about Cellucor C4? This stuff really helps with maintaining efficiency and form during a long run as a pre workout drink. I think it also helps with recovery.

I have never used it. My recovery has pretty much always been a protein shake or chocolate milk. Sometimes OJ ... I just kinda go with what my body is telling me. Really depends on my conditioning and distance that day.