An Energy Experiment

Those that have seen me eat chips with my pasta washed down with two pints of cider after a ten mile run might be surprised to learn that my Sport, Health and Leisure degree includes some stuff on sports nutrition. The less surprising revelation is that I can’t remember much of what the course contained.

I do recall a diagram of a food pyramid, where all the healthy stuff was down the bottom and the more interesting but less healthy things were at the little point up top.

The only other thing lurking in the depth of my memory is a practical class we did on breakfast. We were given a bowl of oats, and had to customise it with our own choice of yoghurt, fruit and fruit juice from a job lot of options provided. I couldn’t tell you what I put in mine, but the results were pretty nice.

All good fun in a college class where you’ve plenty of time to decide between banana, orange or strawberry, but far too much faffing about in the real world of commuting.

Breakfast has never been my strong point, until recently I would leave the house without eating anything. I’ve managed to include a visit to the toaster as part of my morning routine now, and this does mean I’m not ready to kill by about half 10.

Eating before a morning run is something I’m still trying to learn. Every runner is different, some can eat close to exercise, however I need a gap of, at very least, two hours between food and run, preferably longer. With the Parkrun’s starting at 9 on a Saturday morning, that’s a pretty early start for a weekend if I want to be fed before action.

London Marathon day will be a different story entirely though. I’ll need to be up several hours before the race starts to make sure I get there on time. Plus, running 15 miles on an empty stomach is doable for me, 26.2 probably won’t be.

So, this morning, ahead of my first 18 miler (due to begin at 9 AM), I was up at the same time I would have been were I leaving to catch a bus and train, and was done with breakfast by, well, 7:15, 7 was a bit of a stretch.

The other new thing I tried today was a Powerbar energy gel. It comes in a small sashay and is basically, flavoured goo, I had Strawberry and banana. During your run you squirt it into your mouth, wash it down with water and, in theory, don’t drop in a heap through exhaustion.

I’m not a fan of isotonic drinks, energy boosters or food supplements. It’s down to personal taste as much as anything else, and the question of whether to use a sports drink or just water divides people. For the level and intensity of running which I usually do, up to now I’ve never run more than 15 miles, water has always helped me fine. I’ve also preferred not to get into a situation where I feel I rely on a certain product, as there might be a risk of not being able to get hold of it. Unless there’s a massive drought the chances of not having easy access to water are pretty low.

I have found once I’ve finished a run that’s anything longer than a half marathon I’m in real need of a sugar boost, in a marathon there will still be a lot of running to go, and as far as I know stopping for a muffin won’t be an option (chocolate of course, none of this blueberry nonsense).

The only time I’ve regularly used a sports drink was for about a year during my time with the sprint group at Leeds City. Then we used something called Strive, a citrus flavoured drink which gave an almighty sugar rush. It’s too sweet and too heavy on the stomach for distance running though, plus, a side effect is that it makes you go to the toilet, a lot, again, not ideal for longer running.

When trying anything new like this, it’s advisable to do so a few weeks before the race you have in mind for its use. If you’re going to learn your stomach isn’t willing to accomadate this interesting new product, it’s better for you to be sick on a Friday morning when no one’s looking, rather than on marathon day when thousands of people are.

I can confirm I did feel good after using the Powerbar Gel and that as the forty minutes you’re supposed to feel the benefit drew to a close, I started to tire a little. I can’t say whether that was because by then I was into new territory for distance covered, or if I needed another gel, perhaps a bit of both.

I can also confirm I’m going to be trying a different flavour next time. I’m also yet to find out my stomachs views on the subject - if it had a face it would be sporting an “I’m still to be convinced” expression. I sensed it enjoyed the Wispa I ate after I’d finished more: on that point I’m in total agreement.

Random song which has just popped into my head by the way, since I’m talking about stomachs. There was a band I used to love called Belly, their most famous song is titled ‘Feed the Tree’ and it’s a cracker! Oh, and there was a great kebab shop in Farnborough where I used to live called Bellybusters, their chicken kebabs were brilliant. Ahem, now where was I? Oh yes, sports nutrition...