Trail Running: Eat ‘N Run
October 28, 2008
When you run, your engine needs fuel. Not a problem, right? You snack before you run, and maybe you even have something waiting for you in the car (good idea). That’s great if you’re running for an hour or less, but what if you’re going the distance? If you’ll be running for more than an hour, it’s recommended that you take in around 100 calories every 45 minutes, give or take, depending on your weight and pace.
Sounds easier said than done-you try running 8 miles with a peanut butter and jelly in your pocket and let me know how that goes.
Lucky for us, some people found a way to profit from the need for mobile goodies. There are quite a few options, most of which consist of sugar, electrolytes and occasionally caffeine. The biggest differences are in taste and consistency, and while taste is a matter of opinion, consistency is a matter of practicality. Let’s take a look.
You’ve got the gooey category, which is the gel type. It’s pluses are it’s liquid consistency make it go down easier when you’re trying to eat and run, and it doesn’t make a rattling or crinkling sound in your pocket. A big downside for me with these guys is that after you’ve eaten one, the container makes a sticky mess if you have to put it back in your pocket. In spite of the mess factor I’m a fan of Crank Sports’ e*Gel. It sports 150 calories rather than the usual 100, and is packed with electrolytes for the salty runner such as myself. 
Then you’ve got the Sport Beans from jelly belly. They come in single servings, but you can spread that serving out because the hard outside of the candy keeps it from gooing you up, and they taste like (surprise!) jelly beans! The berry and punch flavors taste great, and watermelon’s kind of ehh, but cherry flavor is my favorite on virtue of caffeine content. The only possible downside is that the rattle in your pocket may drive you insane, but if you bite a tiny hole in the bag and let the air out, the vacuum will keep the beans from rattling too much. Problem solved. Happy eating.
