Things That Make You Go….
Categories: Huma Gel, Java Gum, Nuun, Running Fuel, Zipfizz
OMG the trip downtown for packet pickup yesterday was exciting! Not in a good way. After trolling the neighborhood for parallel parking once, I resigned myself to the parking garage. I scoured all 4 levels of said garage before finding myself sitting at the EXIT! Half the garage was under very loud, dusty, sheet of plastic covered construction and every single spot was taken. Arghhh! So I trolled the neighborhood twice more then in desperation, tried the garage one more time. Success! Except after the whole 10 minutes it took to get my bib, they closed the 3rd floor so the elevators and stairwells were locked, leaving me to hoof up the ramp thru the dust and exhaust of passing cars. So ridiculous it’s funny!
Moving on: After receiving some caffeine gum in the mail, I’ve been thinking about all the ways us runners like to get race (or long run…or any run really) ready.
The most popular is probably coffee. It clears the pipes and gets everything um ‘moving’. I was not a coffee drinker until I trained for my first marathon in 2007 but I’ve come to love it. However I limit myself to having coffee once a week, usually long run or race day.
There are other ways to add some giddyup to your step:
Caffeine Gum: Each piece of Java Gum delivers 65mg. of caffeine. I definitely felt a lift after chewing it but was not jittery or anything crazy. It’s sugar and gluten-free, with just 3 calories per piece. While I enjoy coffee pre-run, the effects wear off in longer races. Tomorrow at my 10-mile race, I’m going to carry some Java gum with me and take it when I’m dragging. I’ll report back.
ZipFizz: The active ingredient here is vitamin B12. I definitely feel an energy surge with this, however it’s effervescent, which sometimes doesn’t agree with my stomach while running. I do enjoy it pre-workout though. The flavors are delish.
Nuun: I may be the last runner on earth to have tried Nuun. I never had a good grasp on exactly what it was: fuel? electrolyte? I finally broke down and bought some at Road Runner Sports. They had me at cherry limeade. Yum! There’s caffeine in this too so another way to put pep in your step. If your a Nuun-bassador I’d love to hear of any discounts be buying this again
Huma Gel: This was sent to me for trial. Huma Gel harnesses the natural energizing power of chia, which I love. I loved it when I used it in training, I’ll be racing with it for the first time tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Sport Beans: I used these for a short time but honestly I’m not a fan. If I don’t spill them all over the place trying to get the pkg open, the sound of them bouncing around in my fuel belt drives me batty. I’m touchy that way when I’m exhausted. I tried watermelon caffeinated Sport Beans at my 2nd marathon and had to spit them out. Not my favorite.
Tell me your favorite way to ‘energize’ your run.
Who’s racing this weekend?
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me with: