Long Run Fuel

Whenever I go above ten miles in a long run, I inevitably have to bring backup nutrition with me. Water doesn't get the job done quite like an extra dose of carbs does. But I'm not a fan of sport gels and chews. I mean, they taste great, but let's be honest—they're not real. And I like to eat real whenever possible. So I got a few packs of these guys:

I contemplated hitting up the baby food section, but I couldn't find a flavor that really appealed to me. And it just made more sense for me to go this route because A) They're not that expensive since they come in packs of four, B) my daughter can eat them, and C) the pouches themselves were small enough to stuff in a running belt. Some of the baby food pouches were just too big. Oh, and D) it's real...no fancy, unpronounceable ingredients.

Wait, though: Why do you need more than water during longer runs? It's simple. Your body breaks down carbohydrates for energy, but it can only store so much of the stuff at once. When you run for extended periods of time, well...think of it as a very long road trip in your car. At a certain point, you have to stop and refuel or your car will just stop. So when you run long distances, say...anything over ten, you need to "stop and refuel." So bringing along gels or chews or anything else that'll give you a quick dose of carbs is like adding more gas to your tank. Try it 30 minutes into your run, see how it goes. You don't need a lot, just enough.

I fueled up with half of a pouch around three miles into my 11-mile run, and then three miles from home at the end. The pouch couldn't have been easier to open and get down, and I hardly noticed it while I was running. And the contents were delicious (and obviously nutritious). GoGo squeeZ for the win. Now, I just need to decide if I wanna rock Apple Berry or Apple Apple on race day.

Decisions, man.

Back up a second: Eleven miles flew by. I had to run it solo because we were out of town, so I'm looking forward to joining up again with mom from here on out. Race day, I see you. One more long run, then to the starting line we go. And as far as I know, there are not any bridges that I'll need to cross.

If you follow me on Instagram, you saw me post the above this weekend. Seriously, there were three bridges on  my route, each of which I had to run twice. 

I HATE RUNNING OVER BRIDGES. Especially if they take me over water. Bridges over water creep me out. I feel like I'm going to blow over the railing and drown in a river of despair. 

I know, get over it.

I found a new running skirt:

Cute, right? $14 at TJMaxx.

I have the best luck there.

Looking forward to crossing the finish line in style.

Question: What do you fuel up with on your long runs?