Boulder Triathlon Race Weekend Recap

It seems like just yesterday I was spending all of my time focusing on the Boston Marathon, and then all of a sudden Ironman Boulder 70.3 and Boulder Sunset Triathlons are in the books.  After Boston I took a while to bounce back with a slow return of high energy.  I tried to focus on swimming and biking without losing my running fitness which was at an all time high in April.  I did miss out on significant heat training with decreased running time and enjoyed a sufferfest on both triathlon race run legs on 80+ degree days.  

Last year got off to a slow start in competition due to the wonderful reason that Jess and I were married in June and my focus was on enjoying that period of my life.  However, we are now back to competing more often and allowing time for more consistent training.  Improve fitness has allowed for 3 race weekends in a row (so far) with an 11th overall amateur at Ironman Boulder 70.3,  4th overall at Sailin' Shoes 10K, and 5th overall at Boulder Sunset Triathlon.  This weekend we are racing the HuHot Half on the 4th with a fortunate early start so we can finish the half marathon with plenty of time to celebrate America's Independence.

My triathlon season is starting to get into full swing after this point as my focus is on Age Group National Championships in Milwaukee in early August and a variety of races leading up to the year's end cap of Ironman Austin 70.3 in November.  I have been fortunate to be a member of a great swim program in Colorado Springs by Pikes Peak Athletics where my swim fitness continues to improve even if my times remain painful to see.  However, the fitness has allowed me to put in top end bike and run splits where I have been able to claw back into races and finish well.  I've been lucky to continue to have great support from family and friends as well as new support from The Runner's Tea and some pending brands who do so much good for the individual athlete and the competitive athletics community.  That said, I am completely on the Matcha Green Tea bandwagon and The Runner's Tea is easy on the stomach which makes it my go to before running above coffee.  We have enjoyed researching and picking some current diet trends as we make our own "Lara Bars", as well as Kale Chips, and Beet Juice.  We aren't as young as we used to be and could use all the diet help to our performance that we can muster.  I'm doing my best to get Jess to share her recipes!

We hope to come back with some good news this weekend after our race here in Colorado Springs and the following weekend at Boulder Peak which is the Rocky Mountain Triathlon Regional Championship.

Have a great week and good luck in your racing endeavors!  See you out there!

Bicycling Glenwood Canyon

This weekend we visited Glenwood Springs, Colorado to celebrate our First Wedding Anniversary.  Among many of the highlights to be posted later we explored the Glenwood Canyon Trail on our bikes.  I broke out the GoPro to document a bit of our travel.  Many pictures on Instagram as well under NickParton85 and JLParton7.  Check out the video below to see a portion of the gorgeous Colorado River carved canyon and a quick flyby of Jess.

Leadville 10k: A high altitude date

We started our day driving through the high plains and mountains of Colorado to reach our run date, the Leadville 10K, in Historic Leadville, Colorado.  We spent the previous day celebrating our friends recent nuptials around Aspen and enjoyed the Aspen Brewing Company followed by the Grand Opening of the Aspen Art Museum (where they made a publicity splash with the tortoise with iPads on their backs stunt).  We climbed over 10,000 feet into the sky to compete in the 10K the next morning.  Nick is competing in the Pikes Peak Ascent next week while Jessica is training for the Denver Rock n' Roll Marathon.

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Leadville is a beautiful mountain town which has gained more recent fame for the Leadville 100 mile Ultra-Marathon and the multiple high altitude races it hosts.  It also contains a lot of history as a mining town and still contains the rustic, blue-collar feel of such a secluded place.  Its proximity to Denver, Colorado Springs, Breckenridge, Vail, and Aspen make it a worthy part of any trip to Colorado.

Prior to our race, we explored the town a bit, and Nick had to complete a long easy run prior to the race to prepare himself for the altitude of Pikes Peak next week.  We shared our pre-race affections and lined up with a myriad of characters including Barefoot Alex, and the complete crew from Marvel's Avengers.  At the gun we took off for our 5K descent, only to next turn around and head back uphill to where we came from!

We both had the learning experiences of  no matter how much you try to hold back running downhill for the first 5K, that last 5K is going to hurt!!  The course is a beautiful approach in to the mountains on primarily dirt road followed by a lung-grinding escape back up and away from them.  We both demonstrated our finest survival shuffles on the final step hill up 6th street prior to the finish where we enjoyed the camaraderie of a truly unique running community.

After one short race in Leadville terms we both fell in love with the idea of returning!  I'm not sure if either of us have the 100 mile bug, but Nick may dream about it knowing how the boy's brain works.

Happy Running and don't forget to find and live your love.

Nick's 3rd Place Overall Medal!

500 mile Review: @Saucony Cortana 3

500 miles and 4 months ago, I donned my first pair of Saucony Cortana 3 for marathon training.  I rotate my shoes, up to 3 or 4 pairs at a time, so it takes a while to wear each set down.  During the time of wearing the Cortana 3 I have rotated with Mirage 3, Kinvara Trail, and Virratas.  I use each type dependent on type of run.  

The Cortana quickly became my go to long distance shoe, the ride is great, very cushy but still light.  The heel of the shoe held up well, and the toe box bend was excellent, especially with the light upper mesh which avoids a high friction surface above my toes when running up hills (I've had that problem with other shoes and brands from the bending point of the shoe).  

I don't think you can judge a shoe well on first impressions, all shoes wear differently, but first impressions and last impressions for these soon to be donated shoes were excellent.  So the pros and cons...

PROS:  

• Soft Ride, Comfortable Shoe with more support than my other shoes
• Wore slowly over 500 miles, still running worthy today
• Light shoe for the amount of support they provide (for a 150lb guy at least)

CONS:

• Always took on a lot of rocks in creases of sole, and there are a lot of them in Colorado Springs
• Laces had to be replaced a month ago (broke due to wear from weather/dirt/use)

I already have my replacement pair and these have become my go-to shoes in my line-up.  The fit was true to size and comfortable out of the box.

Happy Running!  I look forward to putting 500 on my next pair and a few different models to compare 500 mile wear to.

Snowshoeing Trip: Rocky Mountain National Park

On Saturday, I redeemed my gift trip to Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park, Colorado from Jess for this past Christmas.  We put our snowshoes to use and explored the deep snow around Alberta Falls, Bear Lake, and the path to the Loch Lake.  The paths were previously trekked by other hikers, but we were able to cut some fresh trail in the park.  We both wore our Saucony Razor water-proof shoes, which were perfect, both light and snug and combined well with our Atlas snowshoes.

Jess (to the right) showing our off the path exploration towards treeline.  We were lucky to see Elk grazing and a nice range of Colorado birds picking at the food available above 36 inches of soft packed snow.
Afterwards, we explored the town of Estes Park, including the Snowy Peaks Winery, and The Wild Rose Restaurant for some Elk and Bison.
It was a crowded town on Saturday as everyone got their hikes in prior to the Broncos game on Sunday.  If you plan on making the trip, get up the mountain early as parking filled up fast and their were no spots available within 10 minutes after we parked.
Happy Cross-Training!

Race Report: PPRR Winter Series #1

Today, Jess and I undertook the 1st of 4 legs in the Pikes Peak Road Runners Winter Series.  The course was a rolling, snowy, muddy, and difficult 5K in Cheyenne Mountain State Park.  The course was attractive with dirt/snow packed trails through the hills of the park.  Even with our studded Saucony Kinvara and Razor II trail shoes there was no stopping all the slipping through the turns and up the hills, which made it a very hard effort to keep any consistent speed.
We ran with the Peak Multisport team (below in the blue) and Jess is smiling because she knew we would use the time directly after she finished to consume hot chocolate and donuts.
Great race!  PPRR always puts on good events and is the friendliest non-profit in town.

Hope to see you out there on 1/25/14 at the 2nd leg!

Happy New Year!

Wishing you a happy, healthy 2014!

It's a new year and with it comes the opportunity to reflect on the highlights, challenges, and lessons learned of the previous year as well as the hopes and goals for the year to come.  In 2013 we overcame challenges, had a lot of fun, and learned a ton along the way.  As we move into a new year, we're so excited at what 2014 has in store, especially our upcoming wedding in June :)

13 highlights of 2013 (in no particular order):

1.  Setting a date to marry my best friend and the love of my life.

2.  Moving to Colorado.

3.  Becoming an “Auntie” and Godmother.

4.  Competing as an Active Ambassador on Team Aquaphor.

5.  Sharing the awesomeness of Colorado with lots of visitors.

6.  Bidding farewell to the travel PT life and taking a permanent outpatient orthopedic position.

7.  Jersey Girl Triathlon weekend – lots of laughing, dress shopping, beach time, and a triathlon.

8.  Joining the EIM crew to add to my “PT toolbox”.

9.  Tackling marathon #4 in Cape Cod -  awesome runners, fans, and scenery.

10.  Lots of traveling with friends and family including Pittsburgh, Galveston TX, Philadelphia, Boston, Sacramento CA , Jersey Shore, Austin TX, Cape Cod, etc.

11.  Christmas time with family –  lots of food, fun, and love.

12.  Pitt homecoming 2013 – wedding planning, alumni events, and a 10K.

13.  Spending lots of time in the mountains with my other half.

Resolutions for 2014:

1.  I will manage stress better by taking time to relax daily, participating in yoga at least once per week, and keeping a journal of my goals and progress.

2.  I will improve my nutrition by eating more regularly and consuming a balanced diet with greater variety of fruits and vegetables, higher protein intake, and less empty carbs.

3.  I will go to gym at least 12 times per month.

4.  I will achieve greater balance in my life by limiting physical and emotional clutter and tackling chores in a more timely manner rather than letting tasks pile up. 

5.  I will take a more active role in giving back to my community through volunteering

6.  I will improve my professional development through increased participation in the APTA and achievement of continuing education and certifications. 

7.  I will complete an Olympic distance triathlon.

8.  I will perform proper warm-ups, cool-downs, and regular stretching and flexibility exercises before and after running.

9.  I will try a new recipe at least once a month.

10.  I will contribute to our blog more frequently.

11.  I will visit another country. 

12.  I will hike a new 14er. 

13.  I will floss my teeth daily

14.  I will reach 50 runs with Jack Quinn’s Run Club.

Cheers to a new year!

New Training Beginning

OTC view of the Sun rising on Pikes Peak

  Recently, I've been looking for something new and a way to recommit to the training I thoroughly enjoy.  While I've run for many years, triathlon has become a sport I have a passion for and there aren't many better places to train than Colorado Springs where 1 of the 3 Olympic Training Centers is located.
  I was lucky to have a friend I train with now and again recommend a coach/club that he joined and found to be an excellent fit for him. Ken Axford runs Peak Multisport and owns an excellent relationship with his athletes, the Olympic Training Center, and other local clubs.
  This morning, I was fortunate to be able to join in on the 50 meter Olympic pool and found that the sites and sounds provided a great reason to wake up at four-thirty.  I look forward to providing future updates as I get to explore all the nuances of training in Colorado Springs for triathlon.  I am pretty sure I won't find a nicer pool.

Active weekend in Denver

We spent this past weekend in Denver celebrating a friend's birthday and using the opportunity to stay in town.  The first part of our trip took place at the Denver Aquarium where our friend's boyfriend launched the initial "surprise" to start the party. Partaking on seafood in the shadow of giant tanks housing multiple relatives of the plated is the only way to go here.  The food was excellent, but you will pay a premium for it.  We found it to be worth the trip due to the quality of the food, the great atmosphere, and the novelty of the mermaid show entertaining those partaking.

After dinner, we enjoyed custom Colorado cocktails on the top of Denver at the Hyatt's Peak Lounge. We were treated to open bar where we enjoyed Colorado specific cocktails with local honey liquors and ginger beers, soft leather couches, delicious deserts including bacon chocolate cupcakes, and beautiful top of the world views of downtown Denver.  It was a great way to start a night on the town with a focus on exploring the very walkable/accessible night life of downtown Denver off the 16th street pedestrian mall.  Living in Colorado Springs we often miss the true city life we grew accustomed to in our past Pittsburgh and Boston stomping grounds; Denver provides an easy return to that style of night-life.

The next day we woke up slowly and, not surprisingly, quite late.  A unique option in the Denver area for concerts is Red Rocks Amphitheater located west of town and supporting a beautiful venue for many of the major performers that come to the region.  It also provides a nice day hike, with similar red sandstone monoliths to those located near our home in Colorado Springs at the Garden of the Gods.   Many cyclists and runners use the roads and surrounding trails for challenging climbs without a trip into the heart of the mountains.


Our final hike for the weekend excursion took place at Mount Falcon, home of the foundation for the Western White House which was never built, and the ruins of the Walker house at the summit of the Castle Trail.  The route we took was a steady climb of 3.9 miles up, and a quick descent while running 3.9 miles down.  It was getting cold quick in mid-November at the top, so we moved on our way down!  It is a well-laid out trail and a nice trail run without much technical issues, besides dodging the occasional descending mountain bike.
At the top the view offered many Rocky peaks and the expansive beauty of the alpine region to the west of Denver.

We would recommend every piece of our trip to Denver and Morrison, Colorado.  In a short period of time, it allows you to experience the many different treats in life.  Enjoy your trip!

Triathlon Race Recap: Ironman 70.3 Texas

This post became lost in an older heap, thought I'd give it a late publish anyways!

Review for an early April start to the triathlon season started in Galveston, Texas at Ironman 70.3.  The race was organized and efficiently run, sadly I can't claim my body copied those attributes!

We took the race weekend as a vacation visiting Austin during our trip to Texas.  I decided due to the time off and proximity that driving would be the best way to transport myself and my bike without worrying about any mechanical needs upon arrival.  From Colorado Springs we headed south where we found an extinct cinder cone volcano, Capulin, existed 3 hours south in New Mexico.  The national monument allows you to drive up the volcano to the rim where you can hike in the basin and along the edges of the once lava built mountain.

Continuing south we headed to our next main stop in Austin.  We had heard good things about Austin: great music, barbecue, trails, and climate.  We stopped at Congress Cafe for breakfast, where the lines are long but the food is excellent.  The wait was 30 minutes on a Thursday morning.  Afterwards we treated ourselves to Stubb's BBQ along the main strip in downtown Austin.  The all you can eat platter of classic Texas BBQ will put you to sleep quickly and happily.

Galveston Beach Before the Race

The next day, we got up early to continue our drive down to Galveston.  It was a hike getting through congested Houston on our way but we were glad to get to the beach during the Colorado Springs winter. Our Galveston hotel, The Inn at the Waterpark, was a cheap motel next to Moody Gardens which was the main hotel for the race.  Sadly, I did not get the sponsor hotel and we dealt with some mediocrity in our stay.  The saving grace was the ability to walk to the start line from our room.  Overall, the location was beautiful at Moody Gardens and we enjoyed the sponsor hotel's grounds.  Our staging area (above right) was the outdoor parking lot for Moody Gardens which ran up against the tarmac for the local airport in Galveston.  This was the first Ironman (TM) Event and my first 70.3 so I appreciated the ease of finding my way around the day before and after the race.

Getting Ready to Hop in the Water

The morning of the race was very comfortable with the expected high of 72 degrees.  After spending multiple mornings running in the dark in the sub-zero windchill temperatures of the Colorado Springs winter, I was a bit concerned what the heat would mean to my race.

Out of the Water in 33 minutes

Most of my race anxiety was instantly removed when I jumped into the salt water and buoyed up to the top easily in my new BlueSeventy Helix wetsuit.  The swim was comfortable except for a few foot grabs and elbows that seem all too common in my age group of late-20's males.  I came out of the water comfortably and was ready for the 56 miles on the bike.

Heading Out on the Bike

The bike course was a slightly rolling out and back that was made difficult due to the exhausting cross-winds.  I covered the half-way point in an 1:10 feeling confident and strong despite some difficulty with my bike saddle.  However, I made a crucial mistake, the same one I made in my first marathon in 2007.  I didn't take my time and eat often.  At mile 40 I hit the biggest wall I can remember, luckly most distance athletes have a short memory about just how terrible that last bonk was.  I began consuming food and gatorade at the heaviest rate I could but would not find my legs again still mile 53 and cost myself 10-15 minutes.  We came cruising into the 2nd transition from the airport and I put on the Saucony A5's for the 3-loop 13.1 mile run course through Moody Gardens.  The support was excellent on the course due to the loop concept and it was easy to track who was ahead of you and thus set your sights on tracking down runners.  Usually the run is my strength in triathlons as it is my original sport.  I ripped through the first 4 mile loop at 6:30 pace feeling very confident I could continue turning up the pace.  But then, it happened again, my muscles said no and my brain couldn't override the misery I was in.  A second bonk, and from this experience, I am sure I'd much rather bonk on the bike than on the run.  For the next 4 miles I demonstrated the "survivor shuffle" while dropping my pace significantly.  During that time, I was consuming anything and everything that people were handing me.  Luckily, I found my savior heading into the last lap.  A delicious Coke.  The sugary sweet drink just felt right and catapulted my pace back to the respectable range for my first half-ironman finish.  I'm glad that's over!

On the 3-Loop Run Course

Dream Catchers Day Out in Colorado Springs

This past weekend we spent our morning running in the Front Range so we could spend our afternoon and evening practicing some of our less common skills.

Jess purchased a Groupon for Dream Catchers, a drink wine and paint outing, located in Downtown Colorado Springs on Wasatch.  She chose "Canoe for Two" a scene of a Rocky Mountain lake and distant background of peaks.  The Downtown Fine Spirits and Wine store located next door also provides a discount to those undertaking the 2 hour painting class.  We chose a nice easy Riesling since it was only 1 pm.  The course was lead by our instructor, Amanda, who provided an easy and positive attitude as well as falsely keeping up my hopes that we were painting a keeper.  Honestly, I don't think she had a choice when dealing with such an art illiterate guy.  Jess provides the artistic side of the relationship; it's never been much of a contest.  She was jealous of my snow-capped peaks, but not so much of my hawks and canoe oars.


Overall, we'd highly recommend trying a drink and paint night out with your friends.  Dream Catchers has a nice twist since they provide free programs for adults with needs and foster children. They are a nice organization to support, and being relatively new, will benefit from you enjoying an art creation and a few drinks.

Afterwards, we spent the evening at a house warming party for our friend, Scott.  A good way to keep the party going a bit.  With the weather getting colder it was a perfect night to spend by a fire; and we ran off for some S'mores as well. Tonight and tomorrow we are waiting on a nice snow which is making us wonder why we didn't take jobs in Austin.  Nevertheless, we are looking for our next big trip, our anniversary trip to Vail.

Cheers!

Cape Cod Marathon

Jess and I ran our 4th and 14th Marathons this past weekend in Falmouth, Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

It was absolutely beautiful weather the whole weekend and the town of Falmouth shows obvious reasons why the housing market has tripled over the last couple decades.  Town square and main street reminded us of upscale Wellesley and the small town feel with a 10 minute walk to the beach made us wish we weren't preparing to run 26.2 miles.

Leaving Colorado we thought about how nice it would be to run at Sea Level and on the flat shoreline.  To our surprise, we both found the 2nd half of the course to be very trying and awfully slow!  After a quicker flatter first half the course passes through cranberry bogs and into constantly rolling hills, some of which are quite steep.  We were both begging for our return to the shoreline and were happy to see the lighthouse and downtown.

Overall it was a gorgeous course, albeit sometimes frustrating since it was open to traffic, but our favorite part was the clam chowder at the finish.  Can't go to New England without partaking in Dunkin' Donuts and Clam Chowder!

Date Night: Elephant Bar Colorado Springs

To celebrate the end of a long week at work we decided to try a place we haven't been but have heard a lot about.  Being East-Coasters we often are unaware of local staples and popular spots until a new friend informs us.  This was the case with the Elephant Bar, located off North Academy.

Asian, European, and American cooking with an emphasis on wood-fired grilling and wok cooking.  Bold Pan Asian flavors and popular recipes from around the world.  Warm, tasty comfort food and signature cocktails were the taglines of our visit.


There was a decent wait when we arrived to we headed over to check out the bar scene.  The bar was crowded and the staff was occupied with providing drinks to the tables for most of the time, but the selection was an adequate blend of domestics and imports.  We are always fans of a few Black'n'Tans!

For dinner we chose from the seasonal menu, selecting the glazed salmon and fish lettuce wraps. A common complaint from a couple who has lived in Boston and Virginia Beach  is that we know there is no ocean in Colorado where the fish comes from, but tonight's dinner was well prepared regardless of the trip it made.

The atmosphere was loud, not overly rambunctious but the decorations and scene were not a large part of the experience for the customers.  The Elephant Bar is well decorated and rather cool to look around but felt more like an average happy hour restaurant chain than a special type of dinner or occasion establishment.

Overall we graded each aspect of our date night as follows:

Jess
Food:  A- (glazed salmon)
Atmosphere: B
Drinks/Bar Scene: B+

Nick
Food:  B+ (lettuce wraps)
Atmosphere:  C
Drinks/Bar Scene: A

Overall, we recommend trying it, especially for happy hour.  Happy Eating (and Drinking)!

Spirit of the Marathon II : Movie Night

On June 12th, the one night release by Fathom Events of Spirit of the Marathon II, occurred nationwide at 7 pm.  Of course, with Jess and I combining for multiple marathons provides enough reason why we enjoyed the first movie as well as this one.  Jess is in love with everything Italian and takes great pride in her Milan and Venice area family roots.  That makes a movie about the Rome Marathon tough to turn down.


The positives for the movie, similar to the first one, were the different views from different types of runners and the intertwined life stories with footage of the Rome Marathon.  My personal favorite, Domenico, was a cousin of one of the primary runners followed, Mimmo (also Domenico), who owns "The Runner" Pizzeria (Il Podista) in the movie.  Two older gentlemen who took multiple hours each day to train together and work hard.  Both providing great outlooks on life and the joy that running has brought them through many marathons.  The pro athletes followed, Vasyl Matviychuk and Epiphanie Nyirabarame, were from the Ukraine and Rwanda respectively, and demonstrated the style of life and dedication required to overcome the difficulties of running as your job.  The scenes from Rwanda showed a different culture and athletes who were breaking the mold of typical Rwandan lives.  Epiphanie had to overcome both cultural and familial expectations to enter the world of elite marathoning.  Most importantly, the movie showed the joy of running and its inherent companionship.  Each athlete casted for the movie showed how running can add to life and the lessons that are learned on the road.  All runners can connect to that message and the purity of the sport.

Unlike the first movie, we were not treated to an American athlete (like Deena Kastor in the original) in the training for Rome.  The variety was excellent in both movies, but an insight into Deena's life may, for people like me, be a bigger draw as she is an individual well known and heavily rooted for by Americans.  Regardless of the nationalities, the movie draws on the runners spirit and variety in life.  Everyone is busy in their own way, but these individuals know that an hour run trumps an hour on the couch each and every day.

We enjoyed the experience of the movie and the "This Water is Beautiful" documentary after the credits focusing on providing sustainable fresh water to many African nations.  Highly recommended for runners, especially those training for a marathon, and for the aspiring runner alike.

Enjoy the show!

Fueling Your Run

A Guide to Sports Drinks, Carbohydrate Gels, and Energy Bars. 

 

It's that time of year again...summer is about to start, triathlon season is here and runner's around the country are gearing up to begin training for their fall marathons/halves.  Lately, I’ve fielded a several questions from patients and friends about running nutrition (i.e. How do I hydrate properly?  What fuel do I need pre-run?  What should I eat during long runs?).  Consequently, I decided to write up a little summary of the information based on my educational background, current research (i.e. ACSM recommendations, etc.) and my experiences competing in 10+ races per year.

Sports drinks:  Drink 1.5 to 4 cups per hour of exercise (or more if you’re a heavy sweater). A mix of carbohydrates and water, they make for a great fuel and hydration choice and significantly boost endurance (~20% according to research) for exercise >60 min compared to regular water.  Most sports drinks supply a blend of sugars with 13-19 g of carbs per 8 oz.  Research suggests that having a blend of carbs (i.e. glucose and sucrose versus a single source) improves the amount of carbohydrate that gets to your muscles as fuel because the different sugars are absorbed through different routes in the intestines.  Sports drinks also contain electrolytes with sodium being one of the most important because it is lost in the greatest amount through sweat.  It helps maintain your body’s fluid balance, promotes the uptake of fluid in the intestines, and can contribute to cramping if low.  Find a flavor you like and go with it… I like orange Gatorade or power-bar drink mix and I often water them down a bit out of personal preference.  I usually drink a cup or so before runs lasting >1 hour and then take water in my camelbak during training runs.  During races, I alternate drinking a few sips of water or sports drink at the hydration stops.

Carbohydrate gels:  Research recommends 1-3 gel packets containing ~100 calories or 25g carbs each for every hour of exercise.  These single serve packets are super portable and easily stored in your pocket.  Just tear off the top, squeeze the gel in your mouth, and wash down with 4-8 oz of water.  They’re made up of sugars and maltodextrins that are easily digested (important when your tummy is bouncing around as you run, haha) along with electrolytes to maintain fluid balance.  Some also contain caffeine (which I like) but if you’re not used to caffeine it can make you jittery, give you heart palpitations etc.  I usually eat a strawberry banana Power-gel with caffeine every 5 miles during runs and races >10 miles.  Because they are gooey, I try to eat them as I approach a hydration stop in races so I can wash it down with some water.  On training runs >10 miles I usually have my camelbak for water.

Energy bars:  Eat 1 bar with 25-40g of carbohydrate and less than 15g protein about an hour before a long workout.  There are many kinds of bars, but basically you want a bar with ~70% of its calories from carbs for fuel before and during long workouts.  Another consideration is glycemic index (GI).  Bars with a high GI are best during a workout because they rapidly release carbs into the bloodstream to give muscles a quicker fuel injection.  Bars with a low GI are best before exercise because they release sugar into the bloodstream slowly and create sustained energy.  (The protein bars are good for after your workout - of course you could just eat some other high-protein snack or some chocolate milk too).  Beware of fat content in the bars because some bars are high in fat which slows digestion and is not helpful during your run.  I like to eat Cliff Bars and Snickers Marathon Bar (plus it doesn't hurt to have accessibility to large quantities of these delicious and energizing bars through Nick and my different sponsorships).  I usually eat a bar for breakfast on race mornings and sometimes as a pre-workout snack.

While the above items are really helpful in boosting performance and keeping your body from getting too broken down as you train, “real food” like fruits are also good fuel sources and supply a shot of carbs for long runs.  Most fruits give 15g of carbs per serving.  Additionally, fruits like nectarine halves or dried fruits can be easily transported and stored on runs.  Aim to have 1-2 services pre-workout or 2-3 servings per hour of running.   Sometimes marathons or halves will give out fruit on course… I love when they have oranges :o)  

Happy Training!!