GU Roctane

[vgpedlr]

The industrial endurance products work. I didn't have a chance to prepare my usual long distance rice based fuels for my recent Leadville training camp, and while I missed the taste and texture, relying on GU gels and sports drinks on the course worked very well. 6 1/2 hrs the first day, and 3 hrs the next before my illness finally stopped me in my tracks, and the sports "nutrition" worked as advertised.

There is a time and a place.

[Chris_B]

Big fan of Gu but haven't tried the Roctane flavors since they were the last of the gels to switch to a vegan formulation. I'm a huge fan of the normal Gu gel (salted caramel is my favorite) and Tailwind and/or Skratch drink mix. I've had some nausea issues with other drink mixes like V-fuel but in general like the ease of use of the commercial products.

I know you're doing some altitude training for Leadville. Make sure to do some eating at elevation too. I had a recent race where I had no issues breathing above treeline in CO but had eating issues during longer stretches above 10,500.

[ChrisR]

Better than a fruit date?

[vgpedlr]

Dates irritate my throat if I eat more than a few. I have dates sometimes as a supplement to whatever else I'm using. I know a lot of people really like them. I prefer rice in the form of nigiri, Japanese rice balls, or Allen Lim style homemade rice cakes, but both take some time and effort to prepare compared to mixing bottles or grabbing gels. Generally for any training session under about 2 hrs I just use water or maybe a sports drink. It's only for the death marches or epics that I need fuel.

[Chris_B]

I would also say that the commercial gels and drinks are better than dates. Mostly due to the speed in which the sugar becomes available. Some real food is good, but the speed of absorption is one benefit of gels.

[vgpedlr]

Just picked up a couple of single packets of Tailwind to try out. If I like it, I'll put one in my hydration pack for my last big race in Flagstaff.

I still prefer Hammer across the board, but it's nice to know I can thrive on most anything the race organizers throw at me.