Eating on the go
I’ve been experimenting with foods I can eat while on longer runs.
During the marathon, I was eating the normal GU packet about once every 2 miles after 18.
As my mileage increases, I know I will need to eat significantly more calories. The GUs work great for bursts of energy on the run, but at 100 fast burning calories, they don’t satisfy for long. Also, they are very sweet and yummy. But after a few of them just about anything would taste better.
I am experimenting with peanut butter and honey sandwiches.
I’m a little worried about he amount of fiber in the 100% whole wheat bread, but I have got to start someplace.
For now, I’m eating a PB&H sandwich about 45-75 minutes before my long run on Saturdays. I figure eating it that early gives me the chance to see if the fiber will result in runner’s trots. My long runs of the past two weeks have not been tremendously long 12-18 miles, and by eating the sandwiches early, I hope they have entered the digestive system sometime during the run…
The number of calories in a PB&H are excellent, and the sodium in the bread can be good for longer runs where salt/potassium depletion can be a concern.
Each sandwich has (approximately):
Bread, 2 slices = 380mg sodium; 200 calories (15 from fat); 36g carb (12g fiber, 4g sugar); 8g protein.
Peanut Butter, 1.5 servings = 195mg sodium; 285 calories (210 from fat); 11g carb (3g fiber, 6g sugar); 12g protein.
Honey, 2 servings = 0mg sodium; 120 calories (0 from fat); 34g carb (32g sugar); 0g protein.
Total: 605 calories.
The average runner burns (according to conventional wisdom) about 100 calories per mile. So a PB&H sandwich should give me about 6 miles of nourishment.
The peanut butter also provides a source of slow burning carbohydrates, so though I expect an initial boost from the honey, the fiber in the bread and the slow burning carbs in the peanut butter should provide a constant source of energy.
I’ll post the results after a little more experimenting.