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Food/fuel for 50k

2K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  KateMD 
#1 ·
I know this is probably been done to death ... sorry..I am new here<img alt="blush.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/blush.gif"><br>
I am starting to train for my first 50k...It will be to finish so i will be out there a long time... Will I need to train with food? Any suggestions on food to try? For my marathons i just do sport beans and water,(my stomach doesnt usually handle the sports drink theraces offer) will this be sufficient or should i mix it up a bit try new things...<br>
anything i should know before trying this... what do you wish people had told you before you ran your first one?<br><br>
thanks<img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif">
 
#4 ·
HOT DONUTS NOW!!<img alt="banana.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/banana.gif"><br><br>
yummm!!! i knew there was a reason i wanted to run this.. i get to run slow (which i already am) and no one will harass me for it and can eat donuts<img alt="cool.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/cool.gif">
 
#5 ·
It partly depends on the 50K. If it's flattish and nontechnical you can treat it a bit like a marathon. If it's mountainous and/or rough trail it will take you a lot longer and you'll need to focus more on eating.<br><br>
If you're planning on running more and longer ultras, you might want to look at eating more, you have a certain amount of choice in a 50K but much less in a 100K. You might just choose to take the opportunity to learn to eat in a race even if it costs you a few minutes. I suck at 50Ks though so beware this advice. <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif"><br><br>
If the weather during the race could be 65* or higher you should absolutely start to stress about sodium intake. Many people don't need to worry much about hyponatremia in a marathon, but in a warm or hot 50K it starts to get highly probable. Ignoring this peril could be really bad.
 
#6 ·
Hippo's right, don't ignore the need to keep electrolytes in balance! It can do you in if you don't practice and learn what you need.<br><br>
The whole reason for running these things is to be able to graze at the smorgasbord of the aid station, isn't it? I usually take a zip top bag and stuff appealing things in it to take with me and eat between aid stations. If I stuff my face too much at once I get the bloat and can't run well. In general I need solid food but some people subsist on gels and fluids.<br><br>
In general, start practicing now during your long runs. I learn something new about my needs for nutrition at every race I do. It seems like there's always room for small (and large) mistakes in the learning curve. And everyone is different.<br><br>
Kate
 
#7 ·
Train with food. I bring food with me for any kind of workout over an hour, usually something like bagels, and eat bits to a time. The long workouts won't seem as long if you keep fueled up. In races I might carry some fancy overpriced race fuel like gels, but I look for cheese or PB&J sandwiches at aid stations; those seem to sit well. Too much fruit or cookies or chocolate will mess up my stomach but a treat toward the end of a race is a big motivator. Sport drinks don't usually sit well with me either, so I usually use S-caps and water. Good luck!
 
#9 ·
My favorite description of ultrarunning ( forgot who came up with it) is:<br><br>
"A long slow jog between buffet tables." <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif"><br><br>
I'll use myself as an example of the variability and the need to learn your own lessons. I learned that if I try to run and eat anything with crumbs in it , like cookies, sandwiches, Clif bars, that it goes down the wrong way and sets off a nasty asthma attack.<br><br>
I wish I had discovered that in training, but sadly learned it in a race when I lost air so badly that I face-planted for lack of oxygen. This is clearly something that I could not have picked up from other runners, and is really awful advice for anyone else to follow.<br><br>
BTW, now I just have learned to eat certain foods that don't go down the wrong way while I'm running, and eat the rest at a slow walk while I leave the AS.
 
#10 ·
What's a long time? Or better yet what is your marathon time?<br><br>
Yes, train with food. See if can find out what the race will offer and at least try some of it in your training runs. Don't OD on it so when race day comes you can't face for example, another PB&J. Remember, specificity be it food, drink, surface, elevation, etc etc.<br><br>
One of my favorite places for race stuff is <a href="http://www.succeedscaps.com/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.succeedscaps.com/index.html</a> if nothing else you can get S!Caps(salt caps). They also have S!Ultra and S!clip. Ultra is maltodextrin based drink not like the cheap sugar Gatorbarf. Maltodextrin, burns slower and if you happen to be sensitive to sugar will keep you from spiking.<br><br>
The clip product is a liquid food and has protein, carbs and fat. Some people that can't eat solid food will use this. I like to toss a bottle or two down to augment my food. The usual disclaimer it's all about taste. It can be the best stuff in the world for you but of you don't like the flavor, it ain't goin' down, at least not staying down for long. By the way these products were created by an ultra runner for ultra runners. You won't find vitamins to hype the the product.<br><br>
And no, I have no financial ties to the product. I just an avid fan and have used them for mucho years and many races and well revered by the ultra community. Some races serve S!ultra as their sport drink, other use Heed.<br><br>
Other maltodextrin drinks are Cytomax and Heed(a hammer product).<br><br>
As for words of wisdom and it usually doesn't make sense until after you blow up the firt time - "find a pace that feels confortable, and then run SLOWER." If your well rested from a good taper and get caught up in moment, you go out too fast and last N miles turn into a death march or DNF.
 
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