Hey, guess what? wrote:
They're offering GU and water. Guess what? GU + water = sports drink. Problem avoided.
They don't offer GU at most water stations. Most water stations will have no sugar in any form available.
Hey, guess what? wrote:
They're offering GU and water. Guess what? GU + water = sports drink. Problem avoided.
They don't offer GU at most water stations. Most water stations will have no sugar in any form available.
Precious Roy wrote:
The latest crusade in the "food" movement is against sports drinks.
Hilarious, considering a marathon is one of the few times you actually want to be consuming sugary sports drinks. That's why they call them sports drinks. They don't call them "Playing Halo Drinks" or "Sitting Around Text Messaging Drinks".
I just finished Fitzgerald's "New Rules for Marathon and Half-marathon Nutrition".
He explains the options runners have for marathons.
The best option is marathons that have sports drinks with carbs in them. Carbs or sugar is exactly what you want.
It sounds like carrying GUs is becoming mandatory. Does that slow you down? I hate carrying GUs and always thought that was for hobby joggers. I'm always pulling up my shorts with that much extra weight in the pockets.
CIM is supposed to be a major too with serious runners. I suspect if enough runners complain, they'll reverse this decision. I'm not going to eat pretzels or cookies or gummy bears during a marathon!!! That's for people over the O-line, 4:29+, who aren't running fast enuogh to get GI issues.
For the cost of entering a marathon, especially one like CIM that fancies itself as a borderline US major, you would think that a race director would honor runner needs before sponsorships that benefit the bottom line.
There are some intellingent people on this thread that understand the need for a source of sugar during a marathon effort. Nuun does not, in any way, fulfill that physiological requirement.
On the bright side, it does look like I can enjoy Erdinger non-alcoholic beer as my official recovery drink post-race.
Thanks, CIM.
Cal I. Marathon wrote:Erdinger non-alcoholic beer
omg please kill me now
Blah Blah Blah wrote:
Hey, guess what? wrote:They're offering GU and water. Guess what? GU + water = sports drink. Problem avoided.
They don't offer GU at most water stations. Most water stations will have no sugar in any form available.
So stick a GU in your pocket at a station that does, you freaking crybaby.
I understand that overconsumption of sugary sports drinks in everyday situations is contributing to the obesity and diabetes problem in this country. But a marathon is not an everyday situation. Replenishing your glycogen stores is a physiological necessity to optimally performing.
On average a marathon burns about 2000 calories, 4 GUs is not going to cut it (there's a reason elites take their bottles every 2-3 miles), and I'm sure as hell not going to run around with my pants falling down because I've got 5 extra gels in them. And I don't know about you, but I can't shove a bunch of cookies down my throat while running 5:30 pace.
Basically I'm pissed because I spent a lot of money on entry and airfare, and was hoping to run a fast time, maybe an OT qualifier if I had a great day.
It's my fault for not checking first, but it never even crossed my mind a marathon, especially a major on like CI, would be so rediculous as to have zero calorie drinks.
Dingler wrote:
Basically I'm pissed because I spent a lot of money on entry and airfare, and was hoping to run a fast time, maybe an OT qualifier if I had a great day.
It's my fault for not checking first, but it never even crossed my mind a marathon, especially a major on like CI, would be so rediculous as to have zero calorie drinks.
At least you had the foresight to check it out well before the race. I ran the San Francisco marathon this July and Nuun was the official drink. I crashed even though I tried to run at a moderate pace (I was on vacation for a family wedding). In the beer area after the run, I was explaining to some guy that I felt like crap even though I followed my usual plan of drinking sports drink at every aid station and taking a gel every seven miles. He explained to me that that Nuun has no calories.
Your post is a public service. A marathon aid station is the last place on earth anyone is worrying about calories.
shut up crybaby wrote:
So stick a GU in your pocket at a station that does, you freaking crybaby.
You can't count on GU stations. Sometimes they aren't there or they move them. You have to carry GUs, which is a hassle.
Who are you? This is a legitimate concern.
book reader wrote:
It sounds like carrying GUs is becoming mandatory. Does that slow you down? I hate carrying GUs and always thought that was for hobby joggers. I'm always pulling up my shorts with that much extra weight in the pockets.
Put 'em on your singlet with a safety pin.
Nah. It happens to all of us. Congrats on your sub 2:30 - that's pretty damn fast.
Oops I was Wrong wrote:
Oh man, you are right. Well call me an idiot and slap me silly. I never realized this as a long-time Nuun user from back when it was just sodium and minerals.
How many of the posters crying in this thread about "waaa only GU at some stations and Nuun" were the same ones enthusiastically posting in the "Yuppie Running vs. Blue Collar Running" thread?
First World Problems
Dingler wrote:
4 GUs is not going to cut it (there's a reason elites take their bottles every 2-3 miles), and I'm sure as hell not going to run around with my pants falling down because I've got 5 extra gels in them.
I've run a lot of marathons trying all sorts of ways to fuel during the race, with varying success, including: sports drinks only at aid stations, gels in shorts pockets, gels inside waistband of compression shorts, gels safety-pinned to shorts, gels in a clip-on waist pouch, gels inside gloves, gels in the loops of a Fuel Belt, and probably a few more I'm forgetting. None were problem-free, and several were downright bad ideas.
The best solution I've found so far (short of elite bottles) is a FlipBelt (https://flipbelt.com/). They hold all the gels you'll possibly need, it's less intrusive than about everything else I've tried, and the gels are relatively easy to get out (and put more in if you grab any extras on the course).
I have no affliation with FlipBelt by the way. But I'm planning to use mine for the foreseeable future, or at least until something better comes along.
This is disappointing, I tried Nuun a few times and don't care for it. Races need to offer a choice of liquid calories in a marathon.
I don't work for Flip Belt wrote:
The best solution I've found so far (short of elite bottles) is a FlipBelt (https://flipbelt.com/).
Call me old school, but there's no way I would trust a company that photoshops their main web page models that horrifically. Yikes.
It is really completely unacceptable and against science to not provide a glucose loaded drink at every stop. Gels help but some people(like myself) need both to avoid the bonk.
CIM is a really important event in the list of marathon options each year. A lot of fast people run this course to attempt OT qualifiers, PR, etc. This is something a Podunk Marathon might do but CIM should know better.
I am confident they will reverse this mistake of a decision.
Here is the response I received from CIM after expressing my disappointment:
The California International Marathon has nuun as its official sports drink for the second consecutive year. Nuun and water will be provided at 17 aid stations along the course (Tri-Berry at odd-numbered stops, Lemon-Lime at even), in addition to GU and solid food items at four of those aid stations. For more information, please see the Fueling and Hydration page on our website.
The benefit of nuun is that it allows you to separate your fueling (calories) from your hydration (water, sports drink, and elctrolytes). With 6,000 runners on course, there are 6,000 different optimal fueling plans out there, too. By providing nuun at 17 locations as well as three different caloric options (GU—both caffeinated and non-caffeinated—fruit, and single-serve baked goods) at four aid stations, we believe we are providing the broadest array of options to meet the unique needs of those 6,000 runners.
Of course, we know we can’t perfectly meet the needs of everyone. If you need fuel at additional locations, we encourage you take an extra piece of fuel or two to carry with you on-course. If you need additional hydration, we encourage you to fill your bottle. And if you're one of those people whose needs still aren’t met, we encourage you to carry whatever additional fueling or hydration supplies you need on your person on race day.
Thanks for your support of the CIM, and we’ll see you on the starting line on December 6!