So here's my dilemma. I'm currently training for a marathon that's in about 6 weeks. Training has gone well, and I run a lot. So fueling before and after my runs is extremely important. But other than making sure I'm hydrated during running, I don't consume any gels or other energy products, even during workouts and long runs. And like I said, it's gone well!
That said, am I missing an opportunity for additional fuel resources by not incorporating this? I think a decent analogy would be supershoes. I've run plenty of marathons without them in the past, but to believe they wouldn't help because of that would be scientifically illiterate. So of course I wear them. Can the same be said of things like Maurten gels and similar newer fueling methods? Should I be using them even though I may not feel I need them if indeed racing a marathon as fast as possible is the ultimate goal?