Learning to Fuel Long Runs: From Zombie to Sha’Carri
Learning to fuel on long runs
Fueling for long runs has been my kryptonite. I don’t eat enough before and don’t fuel enough during. By the end I am totally fatigued; my legs are cement and I feel like a plodding zombie. So my current mission is to change that for myself.
What I brought:
The recommendation for fueling is about 60-90g of carbs per hour but that feels like a lot for me. However running for 6-10 miles on 3 gels and vibes just isn’t cutting it anymore either.
What I used:
My run today was roughly 3 hours and I fueled with 137 g of carbs and 585 calories. I drank about 72 oz of water. I had a scoop of preworkout and a protein shake about 45 minutes before heading out as well.
Next Time:
Overall, I felt pretty good and wasn’t nearly as gassed by the end of the run like I have been. I also didn’t sweat salt like I have been on my previous long runs.
Based on recommendations I should be consuming 180-270 g of carbs on 3 hour runs. Next time I will try about 50g more carbs and 2 electrolyte mixes instead of 1 and this should place me right in the correct range.