Fuel Up!

4.23

One of the things I appreciate about a wellness lifestyle is that if you're serious about, it is a constant adventure. There is always something new to learn, new ways of training or performing your most common exercises, and no doubt there will always be improved ways of eating and stocking our pantries.

This spring I did a post about Racing Fuel, reviewing carb-loading and how to fuel long runs or exertion. I wanted to share this great homemade sports gel/block that I'm trying out for the Bird-In-Hand half-marathon next Saturday.

I really appreciate the wealth of information that is found on the internet. This recipe is compliments of Trail Runner Magazine. I totally avoid corn-based products, and almost all sports gels and energy drinks have some form of corn syrup, corn starch, maltodextrin or other corn-derived ingredients. That's the last thing I want to do to myself on a run.

These endurance energy blocks are fruit juice, sugar and fruit pectin - basically you're making gummy bears... I chose awesome ingredients: 100% pomegranate juice, turbinado sugar and coconut sugar, and sea salt as my basic ingredients.

Check out this awesome article and recipe here. Remember, fuel for your run should be about 30g to 60g of carbohydrates per hour, if you're running over 90 minutes. You can start popping these energy blocks after your first hour, and have a couple every couple miles. That would keep you fueled up and energized through the end of the run.

So if you're doing any sort of endurance sports where you're exerting yourself for more than 90 minutes at a stretch (think obstacle course race, half or full-marathon, triathlon, etc.) you should be figuring out a great energy booster for your training and events.

By the Way

I look forward to trying out any number of the ingredient variations suggested in the Trail Runner article:  Spirulina, Mango, Coffee & Cocoa, and more.