However, in my version it’s become, “Goodbye to Gu.”
If you look at my header photo you’ll see my beloved Gu in the mix of all things this discombobulated runner loves. And I’m sad to admit that I can no longer stomach it. I’ve completed five marathons with Gu and I’ve always been a big fan but lately I’ve not been feeling it.
My 18 miler on Saturday was the final straw between me and Gu. I had eaten three of them and on my fourth one I almost puked trying to suck it down. All of the sudden it seems too thick to swallow and I’m barely getting a whole packet down. I know I need the nutrition so I have decided to switch brands.
I have no idea what changed and I would definitely still recommend it to anyone cause as I said above, I have used Gu gels for quite some time but I guess my tastes have changed. I’ve had Coach EK recommend Hammer as it’s much thinner and Red recommended PowerBar. I’m going to try Hammer first since I know this bad ass also uses them.
Feel free to chime in on this if any of you have experienced the need for a thinner gel after a while. I’m hoping the change will help me get them down easier and not make me pants my poop. You all know how I have a sensitive tummy with these things. This is one the reasons I’m so sad to say farewell to Gu.
On the plus side I did finish my 18 miler and had a little help from aforementioned BA. We stayed right on my target pace and I only started feeling a real burn the last two miles and by that point I knew I was good.
I’m looking forward to the Turkey Trot this week and the BIGGEST Thankful Thursday of them all – THANKSGIVING!
Happy Monday all and congrats to everyone who raced this weekend. There were lots of races and I am looking forward to some recaps.
As a final note, goodbye Gu. You’ve served me well. Tear.
Powerbar gels are the worst tasting but the thinnest gels I've had. Clif is my favorite. I like the super-caffeinated ones (Double Expresso and Chocolate Cherry). However, Choc. Cherry is unbelievably thick, even in warm weather. I like their Raspberry and Strawberry flavors and I like that they are actually made with strawberries and raspberries and not some chemical that resembles the taste.
What sports drink will Miami serve? Be sure to practice with that too! 🙂
Awww….I really like Gu! There are rumors out there that I eat it sometimes as dessert! Aside from that, it is a little thick and I usually only have half a packet at a time because of that. Also it is a challenge sometimes when it is really cold out because it gets hard to get out of the packet. I LOVE the taste though. I have used the power jelly beans in the past though.
oh yeah – I ate chocolate GUs training for my first marathon. The thought of choking one down makes me want to gag. Luckily, I switched to other flavors and can stomach them just fine. Every once in a while it is like trying to take medicine when you were a kid – you just choke it down as fast as you can. ha ha. Hope you find a good substitute. i think the clif shots are not quite as thick as GU.
I use Perpetum on the bike and have never had a stomach problem with it. It's delicious. I used Gu this weekend and it didn't hurt my stomach but I forgot that it doesn't have electrolytes and my hands almost exploded. So that's good.
I was also having problems with Gu being a bit on the thick side so I started only taking it when I had water to go with it. So basically I took it like I would a pill. I don't even taste it anymore which is sad because I like the lime and cherry lime flavor. Sorry you are having to change =( but maybe the new will work even better!
I can eat anything, but I have to mix up my nutrition or I get to the gag point. I think with me it's a mind thing. For me it's a mix of brands and I've started adding shot bloks (I'm a gummy addict).
Maybe you'll get back to your GUs. I will warn you, not everyone can mix and match (at least the 2 I run with are very brand specific)
I am the worst person to give my opinion on nutrition while running. My stomach cannot stomach anything and practicing was a mess with all the different options out there. I attempted a gu and that made me run to the bathroom as I took a power gel and I only had to walk there. I had a power gel during my marathon and did not upset my stomach at all. I hope you find the best balance for your tummy as I am having them also!! I cannot such down a GU. I also can't do flavors so it's vanilla for me.. and caffeine free as i think that may be a culprit for the tummy issue. I am still in the trying out phase.
I'm relatively new to using Gu while running. For my first half marathon I used Clif Shotbloks and liked those alright. I found I like the Gu Chomps better though and used those for my marathon. I also used Gu gels but I had trouble swallowing them at mile 22 and 24. I guess because of the thickness?
I carry a banana and a potato with me. I love seeing the faces of the crowd as I run by………
I have always had a hard time sucking them down and I have to put a little in my mouth and then swallow it with water. I do better with bloks, chomps etc that are more like gummy candy. Seeem easier on my stomach too. Good luck finding what works for you!
Hammer is supposed to be much kinder to sensitive stomachs. I've trained with Gu and trained with Hammer and didn't notice a huge difference. Not that I'd consider any of them tasty, but the Hammer ones taste better than Gu. Haven't really noticed a big difference in terms of the energy they supply. I tried one of the Powerbar gels that was a sample I got, and didn't care for the taste at all.
I tried GU during one of my training runs and I could not get it down. It was more like I had to choke and throw up. Coach EK handed me a Hammer Gel (raspberry flavor) to try and that worked fine. I am still not able to get down a full packet at once. But at least half of it will go down easily with some water. I like the sport beans too. Nancy uses them and I tried them. But I am not sure what nutrition/electrolytes/etc. they contain.
I can give you a Hammer Apple-Cinnamon gel. I not a big fan of cinnamon and have one I will not use. Just remind me the next time we see each other.
I switched from Gu too. I think it is just too much for me. I used shot blocks for my last marathon and they worked great. I do use Hammer for Tris
You can also try Hammer Heed and drink your energy.
I used to use Gu to but don't know why I started to feel the same way as you. Now I use the Powerade gummies or bar. I will probably ax the gummies soon too I still get super hungry even having them. I will probably stick to the bar. Can't wait to hear your thoughts on Hammer. I have heard lots of good things.
I've switched from Gu to Hammer Gel. My favorite is the Raspberry. It's very light in texture and goes down easy. The Clif Shot blocks are great, too, but I use those mainly for the bike as they're very chewy and a little too much for me to deal with while running. Good luck!
Shannon got it right with the best Hammer flavor being the Raspberry. Just right, not too sweet, highly recommend that flavor as well.
I had no idea who that badass was until the end. I'm blushing a little, thank you.
I simply can not stomach any of that stuff at all. The sugar makes me sick. I'm working on trying a whole new approach.
I used gu exclusively for awhile. It did seem like it could possibly be not-agreeing with me anymore (porta potty stops mid marathon) but I didn't do an experiment to verify that. And of course now I'm not doing anything so I'm not using gu bc that would be a little pathetic. Gu-ing up for a walk! Woo! 🙂 so, yeah I think it's normal I guess. Body needs a change… I need to find the ones with little-to-no sugar. I can't remember if that's hammer?
Also your title made me think of avril…
"goodbye to guuuuu. goodbye to everything that I knew…"
2nd Surge!!!!
Gu makes me want to puke. I tried it once and said never again. I am a Choc block girl. I normally hate anything cherry flavored, but their black cherry is pretty good. Its surprising how thick it is, but after that first bite you dont notice it.
Somehow it feels sad to say goodbye to Gu. I do love it! Good luck finding a new product. Incidentally, I think I would be unable to ingest anything any less thick.
Gu is disaster for me too. I’ve started using carbo pro for my long distance triathlons and training. Have you tried the honey stingers? Those are decent. The honey stinger waffles are divine!
I can't do ANY kinds of gels. No HAMMER, no GU, no POWERBAR. I do Stingers, Shot Blocks, or Chomps. For drinks – try CarboPro. I can use CarboPro with coconut water or other electrolyte drink and not even NEED gel/chew.