When Running Is Like Going to a Movie

Tomorrow I have a 14-mile run on tap.

Do you know how long it  has been since I’ve run 14 miles all at once? Almost a year - at the Boston Marathon last April. Pathetic, I know. What the hell have I been doing with my life? Taking care of children? Drinking too much wine? Blogging my heart out about farts? Stalking Dolvett?

Tomorrow I am trying a new fueling strategy. Instead of eating a whole gel at the hour marks, I’m going to eat little bits every mile or two. My fuel of choice for tomorrow are Shot Bloks. Strawberry.

I am slightly disturbed at how much these things cost. $2.00 a pack. I thought running was simple and cheap. That’s why I started doing it. But, instead I've got:

1 pair of shoes: $100
1 fuel belt: $40
2 packs Bloks: $4
1 running skirt: $40
1 bra: free (see yesterday's post)
1 shirt: $25
1 pair of socks: $10
Cab fare: $20
Condoms: $5

That adds up to about a million dollars. So, when Sam got a little gift in the mail today, I got an idea. (Actually it was Emma who got the gift in the mail for her birthday, but their aunt is nice enough to send the non-birthday kid a gift as well. It all has to be fair. Every child needs a trophy. Self esteem is at stake I tell ya!).

Anyway, Sam’s little gift was this:

I may have told you how much I love Dots. People who know me very well know this about me. I usually store them in my nightstand for late night eating in bed. It is not uncommon for me to find one stuck to my sheets, my underwear or my hair in the morning. I do like my Dots soft, but I will eat them hard and old if need be (TWSS).

When I saw Sam’s Dots on the counter next to my Shot Bloks, I got curious. Could Dots, at a one-third of the price of Bloks, fuel me on a run? Why, yes they could. I know this is not genius, in fact I have written before about substituting fruit snacks for pricey chomps and chews. But, Dots! Dots never occurred to me.

Just 12 Dots gives you 35 g of carbs. Perfection. The only thing lacking is more sodium and potassium, or as we like to call them – electrolytes. I’ll have to find another way to get those. Also, Dots have more sugar than Bloks. Mmmmm…sugar. Homer Simpson would be proud.

So, in the interest of being frugal and supporting Tootsie Roll Industries, makers of Dots (mmmm…tootsie rolls) I’m going to give this little experiment a try. Plus, the whole time I am running I will feel like I am at the movie theater, another wonderful place to ingest 4,593 Dots all at once.

The lowdown: Dots vs. Shot Bloks

      Dots – Serving size 12 Dots                                               Shot Bloks – Serving size 3 Bloks

 

Do you ever substitute “regular” candy for sport’s candy (like chews, chomps, Bloks or Sports Beans)? I’ve done jelly beans and fruit snacks before. Works great. If it is really hot and I am out there a long time I might take a couple endurolyte tabs to get the extra electrolytes. I don’t like to mix sport’s drink and sugary snacks. Makes me crap more than usual.

What’s your favorite way of fueling on a long run? Do you eat little bits often, or larger amounts at certain points? I usually do gels at the hour or so mark, but with this trail marathon training I am experimenting with different foods and times of eating since I will be out there much longer and don’t want to bonk.

SUAR

PS: Don’t forget my Champion sports bra giveaway!