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Eww Gu
Saturday's long run marked the first time Steph and I tried gu. We thought our long runs would be a good time to try out different brands to see what works and tastes best to use on marathon day. First up, Gu Energy Gel in lemon lime.
First of all, the texture is shocking. I knew it would be gooey, but this was like something you might cough up, see on the street or find stuck to the bottom of your shoe. The consistency was just horrifying. The taste? Like concentrated artificial sweetener. Super sweet and totally unpleasant. I tried mixing it with a swig of water, which helped mask some of the consistency. With water, it tasted a bit like Gatorade. But not as good.
I’m not sure the gu thing is going to work for me. I was unable to finish a tube of it. And I don’t think I got much of a boost from it. Although maybe I didn’t eat enough of it. Not to mention, logistically, it was difficult. I struggled to run while opening it, squeezing it into my mouth and drinking water. And I was so clumsy with it, that I had residual gu stickiness all over my hands. Steph had her gu after mine and had similar feelings so I know I’m not completely crazy. She found the texture “offensive.” Excellent description. I’ll definitely try it again, but all in all, I’d rather have a Gatorade.
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9/5/06 1:33 PM
I totally get your issues with GU. I had a hard time as well. The first one I tried was Power Gel tangerine because I thought citrus flavors would be refreshing on a run whereas chocolate would gross me out. Not the case. The citrus tasted like pastey pixie sticks. But the choclate GU is delicious! It's like cake batter! I also love the Espresso Love, plus it's got caffeine! But, it's important to drink it with water, not just the GU. And I read that you shouldn't chug the GU down in one gulp, but a little at a time. I try to take 2-3 minutes to get the whole thing down, then I follow it with some water. Delish! Ok, that was a lie, but it helps fuel me for those L-O-N-G runs. I also found pretzels are good as well...my body craves the salt. Good luck with your experiments!