OK I purchased a packet of Clif SHOT BLOCK. I am planning on a half marathon. When do you eat this? Before, during or after a run? Do you need to drink water with it too? How long a run? How much of the block? Can someone tell me what they actually do?
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When to eat a Clif block in a run?
(11 posts)-
Posted 2 months ago #
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Great question - I have found it's a little trial and error to what works for you and your stomach. For my runs longer than 10 miles, I will eat one block about every 3 - 4 miles, with water. I don't usually eat any before or after the run - just during.. what do they do? Each block is 100 calories, so for me it's a way to put back calories without eating food, which, during a run, can be difficult. How long before your half marathon? Whatever you do just don't try these for the first time on the half marathon; test them on your training runs..
Posted 2 months ago # -
a block is 30 calories :-P 200 cal/bag, 6 blocks/bag
Posted 2 months ago # -
oops...wrong numbers "lassie".. sorry about that.. still, for a half marathon, I am consuming 3 - 4 with water...
Posted 1 month ago # -
I also like SportsBeans which are more like Jelly Beans (they're made by the Jelly Belly company). I like their texture a little better than the clif shot blocks... But I agree with Mitch, you gotta try it out and see what works for you.
As for when, again, like Mitch said, it sort of depends on how long of an effort you have planned and what the fuel needs of your body is. Lately on my long workouts (3+ hours) I've been using a combination of Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem (which is a protein/carb powder you have to mix up) and Sports Beans... I shoot for about 100 cals per 20 minutes... so that's a sip of Perpetuem every mile and a bag of Sports Beans every 4 miles or so on a run.
You can develop a strategy like this for any fuel you find you like. But remember practice before race day... just in case your body doesn't like the particular formulation of the fuel you chose.
Good Luck!
Posted 1 month ago # -
Lassie, I love them Shot Bloks. After using Hammer products for 12+ years, this past year my stomach decided it didn't like it anymore during my runs. Actually, it was a source of many gastro problems during last year's triathlons, but I didn't figure that out until this year.
Personal experimentation is the only way to figure out how to fuel while running.
For my recent 40-miler, I would eat three blocks every 20 minutes. That would give me 300 calories per hour, which is still less than I need. Three blocks and a mouth full of water to chase it down. And it took me about two months of long runs to figure out the exact balance.
For a 1/2 marathon, I'd eat half the bag about 40 minutes before the start (followed by a gulp of water) and then the rest at about mile 8-9 (followed by a gulp of water).
Note that you must drink water with these. They dissolve quite readily, but you need to keep them diluted enough in your stomach to process without any issues.
-bill
Posted 1 month ago # -
Fantastic! Thank you so much for this information. You are great to take time to write back. I only started running last year and usually only do a 5K race. Now I am stepping up! My half is not until March so yes, I was going to experiment during my training runs. Right now my max. run is only 5 miles but I can at least see if they agree with my stomach.
Posted 1 month ago # -
I usually do nothing before the run, although when I was recently finding I was bonking on longer runs, I did try a gel before a marathon and felt it helped. I take them every 6 miles or so, unless it's extra hot. If it's really hot and I'm sweating more, then I go with every 5 miles. I aim for 100 calories every 5-6 miles so 3 blocks, one package of sports beans, or one gel.
You definitely need water to wash it down and help it move into your system better. You don't need a sports drink if you're doing the gels. However if you find you can't do the gels, do sports drinks. The key is easy to digest simple sugars with sodium and potassium during long runs.
What race are you running? It helps to find out what they are going to be serving on race day. If they're serving Gatorade, train with some of that. If they're serving something else, train with that.
Oh, and always take at least one more than you think you'll need on every run. If you start to feel hungry, you are late with your fueling. If you start to feel disoriented, you are WAY late with your fueling and may need to take one, wait about half an hour, and take another.
I'd also suggest that every run over 8 miles you take an Immodium with you. Don't take it unless you need it, but keep it in your pack. If you get digestive issues, you will thank me forever for this tip. If you ignore it you'll end up doing the runners clench and praying you make it to a bathroom....or worse. It happens to the best of us, so that's part of the reason to really practice with your fuel and water intake, and to bring along an emergency immodium, just in case.
Posted 1 month ago # -
Thanks for your input Msteechur. I will do "fuel" try outs on my training runs when I get up to more than 5 miles. Could I try them out on short runs, example 3-4 miles or will it be pointless? I would like to know if they agree with my digestion before I am too far away from a bathroom, even with an Imodium.
Most of the 5 K races I have done it has been water stations. The half marathon at Disneyworld in March is the big one I am trying for and no idea what they "serve."Posted 1 month ago # -
I have my Ultima Sports drink...and the bloks. Basically...I eat one or two every 45 minutes or so followed by water....unless that is, my fingers start to feel poofy. Then I eat them sooner, etc...potassium.
Posted 1 month ago # -
Thanks for the info. Every answer gives me a better idea of what others are doing to keep going.
Posted 1 month ago #
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