Julia has a Chia seed update, but along those lines I thought I’d mention sustenance. I, personally, am a grazer and eat frequently throughout the day. The same is true during runs. So for me, Gu has become my go-to run staple. We generally run every weekday at 5:30 except Wednesday (sleep in until 6!). For those early runs I wake up with a Jet Blackberry 2x caffeine Gu and I’m out the door and fine for 4 to 6 miles. We run longer (8-12) one weekend day, a little later, so I can have a cup of coffee, a banana (with peanut butter is best), and take 1 or 2 Gus for the road. So that’s my regimen. However, Julia’s Chia seed experience might make me rethink things a little. Here she is:
I typically wake up 45 minutes before our scheduled run time and eat 1/2 of a PR Bar with my cup of coffee while I am walking my dog. (I am a fan of the Chocolate Peanut and the Apple Pie flavors.) I eat the other half of the bar post run and prior to breakfast. I save Gu for our long run on the weekend. I am a fan of the “Tri-Berry” Gu flavor. 10 miles or less and one Gu will suffice. When we start to run further than 10 miles I pack 2 Gu.
Today I tried something different. I drank this:
Last night I mixed 1 Tbsp Chia seeds with 9 Tbsp water. I put my magical concoction into the fridge for the night. This morning the Chia seeds had the consistency of gel with little lumps. If I drank frog eggs I would image they have the same consistency. I was able to drink about 2/3 of the glass. I still used Gu on the run around mile 6.5.
So, how did I feel on our 10.2 mile run today? AMAZING! I didn’t have my normal ravenous hunger appear around mile 8. In fact at mile 3 I remarked to Sara, “I feel surprisingly full and wouldn’t be interested in eating a cheese pizza if it was right in front of me!” I too, run to eat, and it was nice not to be distracted by hunger at the end of the run. Afterward, I downed the rest of the seed elixir, the remaining 1/2 of my PR Bar, and some NUUN. My hunger stayed in check until around 11:45, just in time for lunch!
Here is my question – how could I take the seed/water mixture on my run? I typically don’t need a fuel belt because of our wonderful pit stops. Thanks!
