Running Food!

I think I like shopping for running things more than I like actually running.

Tonight's retail adventure was for running food (and some new shorts, but they aren't very interesting).

Since running for several hours requires eating every so often, we have been exhorted to try different running foods. Jenny and I are fond of Clif bars, but they are large and take a bit of chewing. That's a little worrying as I find walking and chewing gum to be challenging on occasion. So I stopped by the running store to see what else Modern Science has provided.

A few weeks ago, we got some sample "Gu" -- flavored sugar syrup, basically -- from the Program staff. I tried a finger-full of the Vanilla flavor which was vile, and got an Orange flavored one for later. Last weekend I tried the Orange flavor towards the fifth mile. Turns out that if hunger is the best sauce, even the best sauce can't improve Gu. Blech.

So, I got:

• Four new and exciting flavors of Clif bar (including Cookies and Cream and Chocolate Mint!)
• Three flavors of "Sport Jelly Beans" (Jelly bellys with gatorade-like stuff mixed in)
• Two flavors of Sport Gummy Squares
• A pack of chocolate Clif Shot (like Gu but from the Clif bar folks). I guess I'm a glutton (ha ha ha) for punishment.
  

(The other Clif Shot flavors included several with caffiene -- coffee, cola -- and a tea flavored Clif Bar that I was too scared to try.)

We'll try these over the next few run sessions and see what is palatable. I'm hoping someone will come out with electrolyte-charged pizza slices, but until I can fit one of those into my running shorts, I'm betting on the Jelly beans.

--Michael

(PS: any advice from the peanut gallery? Some of you run a lot and probably eat this stuff.)