Hi, I'm running my first marathon this year (London). At the ripe old age of 62 this is a scary undertaking... though I have done 2 half-marathons and other shorter races over the past year. I've managed to get round the halfs on just energy drinks from the en-route drinks stations, but I'm sure I'll need something more for the full marathon.

There are a bewildering range of options out there (gels, drinks, bars, sweets...) so I thought I'd ask what you folk find works best for you. I know I'll need to try out beforehand whatever I'm going to use on the day so I'd like to get a few tips and try out a few to see what I get on with best.

Any suggestions?

Jim

Thanks for the tips. I agree with Kate about the gels... really don't like the consistency. I'll definitely try the Cliff Shot bloks... sound a bit like hi-tec jelly babies (which I like).

Training is going OK. I can manage half-marathon distances, and a little beyond, with a degree of comfort now. But the extra 13 miles still scares the life out of me!

Thanks for all the encouragment folks!

Is the liking of energy gels a gender thing??? I'm amazed how many women I know who won't touch them and they don't seem to be getting a huge amount of support on here.  My background is endurance sports (such as Open 5 races) and you are unsupported - you have to carry everything.  Although I do like Jordans cereal bars for something solid when running all too often I can't swallow the stuff.  At that point gels are the best: they just need to be in your mouth to be working.  in the worst case, you can put the gel on your finger and rub it on your gums and you will still ingest them. One an hour is spot on.

I do use High 5 energy drinks and Nuun/High 5 zero tablets are fantastic for ensuring I keep drinking.  But whatever it is you must want it when it comes to eating and drinking.  So flavour is more important than anything else in my view - when you actively crave a food you know you can eat it until the cows come home.  But when you've spend £1.50 on a branded energy bar and you end up spitting it out (or worse, retching) because it turns to dust in your mouth... Oddly, it's things like Peperami that have me salivating on a long run!

Post run I do rate For Goodness Shakes though that's a personal view.  But again, that's because I know I can get a bottle down my neck whatever state I'm in to get me hydrating and to put a bit of energy in me. When I know that I'm on the home straight it's great to know that you have a drink waiting at the end that you actively want.

So try lots of different flavours and brands when training and see what gets you going. Whatever you do, don't buy a 5kg tub of something and then find out you can't face it after the first time you use it.

I can't speak as anyone who has even thougth about marathons or halfs..but while i was recovered from long term illness and took up hiking I needed to be very careful about my energy levels. I tried gels but there was too much rush (usually followed by crash) for me. I ended up using Maximuscle products (now irritatingly split into maxitone for girls, maxifuel for athletes and maximuscle for bodybuilders!) I found that adding the Viper orange powder to my water meant that I was continually topping up on fuel and fluid at teh same time. There's also very good product for recovery oddly enough called recovermax.