Hey Tim. I saw in the Sugarloaf info they e-mailed out that 2 of the 14? water stops would have gu. I am pretty sure they are handing gu out at mile 17 and then again at either mile 21 or 22 or something like that. It is good to know that there will be some out there for us.

I have been training with Cliff Shots. I like to have one every 20 minutes for a constant supply of energy. I can only carry 3 in my shorts pocket at once. I am going to give Matt a bunch and maybe look for some other drive by spectators to hold some just in case Matt is not around. If you only want to carry one gu I am sure you can plant another one with someone who is going to be watching and then pick up two at the water stops.

...in a pair of Race Ready shorts, even though they feel fairly loaded down at the beginning. Then I eat one every five miles or so. Never gotten the fifth one down.

JC and Christine both have gu-transport systems pending patents.

shorts on race day. "No honey, those pants don't make your butt look big." :-)

I'll let you all in on the ground floor. Boston was the test run for my soon-to-be-famous system, which utilized small strips of Velcro sewn on to my waistband, with the opposing strips superglued to Gu packs. It worked great! This does, however, require a (very) basic ability to sew. Last year, as we sat in Hopkinton fidgeting and obsessing before the start, Simon and I tried stapling the packets to his shorts, which was a humorous exercise, to be sure, but apparently lacking the quick-release feature that Velcro offers. I saw one guy in my corral who had used duct tape, which I would imagine might be kind of tricky as well.

As far as how much Gu to du, I usually have four with me, and in most cases, know that they will be offering gel at some point along the course. I read that they will have Gu at mile 17 on Sunday. I take my first one at about mile 10-12, and my last at about 22. I am happy if I manage to get four in.

adverised through online running gear wholesalers.Little pockets around front of waistband like a running utility batbelt.

I have a very thin belly pack that I carry 6 GUs, a paper towel (just in case), $20 (usually just for Boston) and a few fast-acting Tylenol in a zip-lock. I guess I'm a pack rat of sorts compared to most, but one never knows.

Although you didn't ask this specific question, I think it really helps to go over the science of marathon running and avoiding the proverbial "wall." A well trained athlete (those that have done their long runs) stores approximately 1800 calories in her muscles and liver as glycogen (sp?). This also assumes she carbo loaded (pasta the night before, a good early breakfast (600-800 cals) four hours before and another 200-400 cals 2 hours before). At breakfast I eat simply (oatmeal and a banana). Then two hours before 1/2 a bowl of Oatmeal and 1/2 a banana.

Now we burn approximately 100 cals per mile. So, the readily available energy source, glycogen, runs out at about 18 to 20 miles (breakfasts helps). So she needs to supplement a readily available energy source like GU (100 cals per packet) along the way to make up that approximately 600 cals. Otherwise, her body starts to metabolize other sources (fat/protein). That adds stress to an already stressed body at mile 20, the "Wall." Gatorade helps a little and anything else you can eat or drink along the way. I've read about people in the 70s drinking flat Coke (pre-GU days). Tea with honey is a kick, too.

However, I usually carry 6 GUs (600 cals) and usually only ingest 5. I also like the ones with caffeine to help with a kick "Mocha Love" and/or "Vanilla Bean." I sip Gatorade at about every other water stop. At Boston this year I ate all 6 GUs and at mile 22.5 I was looking for a 7th to no avail.

Good luck everyone at Sugarloaf and I'll see you up there.

Keep running!

Alyie, please thank your mom for us. But our (Lid's, Nora's, my and, I think, Autumn's, JC's) post-race plan is to shower back at the Grand Summit while Nora gets in a last-minute swim, then meet in Kingfield for lunch with as many people who might be interested, and then head back directly to Bar Harbor.

Once we're back and settled it wouldn't take much to get us out for a pint or two at Jack Russell's that evening though.

maybe Charlie, Ian and I will join everyone for lunch, then :)

As Brian said, thank you Alyie, and your mom for the very generous invitation. But I think I might prefer to get home and put my feet up for a bit, then head out later for some refreshments. Tom St G seemed unfazed by the idea of a horde of rickety, thirsty runners descending upon his place, so let's all plan to convene at Jack Russell's. Maybe around 5 or so?

I'll bring something by for you that should help your allergies.

it is wetter outside than it was in the pool.
rain rain go away and please don't come on marathon day

Do they ever spoil? When I packed up all of my things from my dorm, I found four that had been sitting in a drawer all year. Not sure if they're still good or not?

...I was just reading an article that described an anthropological discovery in some of the limestone caves in southwestern France.

Among the stratified remains were discovered several primitive packets of paleolithic gel. Isotope-dated to 120,000 years BP, pictorial glyphs symbolizing "Mammoth Love" were still plainly decipherable, presumably indicating that such product was a staple, even then, among longer-distance hunters.

The discovering archeologist, Monsieur Jacques Remy -- himself a modern ultra-runner -- sampled one and reported that the gel "still retains an astonishing kick, considering that it pre-dates formal language."

article link? :)

cheek to the extent I was rolling on the floor.Yeah,these perfomance enhacing foods do expire.I was surprised myself when I happened to see an expiration date on a power bar.I was sure goo and powerbars were like military rations,no expiration but I guess not.

I think in the Guinness Book of World Records, that honey is the longest lasting food substance. Supposedly archaeologists found some in one of the Egyptian pyramids and it was still good. I'm not sure how they decided it was unspoiled, but I sure wouldn't want to be a taste tester for that purpose.

my roommate had a jar full of honey that spilled all over our fridge. One.Big.Sticky.Mess.

I think GUs have a use-by date. However, I've used some really old GUs figuring nothin' happenin' to pure sugar without some water contmination. But with that said, I certainly wouldn't experiment the day of the marathon ... I would on a long run however (where the running keeps on going).

Remember, nothing NEW.

Keep running!

I like Brian's answer much better.

Keep running!

anyone around here would consider a long run, I'll probably just use them during longer swim workouts. Speaking of which... funny story... on Saturday, when I swam with the guys, Mike had a purple water bottle with a dark liquid that looked like grape juice. I asked what it was, and he said he had just diluted juice with water. Tim said "you ought to put a little vodka in it! That's what Soviet swimmers do." We both looked at him like, "what?" and he explained that he spent a few weeks training with a really good Soviet swim team (I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but Tim was a really good swimmer in college, and missed his Olympic Trials cuts by something ridiculously small like 9/1ooths of a second). Anyway, he said the Soviet swimmers mixed orange juice and vodka in their waterbottles and were drunk through the whole practices. Cheaper than gels, maybe, I wouldn't know.

I guess I've got a following. I'm touched.

Where do I get one of those?

I mean,you must be kidding relating that to Judson.He is awesome no doubt but that is a stretch I have to say.

white coller,burning for eternity,etc.Your post like Brian's was light.My bad.

forgiven,Dave! Just another feeble attempt at humor on my part. So glad Judson's a good sport!

Nice to have your familar blur around again.

I miss wildlife sightings.
Does chlorine kill goldfish? Maybe I'll throw a few in the pool!

...in maybe 25 minutes including four 1-minute walking breaks. No rain, just a nice soft fog. :-)