Stocking Stuffer Giveaway WINNERS!

It's time to announce the winners of the "Stocking Stuffer" giveaway from last week. If you remember, GU, Road ID, Injinji, and Hydrapak offered up some sweet goods.

• ONE winner will get 1 Supernova Firefly, 1 box of Peppermint Stick GU, and 1 pair of Injinjis.
• TWO people will each receive 2 Supernova Fireflies, 2 boxes of Peppermint Stick GU, 2 pairs of Injinjis, and 1 Gel-Bot.

There were 158 comments on the giveaway post. Factoring in the "extra entries" earned, there were 372 numbers "thrown in the hat."

Comments printed out (printed at 50%, which was 14 pages - or 7 pages
front-and-back), all numbered and ready to be picked.

I drew 2 numbers on random.com from 1 through 372.

The winners are:

• Amjeso
• You Momma Runs

And the winner from the Steve in a Speedo Facebook fan page is #83, which corresponded with Lorena Kerr Sims

Congrats to the 3 winners! Please contact me as soon as you can so I can get you your goodies!! And thanks to GU, Road ID, Injinji, and Hydrapak for the fun giveaway!

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Yearly Distance PR!!

In 2010, I ran a total of 911.42 miles, and that's my biggest year ever.

After my run early yesterday morning, I have a total of 913.8 miles for 2012.

AND IT'S STILL NOVEMBER!!

I tweeted my realization, and THIS was my favorite response:

So I've already set my new "yearly run milage PR," and I have almost 5 weeks left to SMASH it. It might be possible to hit my big yearly goal of 1,000+ miles. We'll have to see what December holds. It's supposed to be nice this weekend (highs in the mid-40s), so Henry and I hope to add 11-13 miles to my total together.


In related running news:

My new "go to" speed workout has changed. It USED to be 3x1600 on the track with 90 seconds to 3 minutes rest between. But my achilles tendon doesn't always like that, and I'm NOT getting any younger (...meaning I need more time to recover from a hard workout like that). So I've been doing 2x2 mile intervals with 3:00 rest between for the last 2 years (Coach Jen Harrison first turned me on to this workout). I've grown to like these for 3 reasons:

1st: You can get a good workout by doing only 2 (after a solid WU and before a good CD). Mentally, only doing 2 is nice - you're either on your first interval or you're on your last.

2nd: It's not as taxing on my (aging) body. I run 1600s around 5:30 - 5:45. I run 2 mile intervals around 5:50 - 6:15 / mile. That slowdown keeps my body healthier (well, "less injured" at least).

3rd: It's more "helpful" for training for slightly longer races (which I've been doing more of this year). Look back to my 2nd point: when am I racing around 5:30 pace? Only in my best 5Ks. When am I racing around 6:00 pace? Well, my 10K a week ago was right at 6:00 / mile, my last 10 mile was 6:08 / mile, and my best half marathon from a few months ago was 6:10 / mile. Running some 6:00 miles is more "race specific" for the distances I've raced this year, whereas running 5:30 miles is just "running super fast" without being specific to much other than 5K training.

Yesterday morning, I ran my 2 mile intervals in a not-so-fantastic time, but it was a good workout at 4:30 a.m. on a 25 degree morning. My half-mile splits were:

3:03, 3:08, 2:58, and 3:00 (for mile splits of 6:11 and 5:58) = 12:09

3:03, 3:11, 3:04, and 3:01 (for mile splits of 6:14 and 6:05) = 12:19

(Nine months ago, I did the same workout in 11:36 and 11:37 WHILE PUSHING HENRY IN THE STROLLER. So I've slowed up a bit. Dang.)


Oh, and one quick final thing. I got this sweet goodie package in the mail 2 days ago from my favorite PR firm:

LOTS of GU goodies, and a RoadID Supernova Firefly
(which is TINY, but can been seen a mile [literally A MILE] away)

I was running low on Roctane GU (and all the blue in the back-right is my FAVORITE Blueberry Pom Roctane), and I was nearly out of Roctane Drink (all the packets standing in the back). During my 10K race with Henry on Thanksgiving, I was sipping on Roctane Drink the whole time - that's a BIG benefit to racing with a stroller!

That goodie package is a not-so-subtle reminder to enter my GU, Injinji, RoadID, and Hydrapak "Stocking Stuffer" giveaway! Good luck!

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Stocking Stuffer Giveaway! (From Gu, Road ID, Injinji, and Hydrapak)

The awesome people at GU, Road ID, Injinji, and Hydrapak have some sweet goodies to give to my readers! Because it's the end of November, I'm calling it a "Stocking Stuffer Giveaway!"

The good folks at Road ID offered up 5 "Supernova Fireflies" to help with nighttime visibility while running, biking, cross-country skiing, etc.

The incredibly attractive people at GU have 5 boxes of very festive "Peppermint Stick Gu" for you:

The witty and intelligent folks at Injinji have 5 random pairs of their toe socks to share:

Before a 13 miler a few months ago.


Click here for my Injinji review from last month.

And finally, the sophisticated people at Hydrapak have 2 "Gel-Bot" bottles for my readers:

I've used the Gel-Bot: it's harder to use QUICKLY during short races,
but good for longer training / racing.

Here's a short video showing how the Gel-Bot works (you can have both GELS and WATER at your beck and call [Side note: I thought it was "beckon call," but I looked it up - turns out it "beck and call"]).


http://youtu.be/CytHDGTWwNo

So that's a total of 5 Supernova Fireflies, 5 boxes of Peppermint Stick GU, 5 pairs of Injinjis, and 2 Gel-Bot bottles. That's (roughly) $192.88 of sweet stuff to stuff into your stocking!

There will be THREE WINNERS total:

• ONE winner will get 1 Supernova Firefly, 1 box of Peppermint Stick GU, and 1 pair of Injinjis.
• TWO people will each receive 2 Supernova Fireflies, 2 boxes of Peppermint Stick GU, 2 pairs of Injinjis, and 1 Gel-Bot.



HERE’S HOW TO WIN A SUPERNOVA, SOME GU, and a PAIR OF INJINJIS:

Simply LIKE "Steve in a Speedo" on Facebook. Boom. That's it. You might win some sweet goodies. I'll pick a random "liker" to win.



HERE’S HOW TO ENTER TO WIN EVERYTHING ELSE:
(Two winners will be selected to EACH receive 2 Supernova Fireflies, 2 boxes of Peppermint Stick GU, 2 pairs of Injinjis, and 1 Gel-Bot.)

You can enter by simply commenting on this post, but you can earn MORE entries to better your chances (much like the other giveaways I've done in the past). If you just want to comment to enter, you can skip all of the "optional" steps and go right down to Step 4.

• Step 1 (optional): to earn +1 extra entry: follow these great companies on Twitter (here are their links: Road ID, Injinji, and Gu). Then send out this tweet to show your love to these great companies:

I just entered the @Injinji, @GUEnergyLabs, and @RoadID giveaway on @SteveinaSpeedo’s blog - http://iwannagetphysical.blogspot.com/

• Step 2 (optional): to earn +1 extra entry: "like" these 3 companies and "Steve in a Speedo" on Facebook: Injinji, GU, Road ID, and Steve in a Speedo.

• Step 3 (optional): to earn +1 extra entry: "follow" or "join" my blog on Blogger. (This is a bonus step for those of you with Blogger / Google accounts.)

• Step 4: comment on this post and tell me how many entries you earned! (You get one entry for just commenting!) Make sure to note if you tweeted or liked these companies or followed my blog so I'll know to add your name to the hat 2 or 3 or 4 times. You do NOT need to be a blogger, but make sure to leave some specific info so you’ll know if you won. (So you could say something like this: “Hey Steve, this John Smith from Topeka. I sent out the tweet, I liked those guys on FB, but I didn't follow your blog, so put my name in the hat 3 times! Thanks!”)


So, check back next week Monday or Tuesday (Dec 3-4) to see if you've won! ESPECIALLY if you’re not a blogger, because I have no way of contacting you! The contest is open NOW through 5 pm (central time) on Saturday. At 5 pm, I'll print out all the entries, give extra numbers to those who earned extra entries, and then draw numbers out a hat for the winner!

Pseudo-legal stuff:
- Contest only open to residents of the US and Canada.
- You may comment now (on THIS post) through 5 pm Central time on Saturday, Dec 1st.
- The winner will be chosen at random by a random number generator or by drawing numbers out of a hat. If you’ve earned multiple entries, you will get multiple numbers, thus bettering your chances at winning.
- Check back next week (Mon the 3rd or Tues the 4th) to see if you won! (Especially if you don’t have a blogger account because I have no way of contacting you.)
- If the winner does not contact me within 2 days after being announced, I'll be forced to draw a new winner. So check back and KEEP checking back in case the winner is lame!

One final big THANKS to the people at Outside PR, Road ID, GU, Injinji, and Hydrapak for being so generous and for helping to put together this "Stocking Stuffer Giveaway!" Thanks guys!

The sweet, sweet goodies for 3 different winners!

Comment now! Tell me how many entries you've "earned."

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Roctane Drink and Ryders Giveaway Winners!

Let me just say these 2 things right now before I even announce the winners: (1) Thanks for entering!! And (2) if you didn't win, don't fret! There's ANOTHER giveaway coming tomorrow! Seriously. Check back for that.

Now, onto the winners of the Roctane Drink and Ryders Shades Giveaway! Remember, there were to be TWO winners: one male and one female. Each would get a handful of "single serve" Roctane Drink packets along with a male or female specific pair of Ryders shades.

Gu "Roctane Drink" Individual Packets


Ryders "Vela" for a dude


Ryders "Hex" for a lady

The giveaway had 122 comments. And being you could earn extra entries, I had a total of 198 "names in the hat" that I had to draw from. Here's a photo of the printed out and numbered entries:

Here's what random.org gave me this time:

THE FEMALE WINNER: amjeso

THE MALE WINNER: Needlerunning (at least I THINK "needlerunning" is a guy - there was a reference to "Andrew" being his/her name on his/her blog)

So a final BIG THANKS to GU Energy Labs and Ryders Eyewear for the giveaway!! And remember to check back TOMORROW FOR ANOTHER GIVEAWAY!! Thanks everyone!

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Review and GIVEAWAY: Roctane Drink and Shades!

I've never officially "reviewed" the new Gu Roctane Ultra Endurance Drink yet, so I'll do that before this giveaway. I was sent one of the first batches of Roctane Drink about 2 months ago before it was even on the market:

Since then, they've "prettied it up" a bit:

I've used about half my tub already. I've used it on hard workouts, long workouts, and before races. Here's a photo from when it took some to the track to do 800 intervals in December:

And here's some sitting in my bottle just 2 weeks ago before the Securian Run Half Marathon:

Here's my 2 cents:

• All I've had is the Tropical Fruit flavor. I tend to NOT like "tropical" flavors or "fruit punch" flavors, but this is a bit more subtle and delicious. Really. It tastes good!

• It mixes REALLY easy - easier than gatorade. I put 2 scoops in a bottle, give it 2 shakes, and it's good. No clumps what-so-ever.

• I've used it on my longest run of the winter (my 14.3 miler with Henry), and it really kept me going. NO upset stomach. NO bonk. And I had NO gels or other food during that run - just sips on my Roctane Drink sitting in the bottle holder of Henry's jogging stroller.

• It's great to have enough faith in a product to use it during a workout, but I've also used this before my last 2 races: the Securian Run Half Marathon (where I ran a 1:25 half), and the Meet of the Miles (where I ran a 4:53 mile on a 200 meter track). If it works in races, then it MUST be good stuff.

MY BOTTOM LINE:

Roctane Ultra Endurance Drink has become my new "go to" drink for hard or long workouts and races. It gives me the boost I need. It doesn't upset my stomach. It's helped push me to 2 speedy finishes in recent races. I don't need to eat much else while sipping on it during longer workouts. And it tastes good. What more can I say?


ON TO THE GIVEAWAY....

I usually don't MAKE you do anything other than comment, and you can usually "earn" extra entries by doing more. Well, I'm changing it up this time. This time, you have to have a Facebook Account to participate.

..... What? You don't have Facebook?....

Oh I'm kidding!!!

Sort of....

In this giveaway, there will be 2 winners: 1 man and 1 woman. You must be from the US or Canada because that's where these folks can send their goodies.

ONE WOMAN CAN WIN THIS:

5 individual packets of GU's Lemon Lime Roctane Drink


1 pair of Ryders "Hex" shades

Here's a bit about the HEX shades:

Hex - a lightweight blade with high airflow designed for female athletes and made for speed. Features nose pads and temple tips. Weight, 26g. Lenses feature; polycarbonate (making them resistant to rocks, high impact), UV protection, shatterproof, optically correct, scratch resistant coating. Frames feature; TR90 Switzerland material (flexibility, durability, lightweight).

ONE MAN CAN WIN THIS:

5 individual packets of GU's Lemon Lime Roctane Drink


1 pair of Ryders "Vela" shades

Here's a bit about the VELA shades:

Vela - lightweight with co-injected temples for extreme flexibility and comfort. Adjustable nose pads provide for a custom fit. Features nose pads and temple tips. Weight, 24g. Lenses feature; polycarbonate (making them resistant to rocks, high impact), UV protection, shatterproof, optically correct, scratch resistant coating. Frames feature; TR90 Switzerland material (flexibility, durability, lightweight).

For the record, I have a number of Ryders shades. I didn't have to wear sunglasses much last year at the races (because it was a pretty gloomy year), but here's a photo of me from the year before on my way to a 17:11 5K PR in my Ryder DRILLS:

Here's what you have to do to enter:

Step 1: Show your love to these 2 great companies by "liking" them on Facebook. Head over to GU Energy Labs and Ryders Eyewear on Facebook and give them a "like." They post good stuff - you won't be disappointed. (It still counts if you already "like" them.)

Step 2: Comment on this post to enter. Yep. That's easy.

Step 3: (optional) If you'd like to earn an extra entry, send out this tweet:

Check out the @GUEnergyLabs and @RydersEyewear giveaway on @SteveinaSpeedo's blog: http://iwannagetphysical.blogspot.com/

If you send out that tweet, make sure to leave a note in your comment that you did so I give you TWO entries into the giveaway.

Pseudo-legal stuff:
- Contest only open to residents of the US and Canada. Sorry Egypt.
- You may comment now (on THIS post) through 6 pm Central time on Sat, Feb 18th.
- The winners will be chosen at random by a random number generator or by drawing numbers out of a hat. If you’ve earned multiple entries, you will get multiple numbers assigned to your name, thus bettering your chances at winning.
- Early next week (Feb 20 or 21) to see if you won! (Especially if you don’t have a blogger account because I have no way of contacting you.)
- If I can't get in touch with the winner(s) within 2-3 days, I'll choose a new winner(s). So check back!
-As with all of my reviews/giveaways, Gu and Ryders have not asked me for a favorable review. All these opinions are mine, and have not been swayed by these great companies.

Big thanks to GU Energy Labs and Ryders Eyewear for the giveaway!!

Ryders "Vela"


Ryders "Hex"


Gu "Roctane Drink" Individual Packets

So comment NOW! Right here on THIS POST! Thanks everyone!

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Gu Roctane and Pearl Izumi Hat Winners!

So there were 205 comments on the giveaway post. They were all trying to win 20 Island Nectars Gu Roctanes and a Pearl Izumi Thermal Run Hat!

And there were 49 tweets as well. I had TWO SETS of goodies to give away: 20 GUs and a hat to a blog commenter, and 20 GUs and a hat to a tweeter.

Hee hee... "tweeter."

Before I post the winners, I just want to highlight some of my favorite and most random comments. I noted that if you commented ANYTHING on the giveaway post, you'd be entered. And some people were pretty awesome about that. Here are 8 that I want to point out (in chronological order):

Keith: "Do zombie sluts drive cars?"

I'm Tri-ing: "I want to look like a human highligher all hopped up on Roctane GU!"

Blyfinn: "Seals like water."

BriTriGuy: "So if I tweet that, I get an extra entry but I'm potentially decreasing my chances of winning if I'm actually popular on Twitter..."

Editors note: You make an interesting point. But lets talk this through. You had a 1 in 205 chance with your comment, and then you'd have ANOTHER 1 in 49 chance if you tweeted. So unless your single tweet would bring in another 200+ comments and 50 tweets, you'd have bettered your odds by commenting AND tweeting. Just thought I'd point that out. :)

Ben Berry: "Everytime Stanley takes a steaming poo in the cold of the morning, I think of you. So, send me this Gu."

Editors note: This is in reference to all of my tweets about poop. Yeah. I do that.

SteveQ: "My favorite running hat's older than the last three women I dated."

Travis: "On the other hand, you have different fingers"

Ryan: "It takes 14 pancakes to cover a doghouse because a basketball has no feathers."

So anyway.... I tried something new with the blog entries. I printed them all off and simply cut them into individual strips. Then I could mix them up and literally draw one from a hat.

Here are all the comments cut out:

In my hat


The first winner: Kim

Then I had to pick a random winner from the people who tweeted. I drew a tweet, and out came Deb.

So congrats to Kim and Deb! I hope you each enjoy your 20 Roctane GUs and your Pearl Izumi Thermal Hat!

There's TALK of another giveaway shortly, so stay tuned....

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An "Island Paradise" Giveaway!

Yeah. That's right. Steve in a Speedo can send you on an island adventure.

Wait, no I can't. I definitely can NOT. Nope. Can't. Sorry.

Here's what I CAN do. I can make you THINK you're on an island adventure.

Mid to late January is the most depressing time of year. I hear a "report" about that on the news every year: something about Christmas being over, holiday bills coming due, spring still being a long ways off, blah, blah, blah.

So how about 20 "Island Nectar" Gu Roctane gels?

It will let you dream of warm, sandy beaches with it's tropical flavor.

And just in case you're like me and stuck someplace cold, how about a BRIGHT Pearl Izumi Thermal Run Hat to "brighten" your winter mood?

These Thermal Run Hats are made with fast drying, odor absorbing P.R.O. Thermal fabric with Minerale (unreal technology that makes garments and gear incredibly more breathable). They come in black, red, white and screaming yellow. The winner here will get "Screaming Yellow" since it's UBER bright and actually useful for these winter months when it's darker and you need more bright pieces to be seen.

The winner of this giveaway will get 20 Island Nectar Gu Roctane Gels and one Pearl Izumi "Screaming Yellow" Thermal Run Hat:

ALL YOU NEED TO DO TO ENTER IS TO COMMENT ON THIS BLOG POST! Holy crap. That's easy. So do it. Now.


BUT WAIT!
*said in my best "infomercial" voice*

The people at Gu and Pearl Izumi have TWO sets of gels and hats to giveaway!

I'll give one set to a random commenter on this blog post, and I'll give another set out to those "social" folks hooked up in all kinds of social media. If you "like" Gu and Pearl Izumi on Facebook, and then send out this tweet...

Island getaway? Nope. How about some great tropical @GUEnergyLabs and some @pearlizumikody gear from @SteveinaSpeedo?! http://bit.ly/yAxKX

... you'll then be in the running to win ANOTHER set of GUs and a hat. I'll pick a winner from those that sent out this tweet.

So that's 20 Island Nectar Gu Roctane Gels and a great Pearl Izumi hat for a commenter on my blog...

... and ANOTHER 20 Island Nectar Gu Roctane Gels and a great Pearl Izumi hat for someone who "likes" Gu and Pearl Izumi on Facebook and sends out that tweet!

Quick side note on this Gu Roctane.... Roctane is my gel of choice for hard workouts and racing. I mentioned all my details on that in my race day nutrition post. I'll have 2 Gu Roctanes on me for my half marathon this weekend.

*Gulp* THIS. Weekend...... Crap.

OK, comment NOW (on this post) to be entered to win, and LIKE Gu and Pearl Izumi on Facebook and send out that tweet to be entered AGAIN (if you'd like)!! (Your blog comment can be anything - if you comment "Unicorns are just Horny Horses," you're entered!) I'll pick 2 winners in about a week - sometime around Wednesday, February 1st. Check back to see if you've won! Thanks for entering everyone! And thanks to Pearl Izumi and Gu for the sweet gear!!

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New 'Roctane Drink' Giveaway

If you're a long-time "Steve in a Speedo" reader, you know that I love Roctane Gu. In my post on race day nutrition, I mentioned the things I like to use before (and during) races, and Roctane is ALWAYS a "go to" for me.

Roctane "residue" left between my 2 pairs of shorts after cramming
an empty Roctane pack "all up in there" during a duathlon - don't litter! :)

Well guess what? Roctane is about to introduce a drink powder. Behold:

Here's what Gu is saying about their new Roctane Drink:

Light tasting, carbohydrate-dense Roctane Ultra Endurance Energy Drink provides athletes easily available energy with the superior rehydration combination of sodium and potassium. Taurine, Caffeine, and the proven Roctane Amino Acid Blend provide extra energy, reduce muscle damage and maintain mental focus, while Beta-Alanine augments muscle buffering capacity and performance to help athletes meet their goals.

In short, Roctane Drink is essential for any athlete striving to sustain peak performance through their endurance pursuits.

Here's the catch: I haven't reviewed this drink mix yet. There are currently only 29 tubs of this in existence, and the people at Gu want one of my readers (not me) to be among the first to try it out!

And on top of that, they also want to give that same reader of mine a Gu Sampler Pack! Here's the sampler pack I got a year ago:

Open, with all the gels on top...


...and the Brew and Chomps under the gels

So, would you like to be among the first in the world to try the new Roctane Drink and to receive a great Gu Sampler Pack? If yes, then read on!


Follow these steps to enter:
(all you REALLY need to do is comment, but you can earn an extra entry by tweeting)

• Step 1 (optional): to earn +1 extra entry: if you follow me and follow Gu on twitter and send out the following tweet, I'll throw your name in the hat TWICE! Tweet this for an extra entry:

Check out @SteveinaSpeedo's blog for a BRAND SPANKIN' NEW @GUEnergyLabs Roctane Drink giveaway! - http://iwannagetphysical.blogspot.com/

(If you already follow me and Gu on twitter, you still earn an extra entry for sending out the tweet.)

• Step 2: comment on this post to be entered, and make sure to tell me if you "earned" an extra entry! For example: “Hey Steve, this John Smith from Topeka. I followed you guys on twitter and sent out the tweet, so put my name in the hat twice! Thanks!” If you DIDN'T tweet for an extra entry, just comment! Even a comment saying "poopy butt" will officially get you entered. Really. Feel free to "test" me on this. :)

• Step 3: check back to see if your a winner! I'll announce the winners sometime over THIS weekend (Dec 10 or 11th). It's EXTRA important to stop back if you’re not a blogger, because I have no way of contacting you! The contest is open NOW through 6 pm (central time) on Thursday, Dec 8th. (That's only a 36 hour window people! Comment and/or tweet NOW!!) At that point, I'll print out all the entries, give extra numbers to those who earned extra entries, and then choose one at random by a random number generator, drawing numbers out of a hat, or other random selection process.

Pseudo-legal stuff:
- Contest only open to residents of the US and Canada. Sorry Taiwan.
- You may comment now (on THIS post) through 6 pm Central time on Thurs, Dec 8th.
- The winners will be chosen at random by a random number generator or by drawing numbers out of a hat. If you’ve earned multiple entries, you will get multiple numbers assigned to your name, thus bettering your chances at winning.
- Check back Saturday or Sunday (Dec 10 or 11) to see if you won! (Especially if you don’t have a blogger account because I have no way of contacting you.)
- If I can't get in touch with a winner within 2-3 days, I'll choose a new winner. So check back!

One final big THANKS to the people at the Gu for the goodies for this giveaway!

Roctane Ultra Endurance Energy Drink
(How can you NOT love something that has the words "Ultra Endurance Energy" in it?!?)


Gu Sampler Pack

Comment now! Thanks everyone!

Related posts:
- My "Does It Work" post about Roctane Gu
- My "I Use This" post on race day nutrition

Read more...

I USE THIS 02: My Race-Day Nutrition

If you've been racing a while, this post is probably of less interest to you. But if you're newer to endurance sports or multi-sport, this should help you out. Oh, but make sure to check out my thoughts on Nuun vs Gu Brew Tablets at the bottom of this post.


BREAKFAST ON THE MORNING OF A RACE:

- If it's a shorter race (like a 5K) and it's within 2 hours, I'll have 1 packet of "maple brown sugar" instant oatmeal.

- If it's a longer race (like any duathlon or triathlon) and / or it's a few hours from starting, I'll have 2 packets of oatmeal. Sometimes I need to force all of this down. Especially if I'm nervous.


DRIVING TO THE RACE:

I NEVER want to feel hungry after breakfast before a race, so I usually have a few things next to me for the drive:

- A banana.

- A Vanilla Crisp PowerBar. I've been using PowerBars since they only made Chocolate (which tasted like a burnt Tootsie Roll - and not in a good way).

- A bottle of water.

- "Sharkies Kids Sports Chews." These are f*cking delicious. They're covered in sugar, so they don't stick to your teeth, and they are full of things that don't upset my stomach.

Get the ones in the pink package (above) or the blue package

PRE-RACE:

Once I'm set up, I keep eating to keep hunger at bay until about an hour before the race. If the race is over an hours drive away, it's not uncommon for me to eat one PowerBar in the car, and one at the race site. And then:

- 1 Gu Roctane about 20 minutes pre-race.

- Water (or water with a Gu Brew electrolyte tablet in it if it's going to be a hot race).

DURING THE RACE:

RUNNING RACE:

- Nothing but water or sports drink (at aid stations) for any race 10 miles or less.

- For a half marathon, I'll carry one or 2 Gu Roctanes with me. If I have 2, I'll eat one just before an aid station (so I have water to wash it down with) around mile 4, and the other around mile 7 or 8. If I have just 1, I'll have it somewhere mid-race (again, just before an aid station).

MULTI-SPORT RACE (du or tri):

- Nothing during the first run in a du or the swim of a tri. (Well, usually a few ounces of lake water during a tri.)

- Starting the bike, I have water for the first few miles just to calm my stomach from the running or swimming that I just finished.

- During most races, I'll have another Roctane taped to my aero bars with electrical tape. Somewhere near the middle of the ride, I'll eat that gel. If it's an Oly or longer, I'll have 2 on the bike: one near the middle and one near the end. Oh, and I don't litter; I just cram the empty gel up my shorts until the end of the race. Here's a photo of the Gu left behind between my shorts after a duathlon last year:

- I'll have a bottle of water on the bike, and a bottle of "something else." In a shorter, hotter race, the "something else" might be Gu Brew tablet in water. If it's around an Olympic distance bike (25 miles), I'll have some Gatorade Endurance powder in water for some added calories. If it's a half ironman or longer, I'll have Carbo Pro mixed with a little Gatorade and water for even MORE calories.

- If it's a shorter race, I'm taking nothing but water on the final run (and I'm dumping a lot of it on my head / back). If it's a half ironman, I'm eating a few gels and trying to hold off that BONK that's sneaking up on me.


AFTER THE RACE:

- After the Waseca sprint triathlon 10 days ago, it was getting warm and I know I had sweated a lot on the final run, so I had a bottle of water with a Gu Brew tablet on the way home.

- Sometimes I'll bring some "recovery drink" powder: usually Heed Recoverite or PowerBar Performance Recovery.


THE REST OF THE STORY:

- Let's face it: Gu Brew tablets are like Nuun tablets. I started using Gu Brew tablets during my hard workouts as soon as it came out (early in 2011) because Gu had sent me some to try. There was ONE time during a hard workout that used Nuun, and my stomach got upset. I'm not saying it was the Nuun (really, I'm not), but that turned me off of Nuun for a while. I still have Nuun sometimes after a sweaty workout, but I feel "safer" with Gu Brew during races or hard workouts. But I have to point out that Gu Brew is sweetened with Stevia Leaf, which my recently pregnant Pharmacist wife did not use throughout her pregnancy because Stevia has "not been proven save in pregnant women." Nuun, however, is sweetened with sorbitol and polyethylene glycol - those ARE proven OK in a pregnant woman, BUT they can lead to "the poops" in some people.

- Gu sent me some Gu, some Roctane, and some Gu Brew tablets to review in the past, but that didn't sway my opinion. I love Roctane for harder workouts or races; it costs more, but it works! And the Brew tablets don't make me poopy (as I just described above).


For more info on some of what I mentioned above:
- My review of CarboPro
- My review of Roctane
- A long brick where I used a lot of Gu products

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