Moving baby to solid food ...

The heck with gels - gimme substance!
(Creative Commons by Jason Dunn)

The timelapserunner discussed previously his first experience with gels, specifically the Clif Shot Gel - likely to be available on the back half of the Louisiana Marathon route at those friendly aid stations. But gels are not the only possible source of in-race fuel for the endurance athlete. There are some foodstuffs with more substance and that are less likely to drip down your chin in mid-stride. One such item is the Clif Bar, made by those same good folk that make the gels.

I picked up a couple of the Clif Bars in the neighborhood drugstore a couple weeks back. I spied them on the same shelf and the Muscle Milk and Ensure (now that's a combination). Instead of the meager 100-110 calories provided by the gooey gels, the Clif Bar weighs in at a hefty 250 calories, if you eat the entire bar in one pit stop. However, your likelihood of mowing down a whole Clif Bar without a considerable amount of water is quite low, in my opinion. It is rather chewy and might get stuck about halfway down if not followed by a hefty water chaser.  Perhaps eating half a bar at a time is a better plan for these babies. We don't want to keel over on a long run because we choked on an energy bar, do we? Now how would that look in the obits?

These bars come in a variety of flavors (Sam's has large variety packs of these), but I opted for the white chocolate macadamia nut bar that's pictured here. It's quite tasty, this flavor is. But why even think about using these when the marathon aid stations will be stocking something else? Good question. We must first learn which of these energy sources our stomach (and parts below) can tolerate during a long run. This will only come from some real experience that we'll have to gain in the coming months. If the gels don't settle well in the heat of battle, so-to-speak, then these bars are another option. True, we'd have to carry our own supply during the race, but I'm guessing one could stow three of these in running shorts pockets without a hitch.

The timelapserunner will learn more as time goes on and experience accumulates.

TODAY'S WORKOUT: Nice, cool (comparatively) walk around the block for three miles, averaging 15:49 per mile. No squawking from legs or anything else.