creepy twinkle and a Blok party

Today started out like any other Sunday...wake up, shower, go to church, go out for lunch, etc. I decided to make a dash in the torrential downpour from the restaurant to the running store a few doors down. I had a two part mission. I needed to find an alternative energy source for my long runs and I needed a new stick of Body Glide.

Mission 1: Get Body Glide....completed.

Mission 1.5: I bought two more pairs of running socks...I'm getting tired of washing multiple loads of whites every week just so I can wear clean socks. I have enough socks, just not "good," blood stain-free running socks.

Mission 1.75: I maaaay have walked past the Garmin display, looking longingly at the fine piece of gadgetry. I want one. Alas, I am a poorly paid teacher who is a munchkin. I cannot afford one. I also don't think my wee bitty wrists (I can wrap all of my fingers around my wrist and my Timex only fits on the last hole) can support the beast.

Mission 2: My trusty Vanilla and Chocolate flavored Gu aren't working for me anymore. I have used it for too long maybe? Whenever I take it on a long run, my gag reflex kicks in...the texture, the taste, the smell, just makes me want to hurl. Hurling is not recommended when trying to maintain your energy level. It is also not recommended if I want to have any chance with Hot Runner Guy. So, I asked the trusty running store "experts" for their recommendations.

I had been eyeing the Clif Shot Bloks for a while. I tried to do some research online, but the Clif web site didn't give a lot of technical information about the benefits of the Bloks over any other energy gel. I was looking for cold, hard facts and some real runners' opinions on the stuff.

One of the ladies didn't have anything positive or negative to say about them, except that she doesn't like to chew when she runs...noted. I picked up three flavors-Cherry, Strawberry, and Cran-razz. I took a pass on the Pina Colada flavor...seemed like a weird choice for a mid-run refuel. They also recommended trying a new flavor of Gu. I was skeptical about that advice, considering the texture makes me gag, but I picked up a Lemon Sublime pack to give it a shot. I also picked up two packs of Hammer Gel (Tropical and Raspberry). They said that the texture of the Hammer Gel was more liquid than Gu, so I may not have the same texture issue.

So, I checked out, armed with a new stash of experimental energy supplies. Since I am still struggling with my wipedoutitis, I took a half hour nap before my run.

I woke up to a creepy rendition of "She's Been Comin' Around the Mountain." The creepy twinkling was coming from none other than the friendly neighborhood ice cream truck. Normally, that wouldn't be unusual, however, it was in the middle of a raging thunderstorm. I was lying in bed thinking, "Now, what parent in their right mind (besides Nitmos) would allow their kids to run out into the street TOWARDS a ton of metal machinery during an electrical storm?" So, since I am not the most brilliant runner in the world, I decided to go for a run...but I kept my distance from all metal objects and tried reaaaallly hard not to sing the little ditty as I was "comin' round" the curves in the road.

Before I left, I decided to give the Cherry Clif Bloks a spin. I normally don't use a gel on a 6 mile run, but since I've been struggling with energy lately, I figured it couldn't hurt. There are two servings in a bag. I thought this was great...more bang for your buck. It cost the same as Gu, but I get two runs out of the package. I put the leftovers in a sandwich bag for later. I took one before I headed out the door, and pocketed the other two in the original packaging. The taste was good, the texture was surprisingly soft, I was expecting more gumminess (is this even a word?). I popped Block #2 into my mouth at about mile 2.5 when I looped around to my water bottle. I didn't chew this one, just kinda sucked on it. It felt uncomfortably large in my mouth, so I started chewing on it about a half mile later...she was right, chewing and running are not a good combination. I think next time, I will cut them in half and see if that helps. I took one more around mile 5 and I felt pretty good...no gag reflex...no hurling. I went on for another mile and a half. My energy level was good. My only other comment about it was my mouth felt sticky, but I think I could used to it...better that than hurling.

I'll try the other flavors and the other gels over the next few weeks and give you a gag report. Anyone else have any advice or anecdotes about their gel/Blok experiences?