Hi Suzy guess it's like most things you've to find what suits you. I've found body plus energy bars quite good and Powerade, although I dilute that not sure if you're meant to do that but find it too sweet otherwise. So good luck with that.
Bev
SuzyV
Since: Jun 2011
Posts: 49
Thanks for the reply Bev - I would have answered sooner but it seems the email updates arent working? Yes I suppose it is a personal choice I just wanted to see what worked for others :-) I drink "Replace" by Horleys when I walk for more than an hour and will use this on my race days. Will buy some of those energy bars and try them out :-)
Suz
Hi Suzy - this is one I feel qualified to answer (at least personally, anyway - different strokes for different folks, of course!) with all the walking and trail running I've been doing.
I use energy gels, but I DON'T use them the way most folks do - I don't like having an energy spike followed by a crash (and I'm not wild about the taste either - even the ones my company makes!), so I dissolve a couple of gel sachets in a camelbak full of water before the race/event, and then sip away on that over the course of it.
I tend to avoid chocolate during a race simply because I run/walk *hot*, and it invariably ends up melted in a mess! I usually do have some form of sugar (e.g. jellies or wine gums or simlar) in case I hit the wall despite the energy gels: plus I also carry dried fruit with me if I want somethign that's not quite so sweet.
A lot of the time I end up not eating during a race though: probably because I'm lucky enough to not have any problems eating fairly solidly anything up to an hour beforehand. So if I have my standard race-day breakky of vogels and peanut butter, and then sometimes a drink of something with some calories (I often have Primo or Up & Go, although that won't work for people who can't handle dairy when they're racing) just before I start, I'm often fine with just the gels in my Camelbak right the way through to the finish line :-)
Hope that's helpful!
STARFIRE
hwenley
Since: Mar 2011
Posts: 2
I use Usana's Rev3 to boost my energy and to help with re-hydration. I like the taste and its healthy - it doesn't cause the crash that high sugar content energy drinks create. It comes in powder form so it's easy to carry and add to my water bottle. Good to have before, during and/or afterwards.
SuzyV
Since: Jun 2011
Posts: 49
Thanks for info hwenley! Though at this stage of my training I am thinking I need a treat like some chocolate to get me through my long walks - energy levels are down a bit - even though I am having a balanced healthy diet - maybe thats the reason!! :-)
SuzyV
Since: Jun 2011
Posts: 49
Starfire - I think I am leaning towards not eating while doing the race - just might add a 'naughty' treat while training the 22km walk - which is tomorrow :-)
Sounds smart, Suzy! Everyone is so different - I know some people who seem to have to eat pretty much every hour during a race, and others who literally can't eat a *thing* for a couple of hours beforehand right through to an hour or so afterwards (granted, they're mostly runners, but I'm sure some walkers have the same issue!)
I think that's why it's so important to try different things during the training walks - they're not just about conditioning your body (although obviously, they're about that too!), but they're about trying out different clothes/drinks/food/whatevers in an environment that's as close to race-day as possible, and seeing which ones work best for you during a time when something going wrong won't end up causing a disaster!
Good luck for the 22k - let us know how it goes!
