A few different bits…

I’ve not posted regular running food reviews for a while but I did try a new gel recently, Gatorade Endurance. The one I had was strawberry and included caffeine. When I used it, I felt pretty good even though I’d done a decently fast six-miler the prior day. The taste was fine and it didn’t cause any GI disruptions so I was pleased.

On a related note, Honey Stinger’s gels used to be fairly thick. However, I ended up with a few packs recently and when using them, I noticed they’re much thinner and easier to take down than before.

While Gu is still my go-to gel for any critical long run or race, knowing these others work, especially if they’re being handed out during an event, is useful.

A few days ago, someone asked me what my favorite race was during this past year. I tend to look at accomplishments on their own and not within the context of a year or a season. Not having considered my races in an annual kind of framework, I was unprepared to answer. However, I racked my brain and realized that with the build-up for the marathon this past fall, followed by a few shorter races since that time, I’d mostly forgotten the ten-mile race I ran in June. In my quick analysis, I realized that was probably my best one since I met my optimal goal time for it and my pacing and strategy were solid. While I don’t foresee my view on best races changing because of this question, I appreciated that it helped bring a good race back to the surface.

I suspect my next official race will be sometime in the spring. Where we live, winter can be mild and spring can be wintry but if I’m paying for a race, I prefer for the conditions to be good for a fast time and I’ll take my odds on the warmer part of the year. At this point, I’m most likely looking at 5Ks and 10Ks for the coming year, with perhaps another ten-miler in there. In the meantime, I’ll keep preparing and logging miles.