That's about a liter an hour of fluid you're drinking. At your size, and up where you live (dry warm day, I assume...?), you could be losing twice that in sweat. My guess is it's not a calorie thing, it's a water thing.

You took in about 500 calories of Gatorade and a few hundred more of Gu. I don't think it's the calories. And I don't think you need anything other than carbs on a 2.5 hour run.

Or, as someone in my Thursday long run group said to me a few months ago at the 15-mile mark -- "Dude, shut up about the water ... maybe you're just getting tired."

I solved my long-run-bonk problem by downing a full liter bottle of Gatorade right as I head out the door. Given that I'm starting slow anyway, there's no "digestion" problem with the full stomach. I don't starting hitting the fuel belt until about 30 minutes in. With that 32-oz head start, I've had good success even in hot weather with only four fuel belt bottles. Although -- that's about the outer limit. I've been hankering for an extra bottle or three on a few occasions. Even with that strategy, I lost 7 pounds on my last long run (2:45 long). That is over 3 liters of fluid loss, net of the two I took in.

As I write this, I am cautiously de-fizzing a 20-oz bottle of Mountain Dew to drink before I get out of here for my long run. Trying something a little "punchier" than Gatorade for a change. Fuel belt is Gatorade, though.

While I like Gatorade as a general sports drink, I am not a big fan of it as an endurance sports drink. As your mileage creeps up be it running or cycling your bodies needs change because you are sweating away nutrients and experiencing muscle damage. Thus what might work for you on mile 5 may not work for you on mile 15. This was the problem I was having. However, I solved it with a combination of G-Push G-1/G-3 and Hammer Endurolytes. Basically, they improved my nutrient retention and provided me with a higher percentage of carbs/protein than I would be able to get from a general sports drink. I don't push either of these products, or any other for that matter, but I do believe that the science behind them, and products similar to them, are reasonably sound and can be effectively utilized to ward off the bonks.

Ok -- ixnay on the Deway. I tried Mountain Dew on today's run and felt like I was gonna puke the first 45 minutes. Bad tip from an otherwise smart triathlete I know.

Sticking with Gatorade. BTW - I tried G-Push on runs and almost puked that up, too. I got a big canister of it here it my credenza that gives me the dry heaves every time I look at it.

forget the dew, reach for a pepsi. But not 32 ounces. thats a bit much, 12 should do the trick. I usually take a small water bottle filled with cytomax for anything over 1:20. Otherwise I don't worry.

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

<<This past weekend I did a long run of 20 miles. My pace started at 7:30 for the first four miles and then dropped into the low 7:20s for the middle of the run. At about mile 16 my pace started to creep up again and the last couple of miles were about 7:40 of about 7:27 for the run. For me, this pace represneted a steady effort that I figured would only get difficult toward the end.

While it was a good run oerall, I started feeling a little bonky over the last 4 to 5 miles. >>

Was this your first long run of that distance? If so, it might not be fluid/nutrition at all. I'm sure you have been building up to that distance over time, but still, running long takes getting used to.

Brett

It took me about 3 months to get used to the taste of G-Push (like bad margarita mix). At full strength it can be a gagarama. I actually like it at room temp. Accelerade and Sustained Energy give me the heebie geebies.

I normally just do the gel and water thing, maybe some sports drink mixed in too. But if it's hot some electrolyte tablets really help me keep it going too. As far as the last poster about accellerage and sustained, try Hammer's new Perpetuem. All the benefits of Sustained but with a way better flavor. You can mix it as thick or thin as you like and it doesn't spoil quickly like accellerade, sustained, g3, or endurox along with a much better taste even when hot.

For me it seems like it has nothing to do with nutrition, you got enough calories and as much water you can absorb (it don't help drinking more, most people can't absorb more than 0.75 liter pr H while running).

Well, it depends on how hard you're running. I crewed for a friend doing a 50-mile trail run in August a few years back, and many of those folks were going through 2-3 liters an hour for quite a few hours.

But, yes, it's possible that Garth hit his pace/distance/effort level threshold on that run and was simply running out of room with nutrition and water.

But, hell, Garth...I can barely do 800 repeats at that pace. If you can run 20 miles at 7:30 or so, hat's off to you. If you felt that it got tough at the end...geez, I hope it was tough at the end. :-)