A mommy moment: This morning I took the kiddos to look at a new elementary school for the next school year. It's a magnet school for math, science, and technology. I was very impressed with the curriculum and the facility. It's very hands-on, math and science are integrated into every subject area, and the teachers use different and innovative teaching methods. No brainer. We're definitely applying. We have to go through a lottery (much like marathoners!) to see if our applications are chosen. My mommy time will be reduced since there is no bus service and I'll have to drive them to and from a school about 15-20 minutes away, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.
The tour took much longer than I expected, so I was left with little time to run my three-miler before picking up my preschooler. It was supposed to be an easy 3 miles at an 11-minute pace, but time was of the essence. You see, my preschool charges $1 per MINUTE if you are late. I knew I really had time for three 10-minute miles, rather than the 11-minute pace. I was all ready to go, then couldn't find my MP3 player. That wasted precious seconds. I ran mile 1 in 10:23, got worried about the time and ran mile 2 in 9:44, and finished up mile 3 with 9:23--- negative splitting each mile. Not exactly an easy recovery run for me, but I made it to preschool in plenty of time!
After I picked Julia up, we stopped by Starbucks for a recovery latte (have you tried the Starbucks London Fog tea latte--Earl Grey tea, vanilla syrup, foam-- phenomenal! And I had a coupon for a free one. Even better!).
Then we went to the running store to stock up on gels. My 2.5-year-old said, "Are those running candy?" Why yes, Julia, they ARE running candy. If by candy you mean sticky, yet slimy, sometimes foul-tasting packets of goop that give you an upset stomach for hours later. The Shot Bloks really taste like candy, but they just don't do it for me. I'll deal with the taste, consistency, and after-effects of gels because they at least give me ENERGY! So, I guess I'll stick with goop. (P.S. MCM Mama recommended Vanilla Gu. I got one for this Saturday's run, and I'll review it on here afterwards. Maybe it will taste like a latte.) A question for the marathoners--- caffienated gel or no?
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7 comments:
Great job on the run! Gotta love those negative splits.
That latte sounds yummy! I am not a huge fan of coffee, but love lattes. This sounds right up my alley.
You know... my favorite Gu is the "just plain" flavor. Don't let the name fool you, it isn't just plain no taste, icky gu. It is nicely sweet and has a vanilla-like flavor to it. My friend said it tastes a little like banana, but I don't really see that. I really don't purchase my gu based on caffeine or no caffeind. They don't really give you a choice; each flavor either has it or it doesn't. The plain does and I don't know if it makes much difference to me. The Vanilla Powerbar Gel doesn't have caffeine and I have used that plenty of times.
Really enjoy your blog. Thought I'd pipe in on the gels. I'd pretty much given up on finding a decent tasting gel, when I found Hammer Gel Espresso. Love it. Think it has 50 mg of caffeine, which is less than a cup of coffee.
WTG on the negative splits!
Hope you like the Gu. So far, I haven't tried any of the caffeine ones. Maybe once I use up the huge box of vanilla that I bought for marathon training. (I like the chocolate ones too, but I end up with it all over my face LOL)
I vote "Yes" on the caffeinated gel ballot. My favorite: Power Bar gel, Strawberry-Banana flavor, 1X caffeine. Tastes like and has the consistency of yogurt, especially on these cold days!
I have only tried the blocks once and hated them. I am a GU girl. I gag almost everytime I take them, but they work wonders for me. And I would say Yes on the caffeinated, but I know some people hate them.
just found you from another blog and good luck on the country music 1/2. I've done it twice and they really put on a good race...just don't plan on parking nearby!
I can't do the gu, I have to stick to orange slices and such so no help there
Love your blog! I can't do Gu either, I stick with the sport beans...I put them in a baggy w/ salty peanuts...got me thru my first marathon last month.
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