GU Recovery Brew
There were a few packages of Recovery Brew in the lovely package* I received a few weeks ago. I’ve now had both flavors after long runs, with one long run in between where I didn’t use it.
The verdict: It seems to make a difference, but I’m not sure I’d go out of my way to get it.
I tried the Orange Pineapple a few weeks ago after my 19 mile run. I didn’t love the taste, but I managed to get most of it down. It didn’t bother my stomach at all and seemed to give me some energy afterwards, but I didn’t feel like it was anything spectacular.
Last week I drank the Strawberry Watermelon flavor after my 20 mile run. Now this is a flavor I can get behind. I really liked it and had no trouble drinking the whole thing. I also felt the best that I have after a long run in a long time. I’m not sure it was all from the recovery drink, but I definitely was in a better mood after running 20 miles than I’ve been and I didn’t have my typical mid afternoon crash. Usually, I drink chocolate milk after a long run. That seems to work moderately well for me. I do think I’ll make sure to take a packet with me for after the marathon as we’ll be driving back from Pennsylvania and it’s easier to take this along than milk.
Want to try it yourself? Comment on my giveaway to get a chance to try it! It ends April 21 and two people will win!
Heat training
To say I’m not a fan of running in warmer weather is a bit of an understatement. All of my FAIL races have involved temperatures over 75*. I’d much rather run in 20* weather than 70*. Unfortunately, I live in the south, so summer running is going to be in the 90s. Bleh.
Today I purposely waited until it was hot and sunny. (OK, maybe I also wanted to go out for coffee with friends first LOL). It was 80* when I hit the road at 11:15. Knowing I only wanted to do 3-4 slowish miles, I chose a fairly sunny route. Once again, I rocked my new Hex sunglasses.
Mile 1: 9:47 (wow, I’m already soaking wet)
Mile 2: 9:36 (oops, too fast, dying here)
Mile 3: 9:49 (this sucks. I don’t want to do this any more)
Mile 4: 10:21 (Keep going. Doesn’t matter how slow. Just.Keep.Going.)
That run sucked, but totally served a purpose. I didn’t enjoy it, but I’ve got to start adapting to the warmth just in case the marathon is on a warm day. I was so glad to be done. I did also get to try out a new pair of shorts (that I bought). They no longer seem to make the Adidas Rebound shorts that I love and I’m having trouble finding the Lululemon style that I like, so I bought a pair of Under Armour Heat Gear attack training shorts. They worked great for the four miles, so I’ll be trying them on a longer run soon. Unfortunately, shorts with longer inseams do not come with built in liners, so I’ll be trying some Under Armour underwear soon too.
Now I’m off to take my second shower of the day…
Definitely takes some getting used to and its smart you are working in some hot weather training to be prepared. My trouble is making sure I stay hydrated enough!
Good for you for getting out there! Must say I'm a little jealous of your nice weather though…rain and cold today over here.
Try the under armour boyshort underwear. The regular brief cut tends to give wedgies 🙂 Nice job getting out in that heat! Heat seems to take forever to get acclimated to for running.
The humidity make my 10mile run pretty gross today too. Have a great weekend!
I hate the heat. Good for you for training in it!
I am such a baby running in the heat. I have never been able to perform well in heat or humidity. You are a rock star for making it for as long as you did:) I smiled at your random thoughts after each mile…totally something that I would do:) Enjoy the weekend!
Wow I just can't wait for the review photos of those UA underwear! You'll be the hit of bloggy land! ;-)I love to sweat! so I am good in the heat but prefer to race in the cooler temps too. My only REALLY bad marathon was due to over dressing and the unexpected heat! It was a nightmare – I finished but thought I was goign to die!
I hear you on the heat. And I live in Arizona! I've learned to just buckle down and do it. It makes those runs in ideal temps a bit easier!
Way to bust it out in the heat. Think of it as an early summer. Thanks for the review. I've been thinking of trying those out!
AWE come ON! There is something REALLY bad a** about a really sweaty run! or. maybe. not. My worst races have also been "hot" races, one of which landed me with heat exhaustion, and one of which flattened me with a Na deficiency of the serious kind.And, ha ha, you KNOW I'd enter the GU give away right, except that GU makes me (dear gentle reader…)?
P.S. Some day, when you come to Connecticut to run a race, you'll have to go to the Thomas Hooker Brewery. Every 1st and 3rd Friday of the month they have Open House from 5-8 p.m. $10 gets you a pint glass and all the beer you can sample. OK, now that I've motivated you, see you soon!
Way to go on the heat training!
I don't mind trainign runs in the heat, but I HATE racing when it's hot. Blech. Way to get out there.
I don't really care for running in the high heat either. However, I would rather run in 70* than 20*… probably because 20* here would consist of some nasty wind and icy roads. blech.
Running in heat is awful, but good for you for getting out there in an undesirable temp and getting through it!
I find the heat hard to run in too! Last weekend it was hot here and I was soaked by the end. Today it was cold and windy and my pace was faster. My husbaand just got some UA underwear and loves them. I may have to try some too!