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Lead Stories: Sunday, November 23, 2008

Hitting the Wall and …
… How to Run Through It!

Posted April 23rd, 2007 at 5:09 PM by Jim Fortner

Section: Running & Training, Motivation, Training Tips

A note from TFS: Jim Fortner is a weekly, guest contributor to The Final Sprint. Make sure to also check out “Jim2’s Running Page”, his own personal running and advice site.

Below you will find his latest post about getting past the wall . . . It’s a must read for any marathon runner!

…Don’t depend on what you eat or drink during a marathon to get you past the wall! Gels and powerbars certainly aren’t “the only way to make it past the 20 mile wall” . . . In fact, they play a relatively small role in determining how hard you hit the wall and how well you deal with it.

Sure, you need to stay hydrated (drink water) during the race or you will be in big trouble toward the end….that’s a no-brainer. And the sports drinks that first appeared in marathons about 17 years ago….they weren’t available for the first 90 years in the history of the modern marathon….do help to further prepare you to deal with the latter part of the race. Do gels and power bars help even more? As you can tell from my previous post, I have serious doubts.

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Portable electrolyte tablets: What’s all the buzz about?

Posted December 16th, 2006 at 6:19 PM by Jonathan Faccone

Section: Nutrition, Hydration, Race Prep & Recov, Supplements

Since the advent of Gatorade, manufacturers have been in fierce competition to one-up each other with new and better ways to fuel athletes. This has created a very saturated market; one that features a plethora of choices for competitive athletes. As a result, athletes vary greatly, especially in the world of endurance sports, about which option they believe is the most effective.

One alternative that has begun to slowly, pick-up steam in the market is the electrolyte tablet. There has been a lot of buzz surrounding these portable tablets, such as Nuun and Zym, because they are quick and convenient mechanisms for obtaining vital replenishment of electrolytes and other vitamins.
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Gatorade Endurance Formula: Making a Huge Splash in the World of Running

Posted November 15th, 2006 at 12:36 PM by Carolyn Hershler

Section: Running & Training, Nutrition, Hydration, Race Prep & Recov

Hot, sweaty, sore, and exhausted - you make your way around the bend for the last 5 mile stretch of your seemingly endless 26.2 mile marathon. A volunteer passes you a cup of a lemon flavored sports drink and you quickly down it. The cool beverage seems to glide through your body; refreshing and replenishing your muscles and giving you enough strength to finish that marathon and fly through the finish line.

In all likelihood, that sports drink was Gatorade’s Endurance Formula; their new sports drink for runners who like to push their bodies to the extreme. Endurance Formula, the newest addition to Gatorade’s Performance Series, was created to assist athletes in achieving their peak performance and has been received very well; becoming a staple at running events like Gatorade’s original formula has been for years on basketball and football sidelines.

In addition, it has been served at every 5k, half-marathon and marathon I completed in the past 6 months and, more notably, was served at the Ironman North America events and the ING New York City Marathon. Read the rest of this entry »

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