Fill er' Up- Unleaded Please

Nutrition is difficult to figure out when training for long events. The key is to allow yourself enough time to try different things and see what agrees with your body. Never change your nutrition on race day. I've tried many different energy bars and have finally found something I really like! Melaleuca, a wellness company, makes Access bars as well as Sustain hydration and recovery drinks. I am a fan of the chocolate mint bars that have 120 calories. It has a great cookie crunch with a chocolate coating and is not dry and crumbly like many bars can be. It also is not too heavy so it goes down easy and smooth. I used to really love Cliff bars, but at 250 calories, I had to make sure I was really working it off. Cliff bars also go down a little heavy for me and I have to eat it slowly while running. I keep my pantry stocked with Access bars now. The Sustain powder hydration drink is also really good! It's slightly sweeter than Gatorade and comes in two flavors. The best part is when I make a bottle to carry with me, I can make it as strong or as weak as I want. So keep trying new things when figuring out your body's needs and give Access bars a try. Avoid energy boosts that have a lot of sugar or caffeine, as these will cause an eventual crash. Remember to consume enough calories when going out for long periods of time. My general rule of thumb is to eat something, a bar or a gel, after 60 minutes of running and then every half hour after that. During a marathon I will alternate water Sustain and depending on the heat, I may grab a cup at every station.