Summary

Are we really runners if we don't talk about either barf or poo? Join me as I apply my ultimate nerd hack to the wonderfully weird world of ultra-marathon fueling. As I train for my very first 50K, I share my sticky history with sports nutrition.

What starts as casual trial and error quickly spirals into full nerd mode, complete with a meticulously organized spreadsheet ranking gels by flavor, texture, and how likely they are to make my stomach file a formal complaint. Spoiler: the winners were not what I expected, and some fan favorites did not make the cut.

Along the way, I share hard-earned lessons about why “I’ll figure it out later” is not a valid fueling strategy when you’re hours into a run. With a few cautionary tales and plenty of laughs, this episode is a friendly nudge to fellow newbies to experiment, plan ahead, and find the fuel that actually works for them. Because when it comes to ultras, your legs may carry you forward, but your nutrition decides whether you finish smiling…or swearing.

Chapters

1. 00:16 - Embarking on a New Challenge
2. 02:10 - Exploring Sports Nutrition
3. 03:13 - Finding the Right Fuel: My Experience with Energy Gels
4. 05:12 - Hydration Strategies for Racing
5. 07:46 - Getting Into the Thick of Ultra Training

How I Procrastinate

1. Sleep with Rock Stars, the Gen X Sleep Podcast
2. Country Fried Rock, Podcast Archives from 2009-2020
3. Music Playlists
4. Support This Podcast
5. Dive Bar Music Club, the Low Key, High Taste Happy Hour for Music Nerds

Recommended If You Like

ultra running, endurance training, sports nutrition, race day tips, hydration strategies, energy gels for runners, best running gels, fueling for endurance events, running in your 50s, half marathon training, marathon running tips, gels vs. liquid nutrition, training for a 50k, running gear advice, hydration packs for running, ultra marathon preparation, nutrition for long runs, running fuel preferences, best flavors of energy gels, common running mistakes, Gu, Maurten, Honeystinger, honey stinger, maple syrup, SIS, science in sport

Automated Transcript

Speaker A

00:00:02.640 - 00:07:53.190

Hey, y', all, this is Mama Runs an Ultra.

I'm a runner on the downhill side of my 50s who decided that I would run my first 50ish K. Now, I've run a whole bunch of half marathons over the last several years, but I've never run more than 16 miles. And as I dive into training, I spend a lot of time asking myself, what the hell am I thinking?

So, a few episodes ago, I was telling y' all about my first half marathon, the one that I don't even remember running other than I burst into tears at the finish line and I had the police escort court because I was...