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| Take your pick. Pick the caffeinated ones. |
Next up in the Trick or Treat series is Gu Energy. I'll eat just about anything, but when I'm training seriously, I pretty much stick with Gu. I ate Gu in some form or another (gel, soft chews, drink mix) almost exclusively while I spent the summer training for the TransRockies Run. I'm still finding Gu tabs and empties in the nooks and crannies of my race vests.
Like Kleenex or Band-Aid, Gu is synonymous with energy gel. Its semi-liquid form means faster nutrient absorption than solid food and Roctane's higher histidine and amino acid provides a boost for long distance and high energy workouts. For Trick or Treating purposes, however, flavor is the priority.
I crave sweets when I'm on the trail, so Gu's dessert-oriented flavors really strike a chord with me. The original Gu line's Chocolate Outrage and Mint Chocolate and the Roctane Chocolate Raspberry nail chocolate cravings on the run, while Espresso Love's caffeine keeps my coffee shakes away. If you don't dig chocolatey goodness on the run, Roctane's Vanilla
Orange and Blueberry Pomegranate and Original Gu's Jet Blackberry and
Tri Berry are sweet and tangy.
The sweet thing about Gu is that there are a ton of flavor options in case your palate isn't as refined as mine. I'm not as big a fan of Cherry Lime and Pineapple, but some of my running buddies swear that they're the best flavors.
Variety also comes in handy when you're eating a bunch during a long run. I don't care how much you like Mint Chocolate, you're not going to be happy after eating eight packs in a row on a 4-hour run.
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Gu's also releasing two new flavors for the holidays - Peanut Butter and Peppermint Stick. Peanut Butter will add some saltiness to Gu's predominantly sweet lineup, while Peppermint Stick will hopefully taste like a peppermint stick. Both are due for release on November 4th. I've been dropping stocking-stuffer hints to Mrs. Trek Tech.
