A Cheap Alternative To Energy Gels

At $1 - $3 a package, Energy gels can get quite expensive when your a marathon runner or use them in your training runs. So why pay for what you can make yourself in bulk? I'll show you how.
All you will need is honey, molasses and salt.

14 and 2/3 Tablespoons of Honey
1 and 1/2 teaspoons of Molasses (Blackstrap if you can find it)
1/5 teaspoons of table salt

This will make the equivalent to about 10 gel packets and will be pretty thick (add water to thin out). Make sure to mix everything together, clumps of salt do not always taste the best. In this mixture the honey provides the good carbs and vitamins. The Molasses has tons of potassium in it and the salt of course provides the sodium. One of the best things about this mixture is that it doesn't have to be refrigerated and lasts about a full week this way. Keeping it cold will make it last much longer.

Want a recovery Gel with protein?

12 Tablespoons of Honey
1 and 1/4teaspoons of Blackstrap Molasses
12 and 3/4 teaspoons of Soy Protein Isolate
1/8 teaspoons of salt
3-6 Tablespoons of water (depends on how thick you want it)

This should be kept fresh and not too old because the protein can make it go bad quicker.

Now if you want more flavor you could add espresso, Hersey's chocolate syrup, possibly even jello mixes (haven't tried but could work). One tastier version is 1/2 parts honey to 1/2 parts chocolate syrup.

I would suggest buying a 5 oz plastic flask for gels at your local running store or here. It is very portable and easy to carry on a run or bike ride.

Now you can produce your own energy and save money!

Why You Should Go A Full Size Larger

(Courtesy of Luke's Locker Shopper)

If you look at each 3rd toe, they are black. In most cases this is caused by running in shoes that are too small for you feet. What happens is one each step of running when you toe off on one foot, all your weight and force is put on your toes and they are forced forward. If there is not enough room for you toes, they will butt up against the edge of you shoes. When this happens after every step, you toes will start to form blisters on the edge of the toes or right under the nail. After awhile they will form into blood blisters that are built up under the nail. This will cause the nails to appear black from the blood. After about a 3 month time period, the black nail will fall off. It is best to try to keep it on as long as possible because a new nail is forming underneath.

In most cases this can easily be fixed by going another half to full size up. Black toenails usually are not painful, but are not fun to have. Save yourself the issue and make sure you are in the right size. In a proper running shoe you want to have a full thumbnails length from your longest toe to the edge of the shoe.

This will keep you toes from hitting the edge of the shoe when running.

If you heels start to slip because of going up to a larger size, then try the Runner's Loop

Chocolate Milk... The Recovery Drink of Champions?

After a hard day of intervals, a long distance run, or any sort of workout it is best to consume some sort of nutrients that the body can absorb (within 30 min. after your workout, yet even better if it is before 15 min.) to achieve proper recovery. Doing so will reduce soreness and muscle fatigue throughout the rest of the day. Things like fruits, granola, protein bars, Gatorade, and poweraid are great to have and will make your body feel more energized.

What most people don't know is that 1% Chocolate Milk is one of the best things to consume after a run. Low-fat milk is a great source of nutrition . It consists of 90% water, so it replaces fluid lost in sweat. Low-fat milk also has calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D to build strong bones, and B vitamins to produce energy. Potassium and sodium are also found in chocolate milk and these are key electrolytes lost during exercise. The main carbohydrate in cow’s milk is lactose(milk sugar). Low-fat chocolate milk contains carbohydrate and protein in a proportion greater than 3 to 1, which is the optimal level to refuel tired muscles after hard exercise. The presence of protein in milk is vital because it speeds the uptake of sugar into exhausted muscles by directly increasing insulin levels in blood. And not to forget, it tastes great.

Heel Slipping?

Having problems with your heel slipping even though your in the right shoes size?

Lacing your shoes differently can help. First try going into the back eye hole

If this does not work, then try the Runner's Loop


1. First take each lace out of the top eye hole



2. Take each shoe lace and put it through the back eye hole on the same side it is already on. This will form a loop on each side.



3. Then take the right shoe lace and cross over to the left loop and thread the lace through the loop. Do this with the left lace to the right loop hole as well.



4. Then tighten the laces, and tie a regular knot.


What the Runner's Loop does is pull the heel of the shoe closer to the foot and intern keeps the heel from slipping.

Random Tips, Tricks, and Facts about Running

Here are some random Tips and Tricks that I find useful

1. If you are having problems with blistering, put ducktape over the blister before you run.

2. When training make sure not to increase you training for the next week more than 10%
(If you run 10 miles a week, your next week should not exceed 11 miles)

3. After a run make sure to get a good some sort of nutrition, like a banana, protein bar, smoothie, or recovery drink, within 30 min. after the workout ended. In this time period the body will soak up the most nutrients and will speed up recovery.

4. Most injuries can be avoided by staying hydrated. When the body is hydrated, it is less likely to pull a muscle, have soreness, and even can prevent injuries like shin splints and knee pain.

5. Your actual running shoe size is a full size larger than you casual shoe size. You should have a full thumbnail length space at the end of you shoes.

6. When running, you impact on you legs will be anywhere from 5-8 x your body weight.

7. Most quality Running shoes will last, on average, for 400 miles.

8. It is best not to stretch before a run. First warm up for about 5 min. then take a break to stretch. It is especially important to stretch well after a long distance run. This will decrease soreness.

9. Wearing synthetic material socks, opposed to cotton socks (cotton = bad), will keep your feet dry and will keep your shoes from smelling as bad.

10. A runner needs to consume around 120 ounces of water, or water-like fluids ( gatoraid, poweraid, teas, and so on (Not sodas or milk)). This will keep the body functioning optimally.