Treadmill Marathon puts EFS Liquid Shot and EFS Energy Drink to the Test

What's easier than running a marathon? Well, .... a lot of things. But that's not really what I want to talk about now. Yesterday, I ran a marathon, and although it was not my first, it was a first on new terrain. I didn't run some exotic marathon in Hawaii or on the shores of California. Nor was I running in the woods or on the trails. Nope, I did it on the treadmill at the gym.

I know what you're thinking: BORING! But... not so fast. Think about it; running a treadmill marathon is the most controlled kind of marathon you can get. You control the temperature, the ventilation, and the humidity. You pick your entertainment (instead of running behind some master-blaster that won't let you pass. You're in control of the grade at which you run, and the speed for that matter. No worrying about how fast other people are going as they pass you, because (ahem) no one can pass you! You can run next to some dude going 6:30min/miles (like I was) and its like you're going the same pace... because neither of you are going anywhere! And the biggest (and most important) thing you can control: your nutrition. What better way to test your pre-race nutrition strategies than on a hamster-wheel?

I hadn't tried EFS Liquid Shot before the treadmill marathon, but my concern wasn't so much will-it-mess-me-up digestive wise as will-it-make-me-wanna-gag. Long story short- I realized the hard way last spring at the Lincoln Marathon that I simply can't handle gels anymore, and after five years of training and racing with them, all of a sudden they needed to be out of the picture. Gels make me feel like I am sticking my finger down my throat. Gu, Powergel, Clif Shots... no matter what flavor or caffeine content or what I mix them with, all of them make me feel like I am going to puke-town and that I will get a few cavities while I'm at it. They are hard to swallow and too sweet for me to handle without a satisfying chew. So, I haven't had any liquid-energy food other than sports drink since last May. Before starting the treadmill marathon, I poured 5oz of Liquid Shot into a flask (I bought the big bottle, and just used a small Nathan flask to contain my single-serving) and crossed my fingers that I wouldn't vomit off the side of the treadmill (I had a basket there, just in case). I even chilled the stuff overnight, but that just made it more difficult to get out of the bottle, hence my delay in its consumption...

About an hour and a half into the run, once it was less-viscous and able to escape the flask, I took my first slurp of the Liquid Shot. It was still difficult to get the liquid shot out of the flask so I took the lid off and got a mouthful. To my surprise (and happy surprise it was), I didn't gag... nor did I want to throw the flask across the room. It tasted like frosting. No, even better. Like pudding. Delicious vanilla pudding. Know how when you buy pre-made frosting from Betty Crocker and you take a spoon-ful and just eat it out of the can? It's better than that! Ok, maybe that isn't the best comparison, but I quite like Betty Crocker frosting from the can. Because it was thick, it made me want to drink something, which is probably a good thing (fluid + food helps it get absorbed and digested easier). I wanted to suck down the flask's entire contents, but held back in fear that I might make my stomach a little mad (and I wanted more for later). Next time, I am going to mix it with some peanut butter and see how well I fair. My guess? It's going to be so good I am going to have it for dessert every night.

I went through two scoops of EFS Energy drink during the run, too- and started drinking it at around 1.5hr after I finished a bottle of Kola Nuun. I didn't have any issues with cramping (which has been a problem with my calves, in the form of charlie-horses, as of late) nor did I have any stomach problems. Simply smooth sailing. The flavor (Grape) was really yummy, and it was not too sweet either. It was much different than Gatorade, which I think is a good thing. It reminded me of the texture of Accelerade, but without the chalky after-taste. The flavor didn't linger, nor did drinking EFS make me deperately thirsty for more EFS (which is how I feel when I drink Gatorade; the thirst is never quenched with Gatorade). I have a really bad habit of chugging drinks and this inherently leads to gastrointestinal distress in the form of stomach-sloshing. So, the fact that EFS didn't make me incredibly thirsty was remarkable (and it kept me sipping it, not slamming it, for the rest of the run).
I also was able to run miles 20-24.5 at just over LT pace (7:15-7:30) which made me appreciate the smart pacing I used and the excellent nutrition I had with the help of the treadmill.

At 3hours and 36minutes, I crossed the imaginary finish line with arms up and my legs still feeling pretty fresh. I had an Ultragen Orange Creamsicle shake when I got home (with skim milk) and took a nap. Today, I'm feeling great, other than a slight stiffness in my quads, which is typical after a long run. Usually the day after a marathon I can barely walk, so I'm feeling optimistic!