just wondering.....

[Linda]

I was wondering if anyone can tell me about Hammer Gel. What does it
do? The name gel is a little confusing, what exactly is it? Where
can it be found?

[Jim]

HammerGel is an energy gel. Most energy gels are a concentrated
source of calories that are generally easy to digest and easily
absorbed. Taken during a long run or race (such as a 10-15 miler or a
marathon), they can help stave off the muscular energy starvation that
comes about during long runs.

I don't have any direct experience with Hammer Gel, but maybe I can
give some background and help you formulate a plan for yourself. A
long time ago (when the Earth was Green) when I was training for my
marathons, I found that one brand of gel and sports drink (rhymes with
hour) worked well, while another brand tended to lead me to energy
peaks & valleys (bad things at mile 10). So I trained with the gel I
chose and believed would work well, and I made sure the same brand &
type was available at my marathons. I took 1 packet at miles 12 & 18
to help sustain my energy. Since each packet is about 100 calories,
and I was burning 200+ calories per mile, it was NOT enough to sustain
peak energy, but it WAS enough to stave off the bottoming I would
normally have felt. In short, it gives you just enough to keep going
and ease you into the fat-burning stage.

So if you're interested, I'd recommend getting samples (if you can) or
buying a couple of packets and experiment on long runs to see if they
help you out. You'll need water to go along with it. (I use a camel-
back on long runs for such things). Bottled water or water stops on
the route help too. Take the gel about a mile from a "safety" stop -
somewhere you can safely stop if it doesn't work for you.

It's late, and I hope I've been coherent enough to be some help.

Jim.