Gu for breakfast

that would make most of us sick...............i'm sure you can look at getting the requiremnets in without a big breakfast....The gels only have a short term release of energy so surely you would go from a sugar high to a low very quickly

Eat lots the night before.  It will still be in your system the next morning, then maybe top up with a light breakfast and a sports drink

For a second I thought you were talking about Gu chocolate desserts.  What a cracking breakfast idea!

 *drool*

But no, I agree with above - pure sugar isn't the way to go for breakfast fuel.  Make sure you eat well the evening before, then stock up with something light in the morning, maybe a banana and a coffee?

Coooor Phil that is some serious food porn

Anders, you dont 'need' a big breakfast

Try different things and see what suits, I dont think that gels would be my top 10 idea of a breakfast

There is something particularly X-rated about a well executed fondant.

PhilPub wrote (see)

For a second I thought you were talking about Gu chocolate desserts.  What a cracking breakfast idea!

 *drool*

But no, I agree with above - pure sugar isn't the way to go for breakfast fuel.  Make sure you eat well the evening before, then stock up with something light in the morning, maybe a banana and a coffee?

 So did I I was thinking genius!

As per other posts if you can just eat more the day before and have a banana or two before the race. If you have that many gels in the morning you might be seriously cramped up half way round the race. A milkshake might work well?

Goodness me 7 - 8 gels would have me running but not to a race!! 

If I'm in a race I have a weetabix an hour and a half before hand that does me fine - if it's longer than 10 km I may have porridge but I find that  bit heavy at times. Raisins and or dates are also good for me 30 mins before as well.

Perhaps try slow release carbs rather than a quick boost of sugar which then tends to result in a quick drop in blood sugar levels?

I just have my normal breakfast (not massive: some fruit, yoghurt and a handful of granola) about 3 to 4 hours before the race (though not coffee, as it makes me feel sick if I run fast). I've always thought race day probably wasn't the best time to start messing around with my normal diet.

I too clicked on this because I thought it was going to be a chocolate fondant thread. Wonder if it's too late to get to Sainsbury's...

+1 for those delicious Gu deserts. I'm going to do my Tesco online order now YUM...

And as for 7-8 gels for brekkie, not to put too fine a point on it, I'd shit myelf.

I find 2 hours gives me enough time to digest.  So I get a bowl of shredded wheat and a chopped banana and bring it back to bed with a cup of tea.

I think all the races I've done have started at 10:00 or later. I get up around 7:30, have a normal breakfast (apple, yogurt, bowl of cereal, cup of tea) and it's gone down by the time the race starts.

If you're doing a race that starts at stupid o'clock then get up, have breakfast (skip the caffeine) and then go back to bed.

I had banoffee ceam pie for breakfast once.

I was on holiday in the US at the time, I thought if you people can serve bacon with pancakes, I can be subversive too  

Tom77 wrote (see)

I think all the races I've done have started at 10:00 or later. I get up around 7:30, have a normal breakfast (apple, yogurt, bowl of cereal, cup of tea) and it's gone down by the time the race starts.

If you're doing a race that starts at stupid o'clock then get up, have breakfast (skip the caffeine) and then go back to bed.

Some races might take you 2 hrs to get to them, then you want to be there at least 30mins before the start.

Oh, and the earliest start I ever had was 6am (iirc) 50 mile challenge in Kent.

Lardarse - the 50 Mile Challenge - I love it .  Missed out last year - but normally have juice, coffee, cereal, toast and marmalade at about 5.45  as provided by lovely Freda at Reynolds' Farm.

Cool, thanks for the suggestions, sounds like I should stay away from the Gu (any kind). I'll try the "big meal night before" this weekend, if that works I'll go with that for the race (Paris marathon in April). Would have been great if it worked though...