Race Report: Steamtown Marathon

Yesterday was Marathon #2 and my second in under six months (which makes me think I'm crazy).  They say you have to forget the pain of one marathon before you can move on to the next, so I thought it best to post a race report while everything is still fresh, before I move on to the next... which will be more than six months away this time.  I promise.

I chose Steamtown because I've lived in Central PA all my life (about 1-1 1/2 hours from Scranton) and I've heard nothing but good things about it, and a mostly downhill marathon sounded like a great idea to me.  Boy, did it live up to my expectations (except the downhill expectations--more on that later).

First, rewind to Thursday: Doug and I were down at the Conewago Rail-Trail for an easy 6 miles (with maybe 2 at MP) when, just over a mile and a half in, Doug went down hard.  He rolled his ankle on a walnut.  This might sound weird, but if you've never seen a walnut fresh out of a tree, here's what it looks like:

Source: PracticalPrimitive.com

Doug's ankle was pretty swollen and it never went down.  By Saturday morning, we figured out that I'd be running this race by myself.  Doug was (rightfully) upset because of all the work he had put in, and I was upset because I didn't want to do this big race without my running partner.  This is OUR thing, not just mine.  Nonetheless, it would have been a waste for me to back out because he was hurt... that thought never really even crossed my mind.

 Saturday

Doug, my parents, and I got to Scranton a little before 2 on Saturday, went to the expo and got our shirts/numbers (Doug was definitely still getting his shirt--what a nice $85 shirt it was!), and I sat in on the end of a panel of people discussing the course.  The expo was small, but for once, I didn't spend money on stuff I didn't need!  After the expo, we checked in at our hotel, the Sleep Inn in Dunmore.  What a great, race-friendly place.  When I booked, only smoking rooms were available, but I made a note requesting a non-smoking room, and they accommodated that.  They also had a sign up sheet for a free shuttle to the bus pickup on race morning and started the continental breakfast early (4:30 a.m.).  The room was pretty cheap (about $100 with taxes) but was clean and still available when I booked it about a month and a half ago, and about 30 minutes after checking in, the front desk called to make sure we were happy with the room.  Those little things make me so happy.  We went to a little Italian place called Sibio's (recommended by my friend Alex, who's from Scranton), which was delicious.  After getting back to the hotel, Doug and I sat in the hot tub for a little while to relax and I was laying in bed by 8:30.  I took St. John's Wort to help keep my mind from racing, and it worked pretty well.  I was up every few hours but slept better than I have for any big race in the last year.

Sunday - Before the Race

I woke up at 4:30 so I could take my time getting ready, ate my normal breakfast (plain ol' Quaker oats with honey and a banana), got ready and was down at the shuttle van by 6:00.  The shuttle took us close to the finish line where two blocks worth of school buses--seriously, no less than 30 buses--were waiting to transport us to Forest City.  I think I was still a deer in headlights at this point, not having Doug with me.   The drive took around 30-40 minutes, and when we got to Forest City High School, we were greeted by the cheerleading squad and dozens of other teenagers who led us to the gym and cafeteria, where we could wait in the warmth until it was time to start.  I give these kids SO much credit, being up so early on a Sunday morning to help us all out--I don't think you could have paid me to be up that early as a teenager!  There were loads of porta-potties, too, which is a blessing for anyone who has ever waited in a 10 minute line when they've really had to pee (raises hand).  They certainly make you feel like a rockstar in Forest City!  Around 7:50, we headed out to the starting line.  There were no official corrals, but people holding signs that said 8:00 min/mile, 9:00 min/mile, etc.  Since I was shooting for somewhere between 3:50 and 4:00, I headed to the front of the 9:00 min/mile pack.  They had a Civil War reenactment group take care of the start, so the race started not with a gun, but with a CANNON.  AWESOME... and we were off!

The Race!

Anyone who has run Steamtown knows that the biggest piece of advice someone will give you about this race is to start SLOW.  It's almost entirely downhill for the first 13-plus miles and going out too fast can kill your quads.  So I decided I was going to start off slow and pick it up later.  You'll see how well that went:

Mile 1: 8:47  This isn't bad, but slow down just a little, Ashley. 

Mile 2: 8:24  No, really, slow down!

Mile 3: 8:16  WTF

Mile 4: 8:23   Still going too fast...

Mile 5: 8:20   You're going to regret this, Ashley.

Miles 6-8: 25:45 Got all caught up in seeing some people I know over these miles, as well as the people of the awesome city of Carbondale, and forgot about my watch.  Oops.  But those people were so much fun! Lots of high fives and the entire main street was packed with people.

Mile 9: 8:34   OK, that's a little better.  Maybe plan on slowing down from Miles 10-20, then picking back up for the last 10K if you're up for it.

Mile 10: 8:39   Just a little slower.

Mile 11: 8:45  Good.  This isn't so bad considering the downhill. 

Mile 12-13: 17:51  Still doing pretty well.

Mile 14: 8:53  ...

Mile 15: 8:53  Here starts the time on the rail trail.  It was pretty good to start, and a welcome change for my legs and feet.  Beautiful scenery, too.

Mile 16: 9:06  The trail gets a little uneven and I slow down out of fear of running into a tree root (I'm constantly tripping over those) or, God forbid, a walnut. 

Mile 17: 8:52 Still on the trail (I think--at least for the most part).  At this point, I realize that I could push harder, but I'm definitely not getting a BQ and, unless I get hurt, I'm going to break 4 hours.  I decided to keep a comfortable pace from here on out for the sake of being able to walk after the race.  So from here on out, I played it pretty safe.

Mile 18: 9:06 We came out of the trail to see a crowd of people at the viewpoint... what an enthusiastic crowd!

Mile 19: 9:19  Through a park and then some more trail... this was the point where (1) my legs were starting to feel tired and chilly, and (2) I realized just how much that trail slowed me down, especially this part of the trail, because it was mulch.  While the mulch was packed, it was almost like running through mud.

Mile 20: 9:14  My parents and Doug were waiting in Olyphant for me... just the boost I needed! 

Mile 21: 9:11  Heading into Dickson City and things are starting to look familiar.  I realized how chilly I was feeling when I couldn't open my Gu since my hands were freezing, so I put my gloves back on... amazing how much better a pair of gloves can make your whole body feel!

Mile 22-23: 18:01 Forgot to hit the split button again.  Mile 23 was definitely faster than 22.  Running through Throop and things are looking familiar.  I know I'm in the home stretch, because 4 miles or so is nothing! Mile 22 was where I hit the wall HARD in my last marathon, so I felt much better after I passed the Mile 22 marker without cramping up.

Mile 24-25: 19:00 Early in Mile 24, we hit the dreaded Electric Street hill!  It's tough and longer than I remembered from our drive the day before.  However, all the residents are out cheering us along.  Going around a turn, the St. Joseph's Center folks are out supporting us.  I get emotional and I'm in tears.  Around that turn, we started heading down a hill for a bit.

Mile 26: 8:56  I thought they said there were two blocks of uphill?!?  These are a LONG two blocks!  Not to mention, most of that whole mile was uphill--it was gradual, but that late in the game, any uphill was tough.  We crested the hill by Coopers and, at that point, I just let my legs carry me as fast as they wanted.  The street is packed with people cheering us on.

.2: 1:33: Not sprinting (I'm hesitant to do that at the end of a marathon), but I'm cooking along.  I crossed the finish line and nearly cried, because....

3:51:56!!!

That was a 37 minute PR! While I was thrilled with that, as I sit here and write, I wonder if I should have pushed harder.  I know I definitely could have broken 3:50--should I have gone for that?  Regardless, I'm happy with my time.  I went through the chute, got wrapped in a space blanket, got a water, received my medal, and went into the food tent (volunteers were handing out bags to stash your food and such, which was a great idea, so our hands weren't too full).  I went into the courthouse where U of Scranton PT students were doing massages on our sore legs, which was wonderful.  I was still standing and not in too much pain.  Even today, my knees are a little sore/tired, but nothing more.  

Doug and I after the race

 

I'm so grateful to the residents of the NEPA towns we ran through.  There were so many people out handing out bottles of water, bananas, orange slices, etc., in front of their houses and cheering us on.  I don't know if they realize just how much that means to us runners, but it was amazing.  They were absolutely wonderful. 

So marathon #2 is in the books and I really have the itch again already!  I honestly want to switch to the full marathon for Shamrock in March, but I think I'll still stick with the Dolphin Challenge and plan for a fall marathon.  All in all, I'm really happy with this marathon experience and I felt like I came out of this one much better than the first!

 

Taper Madness: Week 2

The week I've been anticipating for six months is finally here!  Yes, it's Steamtown week--four days until the big race.  I've still not decided on a pace strategy entirely.  They say you should set three goals: a "reach" goal, a slightly more attainable goal, and an even more attainable one.  I've set my three at 3:50, 3:55, and under 4 hours.  Given how easily I've done a 9-minute mile for my long runs and my comfortable 1:48 at RNR Philly, I wonder whether I should set higher goals.

I'll be honest, the taper hasn't been so bad this time around.  Like I said in my last post, before my first marathon, I was sick, achy, and diagnosed myself with a plethora of injuries to my left leg.  This time, I've had a few random aches, but I attribute it to my body repairing itself a little while it has a chance.  I'm not sick, either {knocks on wood}.  I'm actually pretty excited to have the opportunity to run through several towns in beautiful NEPA on a nice fall day.  At least I hope it will be a nice fall day.  Further south (here in Harrisburg), trees are already changing, so I'm sure it will be beautiful further north.

Long story short, the taper madness isn't as crazy this time around.  I'm actually pretty excited for this race and my biggest concern is not being able to sleep the night before the race... I never can.  I'm attributing it to being better-trained this time around and having already done it once.  Or am I just crazy?  I've got this little nervous tic that has me thinking it might set in tomorrow or Friday, too.

So..... what crazy taper experiences have you had?

Taper Madness is Rearing Its Ugly Head

If you've ever seen the musical "Reefer Madness," the title song sounds a little bit like something you'd hear in a haunted house, with its "Reeeeeeeeffffferrrrrrrrrr Maaaaadnessss"... I keep singing that to myself, but it's "Taaaaaperrrrr Maaaadnesssss" instead.  It's pretty accurate for how I'm feeling right now.

Steamtown is less than two weeks away.  I countered my schedule just a little and did a 20 miler on Sunday (as opposed to the 16 I was supposed to do) for the psychological benefit of having four 20 mile training runs this time around.  It hasn't made me any less nervous.  Now, I'm freaking out that I haven't trained enough hills to deal with almost 13 miles of downhill at Steamtown.  Never in my wildest dreams did I think that running downhill would be my biggest concern--although, now that I think of it, I was also terrified of downhill when I dealt with ITBS last year.  Ironic.  And there's another song to play over and over in my head.

When I ran my first marathon back in March, the taper mileage was MUCH lower than what it is this time around.  I constantly cramped up and diagnosed myself with piroformis, sciatica, a pulled hamstring--you name it, I had it.  And I got sick--although that was me being legitimately sick, and I got it from a friend.  Sucky timing, though, and I had made it through the entire winter without getting sick until that point.  My every thought was consumed with the race, too.  The night before, I took Benadryl to help me sleep.  Then when I still couldn't sleep, I took another.  I found out at Mile 22 of the marathon that Benadryl works by drying you up.  Yep, I hit the wall hard when dehydration set in.  I've never given birth, but I have a feeling those cramps rivaled labor pains.

This time around, I'm trying to chill out a bit.  Part of the reason (other than staying sane) is that I've run my best races this year when I tell myself I'm just going to enjoy the run.  That's how I PR'ed my 5K (by 2 minutes) and my half (by 23 freaking minutes!!).  I'll keep trying to tell myself that getting in under 4 hours shouldn't be a problem, and shoot for that.  Maybe I'll pull off a 3:45 that way :)

Like I said, the mileage is higher this time around, too: last time, I had 3 and 4 mile runs in the two or three weeks before the race.  This time, I had a 5 on Tuesday, 7 today (with some speedwork), 8 tomorrow, and 12 Sunday, though I keep thinking of only doing 10 on Sunday.  Next week, I'm supposed to have a 6, a 7 (with 2 @ marathon pace), a 5 (with speedwork), and a 4.  The 4 is supposed to come the day before the race, and I'm 98% sure I won't be doing that one.  I need that day to relax and prepare.  Maybe do some easy yoga in the morning.  Any thoughts on running the day before a marathon?

I supposed I'm lucky that so far--knock on wood--the only taper craziness I've been experiencing this time around is some anxiety.  My plan is to take St. John's Wort the night before the race this time.  It'll help my mind from going a mile a minute so I can hopefully sleep without winding up groggy or dehydrated.  Any other input as to how to sleep the night before the race would be greatly appreciated.  I'll check back next week when I'm getting really nutty! :)

Race Report: Philly Rock 'N' Roll Half

First of all, I never understand why people knock on the Rock 'N' Roll races.  This was my 2nd Philly RNR Half, and I've really enjoyed it both times.  I guess I understand that for several cities, RNR took over another, smaller race and commercialized it, so I can see the complaints there.  But otherwise, I think they're a great time.

I also have to comment on the expo.  I know some people don't like the crowds at race expos, but I don't mind it, especially at Philly RNR, because there was so much free stuff!  I know, I'm a dork, but I came home with lots of LARAbars, energy supplements, and other stuff I picked up at the expo.  Once again, RNR is easily the best expo I've been to.

Now for the race.  I was back and forth the entire week leading up to the race as to what sort of pace I wanted to run.  Steamtown Marathon was only 3 weeks from race day, so I was nervous about going all out at HM pace (and I should note that HM pace, in my mind, was about an 8:30 mile), which I thought would put me around a 1:53 HM.  Part of me thought I should do the race at marathon pace to gauge where I stand, which would mean a time of about 1:57.  Even as late as walking to the starting line, I told my husband we should probably start at marathon pace, and if we were feeling good at the halfway point, maybe kick it up a notch.  We also had Nick to worry about--it was his first half (first race, actually), and we didn't think he'd be able to keep up with our pace throughout, so we had to decide whether to stick with him or not.  However, he told us that if he had to drop back, just go.  Little did I know, we wouldn't have to worry about that anyway.  Bastard.  So that was (sort of) the plan.

Our group before the race in Love Park

The corral start went pretty smoothly.  However, I will voice my one complaint about this race: it was way too packed!  On top of that, people from corrals much further back hopped up into our corral, and (without sounding like too much of a jerk) they were slowing us down.  It's understandable to corral hop if you're going to do better than the time set for your corral, but this was just a pain.  Doug, my brother-in-law Nick, and myself, were all weaving like crazy trying to get around people for the first mile and a half, and our 5K split time definitely shows that.  I think this problem could be partially fixed by blocking off all 4 lanes of JFK Boulevard, but what do I know?  Nonetheless, we were off and running.  Our first mile was a 9:10, and my goal marathon pace is 9:05, so considering all the weaving, I felt pretty good about it.  We were gradually picking up speed as the crowd thinned out, too.  We made it to the 5K point in just a little over 27 minutes, so we were around an 8:45 mile.  I felt pretty good, and the guys did as well--we were still holding a conversation at that point, so we didn't even concern ourselves with slowing down.

We worked our way through Chinatown and back up JFK toward the art museum and hit mile 5.  I thought it would be around 45 minutes, but Doug was keeping time and we were at 43.  I was still feeling good and, again, still talking.  Nick was feeling a bit tight but he didn't think it was much of a problem.  So we kept pushing.  We worked our way down along the river, which was one of the things I love most about this course.  Running along the Schuylkill is beautiful, and we were there for about 3 miles.  There were a lot of quiet areas, but since it was an RNR race, there were cheerleading squads (which Nick got a kick out of) and bands every so often to offer crowd support.  I may be wrong, but I think we made it as far as almost getting to Manayunk before crossing a bridge and heading back down the river toward the art museum.  There was some really great crowd support there, and I was still feeling good.  There was Gu a little after mile 8 before we crossed the bridge, and I took one, but never ate it (so now it's in my stash).  The alternating Gatorade and water plan seemed to be doing well for me.

It wasn't until about mile 10 that I was a little less easy talking, but I was still doing it occassionally.  I could see Nick starting to show signs of wear, but he was doing pretty well over all.  I'm pretty certain that from Mile 11-on, each one of us refused to slow down because they others weren't, and we all just kept going.  I stopped asking Doug what our time was, because I just didn't care at that point.  I didn't want to force myself to push any harder.  Doug and I evidently really kicked it up at mile 12, from what Nick said.  I think I just wanted to be done at that point.  So we pushed on and got to the base of the hill leading up to the art museum (which killed me last year, but after all the hill training I've been doing this year, was nothing) and I pushed as hard as I could until we got to the finish line. That's when I finally asked to see Doug's watch, for the first time since mile 8, I think.  1:48:09!!!

My time splits!



Holy crap!! I didn't think I could possibly run that fast, for that long.  What made it really awesome was realizing that I can easily shave a minute off that, given the crowds at the beginning, then keep that pace up for a full marathon and I'll have my BQ!  It seems totally doable now, and that's what makes me really happy.

After the race at Love Park



What's even more impressive, though, is that Nick kept up with us for the entire race.  Again, bastard.  Doug even said around mile 11, "don't you hate him just a little?"  ABSOLUTELY.  :)  In all reality-I'm very proud of Nick.  Those Park boys seem to pick things up athletically pretty easy, and even though I'm jealous, it makes me very happy.

 



With Nick after the race... typical.

 



Overall, I'm super happy with this race, with how I did, and with how everything went.  Everyone in my group had PR's.  On a side note, I really like the distance of the half, and training doesn't take up as much of my life.  I was also able to enjoy the rest of the day after the race.  It definitely solidified my decision that after Steamtown, I'm going to take time off from marathons for a while and run as far as I want to, not as far as Pfitz tells me to. 



Boy, am I behind! Chocolate Miracle Race, etc.

Wow! I sure have been lacking on my posting, haven't I?  My sincerest apologies; it has been a busy summer, to say the least. 

First things first, in June, I PR'ed my 5K!! 23:28--I never thought I'd get to that point.  I'm only 30 seconds shy of beating my first ever 5K time by 10 minutes.  Sheesh.  The funny thing is, the Chocolate Miracle Race was going to be an "easy" run, because I had a long run to do the following day.  My friend Alex ran the race with me and decided the same.  However, after we got through the first mile in 8 minutes and had been talking the whole time, we decided to at least keep that pace up.  Somewhere along the line, one of us kicked it up a bit, and the other didn't want to lag behind.  Three months later, we still can't decide which one of us it was.  I came in fifth in my age group, and with about thirty women in it, I'm happy with that result.

I must also say this about the Chocolate Miracle Race--it was really well organized!  They had a great course--it was mostly pretty flat, with the only hills coming around the halfway point.  Afterward, there were a lot of snacks and drinks, though I heard they ran out of water and Gatorade!  I did see people hauling in 5-gallon jugs of water, so at least they had that much.  I guess that's one thing I'd suggest fixing, but fortunately for me, I didn't run into the problem.  There were also chocolate chip cookies from Chocolate World, which was exactly how I got my mother-in-law to come do the one-mile walk.  They're delicious, especially after a run.

Next, marathon training is starting to wind down.  I did my last 20-miler yesterday and felt great.  I was especially surprised at this because I ran 12 miles on Saturday.  32 miles in 2 days = phew, time for a cheeseburger.  I also did the first half marathon of the run at marathon pace, maybe even a few seconds per mile less, so I'm feeling good.  The mileage talk brings me to a question that has been bugging me for a while:

Do you always stick to your training plan, every run, every time?

I'm on the Pfitz 18/55 plan, and it's been--tough.  I mean, obviously it's tough to do any training plan, but when I say "tough," I mean, life gets in the way a lot, especially in the summer.  Every time I miss a training run, I feel incredibly guilty.  And I know that even Pete Pfitzinger recognizes in his book that life happens and you just have to do the best you can with the time you've got, but there were so many times throughout this plan that I had to cut runs short because it was getting dark (or, in the morning, it wasn't light enough for long enough before work to get all the miles in), I had somewhere to be, or whatever else.  Like I said, I felt great yesterday and feel very minimal soreness today, and maybe that's my best gauge of where I stand, but it's still frustrating.  I often liken it to when I was on Weight Watchers and I'd go over my points.  You know it's flexible, but you're still disappointed in yourself.

Please let me know your thoughts on sticking to your marathon training plans and how you gauge where you stand with regard to your training!



P.S. I promise to be better about posting.  Really!

'Scuse Me For Getting Off Point....

So I realize this is blog is mostly about running, but right now, I'm going to get a little off-topic.  Just a little.  And maybe a little sentimental.  Sorry ahead of time.

Anyway, Doug and I went grocery shopping yesterday.  We've been really pushing to eat cleaner (haven't become entirely "clean eaters"), and it got me thinking about how far we've both come.  If you'd have told me 3 years ago that by June of 2012, I'd have run a marathon and countless other races, would have completely changed my lifestyle and started shopping for organic, natural, and healthy foods rather than chips, diet coke, and sugar-laden cereal, I'd have called you crazy.  There was no way. 

It's funny, too, how some people have that life-altering moment that changes their attitude toward being healthy, whether it's a health scare, major life event, whatever.  Yes, I did get married 8 months ago and maybe getting ready for the wedding was in the back of my mind when all this started, but I never thought "Oh, I have to fit into a wedding dress in XX months, I better start working out."  However, I will say that had I not lost the weight, I sure as heck wouldn't have worn the dress I did! I did get migraines for a long time, and I was able to trace them to certain preservatives (MSG was the biggest culprit), but I was able to cut those out and still eat pretty crappy food.  Basically, one day, Doug and I just said, "let's start running."  And that day, we didn't run very much.  We ran and we walked.  A few days later, we ran a little more and walked a little less.  And we just kept pushing.

So yesterday, as I'm standing in the organic section at Giant checking out the organic flaxseed and chia seeds, I couldn't help but laugh a little to myself.  It was a split-second reflection on the last two years at how much about me has changed for the better.  Running has given me a clear, balanced mindset.  When I get angry or frustrated, I know I need only get out on the trail (path?? my "trail" is half mulch, half paved) and I'll feel so much better in a half hour or so.  Doug and I run together and cook together (I do most of the cooking, and bless him, he does most of the cleaning up... how did I get so lucky?).  I know Doug could run so much faster, but he doesn't.  He stays with me.  It has done wonders for our relationship.  My body feels so much better with the healthier foods I've become accustomed to, and that, in turn, has done wonders for my self confidence.  My body is by no means perfect, but I'm so much happier with it because I've learned to appreciate it and what it can do for me, I've tested--but respected--its boundaries, like my yoga instructor says, and I've improved it vastly from where I used to be.

I might not always be super happy with myself.  I have my off moments, tough days at work where I know  I could have done something better, times where I know I could be a better wife or person in general.  And God knows I've done things in the past that I still wish I could take back.  However, I'm pretty proud of the person I've become and I'm so happy with how far I've come in the last 2 years.  And I never would have thought that would be the case when I set out for that first jog.

Long story short--if I can do it, anyone can do it.  You just have to do it.  Stop making excuses for not working out, for not eating right, or whatever hangs over your head that you want to change.  Yes, it takes will power.  And sometimes you don't have enough will power--I've crapped out of runs, eaten things I shouldn't, and I will continue to do it.  I always regret not getting out for the workout I was supposed to do, and I sometimes regret eating like I shouldn't, although sometimes I don't.  Like when I enjoy some soft serve ice cream with rainbow sprinkles.  Yum.  And that raises another point--you have to enjoy the lifestyle you adopt, or you won't be happy.   And then what's the point?

 Spring 2007.

Fall 2009

Fall 2010 (I don't have any good ones of Doug from this album!)

 

Our Wedding - 10/15/11

and March 2012, after we finished the marathon!

My, how things change!

Supplement Review #2: Honey Stinger Organic Energy Chews (Pomegranate Passion Fruit)

Image Courtesy of govx.com

The nutrition facts on Honey Stinger chews:

Calories: 160
Fat: 0 g
Sodium: 80 mg (3%)
Carbohydrates: 39 g
    Sugars: 24 g

For what it's worth, the chews also have a gram of protein and 100% of your DV of Vitamin C.  The biggest appeal of Honey Stinger, for me, is that all their products are organic.  I'm not one of those snooty I-only-eat-organic people, but I like to eat as naturally as possible.  I ate these before an 8 mile run and felt great for the entire run, even on a relatively warm day.  They're absolutely delicious, and while they have more sugar than Gu, I didn't think they tasted nearly as sweet as Gu does.  They also have more calories and more carbs, which is great for longer lasting energy.  When I did this 8 mile run, I actually started at one trail (which I hadn't run before), got a little nervous being out in the woods by myself after a mile, turned around and ran the mile back, then drove 15 minutes to another trail and ran the last 6.2.  Despite that lull in between, I felt great, even on a hot and pretty humid day, through the end of the run.  They taste absolutely delicious, too.  I'm still not sure how I'd do in eating these in the middle of the run, as I've only ever had Gu in the midst of a run, so I'll have to give that a try.  One slight drawback: they tend to be more expensive than the other energy gels.  However, I highly recommend these chews.

Taste/Consistency: 5/5
Effectiveness: 5/5
Duration: 5/5