Energy Product Trial #2: Gatorade GSeries Energy Chews

Date:  8/5/12
Start Time:  6:18 AM
Start Temperature: 78 degrees F (very muggy)
Sleep beforehand: ~ 7 hours
Food beforehand: half english muffin with honey
Drink beforehand: 1 cup of coffee

End Time:  8:03 AM
End Temperature: 80 degrees F
Total Distance: 10.75 miles
Average Pace: 10:25 min/mile

Product Stats:
Serving Size: 1 ounce (the entire package)
Calories: 100
Good Stuff:
 - 85 mg sodium
 - 30 mg potassium
 - 24g carbs
 - 16g sugars
 - Niacin: 20% DV
 - Vitamin B6: 20 % DV
 - Pantothenic Acid: 20% DV (no idea what this is, but it was listed on the package so I decided to add it here)

The rundown:

   Okay, to get one thing straight: this was a TERRIBLE run.  It started pouring the rain after about mile 3, and I had to take shelter at least three times just to make sure my phone/gps didn't drown.  That alone killed my time and my pace.  Also, I probably did my long run too soon after my shin pain (see two entries ago).

   Onto the product.

   Much like the Shot Bloks, the package is a little difficult to carry because all six chews are arranged linearly (honestly, who thought of this?).  But, since the whole package is half the size of the Shot Bloks package, it's a little easier to carry.  The Cool Blue flavor tasted like my favorite fruit snacks as a kid, but these were significantly more salty than the Shot Bloks (makes sense: more sodium per serving).  Much like the Shot Bloks, the 1 ounce size didn't bounce around in my stomach.
   
Possible problems:
   As previously mentioned, awkward package makes carrying them in running shorts tough unless they're unwrapped first.  That, and the plastic package inside the cardboard box almost took an act of congress to get into.  I actually had to stop running to rip into it.
   Also, the back of the package states, "Eat 6 chews 15 minutes prior to exercise or competition".  Which, of course, I didn't.

Possible extenuating factors to the trial:
 - I thought the addition of vitamins would prevent soreness during the run (see my entry on Clif Shot Bloks), but the GSeries still didn't hold off the shin and arch pain.
 - The shin and arch pain could be attributed to the weekend's workout.
 - Weather aside, I still found myself walking for a few minutes from fatigue, and I can't blame it all on the humidity.

Overall Rating:  5/10

  Only after my run was finished did I read that the GSeries were supposed to be eaten before racing instead of during.  They left me limp toward the end of my run, but that might not have been the case if I had eaten them before the run (an absorption time of nearly an hour).  I might try them again and eat them as directed, but not for a while.  After all, this experiment is to find a MID-RACE energy product, not one for PRE-RACE.

The Skinny:

PROS:
 -  small serving size
 - vitamins and extra sodium
 - It's blue.  What's not to love?

CONS:
 - Meant for pre-run (poor mid-run energy delivery)
 - Long, awkward package; hard to break into mid-run

Final Analysis: They might be worth another look later, once I find a mid-run energy product for me.  For now, however, I'm putting the GSeries Energy Chews on the shelf.