Disclaimer: I received Gatorade Endurance products to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!
And boom, it’s SUMMER! Can you believe it?
To be honest, it doesn’t even really feel like summer yet. It’s been pretty much June Gloom in Southern California these days. However, there are warm ones where I regret not waking up earlier to do a long run. The warm weather will be good for me though. I will begin to train for the Honolulu marathon soon and I need to get used to running in humid weather. If you’ve followed my running journey, you’ll know that my body does not adjust well to humid weather. If it goes above 72F, I’m a goner. LOL
To prepare for summer training, I’ve started loading up on some hydration gear and fuel. First off, I purchased a 4L endurance vest from Orange Mud. This was more for my travels in the next few weeks, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to get a hydration vest that could hold more fluids for my 15+ mile runs. I already have a Amphipod PureRun Hydration Vest that holds 2x 12 oz bottles for my mid length runs, but I would use up all of my fluids by mile 15 so I needed something larger.
In addition to the hydration vests, I was fortunate enough to be able to try a few Gatorade’s Endurance products – more specifically the Watermelon Formula as well as the Mango Energy gels. Their Gatorade Endurance formula has twice the amount of sodium (300 mg) and more than 3x the potassium (140 mg) of traditional Gatorade, but is much lighter in flavor, which I can appreciate. My stomach is super sensitive while racing and something with a lot of salts and is light in flavor is just what I need. If you’ve ever had regular Gatorade, know that the flavor is probably 5x as dilute which is nice if you have a sensitive stomach. I’ve taken it on runs anywhere from 5-8 miles with no problems to my stomach. Even though the formula is designed for on course training, I’ve also used this drink to hydrate after runs and it’s worked great for me.
The item that surprised me the most was their mango gels. I’m used to taking sweet gels (chocolate, espresso, honey, etc) so when I took their mango gel, I was taken aback because it was salty! LOL. The taste was a bit strong at first, but after taking more of it, it actually tasted like a light mango. Also, the gel is MUCH MORE DILUTED OUT when compared to your other gels (GU, Honeystinger, Hammer Nutrition, etc). I was shocked at how easily the gel went down. I even took half of it without needing water to wash it down. That was the most impressive part about this gel. 🙂 In terms of how it sat with me, I wasn’t able to test it for long mileage, but I did take it at mile 4 and ran with it for 5 miles without any issues to that’s an bonus in my book. 🙂
With all of my new hydration gear and fuel, I’m basically ready to start training. Now if only my legs would get with it. 🙂 If you have questions about the product, please feel free to ask me or read one of the reviews from other BibRave Pros who have tested these products out.
BibRave Pro Reviews
Lindsey – Karen – Lissa – Katy – Jessica – Kevin – Amy – Jenn – Vanessa – Ang – Corey – Barb – Ben – Emily – Brenda – Amy P – Eric – Meridith
Question for you: What things do you need for summer marathon training?
A Girl on a Search for Adventure 
So the gel is less, “gel-ly” than some other brands? I’m interested.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes! It is! I was super surprised at how easily it went down. LOL
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Energy Gel surprised me too – in a good way! It was definitely one I’d use again.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I definitely need an alarm clock (on my phone) to avoid the heat — I am not a morning person — electrolytes (like Gatorade Endurance) and tank tops/shorts!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I normally can’t stomach gels but would be willing to give these a try since they’re different from the other brands. The summer heat and humidity are killing me! Be glad you don’t live here in the south! lol.
LikeLike
Which gels have you tried in the past? My stomach sits fairly well with HoneyStinger, Hammer Nutrition, and this Gatorade Endurance. I think the biggest difference with the Gatorade Endurance one is that it’s much less viscous. I am honestly super spoiled with the weather. I couldn’t live anywhere else at this point. 😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s been a while since I’ve tried gels because I had such bad experiences with them. The last ones I tried were Clif.
LikeLike