09/30/2026
In my recent half marathon, I took six gels over 86 minutes, totaling about 120 grams of carbohydrate, or roughly 84 grams per hour. The biggest thing I noticed was that I had no major energy lulls. I was able to hold pace (6:40/mile), maintain effort, and still push hard late in the race.
What is glycogen?
Glycogen is simply stored carbohydrate. When we eat carbs, some of that glucose is stored in the muscles and liver and then used for energy during exercise.
That’s why eating enough (not reckless) carbohydrate the days before a race matters. You want to start with your glycogen stores topped off as much as possible.
Why do carbs matter during hard running?
The harder you run, the more your body relies on carbohydrate because it can produce energy faster than fat.
During a half marathon, threshold workout, or other higher-intensity effort, your body needs readily available fuel to help maintain pace and power.
Why take carbs during the race?
Taking carbohydrates during the race doesn’t keep glycogen completely full, but it does provide an additional fuel source, helps maintain blood glucose, and reduces how heavily you have to rely on stored glycogen alone.
Think of it as starting with a full tank and continuing to add fuel along the way.
For me, that meant consistent energy and the ability to still race hard at the end.
My mantra during the race: Fuel early. Fuel consistently. Don’t wait until you feel depleted.
It’s so important to practice fueling during training.
Never try something new on race day.
Practice your gels, fluids, sodium, and carbohydrate intake during long runs, threshold workouts, intervals, track sessions, and race-pace runs. Taking fuel while jogging easily is different from taking it while your heart rate is high and you’re working hard.
Your gut needs practice too.
Fueling helps your training quality.
Proper fueling can also help you train harder. When carbohydrate availability is higher, you can often hold pace longer, maintain better mechanics, complete more quality work, improve fatigue resistance and recover better afterward.
That matters because better training quality creates a better stimulus for adaptation.
Moral of the story, fueling is critical to the success of your running lifestyle. Find what works for you and execute the plan.
If you need guidance or coaching in this area, comment FUELING below or send me a message and let’s chat.
🤜🏼🤛🏼
