On Course Consumption

disneygal100

Earning My Ears
Joined
Mar 6, 2017
I know typically Disney provides powerade in addition to water on the courses, but I have hear mention of a gu-packet stop as well. Can anyone tell me what brand they choose so I can figure out if it agrees with my stomach in training? Thanks!
 
I know typically Disney provides powerade in addition to water on the courses, but I have hear mention of a gu-packet stop as well. Can anyone tell me what brand they choose so I can figure out if it agrees with my stomach in training? Thanks!

I'm pretty sure it was a Clif Shot.
 
Like other have said, Clif shots in a variety of flavors.

Keep in mind that there is one stop for the half marathon and 2 for the marathon (during the marathon there are also 2 banana stops and a chocolate stop). So if this is not enough for you, you'll need to bring your own stuff.
 


At the Tink half it was near mile 8 for the Clif shot tables. I saw Citrus, raspberry, mocha, cherry chocolate. There may have been more flavors but that's what I remember. The course maps once announced will generally show the placement of the clif station(s) so you can plan ahead. Would be a good idea to google last years maps knowing things may change.
(The 5k and 10ks do not offer the gels/goo)
 
I find the flavors @roxymama mentioned are pretty standard plus the occasional vanilla. Note that when they announce what will be available it may be caffeinated or not based on flavor and availability so you may want to try both if one has the potential to bother you (caffeine doesn't sit well with me) and also make sure you use them in conditions similar to the race. My friend always does fine with the Clif Shots in DL but in WDW she usually gets sick if she takes them because of some weird humidity/fuel/caffeine awfulness.
 
I find the flavors @roxymama mentioned are pretty standard plus the occasional vanilla. Note that when they announce what will be available it may be caffeinated or not based on flavor and availability so you may want to try both if one has the potential to bother you (caffeine doesn't sit well with me) and also make sure you use them in conditions similar to the race. My friend always does fine with the Clif Shots in DL but in WDW she usually gets sick if she takes them because of some weird humidity/fuel/caffeine awfulness.

I wonder if waking up time has to do with the difference between DL and WDW. I found that because of the favorable time change and less need to get up as early for DL (no busses, etc) that my normal morning race schedule for pre-fuel and bathroom etc was pretty right on with that race. However in WDW I lose an hour and have to wake up so much earlier so I remember my "system" being much more "out of whack." Just a thought to keep in mind :) But now I've gone WAY off topic!
 


Do yourself a favor and bring your own fuel. I volunteered a few years ago at the half at the fueling station and they ran out of gels. I would not want to count on anything beyond Powerade being available.

Yep. Must have been 2015 January half that I noticed they were out or almost by the time I went by. I don't know if it was clif at the time, but I can't use any sort of "gu", and had my own fuel (clif shot *bloks* and/or sports beans) but I felt bad for all those behind me who were relying on the course support that day!
 
Do yourself a favor and bring your own fuel. I volunteered a few years ago at the half at the fueling station and they ran out of gels. I would not want to count on anything beyond Powerade being available.

I recommend this as well. Not only could they run out but you might want it at a different time than they offer it. Also keep in mind Cliff is a sponsor so they are what is on course. At any time Disney could change their sponsorship arrangement so having what you know works for you is best.
 
I think it's usually around mile 8-8.5 and there are generally 4 flavors of Clif shots to choose from. Sometimes they will know at the expo which order they will be served on course, so you can know if you want to grab the first available or skip to the third batch. I'm accustomed to skipping the first water tables, so I almost always grab the Clif shot later than I intended and end up with a different flavor than I wanted.
 
Yep, as others have said, bring your own fuel.. Anything other than ade and water, make sure you have what YOU need so you have it when YOU need it :)
 
If you don't have time to test the on-course gels, at least go to the expo and familiarize yourself with both the flavors and, critically, the caffeine content of each gel.

The digestive system doesn't always behave during a race. This can make caffeinated products more difficult to consume. I try for pay attention to my stomach and gauge if I should have caffeinated vs uncaffeinated gels, as well as water vs Powerade.

For myself, I start with as many gels as I need and have tested in training and shorter races. Any extra I grab during the race I'll save for either a future race or hand to a fellow runner if they're in need of one late in the race.
 
For my first marathon I think I spent $40-$50 on any and every kind of gel,chew and sport bean,I don't mean for training,I mean for the race,I had every pocket and belt bag jam packed with them.It was also the 2013 Disney full that was in the mid 80s and all you heard was how the heat would wear you out so I figured the more energy supplements I brought with me the better,I wasn't even thinking there would be some on the course.Today I'm totally off the gels,not because they upset my stomach or anything like that,I just feel they make me thirstier than I need to be.I stick to chews of any kind,for half's or shorter I just bring little bags of fruit snacks,for fulls I get actual GU chews with higher sodium content.
 

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