Are you "Gel-in"?

I enjoy running. I only recently discovered this. Around November of last year, I was sitting on my couch watching "The Biggest Loser." I thought to myself,... I can either gain 100lbs so that I can be on this show or I can start working out. Decisions, decisions, decisions.... So I started working out. Then one of the contestants that had been kicked off ran a half a marathon and I was like oh nooo noo noooooo. If she can do it, I sure as hell can. So I began training for my first marathon. Being in school I slacked a little... I also slacked a little because my training was supposed to begin in January... in Oklahoma. There were days when it was straight up icey and sleeting so I had to call those days due to the inclement weather. Then I slacked just because I was being a slacker. But come May, I ran my first half-marathon on an injured foot but still managed to not suck too bad.

Where I'm getting at --> Now I'm training for another half-marathon. But being in a state that has seasonal weather, it makes it a little interesting to say the least. Seeing as Oklahoma is currently experiencing one of the hottest summers I can remember, I normally try to run before 8:00am. And that means I must finish running BEFORE 8:00am. I hate waking up early and yet I've made a commitment to myself to run 5 mornings a week.

Since being back from Chicago, I have really not enjoyed waking up early. While in Chicago I could wake up and run whenever because normally it would stay in the 70s until around 10:30/11:00. Now I'm back in a state where cold front means its gonna be 94 outside instead of 107.

This morning I set my alarm for 6:55am. Gave myself 10-15 minutes to get ready and then out the door for a 4-5 mile run... However, when my alarm went off and my dog began licking me non-stop I was thinking I can use a little more sleep. So I reset my alarm for 7:55am while promising myself that today, I was going to take it up a notch by running outside when its a little hotter out.

Side note: (Some people enjoy pushing their bodies like that... I do not. I enjoy running. I enjoy wanting to stop but pushing your body to go further... but I DO NOT enjoy being so hot it feels like your blood is boiling and the sun is cooking your skin. )

Now seeing as I wake up when its so early, I typically do not eat before I run. I am not a fan of eating when I first wake up. Normally, I have a stomach ache anyway from brushing my teeth, I do not need to add to it by forcing food down my throat. Some days though, I feel as if I need it. Since I slept in an hour later, I think that made this day one of those... NOW COMES THE POINT WHEN I START TALKING ABOUT WHY I'M WRITING THIS POST...

I don't have a lot of food in my house. I don't do much cooking in the summer because I don't want my food to go to waste and I travel a lot... so I just don't buy any and eat at Subway for almost every meal. WHat I do have in my house is an "Accel Gel" pouch. It is an advanced sports gel that is supposed to extend endurance, speed muscle recovery and provide more energy. When I ran the half in May, I had one of these before and during the race. At those moments, I nearly threw up. Imagine taking a spoonful of rubber cement and sticking it in your mouth... but imagine that the rubber cement was flavored using tang. The consistency of this gel makes it nearly impossible to stomach without gagging. So it makes me wonder, why would they create something so impossible to eat if they knew that they'd probably be used in the middle of a workout.... when sometimes people are pushing themselves so hard they already feel like they are going to throw up. I think I'm going to invent something better. Maybe like a 5 hour energy shot, but for athletes. It will do everything the gel does EXCEPT make you want to vomit.

While writing this, I am squirting this crap in my mouth and chasing it with a gulp of water. I'm hoping it gives me the energy I need to run at 8:36am instead of my usual 7:00am. I will keep you all posted if I survive. (The gel AND the run.)