Friday Five - Fueling

I had a short work week since I just got back from vacation on Tuesday night.  But I'm still excited for the weekend! I feel like I need to catch up on my rest and need a vacation from vacation.  Plus, back to a long run for my Richmond half marathon training. In the meantime, it's time for a Friday Five link up with Courtney, Cynthia and Mar. 

 This week's theme is favorite ways to fuel and I have to admit that this is timely for me. I haven't experimented with runner specific fuel much and I think I might need to start doing that so I look forward to reading everyone's entries. Definitely check out the link up if you're looking for recommendations on fuel sources!  Here's what's been working for me so far.

1.  Nuun - I first got Nuun as a sample from the blogger brunch I went to during the Nike Women's Half Marathon weekend. The samples helped so I bought a variety pack off of Amazon and have used it on all my long runs since then.  I love that they're tablets you just pop in your water so easily transportable.  I take a tube with me on all my vacations where I have a run planned and I take one to races. I love that they're so low on calories as well but have plenty of electrolytes.

2.  Raisins - I carry mini packs of raisins with me on long runs and that's what I've been using for fuel instead of gels or chews.  I have to admit that I've been a little intimidated by exploring those types of runner's fuels.  And the raisins have worked pretty well since they have carbs, sugars, potassium and magnesium.  Someone even suggested salting them for sodium but I haven't tried that yet.  And the mini boxes fit perfectly in my flip belt.  I love that they're natural and relatively cheap.

3. Post run breakfast sandwich - my favorite indulgence after a long run is a fried egg and cheese sandwich.  So simple and yet so delicious! It has plenty of carbs and a decent amount of protein to help with post-run recovery.  Plus the flavor of the yummy cheese.  It's easy enough to make at home but also generally available if I'm having breakfast/brunch out.

4.  PB2 - I've written about PB2 before but it earns a mention here again.  My usual pre-run breakfast is 2 slices of toast with PB2 peanut butter or a bowl of oatmeal with a couple table spoons of PB2 added. PB2 is basically powdered peanut butter that comes in two options, regular or chocolate. It's just peanuts, sugar and salt.  The chocolate flavor has the additional ingredient of cocoa powder.  You mix 2 tablespoons of the PB2 with 1 tablespoon of water and it's ready to use.  Two tablespoons of PB2 has only 45 calories and 0 grams of saturated fat.  And it still tastes delicious!  I found it to taste a bit less sweet than traditional peanut butter, which I like.  Here's a photo of one of my PB2 breakfasts.

 5.  Pizza - Ok, well I know this isn't really a healthy food many of the times, but I do have a love of pizza.  And it's worked out well for me as a dinner the night before a long run.  Plenty of carbs, some protein and lots of deliciousness!  I try to make sure that it's not a too greasy version as I don't want too much fat the night before a long run and I limit my serving size.  I also eat it with a side of cooked veggies.  And if you can make it at home, even better.

I'd love to hear about any fueling secrets that you have as well!  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend ahead of you :)