When it comes to mid-run nutrition, there are plenty of options that taste great and will keep you going on the trail. I’ve tried energy snacks in a ridiculous amount of forms - gels, gummies, jelly beans, waffles, fizzy drinks, not-so-fizzy drinks, heck, I’ve been known to stuff a few Snickers bars in my race vest.

And for the most part, they’re all good - I love food, and I love a variety of food. But over the years, it turns out that I always go back to the same snack over and over again - GU Energy. Whenever I clean out my Pathfinder, there are empty GU packs crammed into a corner somewhere. Any pack I dig up in my garage is bound to have a few empties or even some unopened packs that slipped through the cracks on a backpacking trip. The evidence is everywhere; despite my frequent food philandering, GU is my go-to when I’m out wrecking myself.

Roctane power mix wrapper in my Pathfinder’s door

You know what GU Energy gel is, but here’s what it is: it’s basically a 100-calorie blend of complex carbohydrates, amino acids, antioxidants, with some vitamins C & E thrown in for luck. And (in my favorite flavors) a healthy pop of caffeine to keep you going. Generally used in workouts lasting longer than an hour, it’s pretty much designed to replace what you’re losing while you exercise. Making you go farther. And be better. There, I said it.

I think my main attraction to the electrolyte gel is the sheer variety of not only flavors, but also textures. If I’m craving something tangy in the middle of a run, I’ll go with Jet Blackberry. If I’m in the mood for something sweeter, I’ll go with Mint Chocolate or Chocolate Outrage (grr).

Some forgotten Roctanes in my garage.

When I’m sick of Energy Gels, it’s Chomp time. Sometimes you just wanna chew on something, and when that comes around, Blueberry Pomegranate or Peach Tea hits the spot. The problem with these is, I can’t have them around the house, because I tend to nosh on them when I’m feeling snacky until there’s nothing left for my next run.

Recently, GU has unveiled the Brew Recovery drink mix for apres run recovery. It’s a whey protein isolate powder with a good balance of simple and complex carbs to help you recover. It mixes well and it tastes great - I’m a fan of the Chocolate Smoothie flavor. It mixes really well with coconut milk. Good stuff.

Gu Brew wrapper in the rear cupholder

They’re not all winners - the Island Nectar flavor Roctane (GU’s ultra distance gel, which ups the amino acids, electolytes and caffeine) never really did it for me, and while it’s an interesting idea, the Cherry Lime Roctane is an odd mix of sweet and tangy. But the good flavors definitely outweigh the bad (if you’re looking at Roctane, I’d reccomend the Blueberry Pomegranate or Chocolate Raspberry. That’s right, Chocolate Freaking Raspberry).

Chomps wrapper in the center console.

Over the years, the Chomps and Energy Gels have been with me throughout most of my major events - my first triathlon, training for the Redding Marathon and the TransRockies Run, and pretty much any time I’m out hiking, biking or running for more than and hour or two. If you haven’t tried out any of GU’s goodness (and I’ll be surprised if you haven’t), take a look at GuEnergy.com.