s/o Treadmill fuel question

[Raggedeannie]

For those who are doing your long runs on the treadmill, do you fuel the same as you would if you were doing that long run outside?  I did 8 miles on the TM today in my building's gym and I felt like an asshat squeezing out my powergel at the halfway mark since I was essentially at home and gels seem like a more on-the-go item.  I got off my treadmill and went to "hide" near the ping pong tables where nobody could see me.

Is there normal food (banana, almond butter, crackers, etc) that would give me similar caloric/caffeine boosts without sloshing around too much in my tummy?  Or should I just stick to the gels/bloks etc.?

[spunkypenguin]

The reason I fuel during training is to prepare for race day, so you'd want to use the same types of fuel that you plan to use on race day while training (to see what works best for performance, how it affects your stomach, etc). I would stick with the gels...if you have to get off and go to the water fountain to take it, so be it.

[hannahb]

Fuel the same way. Don't feel bad about it. There's a guy at my gym who's been walking on the TM on the highest incline with a backpack and boots on. Never have I been "what an idiot" but more interested in what awesome trek he's training for. People will just see dedication to your training. Now if you only were on for 30 min I may give you the side eye.

[hannahb]

Fuel the same way. Don't feel bad about it. There's a guy at my gym who's been walking on the TM on the highest incline with a backpack and boots on. Never have I been "what an idiot" but more interested in what awesome trek he's training for. People will just see dedication to your training. Now if you only were on for 30 min I may give you the side eye.

[cinco]

Yep. I usually use nuun on my shorter TM runs, which I do not do outside in the winter. I sweat a ton on TM, so I feel like I need a little extra. Longer runs, I will use gu. I have IBD, so toughening up the tummy is a important part of my training.

[Susie]

I might use the liquid nutrition that I normally use on my bike, on the TM, since I'd have the luxury of not having to carry the bottles. But outside of that, I'd just fuel like normal.

I am sort of jealous of you guys who have the gym TM as an option for long runs. Our TMs shut off after 45 minutes, and people give you seriously dirty looks if you restart or move to a different TM. Technically they are right, the gym policy is 45 mins. But it really sucks if the weather truly demands running indoors and you have a long run to get in somehow.

[Deleted]

I don't use gels for under 10miles, but I wouldn't think anything of it if I saw someone fuelling on a treadmill.
I would assume they were trying out a gel in safe conditions. I've had a new gel on an outdoor run recently and about half a mile later thought I was going to be sick.
I also recently did a treadmill run last week (I was away for work) and I put shorts on. The reason is because I will be doing peak weeks in Australia in Feburary (summer) and I wanted to know whether me new shorts would chafe.

So fuel away little lady, don't worry about what anyone thinks.