Need Fuel During A Long Run? Try Beans!

About five miles into my planned eighteen mile run I grabbed the lemon-lime bag from my hydration belt and popped a couple beans.  They were easy to chew and swallow while running.  It only took a minute or so to finish off the entire bag of about ten beans and wash them down with water.  All without missing a stride.

Now, maybe my mind talked into believing and those beans were simply placebos, but it they worked.  I felt like I got a little shot of energy to pick me up.  About seven or eight miles later I ate the orange beans and again I was feeling strong.  And at the end of my eighteen miles, I felt better and recovered much faster than last week’s fourteen miler. (The fact that last week was over eighty degrees and this week was under seventy may have something to do with it also).  But whatever it was, I’m giving at least some credit to the Jelly Belly beans. 

I’ve read that your body needs fuel if your run is longer than seventy-five minutes and now I believe it.  I never used anything except water on runs before but I’m sticking with fuel – or beans in this case.