Mmmm jelly babies
On the subject of marathons. What do people take with them in the way of nutrition/supplements? I always see people running with bumbags but i think they'd annoy the hell out of me as they bounce around. So anything more than a couple gels in my short pockets will be annoying,
Typically about 5 gels, with a 6th I consume 10 minutes before the start. I usually end up with a gel left over but that is the backup if I drop one or feel the need.
For my first 5 marathons I carried a hydration belt with 2 10oz bottles filled with slightly dilute GU Roctane. I use this for all longer runs. As i got faster I was definitely alone in using this, but I find it way nicer to carry your own sports drink that you know you get on with, you can drink it whenever you want, e.g. takes sips with the energy gel, and can avoid over crowded aid stations.
Also, it is veyr hard to drink form the paper/plastic cups when running, so you end up slowing down to drink. If you are a slower runner this is less of an issue, and walking through an Aid station wont be a big impact on finish time. But as you get faster you really don;t want to loose that time. there is also a mental cost of slowing down and then having to speed up. And even then, the number of times cups of powerade when all over my face or a I choked on aid station water really puts me off relying on aid stations.
Once I got to racing marathons under 7min/mile the hydration belt became a pain with a lot of bouncing. Works great at 8min/mi in training but not in racing.
Instead I make a homemade handheld bottle. I use a water bottle that has a bite valve, somewhere around 500-700ml. 700ml is a little too heavy but a nicer amount of fluid. You make a handle out of duck-tape so it fits snug in 1 hand. It takes some getting used to having that weight on 1 hand. Also important to swap hands every few miles because it can create uneven stress on joints.
This way you can skip all the early aid station and sip on the go. I sometimes grab a watercup if convenient but know it isn't required since you have the bottle. The bottle wont last thw hole race, I typvcially get to mile 16 but depends on temperatures and 500 vs 700ml bottle. You just throw the bottle away at that point (preferably near an aid station for easy cleanup by the crew). At that point I mainly try just to get to the finish but on a hot day will have to rely on aid stations.
You can also carry a straw with you to make drinking out of the cups easier while running. Never tried that though.
As a slower runner you have a lot of choices that don;t have a huge impact. Taking a hydration belt wont be an issue, but walking through aid stations wont hurt your time much either. So the main advantage of taking your own is you get to use your favorite sports drink at the correct dilution. And that is the killer for me, because most races use terrible stuff like gatorade which is just regular sugar and no where near as digestible.
The final advice is not to over stress hydration. No one ever gets in to serious issues with dehydration, but overhydration causes Hyponatremia which is very serious and every year people runnign marathons die form Hyponatremia. Hydration and electrolytes balance has a small impact on performance until it becomes severe. So being very well hydrated before the race and then drinking a minium throughout is perfectly sufficient. You can finish slightly dehydrated and easily catch up passed the finish line.
