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#1
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Gel/Mora Vasaloppet
Hi all,
What energy gel stays the most "gel like" in cold conditions. At the City of Lakes Loppet, the GU packets I had stapled to my bib were pretty well frozen by the time I needed the use them. I'm looking for something a little more "liquidy" for the Vasa. Thanks for the input. Also, does the Vasa have any good climbs, or is it flat like pancake. Thanks for any input, Matt Liebsch UofM skier PioneerMidwest Ski Team |
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#2
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Gel/Mora Vasaloppet
On Thu, 5 Feb 2004 22:06:15 -0600, "Matt L." wrote:
Hi all, What energy gel stays the most "gel like" in cold conditions. At the City of Lakes Loppet, the GU packets I had stapled to my bib were pretty well frozen by the time I needed the use them. I'm looking for something a little more "liquidy" for the Vasa. Brian May did a test last year: http://groups.google.com/groups?q=bm...umn.edu&rnum=1 JT |
#3
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Gel/Mora Vasaloppet
Matt L. wrote:
Hi all, What energy gel stays the most "gel like" in cold conditions. At the City of Lakes Loppet, the GU packets I had stapled to my bib were pretty well frozen by the time I needed the use them. I'm looking for something a little more "liquidy" for the Vasa. Thanks for the input. Also, does the Vasa have any good climbs, or is it flat like pancake. Thanks for any input, Matt Liebsch UofM skier PioneerMidwest Ski Team Mora's 58K course is relentlessly flat. There are some rollers, a few gradual climbs and a section in the woods in the 3K to 10K range that has some stand in line hills if you don't get a good start. It has been a few years since anyone has done the full course, but i recall somewhere around 25K there was a downhill to a narrow bridge over a creek where at least two guys I saw running had broken skis. It was very icy that year by the time I got to that decent. I tried the Gensen gel for the City of Lakes Loppet last weekend (-5F). It stayed quite liquid stapled to my bib. Gensen supplied the energy drink for that race. |
#4
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Gel/Mora Vasaloppet
"Matt L." wrote in message ... Hi all, What energy gel stays the most "gel like" in cold conditions. At the City of Lakes Loppet, the GU packets I had stapled to my bib were pretty well frozen by the time I needed the use them. I'm looking for something a little more "liquidy" for the Vasa. Thanks for the input. Also, does the Vasa have any good climbs, or is it flat like pancake. Something I've done which helps: buy a "gu flask". There are Gu brand flasks as well as generic. If you don't recongnize that, it's just a tiny plastic container with a pop-up top (like the squirt tops on dish soap containers). One hand operation - hold the flask and squeeze with one hand, and use your teeth to open and suck. It's made to hold multiple gels. But, I've also used it to mix my gel with water - proportions to suit your fancy (use warm water to dissolve the gel). I make a really thick slurry that seems to avoid becoming unmanagably thick with the cold, but is still pretty concentrated and easier to push out of the container and swallow than straight gel, especially when you're really tired. Even diluted, you can fit a couple to several gels in it, depending on the size (there are large and small ones). An alternative is the Rubbermaid "juice box" containers - plastic containers with flip up "straw-like" things on the top that kids use to drink juice without spilling. They hold quite a bit more than the little gu flasks, therefore you could cut it a little more or prepare more gels. Again, a one hand squeeze/suck operation. With both of these things, you can figure a way to put them in a convenient, but warm place if you put your mind to it. With the little gu flasks, I tape a lanyard onto it and hang it from my neck inside my top - it's pretty easy to yank out to use. As easy as ripping a gu stapled to the bib and messing with trying to bite off the top and eat it at least, and that's the bench mark, no? Of course, if it's warm enough, you might not even have the need to dilute it with water or hang it inside the clothes - but I like it a little thinner and warmer anyway for swallowing purposes. HTH, FWIW, YMMV, etc. Grissy |
#5
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Gel/Mora Vasaloppet
Hey Matt,
First of all, congrats on an awesome COLL! The little test I did last year had the following order of "liquidy": i) Enervit, ii) Gu, iii) PowerGel. I figure the Gu would have been Ok, the PowerGel was definitely solid. I'm not sure if there is any difference in the flavors. I usually staple gels to the strap on my bottle holder. The last couple races, I've worn a vest (windproof front) over my ski suit. It has a pretty handy pocket that I put a gel in (advantage at Pepsi because I tossed my bottle holder at the half-way mark). It also provides my bottle with a little protection from freezing. As for the Vasa course, I remember it being really flat, punctuated by occasional short climbs. In a pack, the effort definitely spikes on the climbs, with a lot of pretty relaxed skiing in between. Oh yeah, hammer the first few km because the course narrows significantly when it heads into the woods - that's when gaps start to open up and it's pretty hard to bridge them if you get stuck behind. You want to be in good position early. Good luck, Brian In article , Matt L. wrote: What energy gel stays the most "gel like" in cold conditions. At the City of Lakes Loppet, the GU packets I had stapled to my bib were pretty well frozen by the time I needed the use them. I'm looking for something a little more "liquidy" for the Vasa. Thanks for the input. Also, does the Vasa have any good climbs, or is it flat like pancake. Thanks for any input, Matt Liebsch UofM skier PioneerMidwest Ski Team |
#6
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Gel/Mora Vasaloppet
Hello,
For that matter, you definitely need to get Hammer Gel. www.hammergel.com I used them in marathon in -15f and they just become like Powre Gel in the Summer. That is tha way to go. Overmore, they taste great. Try Apple-Cinnamon or Raspberry. Christian Fillion. "Matt L." a écrit dans le message de ... Hi all, What energy gel stays the most "gel like" in cold conditions. At the City of Lakes Loppet, the GU packets I had stapled to my bib were pretty well frozen by the time I needed the use them. I'm looking for something a little more "liquidy" for the Vasa. Thanks for the input. Also, does the Vasa have any good climbs, or is it flat like pancake. Thanks for any input, Matt Liebsch UofM skier PioneerMidwest Ski Team |
#7
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Gel/Mora Vasaloppet
Try Hammer Gel. They are the best in Cold weather.www.hammergel.com
Christian. "John Forrest Tomlinson" a écrit dans le message de ... On Thu, 5 Feb 2004 22:06:15 -0600, "Matt L." wrote: Hi all, What energy gel stays the most "gel like" in cold conditions. At the City of Lakes Loppet, the GU packets I had stapled to my bib were pretty well frozen by the time I needed the use them. I'm looking for something a little more "liquidy" for the Vasa. Brian May did a test last year: http://groups.google.com/groups?q=bm...umn.edu&rnum=1 JT |
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