I'm doing the CRC Ruthin 50k half marathon in a few weeks time and have yet to do any real off-road training, with my current longest ride only being about 25k. So I'm hoping I can get through it with a lot of willpower and a steady supply of energy-boosting stuff. What's recommended? Preferably things I can buy at a supermarket or health food shop (holland and barret etc).

I don't like eating anything too heavy before exercise as it makes me feel sick so I guess malt loaf etc is out. Something drinkable is probably best, or light snacky things like bars or sweets. How about this?

Won't they have any at the start anyway ? Evans does for their rides. Just wondering…

Not a clue to be honest.. I'd like to try some beforehand though, A) to see if it actually works and B) to make sure it doesn't give me the shits.

Anyone?

eat natural bars, tracker bars, jelly tots, harvest bars. etc. flapjacks.

torq bars would be best but they don't have em in tescos!!

Malt loaf!! and jelly babies 🙂

Malt loaf

Tesco Value, Sainsburys basics, ASDA Smart Price cereal bars

Jelly babies

A couple of bannanas before you set off

50k is nothing in the grand scheme of things, you could probably do 25k on saturday and 25k on sunday without breaking a sweat this weekend, commute a couple of times in thw next week, 30k and 35k next weekend, commute a few more times and go out for 40k and 45k the weekend before.

I think the problem with my "training" is that I have nothing suitable to train on as it's all flat roads round here. I can do around 30km loops but it'll be all road and very easy bridleway, which also makes it boring!

it'll be all road

perfect. do some slow some fast and you'll be reet.

Torq drinky in your bottle will probably be sufficient, plus something nice you can get in a pocket to snack on – let the liquid do the energy bit and your treat fill the gap.

Asda were doing SiS 'proper' energy stuff (drink, bars, gels) last time I went in there, hidden in the squashes section (Ribena not pumpkin :-))

These are great:

http://www.goodnessdirect.co.uk/cgi-local/frameset/detail/627230_Panda_Licorice_Torpedos_100g.html

Tasty, less than 1% fat, and (unlike Haribo et al.) vegetarian.

Weirdly, though, my local Tesco hides them at the Pharmacy counter.