How to Use Honey Stinger Products During Marathon Training

Honey Stinger is a great way to take in some of the nutrition required to support marathon training. Right now, I’m training for my first full marathon, and I love fueling my training with Honey Stinger products.

Training for a full marathon requires nearly constant fueling. You need to be providing your body with nutrition before, during, and after your runs, along with quality nutrition throughout the day to promote recovery and adaptation.

If you’d like a copy of my fueling strategy cheat sheet, you can get it by entering your email in the box below:

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Disclaimer: As a Honey Stinger Ambassador, I help spread the word about my love for these products. While I do receive a discount on all my personal product usage from Honey Stinger, I receive no monetary compensation from the company. If you choose to purchase any product through the Amazon links provided, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.


How to Use Honey Stinger Products to Fuel Your Marathon Training Runs

While I strive to use real food for the majority of my nutrition, in some cases it is easier to supplement with packaged fueling products. After experimenting with several different brands, I have landed on Honey Stinger as one of my favorites.

Fueling Before My Runs

Whether it’s an early morning run or a late afternoon run, my stomach is usually asking for something. Some people like to run fasted, but I’ve found through trial and error that my body usually performs much better in workouts if I eat some type of fuel about 30 minutes to 1 hour before I start my run.

Honey Stinger Waffles

Typically, my pre-run fuel consists of one of the following:

1. Banana

2. Honey Stinger Waffle

These two sources of fuel work best for my stomach as they are quickly and easily digestible, plus they provide a good source of simple carbohydrate that my body puts to use on my run. While bananas are cheap and convenient, sometimes they don’t travel well and tend to get mushy in a bag.

This is where I love having some waffles in stock to take with on a trip or with me to work for an afternoon workout. The waffles are delicious and come in a variety of flavors, with honey as one of their main ingredients. With 150 calories, 21 grams of carbohydrate, 7 grams of fat and 1 gram of protein per waffle, it’s a great boost of energy to fuel your run.

Honey Stinger Waffle Nutrition Facts

Another time I love using the waffles is in between back to back workouts. For example, I usually do my track workouts on Monday followed by leg day. This usually ends up being a 90-minute to 2-hour workout, so as I leave the track and head into the weight room, I snack on a waffle to fuel up.

I recommend grabbing a variety pack so you can try a few different flavors to find one you like.

Fueling Marathon Training Long Runs with Honey Stinger

Honey Stinger Gels and Chews for Marathon Training

On runs longer than 90 minutes, I need some fuel to keep me going. For my long runs, I typically use some combination of Honey Stinger Energy Gels and Honey Stinger Chews.

Honey Stinger Energy Gels contain 100 calories in 1 gel, and 24 grams of carbohydrate. These are perfect for when I need a quick shot of fuel at my halfway point on a medium-long run (such as 8-10 miles for me). Also, I prefer to use only gels during half marathons. The race is quick, and I would rather take 2-3 gels during the race than space out a whole bunch of chews. The gels require less effort and attention throughout the race. Plus, it’s easy to slip them in the pockets of my running pants or shorts when I don’t want to carry a running belt. When I take a Honey Stinger gel, I usually get it down in 3-4 swallows, with sips of water in between.

Related: 3 Powerful Fueling Strategies for Your Next Half Marathon

Honey Stinger Gel Nutrition Facts

Honey Stinger Chews are a great fuel option if you need a break from the gels, or if your stomach has a hard time taking an entire gel at once. One package of Honey Stinger Chews contains around 12-13 individual chews with a total of 160 calories and 39 grams of carbohydrate.

Honey Stinger Chews Nutrition Facts

With the individual chews, you can space out your fueling more to avoid upsetting your stomach. When I use the chews, I usually take 2 chews every 2 miles. You could take 1 every mile, it’s up to you! When I do my really long runs, I’ll start taking a couple chews at 4 miles with a couple every 2 miles after that. Depending on the distance, I might also take a gel with me for the later miles.

The flavors are delicious, and the chews are like fruit snacks…only with electrolytes for runners.

Related: Types of Running Fuel and How to Use Energy Gels for Beginners

Honey Stinger Snacks

Honey Stinger Protein and Snack Bars for Marathon Training Snacks

Honey Stinger also has Protein Bars and Cracker Bars that work perfectly for snacks throughout the day when you need something portable and packaged. You could also use them on a super long run, trail run, or a hike where you just want to chew something.

The Honey Stinger Protein Bars contain 180-200 calories depending on the flavor, 10 grams of protein, 8-10 grams of fat, and 18-19 grams of carbohydrate. I love grabbing a protein bar if I need something convenient and on the go for a snack. They’re also convenient to throw in your gear check bag if you want some quick recovery fuel right after a race or workout.

Honey Stinger Protein Bar Nutrition Facts

The Honey Stinger Cracker Bars have less protein and more carbohydrate, so they’re better for mid-activity fueling. With 220 calories, 13 grams of fat, 23 grams of carbohydrates and 4 grams of protein, the cracker bars may be a better option if you’re looking for a different macro balance.

Honey Stinger Cracker Bar Nutrition Facts

So far, I’ve loved nearly every Honey Stinger flavor I’ve tried, so I love getting my Honey Stinger products in variety packs.

What is your favorite Honey Stinger fuel?

RunningMyBestLife

Run Happy,

Alexis

About Me: I’m Alexis, Founder of RunningMyBestLife! I am an avid recreational runner, half marathoner, wife, dog mom, busy professional, downhill skier in Northern Utah. My mission is to help new enthusiasts fall in love with the sport of running. I believe that running is a catalyst to taking control of your life and living your best life by design. Learn More –>

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