Whoda thunk it?

Cherry Cider

Vanilla Gu

Why would I water Gu down to make it drinkable, when I can drink natural juice that gives me the same (or better) nutrition? The pertinent info:

Cherry Cider ingredients? Water, Grape juice concentrate, Pear juice concentrate, Apple juice concentrate, Cherry juice concentrate, Citric acid, Natural flavors, Ascorbic acid.

Gu ingredients? Maltodextrin (Glucose Polymers), Filtered Water, Fructose, GU Amino Acid Blend (Leucine, Valine, Isoleucine, Histidine), Potassium And Sodium Citrate, GU Antioxidant Blend (Natural Vitamin E And Vitamin C), Sea Salt, Natural Vanilla, Citric Acid, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, GU Herbal Blend [Chamomile, Cola Nut (Has Caffeine), Ginger], Fumaric Acid, Pectin.

The Gu ingredients aren't as bad as I thought, but still. hmmmmmmm….

Gu normally costs between $2 and $3, depending where you get it and what flavor you prefer. I don’t remember how much I paid for the Cherry Cider, but you can bet it wasn’t $48-$72!

Bonus: I can water the Cherry Cider down and still approximate the benefits of Gu.

Bonus 2: I understand Cherry juice has anti-inflammatory properties.

Bonus 3: Even if Costco discontinues this particular brand (every time I find something I like, it gets discontinued), the ingredients are simple enough I can make my own.

I brought Cherry Cider instead of Gu on my long run this past weekend, with no issues. Granted long run is a misnomer when I only did 7 miles, but still. As long as it continues to agree with my stomach, I’ll be filling my fuel flask with Cherry Cider from now on.