GU-Gels make me think of icky sticky goo. You can thank my mother for that. When I was little, she\’d sometimes sing, \”Molasses, molasses it\’s icky sticky goo; molasses, molasses it always sticks to you.\”

GU-Gel is sticky stuff, all right; and very sweet. That\’s why I normally reserve it for long-ride day. After I\’ve pedaled about 15 miles, a \”goo\” is a nice pick-me-up. That\’s especially the case when I have to battle a headwind for mile upon mile.

I keep a couple of the gels in my bike trunk pocket, too. Sometimes, when I get off work, I feel too hungry to ride home before I eat. It\’s not a long ride — about 2.5 miles — but why risk bonking?

Determining GU-Gel intake must take some planning for riders who have diabetes. As The Athlete\’s Guide to Diabetes makes plain, the athlete who has diabetes has much more to consider than carbs per se.

He or she has to think about: when did I last eat; and what did I eat? How long will I be exercising? How hard will I be going? Intense efforts can actually cause glycogen levels in the blood to rise; and that, for people who have diabetes, can be bad news.

It sounds like a complicated jugging act; and one that I\’d rather not have to learn. It\’s one reason why I\’m working to keep my prediabetes from developing into full-blown Type II.

Another reason is, I don\’t want (and my budget doesn\’t need) to have to pay for expensive diabetes medications; and I definitely don\’t want to wind up insulin dependent!

So I\’ll keep watching the carbs; and watch what I keep in my pantry. I\’m getting better at minimizing the candy; and I don\’t eat GU-Gels just anytime!