How to Carry Tailwind Concentrate for Road Running

Quick Takeaways for Road Runners:

• Tailwind Concentrate = Less Bulk: Save space and weight by carrying your fuel in a small, high-calorie bottle.
  
  

• Simplify Aid Station Stops: Concentrate is a great way to carry your carbs and electrolytes—all you’ll need is water along the way.
  
  

• Customizable Fueling: Adjust the concentration to hit your target carbs/hour based on your pace and effort.
  
  

• Ideal for Races: Especially useful for marathons and long training runs where carrying full bottles isn't ideal.

How to Carry Tailwind Concentrate for Road Running

When you're clicking off miles on pavement, whether in training or racing, every ounce counts. Lugging around multiple bottles can feel clunky and inefficient, especially if you're trying to keep your fueling on point without slowing down. That’s where Tailwind Concentrate comes in—a sleek solution to keep you fueled without the bulk.

What’s a Concentrate?

A Tailwind concentrate is a highly condensed mix of Tailwind Endurance Fuel and water that you carry in a small bottle (think 6–10 oz). It’s not meant to be sipped as-is—instead, you squeeze a portion into a separate water bottle or cup, then top it off with plain water.

This setup allows you to:

• Carry all your calories in one small, easy-to-stash bottle
  
  

• Stay light and efficient during road races or long runs
  
  

• Cut down on pit stop time at aid stations or convenience stores
  
  

Why It Works for Road Runners

Road runners often have fewer opportunities to refill or swap bottles compared to trail runners. Aid stations can be spaced farther apart, and many road runners prefer handhelds, vests with flasks, or no hydration system at all. Carrying a concentrate gives you flexibility—you can fuel at water stations without relying on on-course nutrition that may not work for your gut.

How to Make a Concentrate

Here’s a simple step-by-step:

1. Choose your calories per hour: Most runners aim for 200–300 calories/hour. Tailwind has 100 calories per scoop.
   
   

2. Mix it up: Combine the number of scoops you'll need for your total run time with just enough water to dissolve the powder—usually 4–8 oz per hour of fuel.
   
   

3. Shake well: Mix it in a soft flask, gel flask, or small bike bottle. Keep the total volume manageable.
   
   

4. Label your bottle: Mark the bottle so you know how much to squeeze out each hour (e.g., if you’re getting 3 hours out of one bottle, make 3 equal marks).
   
   

How to Use It During a Run

• At aid stations or fountains: Fill your bottle with water, then squeeze in your portion of concentrate. Shake and go!
  
  

• For supported races: You can hand off your concentrate to a friend or stash it on-course.
  
  

• Training: Great for long runs where you loop back or pass familiar spots with water access.
  
  

Pro Tips

• Practice first: Get used to your mix and squeeze method before race day.
  
  

• Temperature matters: Concentrates are more palatable when not too warm.
  
  

Flavor rotation: Mixing flavors in concentrate form can keep things interesting on long efforts.