Runner uses 'treats' as race fuel

A runner entered in the Ultra race along Chicago's lakefront says he starts eating Halloween treats early during the race as fuel. Benny Garcia says he fuels every 5 miles during the race -- in which runners can choose between 50 miles or 50 kilometers -- eating gummy worms, marshmallows and cupcakes, and drinking orange soda. "I discovered orange soda gives me a quick energy burst, so do marshmallows, gummy worms and pastries," Garcia said in a statement ahead of Saturday's race. Garcia, who is a running coach at Gottlieb Center for Fitness, in Melrose Park, Ill., usually eats a strict diet of lean meats, plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and a very limited amount of refined carbohydrates and sugar. "My personal record is just over 7 hours but I don't expect to beat that because I started training late for the Ultra," the 5-foot, 9-inch, 165-pound, 30-year-old explained. However, "Three days before the Ultra, I start eating sandwiches made from half-a-loaf of Italian bread with stacks of of deli meat because I need the carbs and the salt. I eat sugared cereal with marshmallows for breakfast and snack during the day with more sugary sweets to get quick energy." Nonetheless, Garcia's best tip for running the Ultra is to: "Don't do it." "Seriously, no one should run this race," Garcia said. "There are only a handful of people like me, who are constantly challenging themselves to run longer and longer." The Chicago Ultra limits the race to 100 participants.