For shorter sprint distances I haven’t had as many problems
simply because I don’t have to take in as many calories as I would in a longer
race. My problem begins when I have a race that is five or six hours long and
my tank starts to run on empty. Many seasoned triathlon vets have found a gel,
drink or nutrition bar that works for them. They have spent years trying
different products and experienced both the good and bad out there. Hopefully,
my insight can help those of you out there that are just starting out and don’t
have time, money, or the stomach to try dozens of different products.
Two products have saved my life lately, the Honey Stinger
Waffle and the Honey Stinger Gel. The waffle is a small 160 calorie snack that
I use both pre-race and while on a long bike ride. It comes in several flavors,
but I prefer the Honey one. I have had no stomach issues at all, but as the
name suggest it is made with honey, so if you are allergic or not a fan of
honey this might not be for you. You can find the waffles at your local bike
shop or nutrition store, but they usually run about $2.00 each. If you want to
save some money visit the Trisports.com on-line store and you can find them for
$1.30 each when you buy 16 or more. You can also use the promo code BVAN-S for
an additional 10% off and that brings the price to just a little over $1.00
each.
The other product that I love is the Honey Stinger Gel. It
works just like other gels, but if you have a hard time choking down the nasty
taste of most gels, you will love the Stinger gel. It is simply honey! Once again
it has several flavors, but I prefer the Honey Stinger Gold. You can also pick
up the gels at Trisports.com and they will cost about a $1.00 each when you
purchase 24 or more. Use promo code BVAN-S for an additional 10%.
In a follow up post I will talk about what liquids have
worked well for me and which ones I now avoid.
great post! Very true!
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