A bit of a tangent, and I always get someone who thinks I should fuel off of kale smoothies and broccoli florets, but my recent fueling strategy for the 70 mile/8300' climbing XC MTB race at Sea Otter(5ish hours time for me): I aimed for 3 SIS gels an hour, which is not an exact science, as the course terrain often dictates where I can mess with squeezing out a gel. The feed zone at the 1/2 point, I loaded up on more gels and shotgunned a can of coke. I had a small hydration pack of straight water and a bottle with SIS tablets that I swapped at the feed zone as well. I ate quite well in the days leading up to the event and I never had a hint of "cracking" that I often get in longer races.
Originally Posted by
Eric F
I'm going to give those a try. I'm on my last box of the now-discontinued citrus flavor Clif Shot gels that have been my favorite for a long time.
For protein bars (which usually get used as "lunch" during gravel races/events), I like Power Bar Protein Plus peanut butter and chocolate flavor. For drink mix in my bottles, I like Skratch Labs High-Carb. I also like Skratch Labs raspberry chews, but I find them less convenient than gels or drink mix for on-bike fuel.
I use the "cherry" flavored SIS gels, they're one of the few gels that I actually like the taste of and don't find at least mildly disgusting.