Plus, the Fig Nemans hold together MUCH better than the Nabisco
things, which get mashed to oblivion after only a few hours in the
back pocket. If I ever reduce myself to grovelling for sponsors,
they're first on my list ... (Whole Foods/Fresh Fields has 'em). They
are a tad pricier, but still WAY cheaper than bars.

FWIW, here's my nutrition strategy: For the vast majority of the year
I bring exclusively Newmans & water. For longer rides (>3:30) I'll
generally stop somewhere & get at least a Coke (preferably the 10oz or
8oz kind you can get from the Waterford General Store) and something
like a PayDay, Snickers, etc. Generally speaking for rides < 3:00 I'll
just use water and maybe a bananna, depending on when I last ate.
Often I'll carry a flask of gel, just in case, but rarely, if ever,
dip into the "emergency" stash.

If I'm doing a Half or greater, about six weeks out I start carrying
just race nutrition: Hammer Gel & water, plus a cliff bar for variety.
If I stop during a ride (which I try not to do when that close to a
race) I get Gatorade or something I know will be on the course.

So, most of the year: cheap, generic. Building for a race: race-day
simulation. For example, if I'm doing an Ironman, I'll eat like I was
racing an Ironman (a LOT) even though my workout may only be 4-6 hours
long ... (only?!!! Ahh, love the Ironman).

But what do I know? I've never been perfectly fueled for the last 2
miles of a HIM run (mostly b/c of heat affecting my appetite & sanity)
... nor have I gotten IM nutrition right yet ...

--stv

On 2/3/06, Michael Tine <mike_tri@...> wrote:
> Ditto on the low fat Fig Newmans - denser than Fig Newtons, and not quite as
> sweet.
>
> I love the Espresso HammerGel. I am also a new convert to lemon-lime
> Accelerade. Awesome, especially during a workout. Before a workout it
> doesn't taste as good since it's designed for tastebuds during a workout
> when you need more salt and want less sweet.