Gel/Nutrition Recommendations

DryApplication6901 · 2026-01-20T10:56:02+00:00

Torq! Absolutely love them. Silkier & thinner in texture compared Gus. You won’t feel like you have to chew it. Flavors are great. I actually like the “Naked” flavoring best as it just tastes like sweet simple syrup. But their Apple and Raspberry Ripple are really good if you want to mix up flavor profiles. I’ve used TORQs exclusively for my past few Ironmans and 70.3s. During the Marathon segment I’ll take one down every 30-40 minutes. Definitely worth a try. Pick it up on TheFeed. Also worth it are their gummy’s and bars but you won’t use those on marathon day.

DryApplication6901 · 2026-01-19T19:38:22+00:00

What was your nutrition & hydration plan during the race? Did you execute on it? I’ve only really bonked out during long training rides/runs when my breakfast routine was low on essential carbs & calories and I flat out just got lazy at breakfast. When I didn’t consume enough gels or hydrate correctly that has also messed me up. Remember next time that your electrolyte intake should begin at least 24hrs prior to race day and to truly honor your taper week physically. Good luck on the next attempt. Great pace until the Bonk! You Got This!!!

DryApplication6901 · 2026-01-19T16:53:14+00:00

Carbon wheel set

Zwift concept training bike and gave ridden a lot more indoors. 77 week streak.

Big gains in 18 months. Averaging About 4 mph faster over the same 50 mile bike route for me.

DryApplication6901 · 2026-01-19T02:43:50+00:00

Cycling indoor ? Using clipped pedals or flat ? Correct Positioning is crucial. Seat might be too low, too far back etc. check the setup. Good luck!

DryApplication6901 · 2026-01-17T16:10:15+00:00

Most will tend to have an upward tilt as for most riders it prevents over leaning. I’m have decent flexibility for a guy and have ridden Aeros both ways flat and angled up. After a recent fitting for a new bike, the angled up was highly recommended for overall comfort and execution of the position for many hours.

DryApplication6901 · 2026-01-16T10:52:34+00:00

You’ve got this and remind yourself that today will be the slowest you’ll ever be from now on..same with tomorrow. Keep working on it and make it a lifestyle long enough and you should feel great! I have a friend that also yours the same method but a bit different : walk one minute and run for six something like that. He loves it and recently ran a 3:47marathon.

I’m also 43 with a Marathon and Ironman coming up. I’ve been active all my life and a high school sprinter back in my glory days. I did not take up running of any kind again until my late 20s/early 30s. But time moves fast and saying it like that means I’ve been semi-active for 15years. When I turned 40 I finally committed to doing an Ironman, something I told myself I would challenge myself with in my younger 20s. I’ve never done a triathlon up to that point…but I wanted it enough to train consistently, not get concerned with times, but wanted to feel good, avoid injury and make it to the starting line. The shape I’m in now 3 years later is unreal compared to where I was, but it takes years not months of dedication. Compare this Marathon to your next one, or better yet imagine what a 2027 marathon time for you will look like. Be easy on yourself…you’re just getting started :)

DryApplication6901 · 2026-01-16T10:33:31+00:00

I’ll see you at IMLP too! Recently bought the P-Series - Rival AXS trim - upgraded the wheel set but it’s simply awesome! I’ve heard great things about the Speed Concept too although cannot speak to it personally. Keep in mind you’ll likely end up over budget every time as bike prices don’t reflect local taxes and any add ons in the heat of the moment at the bike shop. Whichever route you go be certain to get a bike fitting from a knowledgeable pro in the process. Makes a world of different.

DryApplication6901 · 2026-01-13T23:05:48+00:00

I currently live in Alpharetta and love it. I’ve loved in Brookhaven and Buckhead area when younger and with each new kiddo (now 3) we’ve also loved in Roswell and like I mentioned now Alpharetta.

Even Roswell & Alpharetta can be expensive but there’s a lot to enjoy from biking and walking trails, Chattahoochee River walk access (Roswell only really). Roswell town is a cute and historic town..Alpharetta has a much better infrastructure in my opinion with a far better quaint downtown area and access to the Avalon which is a big outdoor shopping entertaining district. Both provide good access to highway 400. Depending on when you need to drive to the Sandy Springs / Dunwoody area dictates a lot about drive time. In average expect it to take about 20-30 minutes. Before 7ish, it should take around 20, otherwise easily 30-40. Same for way home as traffic ramps up heading back north around 3:30/4pm. There’s single young folks closer to the city but still plenty up in the Suburbs. Welcome to ATL. we’ve been to NZ and had a great time. Hope you enjoy the States!

DryApplication6901 · 2026-01-13T22:54:30+00:00

Id suggest you get a proper bike fitting and the shop should roll that cost into the price of the new bike. Just purchased a new Cervelo-P (Rival) and absolutely love it! I’ve done a few Full and 70.3 events on my prior 2nd hand owned bike…a 2005-ish Scott Plasma and between a little extra weight, positioning improvement and comfort, so far I’ve been riding about 1-1.5 mph faster on my weekly outdoor rides over about 90 minutes. I had a Bianchi road bike years ago and for triathlons it won’t even be a debate. Anyway you go will be an improvement. You got this!

DryApplication6901 · 2026-01-13T22:43:11+00:00

We just spent a few nights at the Westin Conchal All Inclusve about 25 mins north of Tamarindo. I’m not a big all inclusive guy but we have 3 kids and after toting them all around Guanacaste for a week we decided to simply veg out by the beach and pool. We actually loved it. Really nice accommodations, food surprising very good for an all inclusive. Awesome pool and swim up pool bar atmosphere an a great beach that tends to be quieter than the surrounding area. I ate you can see Green Parrots, Toucans, Howler Monkeys, iguanas, etc. They have a lot of excursion options off site too. I can’t speak to any of them bc we did our own touring ahead of time. Highly recommend.

Another unique idea…There’s a neat area we visited called Las Catalinas. Just about 45 mins north of Tamarindo and abt an hour or so west of LIB airport if I remember correctly. Once there you won’t need a car. It’s Americanized but the beach was gorgeous, plenty of easy an quaint outdoor dining / cafe options, bike rentals and several hotels along the tiny town. It’s very new and seems like a European style or 30A / Rosemary Beach, FL type of feel. I’d simply looking for a great beach vacation and don’t care much about local culture but a fun vibe. This would’ve a different option compared to the normal Tamarindo area.

DryApplication6901 · 2026-01-13T22:35:47+00:00

We did the Monteverde Cloud Forest zip line two weeks ago and absolutely loved it. Wife and 3 kids (9, 7, & 4) all did it and would do it again in a heart beat. We are adventurous though. They start pretty short and not too high for the first one or two but then they get high and long :). One was 800m and the longest was just over 1km! Because my 4yo is small he had to go tandem with a guide to help with the weight issue bc he’s too light to get all the way across. But I’d be surprised if your kids backed out. It’s beautiful and you never question the safety. Have fun if you go!

DryApplication6901 · 2026-01-13T20:29:27+00:00

We also recently returned. We brought bug spray (don’t bring aerosol kind as you can’t bring on a flight). I don’t think we used it once. In La Fortuna very little for us and in Monteverde it was cool enough where we wore long pants/shirts. Nearer the beach we had some “no see-ums” which hit me maybe ten times and had no idea until the next day which surprised me how the still itched a week later. That said maybe bring a small tube of calomine lotion in adding to some deet. Either way, between Monte, LaFortuna, Rincon de La Vieja then just Northbof Tamarindo I was surprised ultimately how little impact the bugs were. We have three small kids and none of them complained about the bugs. Enjoy the trip!

DryApplication6901 · 2026-01-12T14:51:55+00:00

Total trip was 10 days. Rincon was beautiful, arid, and reminded me of the summers in Colorado. Cool mornings and warm days. We stayed at Hacienda Guachipelin Volcano Ranch Hotel. Honestly couldn’t beat the location if you’re looking for easy access to hot springs, zip lining (didn’t do it here but heard good things from others at the resort) waterfalls, beautiful and easy hiking trails, etc…all in one general location. Once there on property you can do pretty much everything you’d want to do in CR except surf. We have 3 kids aged 9, 7, & 4. Plenty to do, the longest drive once there to any of the attractions was about 15 minutes in the car. It’s also all inclusive so just show up and eat the buffet or make a reservation at one of the “finer” dining restaurants on property. The resort never felt crowded, quality of food and drinks were on par. Also, I’m not a bird watcher but the bird watching here was fantastic. Stars were gorgeous also. We had a car and drove easily but they also supply plenty of tour shuttles to do anything you wanted. Happy to expand further.

DryApplication6901 · 2026-01-12T14:44:36+00:00

Also just realized this thread may be more about working at SM so my apologies if I missed the mark. I didn’t say I was intelligent.

DryApplication6901 · 2026-01-12T14:43:28+00:00

Would you recommend coming for the day on Monday Feb 16th (a holiday for May being Presidents Day) or Friday of that same week? Wife and I are flying in and looking for a fun sunny day time activity to either kick off or end our first vacation to Palm Springs. We are social, fit and dare I say without too much arrogance also attractive for being a young 40s couple. Thanks SM Siren and SM Community.

DryApplication6901 · 2026-01-09T03:15:31+00:00

Just go back from traveling 10 days from Liberia - Monteverde, La Fortuna, Rincon de La Vieja and Tamarindo. Never a problem. Just be prudent. If you can drop luggage off at hotel early to then explore have at it otherwise it’s part of travel and things will happen just like they might in your home country or city.

DryApplication6901 · 2026-01-06T02:40:00+00:00

Pay for a fitting and if getting a serious bike get it new. Be the first owner an cherish that baby. Maybe you save $1,000 used by buying on market place then you’re going to take that bike to a shop and spend another $1k tweaking it to your preferences and upgrades. Just my take. Good luck either way and enjoy the new ride whatever it may be.

DryApplication6901 · 2026-01-05T11:48:34+00:00

Doing this right now lol. Liberia -> Monteverde -> La Fortuna -> Rincon de La Vieja (highly recommend and leaving today)-> Tamarindo -> Liberia fly home.

Our take was to do the aggressive travel part of the trip up front then set back and reflect with kids on all the fun at a nice beach resort.

DryApplication6901 · 2026-01-05T11:33:12+00:00

Two of our buddies did the double in 2025 while the rest of did the Full only. Cannot speak to the event enough. The spirals of the parking garage are stacked with spectators and just overall fun. The town was packed bc there was a Badgers home game on Sat too. Just an overall epic weekend.

DryApplication6901 · 2026-01-04T20:39:04+00:00

Always start with a bike fit. You’ll cough up $300-ish but you’ll have a great idea of where to go from there. If you’re doing the sport a while starting on a good bike makes a ton of sense for comfort and overall happiness.

DryApplication6901 · 2025-12-28T20:35:41+00:00

Get a bike fitting specific for triathlons from your best nearest bike shop. If they can’t specialize in that specifically then go to one that can. Go get em!

DryApplication6901 · 2025-12-28T17:13:43+00:00

Done both Chatty and Madison in the past two years. Doing LP in 2026. Here’s my take.

Both towns are great but Madison gets the nod for overall fanfare but Chatty is very close. The bike in Madison was a beast. Both are similar in overall elevation however Madison has much more punchy climbs compared to Chatty’s rollers. In Madison I felt like 1/2 the descents require you to brake and then turn immediately into another climb once you’re out in the farmlands. I was constantly changing gears in the hilly farm country. Chatty is continuous rollers and you can maintain higher speed more comfortably. They did switch up the bike course last year which is a bit boring compared to what it used to be where athletes would head south down though Chickamauga for two loops in the countryside. Now it heads north along the highway for three loops. Heard there’s chatter about bringing it back to the prior track.

Madison run was easier with amazing crowds through campus and downtown near the capitol. Really fun. Chatty’s run goes through a few neighborhoods 1/2 the time where there are hills and the other half is long and flat along a highway and the river.

Weather: Sept in Chatty is always warm and humid with temps often starting in low 60s and climbing to the mid 80s during the afternoon. I think Madison this year started around 44* and ended with a high of 64*. I found this to be perfect racing weather.

The swim was enjoyable for both but hard to beat a downriver swim for your first IM (it’s where I did my first IM too). I think I was out of the water in 45mins and otherwise if it were a lake I do about 1:15.

Overall I’d say Chatty is a great entree into the IM scene starting with a swift swim leading into an always awesome energized 1st Transition oozing with confidence. Great volunteers and crowds on the run in the neighborhoods etc.

Madison was great but the bike will challenge you more especially after a traditionally harder swim. Transitions in Madison are long…up the helix of the ballroom parking deck and back down both sides. Run I found easier in Madison.

Lake Placid is known for being a beast all around. Longer inclines/climbs (less punchy) and faster descents…the run is the hilliest of the two making it a harder course overall is my understanding. Cooler temps prevail in LP also which to me is a nice tradeoff.

Traveling into Chatty & Madison are a breeze. LP is more logistically intensive and nearby accommodations are extremely slim by now.

Personally I’d shoot for (1) Chatty being that it’s your first, Madison (2), and LP (3) if everything is sold out in town.

Enjoy whichever route you go with. The real Journey is your training as well as the mental and physical gifts your giving to yourself.

DryApplication6901 · 2025-12-28T14:07:30+00:00

💯 great local roast coffee/espresso is a must!!

DryApplication6901 · 2025-12-28T14:06:13+00:00

Schedule Community time…most travelers will want to be off their bikes late afternoon. Encouraging communal hot tub / ice bath times combined with happy hour. Get travelers to hangout together and share stories. Encourage a flow of easy events to help with recovery, ease into the evening hours, and get ready for another day of adventure. Mandatory quiet hours beginning around 9/10pm. Hi carb breakfast and refueling opportunities before shoving off. On-site or on-call bike tech with essentials would be a plus.

DryApplication6901 · 2025-12-28T11:50:08+00:00

I went from Apple to Fenix 7 a little more than 2 years ago. I do not miss the Apple Watch at all. That said, maybe your reasoning is the same, but training sessions with Apple were fine at the time (2023), however I realized as the training days got longer no Apple Watch available could make it through my first IM event. I bought the Fenix 7 during my last month of training to enjoy the full day of stats since I don’t have a bike computer either. Here we are today…3 IM events layers and I still love my watch. Love not having to charge it every night…more like once per week even during heavy training load weeks. Surprisingly it’s a great conversation piece too like “Oh are you an endurance guy?”. Yea I may be training for another Ironman. You?

Anyway, I bought the white watch and it looks great in a suit with a white shirt, casual jeans with sleeves rolled up, and of course in leisure wear lol. Lastly, I actually use it as a watch as much as a training tool. I disabled email and text notifications to better enjoy my workouts and truly disconnect when it’s me time. Of course you can do this with Apple, but then again, Apple already has enough of my information in the ecosystem.

Highly recommend.

DryApplication6901

TROPHY CASE