By Matt Bach, 2014 Ironman Maryland Winner “I just can’t!” was what I said to myself when I ripped the tab off yet another gel at mile 12 of the marathon leg at Ironman Lake Placid 2013, my third Ironman. My stomach was already upset and just the thought of adding more sugar to it made me want to gag. I knew that if I didn’t take this gel, I’d be part of the death march in a half an hour, but I just couldn’t get myself to eat it. If any of this sounds familiar to you, you’ll be excited to learn that it doesn’t have to be this way. During my first four full Ironman events, I strove for 300 calories per hour (c/hr) of sugary sports drinks and gels and only managed about 230c/hr. I had major GI distress or bonking episodes during two of them, which made all my training worthless. At my next Ironman, I consumed just 94c/hr, had zero GI distress, and not a single bonking threat. The difference? Metabolic Efficiency Training and UCAN. I now have 99% confidence that nutrition won’t be what holds me back on race day. How many triathletes can say that?