PowerBar Wafer Bars are the BEST!

Going to Lititz with the intention to try out new combinations for my nutrition, I think I found the winner for Ironman Zurich...POWERBAR WAFERS!

Here is why I liked them so much...
Easy to swallow...
I was looking for a food that would have a different texture than the traditional gels or energy bars, and something that would be easy to chew and break. It was important to me that the food did not "stick" in my mouth or oesophagus like some thick gels do. I wanted something I could chew on and rapidly swallow, with no residue in my mouth. The Wafers were perfect for that. They are easy to take in, and don't "stay" in your mouth where you have to rinse it 3-4 times by swallowing your saliva, or by taking a sip.

Easy to digest...
I know that I can easily get GI issues, and finding a food that would fill me without requiring too much digesting is key. This is obviously specific to my needs and cannot necessarily apply to everyone, but it is something I learned about my body through all the training of this winter, and through my racing last year.
On a long race day like IM Zurich will be, I need all the blood possible to be sent to my muscles, not to my stomach.

Perfect option with liquids....
Water bottles heavy in calories and electrolytes work for me for shorter distances, but for long distances, I realized that I will need a more balanced combination of "food" (if you consider gels and chews food) and liquids.
300 calories per bottles would most certainly lead to a disaster on race day. Wafers give me that balance. with 170 calories per package, it gives me the flexibility of having a light bottle of water with roughly 100-120 calories, and food I can chew on and digest easily. The wafers are very easy to chew and give that crispiness that makes your feel like you are eating real food...only difference is that it is jammed with the necessary calories! At least I like the sensation of eating something and not
swallowing something like gels. I notice after the first hour that my stomach was not upset, and did not require much work either. I had another wafer in the 3rd hour of the ride, and felt great. I was able to maintain my form all throughout the 7-hour ride, and had 4 wafers todal (720 calories), and alternated with some gels and Powerbar Perfrmance Energy Blasts chews.

Lastly, it tastes great...
The berry yogurt ones tasted great! I'd be interested to try out the chocolate peanut butter ones. Though not a big PB fan, I think the savory tastes that will come with it will be much appreciate at around mile 100 on race day...let's try it in training!