Athlete Discipline (sport & event):
Triathlon, Olympic Distance + 70.3 Distance
What do you love about your sport?:
I love the combination of 3 different sports into 1. It never gets boring and there is always something to work on!
What events are you most looking forward to for 2024 and why?:
I'm really looking forward to USAT Nationals and PTO Las Vegas. USAT Nationals is being held in NJ this year, and having grown up there I am excited to do such a big race on home soil. I also have some big goals for that race! PTO Las Vegas should be an interesting race. It is the first time in 2 years that the USA will host a PTO event open to pros and age groupers. I have never done a 100k race before, so it should be fun to test out the distance!
What sponsors are supporting you in 2024?:
Outside of Carbs Fuel, Arvada Triathlon Company is sponsoring me, and I am in the works with a few others at the moment.
Why did you decide to be sponsored by Carbs?:
The product is exactly what I need. As a bigger athlete, I need to be taking in a lot of fuel. Having a product that has 50g of carbs per gel is perfect because I only have to take 2 of them per hour as opposed to 3 or 4 gels from other brands. I also really enjoy the taste. I am not a fan of products that have overbearing tastes, and Carbs Fuel gels have a very neutral taste. I also am on board with Carbs Fuel's mission. The price of fuel can be a barrier to entry for long endurance sports. In a sport like triathlon where the gear is already super expensive, I don't want people to be turned off the sport because of the price of fuel. So I want to help spread the word about Carbs Fuel so that people stop paying crazy amounts of money for their fuel.
Tell us about your first experience consuming a Carbs Fuel product:
I tried Carbs Fuel for the first time during a swim. I had a long session, about 6000yds. Around 4000yds in I could feel I was starting to lose energy so I took the gel to help me stay on track with the workout. The gel went down so smooth and the taste didn't linger in my mouth. I was back to my repeats and feeling good right after I took it!
Why should others give Carbs Fuel a try?:
If you are a fan of a neutral taste and a smooth gel you should 100% give Carbs Fuel a try. The 2:1 glucose to fructose ratio will help keep you moving forward!
What's the craziest thing you've consumed as fuel during sport that's non-traditional?:
Nothing super crazy, but I used to only eat nuts and raisins prior to learning about sports nutrition.
What are your 3 favorite sources of carbs? (Other than Carbs Fuel products). Doesn't have to be sport nutrition related:
I love fruit more than anything! I could eat blueberries, apples and bananas all day long! Other than fruit, I really like quinoa and sweet potatoes.
What would your hobby be if you didn't have your sport and why?:
I have a lot of interests outside of my sport. If I ignore sports in general, things I really want to do, but don't have time for right now are, learning to play the piano and/or the violin, and getting better at drawing/art. I love the way the piano and violin sound and would really enjoy being able to make such beautiful music. I've also always had an interest in drawing and art, but have never given it much time. I don't think I'd do these on a professional level, but they would be a great way to spend my free time.
What's your worst B.C era (Before Carbs Fuel) bonk story?:
When I did my first 100 mile ride I didn't really pay attention to fueling. For the whole ride I had a bag of almonds and raisins with me, nothing else. I started to struggle around mile 80, but trugged through to 99.5 miles. I was .5 miles to the finish and all I had to do was go up a hill to get back to my house. I had to lay in a field right before the hill for 10 mins just to collect myself to be able to get up the hill. I made it, but just barely.
