What part does dark chocolate play in an athletes success

Nutrition is one of the four corners of the triathlon pyramid (you do the math). Being a triathlete brings into play the fine balance of perceiving food as food, reward, fuel or some combination of the three. This sport also brings into play body image and how you feel vs. how you look. This forum will be to open the discussion and questions about endurance nutrition and body composition.
Each one of us has a specific combination of our training, rest and nutrition that will maximize our race day performance. This is an individual teeter totter we all have to determine on our own. How nutrition plays a roll in this equation is linked to the other two and to our specific genetics. Most of us can see gains just by doing the simple things – staying away from fast food, eating natural foods vs. processed foods, and drink water vs tasty tasty coca cola. I am not one of these people.
Getting caught up in looking like so and so, or obtaining a certain body fat percentage or weight can be a slippery slope. Look at the body types and body fat percentage of 10 people crossing the finish line in any race at any specific time and you will understand that it takes all types.
Most of us have been passed by someone who “should not be passing you” and we have all passed people “we should not be passing” based purely on how they look.
Should I lose weight even if I lose power?
Should I change my diet?
What are the biggest mistakes people make?
What other questions, comments or concerns do you all have about nutrition?
We will get a few tridonkey nutritionists (real ones that went to school for it) to help us feel our way through this heap of opinions and information and it will hopefully allow us all to improve our diets and still enjoy the sweet sweet taste of 70% cocoa hitting our tummies washed down by the tingling suds of an ice cold coke.

A couple of future tridonkey nephews who have found the keys to racing strong. Electrolytes and Ice Cream.  Mint chip is my favorite as well.