IRONMAN 70.3® Oregon

One of the keys to fueling an endurance event is to arrive at the start line with full energy stores from a strategic carb-load, so Danielle and her husband hunted down a carb-rich dinner the night before the race. The ‘hole in the wall’ Italian restaurant where she ate pesto pasta and pizza ended up being the probable cause of the stomach discomfort she experienced on race day. Unfortunately, this meant Danielle only drank half of her Soft Flask on the run which contained both fuel and electrolytes. Overall, her carb intake was still strong thanks to what she consumed on the bike, nearly matching the 90g/h recommendation which would have sustained her energy levels throughout most of the race. In future, avoiding any new and ‘risky’ foods the day before will be good practice.

Danielle’s combined bike and run fluid intake resulted in a solid average across the race, which given her moderate sweat rate, would have replaced a good proportion of her losses. Although Danielle’s relative sodium concentration in her intake was significantly lower than her salty sweat losses, the weather on race day was likely moderate enough to help stave off any dehydration-related symptoms. Going forward, especially for hotter and/or longer races, Danielle should aim to increase her sodium intake so that she is more in-line with her sweat sodium losses. Adding additional electrolytes in her fuel bottles to account for the plain water she picks up could be a practical way to achieve this, for instance.

Danielle had a sensible caffeine intake during this event, coming from a couple PF 30 Caffeine Gels and a few sips of cola, and she also had a pre-race coffee to start her day. This put her within the general recommended range for caffeine intake, meaning she would have reaped the performance benefits that the stimulant provides.