Harry Palmer
IRONMAN 70.3® Swansea
Harry's headline numbers
Harry's strategy
Fueling
Carbohydrate is the main fuel you burn when racing. Failing to fuel properly is a leading cause of underperformance in longer races.
After experiencing painful bloating and abdominal cramps at IRONMAN® South Africa and having to DNF, Harry has dropped back down to middle distance racing with great success. In his previous race at Challenge Wales, Harry consumed ~59g carbs per hour, but managed to increase this to ~69g/h during IRONMAN 70.3® Swansea. This is still less than we would recommend for the intensity and duration Harry is racing at, but was appropriate for where he is in the process of gut training. Going forward, he plans to continue training his gut with the aim of gradually increasing the amount of carbs he can tolerate without the GI distress resurfacing.
Hydration
Taking on board an appropriate amount of fluid and sodium is essential to maintaining blood volume and supporting the cardiovascular effort needed to perform on race day.
Whilst the absolute amount of sodium and fluid consumed per hour is important, it’s critical to consider these in relation to each other. This is known as 'relative sodium concentration' and it’s expressed in milligrams per litre (mg/L). How much sodium you’re taking in per litre of fluid is more important than the absolute amount taken in per hour.
Sweat sodium concentration (mg/L) is largely genetically determined and remains relatively stable. Knowing how salty your sweat is enables you to replace a good proportion of your sweat losses, which can range from 200-2,000mg/L.
Whilst Harry’s losses are on the moderate side, getting his hydration strategy right is still important if he wants to perform at his best.
Learn moreBetween being in a group at the front of the race, poor road quality and a tricky course profile, Harry consumed less fluid than recommended to meet his individual hydration requirements. Much of the fluid he missed out on was meant to come from PH 1500, resulting in his average relative sodium concentration being lower than his known sweat losses. He commented that he felt a little under-hydrated heading on to the run and so made sure to consume water and the on-course PH 1000 available at each of the six aid stations to get back on track with his hydration strategy as best as possible.
Caffeine
Beyond the Three Levers of Performance (carb, sodium and fluid), caffeine is one of only a few substances that is proven to improve performance for most endurance athletes as it can help stave off mental and physical fatigue.
After discussing his pre-race nutrition with the PF&H Sports Science Team, Harry followed a more structured carb loading plan for the days leading up to the race. This ensured he was ‘fully loaded’ by race day and contributed to his positive energy levels on course. Combined with his practised fuel and hydration plan, he was able to execute a quality performance and take his second win as a professional.
How Harry hit his numbers
Here's everything that Harry ate and drank on the day...
Harry's weapons of choice
Final thoughts
PF&HHarry's full stats
Data Confidence?
There is good confidence in the accuracy of the data reported. An athlete feels that the numbers closely reflect what they consumed despite a couple of estimations which may carry some degree of error. The majority of what was consumed is recorded to a high level of specificity (most volumes are known through the use of bottles brands quantities flavours). The numbers are very plausible and align with previous data recordings (if an athlete has collected data previously).