Sam Shepherd
IRONMAN 70.3® World Championships
Sam's headline numbers
Sam'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.
Sam’s fueling strategy was relatively simple for this race. This was the first time he had used the PF&H Top Tube Flask during an event, carrying around half of a PF 300 Flow Gel in this flask, and the other half in an aero bottle on his downtube. Because of this, he was able to consume ~130g/h of carbohydrate on the bike. On the run, Sam took a PF 30 Caffeine Gel immediately out of T2, and then used a PF 90 Gel to fuel the remainder of the race, consuming it in two portions at approximately 4 and 8 miles into the half marathon. Overall, Sam’s intake for the race fell in line with the recommended guidelines, and being able to consume just shy of 90g/h of carbohydrate on the run likely contributed to his strong finish. Using key sessions to train his gut leading into the event was critical to enable him to tolerate such a high carbohydrate load without GI distress, particularly during the run.
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 Sam’s losses are on the moderate side, getting his hydration strategy right is still important if he wants to perform at his best.
Learn moreAs well as starting with ~1 litre of PH 1000 in his bike bottles, Sam made use of the on-course PH 1000 (Tablets) in an attempt to match his relative sodium intake to his sweat sodium concentration. However, as a result of picking up some additional plain water on both the bike and run, the relative sodium concentration was slightly lower than his expected losses. Importantly, Sam’s fluid intake was in line with his individual sweat rate and was therefore sufficient to maintain an adequate level of hydration despite the warm temperatures. To help deal with the heat, which was particularly challenging during the run, Sam put ice down the back and front of his tri-suit at each aid station and even threw a couple of cups of water over his head.
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.
Sam consumed a PF 30 Caffeine Gel in the final 10 minutes before starting the swim, and then took a second at the start of the run. This meant that his overall caffeine consumption for the race was just shy of the recommendations. In future races, consuming some additional caffeine, either in gel or tablet form, would help him meet the guidelines to maximise the potential ergogenic effects of the stimulant.
How Sam hit his numbers
Here's everything that Sam ate and drank on the day...
Sam's weapons of choice
Final thoughts
Sam
PF&HSam's full stats
Data Confidence?
There is an adequate level of accuracy in the data collected and the numbers reported. The athlete manages to recall what they ate and drank including most specifics (brands flavours quantities plausible estimations of volumes). However there are estimations made within the data which affect the overall confidence level in the data reported.