Ashleigh Gentle
IRONMAN 70.3® Oceanside
California4th, FPROAshleigh's headline numbers
Ashleigh's strategy
Fueling
T - 1-4hrs: Ate a carb rich meal (Low in fat & fibre)
T - 15mins: Took in a final dose of carb
"My energy was good. I was able to push hard on the run and not blow up."
With an early race start, Ashleigh wasn’t able to fully finish her breakfast at 4am, so the recommended pre-race PF 30 Gel about 30 minutes before the swim was even more important to top up her blood glucose levels. During the race, she had a carb-heavy bottle containing five PF 30 Gels mixed with water, and she also drank half of her 750ml bottle with PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix. On the run, she consumed two PF 30 Gels, raising her overall average carb intake by ~13g/h compared to Miami. While still below the recommended 90g/h, this is certainly a positive step forward for a stronger fueling strategy.
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.
Ashleigh921mg/L
Ashleigh has been Sweat Tested to dial in her hydration plan
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 Ashleigh's losses are on the moderate side, getting her hydration strategy right is still important if she wants to perform at her best.
Learn moreDrinking a strong electrolyte drink before the race could have helped Ashleigh start optimally hydrated
"I’m not sure what I could've done better."
Unlike the hot and humid conditions at CLASH Miami, Oceanside presented overcast and mild conditions, likely leading to much lower sweat losses for Ash. Consequently, it was unsurprising that her fluid intake was reduced. Although her average fluid intake appears low overall, she felt it was appropriate given her substantially decreased sweat rate and didn’t have any dehydration symptoms. Her sodium intake was also relatively low, though improved from prior races due to incorporating electrolytes via PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix. In warmer climates, we recommend she increase her sodium intake both pre-race and during the event to replace a greater proportion of her losses. Ash should consider having a Sweat Test as it would be beneficial to help her more accurately tailor her strategy to her individual electrolyte needs.
How Ashleigh hit her numbers
Here's everything that Ashleigh ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“Overall I had a really positive experience. I raced better and faster than I thought I was going to.”
“Ash did well to adjust her fuel and hydration strategy to match the different weather conditions compared to her last race. She should continue to increase her carb intake to meet the scientific guidelines and be more proactive with her sodium replacement to help optimize her performance this season and beyond. ”
PF&HAshleigh's full stats
Data Confidence
We rate each of our case studies from 1-5 based on the level of accuracy, and our confidence in the data.
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).