Emily Freeman
IRONMAN 70.3® Staffordshire
Staffordshire2nd, F30-34Emily's headline numbers
Emily's strategy
Fueling
T - 1-4hrs: Ate a carb rich meal (Low in fat & fibre)
T - 15mins: Took in a final dose of carb
"I could have taken additional gels on the bike, sipping the PF 90 often would perhaps be a better strategy."
After having most of a PF 30 Gel in T1, Emily fueled up on the bike with PF 30 Chews, consuming one roughly every 20 minutes. In T2, she skipped her planned PF 30 Gel as a competitor was close behind, deciding to instead go straight into the run. Her only carb intake thereafter was a PF 90 Gel, which she sipped steadily over 75 minutes. This left her short of the recommended 90g/h, so adding a few more PF 30 Gels in the future could give her an energy boost, particularly during the early hills. Emily was actually able to take her foot off the gas towards the end of the race without issue, as she was confident she’d already secured the win.
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.
Emily1085mg/L
Emily 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 Emily's losses are on the moderate side, getting her hydration strategy right is still important if she wants to perform at her best.
Learn moreT - 60mins: Drank ~500ml of strong electrolyte drink
"I should have drank more on the bike but I decided to race through the aid stations instead of slowing down. It was a tactical decision that luckily didn’t come back to haunt me."
Emily has a moderate sweat sodium concentration, but the relative sodium concentration in her drinks was still lower than recommended, particularly during the run. Unfortunately, the Electrolyte Capsules she was carrying dissolved in her pocket as she removed them from their wrapper beforehand. Despite this setback, Emily avoided any symptoms of dehydration, likely thanks to her preloading strategy and adequate fluid and sodium intake during the bike portion of the race. She never felt thirsty and didn't experience cramping, indicating that her overall fluid and electrolyte management was suitable for the mild race conditions.
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.
Consuming caffeine in the hours before the start may have increased perceived energy levels
Emily didn’t consume any caffeine before or during the race, but with the research suggesting its benefits for endurance sports, it could be a helpful strategy for her to try in the future. For example, Emily could have swapped her pre-race regular PF 30 Gel for a PF 30 Caffeine Gel to tap into the ergogenic benefits of the stimulant, which are known to improve both mental and physical performance, especially in prolonged events.
How Emily hit her numbers
Here's everything that Emily ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“Although the overall win would have been nice, I raced what I thought was the front of the race and performed beyond my expectations.”
“Emily executed her fuel and hydration strategy well, walking away with just a few changes to note for her next race. Despite missing out on the win by just 11 seconds she was pleased with how she raced as it validated her winter training block and secured her a spot at the 2023 IRONMAN® 70.3 World Championships.”
PF&HEmily'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).