IRONMAN 70.3® Mallorca

Emma made impressive progress in her carb intake, increasing her average from ~71g/h the previous weekend to ~88g/h in Mallorca. This brings her intake significantly closer to the recommended 90g/h for a race of this intensity and duration. She added three extra packets of PF 30 Chews and slightly increased the concentration of her PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix on the bike. As is typical for Emma, she consumed minimal carbs during the half marathon, opting to focus primarily on hydration from on-course aid stations. She drank approximately three cups of the provided energy drink, which added up to just ~9g of carbs on the run. The ‘frontloading’ strategy for fueling is common for 70.3® distance races, though not all athletes have such a large drop off in their intake on the run. But, Emma’s performance demonstrates that she can sustain her pace with this strategy from bike to run and this race was no exception.

While Emma typically carries two bottles on her bike, she opted for just one this time, mindful of weight due to a significant climb early in the course. This adjustment led to her consuming less fluid than in almost all of her races we have analysed to date, despite her high sweat rate (>2.5L/h). On the run, she began to feel increasingly hot and decided to walk through a few aid stations to prioritize hydration, drinking two cups of water and one cup of the on-course energy drink at each. Consequently, she ended up drinking more on the run than on the bike, and in hindsight, realized she should have focused more on hydration while riding. Her electrolyte intake was well above her sweat sodium concentration, which likely played a key role in preventing race-impacting levels of dehydration in the hot conditions considering her ‘low’ fluid intake.