Fenella Langridge
IRONMAN® World Championships
Kona6th, FPROFenella's headline numbers
Fenella'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 levels felt strong throughout the race and I was happy with where I finished in my first IRONMAN® World Champs."
With an aim to replicate her stellar performance from Challenge Roth earlier in the year, Fenella devised a solid fuel strategy to hit ~100g/h of carbohydrates. She carb loaded the day before the race, and also took a PF 30 Gel and PF 30 Caffeine Gel within the last 30 minutes before the start to ensure her energy stores were topped up. On the bike she had four bottles containing PF 30 Gels and PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix to keep a consistent stream of carbs coming in. Fenella has been working on her gut training all season, particularly when running, which paid off as she had no GI issues and managed to hit just below her target carb intake.
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.
Fenella1331mg/L
Fenella 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.
Given Fenella's losses are High (1,331mg/L), nailing her hydration strategy becomes especially crucial when it's hot and/or humid.
Learn moreT - 60mins: Drank ~500ml of strong electrolyte drink
"After a couple of last minute changes, I was a bit apprehensive but it worked well given the temperature on race day was so hot."
Fenella sensibly pre-loaded both the night before and the morning of the race using PH 1500 (Tablets). She knows that she has a high sweat sodium concentration after having a Sweat Test, so she was aware that PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix alone wouldn’t provide enough sodium to account for all of her sweat sodium losses during the race. So, she carried and consumed 20 Electrolyte Capsules which also helped to supplement her fluid intake. She also utilised the professional aid stations to pick up bottles of PH 1000 during the run. This likely replaced a good proportion of her sweat losses in the brutal conditions and helped her avoid cramping up on the day.
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.
T - 0-4hrs: Had a final hit of caffeine
Fenella utilised the benefits of caffeine consistently throughout the race by taking a relatively high amount of PF 30 Caffeine Gels. Since she tolerates caffeine well, her higher-than-recommended intake of the stimulant caused no adverse effects and instead helped maintain her energy levels throughout the race. However, we wouldn’t recommend going any higher than this in future races, as the science suggests there is no additional benefit and it can increase the risk of the associated symptoms when taking too much caffeine.
How Fenella hit her numbers
Here's everything that Fenella ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“After Roth the momentum was with me and I’m happy with my result. But, I’m hungry for more and can’t wait for the next race.”
“ Fenella raced courageously at her first IRONMAN® World Championship in Kona. She executed her fuel and hydration strategy brilliantly, feeling no particular energy dips throughout the race and had the ability to pee right away after the race for doping control, suggesting she was suitably hydrated. ”
PF&HFenella'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 some confidence in the quantities and brands of products consumed but the data may lack specifics (e.g. volumes specific flavours). A high number of estimations have been made and the room for error is moderate-high. There may also be the possibility that some intake has been grossly over- or under-estimated.