Fenella Langridge
Challenge The Championship
Samorin4th, 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
"I had pretty stable energy levels throughout, although I would have liked more energy on the run! "
To fuel the second-fastest female pro bike split in the race, Fenella consumed an impressive amount of carb, including a couple of PF 90 Gels. She has spent a long time training her gut to tolerate this high quantity of carbs, and now reaps the performance rewards associated with a higher carb intake. On the run, Fenella used another PF 90 Gel which, thanks to the screw-top lid, allowed her to not think about opening packets or disposing of litter, helping hit her carb numbers with ease.
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
"I was a little thirsty on the run. "
On the bike, Fenella drank two bottles of PH 1500 to hit a solid fluid volume, which we’ve seen her drink previously. Considering her high sweat sodium concentration, measured by our Sweat Test, she appropriately replaced a large proportion of the sodium she lost. Fenella didn’t take a lot of fluid on the run, only grabbing water from a few aid stations, leading to her overall fluid intake being lower than what she did at the IRONMAN® World Championships and at IRONMAN® Mallorca. However, the temperatures at both of those races were considerably higher than in Samorin, so Fenella sensibly dialled back her fluid intake to match the conditions. We would still recommend she increases her fluid intake on the run *slightly*, and perhaps include some additional sodium by taking a couple of Electrolyte Capsules as temperatures were approaching ~23℃ / 73℉ by the time she started the final run leg.
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 used two caffeinated energy gels during the race, giving her a total intake that fell within the recommended range of 3-6mg/kg. This is a quantity we have seen her have success with in previous races, highlighting that she is accustomed to the ergogenic benefits that the stimulant provides.
How Fenella hit her numbers
Here's everything that Fenella ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“A solid performance throughout. It was nice to be able to put a race together so soon after the IRONMAN® World Champs. ”
“Overall, Fenella raced well on fatigued legs to finish 4th. She executed her well-planned fuel and hydration strategy, ensuring her energy and hydration levels were on track throughout the whole race. For future races, increasing both her fluid and sodium intake on the run will help her match her losses more closely right until the finish line. ”
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 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.