Fiona Moriarty
IRONMAN® Cairns
Cairns6th, FPROFiona's headline numbers
Fiona'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 held the best power I ever have during the bike in an IRONMAN® and just felt solid all around! I even had enough energy at the end to pick up the intensity in my last two miles of the marathon."
Fiona has a history of stomach distress during races, and while her 70.3® a few months prior in Campeche went well, she has more recently struggled at the full distance, even having to DNF after collapsing on the run. So, experiencing solid energy throughout and minimal GI discomfort (rating it a 7 out of 10) is a huge win for Fiona! She was able to tolerate her highest carb intake yet, thanks to PF 300 Flow Gel interspersed with PF 30 Chews on the bike for variety. Her fueling only dropped down from 93 grams per hour on the bike to 89 during the run, demonstrating another successful part of her strategy that kept her energy levels soaring all the way to a sprint finish.
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.
Fiona1146mg/L
Fiona 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 Fiona's losses are High (1,146mg/L), nailing her hydration strategy becomes especially crucial when it's hot and/or humid.
Learn moreT - 60mins: Drank ~500ml of strong electrolyte drink
"My hydration was great, and although I’d love to not need the bathroom at all, I’m stoked with everything else. Running with PH 1000 tablets was a game changer."
One of the biggest aspects Fiona’s worked on with the Sport Science Team has been dialling in the relative sodium concentration across *all* of the fluids she takes in, especially during hot races. In the heat this time out, she used a combination of PH 1000 and PH 1500 tablets to hit the nail on the head and closely match her individual losses. Because she ‘decoupled’ the fuel and hydration parts of her strategy, she was able to consume more fluid than expected without stomach discomfort from having all of her carb tied to her fluid. She maintained this routine into the run and every time she refilled her Soft Flask, she added a PH 1000 tablet to keep her sodium-to-fluid ratio consistent.
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
Fiona doesn’t feel her best after taking caffeine, and considering all of the stomach issues she’s had in prior races, she opts to stay away from the stimulant on race day, other than the small amount she gets from cola on the run. While caffeine can be helpful for many athletes, providing a boost in energy levels, it’s certainly not a ‘must’. Clearly, Fiona’s energy was high enough without it, so her strategy was well-suited to her needs!
How Fiona hit her numbers
Here's everything that Fiona ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“I had a 15-minute PR, learned a lot and overall had much better sustained energy and headspace throughout the day.”
“Just one month after collapsing halfway into the run at IRONMAN® Lanzarote, Fiona bounced back from the disappointment with determination and a focused strategy to take sixth place down in Oz. Her carb, fluid and sodium intakes were spot on, as she executed the plan well. This successful race can serve as a strong base going forward through the rest of the season, only adjusting fluid to match the weather conditions.”
PF&HFiona'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.