• Jason rocketed his way towards yet another fastest run split at the inaugural PTO European Open on the Spanish island of Ibiza, averaging an impressive 3:07 per kilometer (~5 minutes per mile!)
• Despite battling an illness in the days leading up to Ibiza, Jason managed to execute his tried and tested fluid, electrolyte and carbohydrate strategy seamlessly which helped propel him to another stellar performance

Hydration

• As we recommend in our blog on how to start a race optimally hydrated, Jason preloaded his sodium levels by drinking two 500ml (16oz) bottles with a PH 1500 packet in each, one the night before and one with his breakfast on race morning
• This will have helped prepare his body for the hot race by increasing his fluid retention, blood plasma volume and his subsequent cooling efficiency
• On the bike, in an attempt to save weight, Jason’s plan was to fill his ~1L (32oz) integrated hydration system with three servings of PF 60 Drink Mix (75g carb & 1,500mg sodium), then instead of carrying his own bottle of water, he was going to pick it up from the on-course aid stations
• Unfortunately, the aid station was placed on a section of the course where the athletes were travelling at over 60 kph (37 mph), and slowing down to grab a bottle would have meant getting dropped by the athletes around him
• This meant he only managed to pick up ~200ml (7oz) of additional water, instead of his planned 750ml (24oz) and subsequently “felt super thirsty at the end of the ride”. This was likely exacerbated by the higher than expected temperatures on the run (~21℃ / 70℉), which probably meant Jason’s sweat rate was higher than anticipated
• Due to the reduced fluid volume, the relative sodium concentration of his drinks was also much higher than planned at ~1,250mg per litre (mg/32oz), instead of more closely matching the concentration of sodium in his sweat (~512mg/L), which likely contributed to his feeling of thirst by the time Jason started the run
• Thankfully, all professional athletes were able to place their own bottle at a special needs aid station on the run course before the race. Jason added ~1.33 scoops of PF 60 Drink Mix to his ~300ml (10oz) bottle, which after grabbing on the first lap, he drank very quickly because he was so thirsty. Jason then picked up a further ~300ml (10oz) of plain water from the cups at the on-course aid station
• Overall, Jason’s fluid intake averaged ~551ml (17oz) per hour across the entire race, which is somewhat lower than he drank and some of his previous races in similar conditions (910ml/h at Miami, 684ml/h at Augusta). Perhaps taking his own additional bottle of water on the bike could have helped alleviate these issues, but Jason was still able to adapt on-the-fly and manage his hydration well

Fueling

Conclusions

• Overall, Jason was stoked to finish in the top five in a race against some of the highest ranked triathletes on the planet, and was only a handful of seconds behind 4th place Jan Frodeno at the finish line
• Jason’s experience and complete understanding and confidence in his fuel and hydration strategy meant he was able to adjust things mid-race when things deviated from his initial plan. This meant he could focus on executing a solid race and run his way up the field with another blistering run performance, something he is becoming ever famous for