T100 Dubai

Jess struggled to finish her usual pre-race breakfast of a large serving of rice, so she added two PF 60 Chew Bars and some sweets on race morning to ensure her glycogen stores were topped up ahead of the later-than-normal 1pm race start. This was a sensible move, especially alongside her PF 30 Caffeine Gel before the swim, as it helped her to start the race well fueled.

During the T100, she executed her fueling strategy perfectly, sticking to the same quantities and products that had worked well the previous weekend at the IRONMAN 70.3® World Champs, despite the shorter 100km course. Using a combination of PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix, PF 30 Chews and PF 30 Caffeine Gels, Jess consumed over 120g/h on the bike and over 100g/h on the run, averaging her highest carb intake of the season. This certainly would have helped her maintain strong energy levels and pace to secure an impressive 3rd place finish.

After experiencing heat- and hydration-related issues at T100 Singapore earlier in 2025, Jess made sure to implement a proactive fluid, electrolyte, and cooling strategy in the anticipated hot Dubai conditions. Her preparation began on race morning with a strong preload to help increase blood plasma volume. Based on her sweat rate data, she was expected to lose more than 1.5L/h at race intensity on the bike, so she drank over one litre per hour to avoid developing a large fluid deficit that could compromise her run performance. This high intake consisted of PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix and PH 1500 in her bike bottles which allowed her to front-load her sodium replacement and stay on top of her moderate sweat sodium losses. On the run, she relied on plain water from aid stations, making the most of the looped course to frequently pour water over her head to support cooling while continuing to replace some of her sweat losses.

Jess replicated the exact same caffeine strategy she’d used in Marbella the weekend before, aiming to combat fatigue with the stimulant. She consumed 100mg caffeine before the swim, 200mg on the bike and another 200mg on the run. This approach likely maximised the ergogenic effects of caffeine, making it a worthwhile trade-off despite the potential impact on her sleep later that night.