Jo Wright
IRONMAN® World Championships
Utah3rd, F30-34Jo's headline numbers
Jo'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 a clear nutrition plan before the race and I was well disciplined to stick to that throughout which really helped me maintain my pace on the second half of the run. I just wish my time was a little quicker."
Jo used a combination of concentrated energy drink mix and energy gels during the race, which broke down into ~93g/h on the bike and ~58g/h on the run. This frontloading is a common trend we see in full distance triathlons where the mechanics of fueling on the run are trickier and often come with a higher risk of stomach discomfort. Having practised her fuel consumption in her training, Jo was able to achieve these higher carb numbers while experiencing no GI issues. This helped her maintain stable energy levels throughout the race and be able to hold off competitors even at the end of the run.
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.
Jo757mg/L
Jo 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.
Whilst Jo's losses are on the low side, getting her hydration strategy right is still crucial when it's hot and/or humid as her higher sweat rate in these conditions can result in significant net losses over the duration of a race.
Learn moreT - 60mins: Drank ~500ml of strong electrolyte drink
"I didn't ever feel too dehydrated until after the race."
Although Jo consumed some electrolytes pre-race by drinking PH 1000, she could preload more effectively next time by using a stronger concentration, such as PH 1500, to increase her blood plasma volume and fluid retention. On the bike, Jo carried three bottles which she refilled after finishing with water from aid stations and PH 1000 (Tablets) to stay on top of her electrolyte replacement. She initially ran out of T2 with a bottle of PH 1000 and then picked up water at every aid station going forwards. Although we don’t have data on Jo’s sweat rate, subjectively she mentioned her losses were unsurprisingly “high” in the hot conditions and therefore wanted to be more proactive with her replacement over the 10 hours. By pairing the plain water with Electrolyte Capsules, she was able to drink frequently and still match her sweat sodium losses.
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
Jo took regular caffeine doses by consuming caffeinated energy gels over the course of the race, which helped increase her perceived energy levels and alertness. For a race of this duration, a caffeine intake higher than the general recommended range is not uncommon, but by taking double the recommendation, Jo is at a higher risk of negative side effects. She could dial it back a bit in training and see if she’s able to still reap the ergogenic benefits without going so far past the guidelines.
How Jo hit her numbers
Here's everything that Jo ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“I was the fifth age grouper overall at my first IM World Championships - what a great day! Everything went to plan in terms of fueling, hydration and performance.”
“Jo had a fantastic performance and stuck to her hydration and fueling strategy to tackle the challenging course. She can be confident in her nutrition plan as she looks to build on this successful race throughout the year ahead of the World Champs in Kona.”
PF&HJo'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.