• Former Olympic rower, Lars, took on his latest epic endurance challenge at the iconic Norseman triathlon
• Other than sharing the same Iron distances as his previous two races at Challenge Roth and the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona in 2022, the Norseman has little else in common with those events as bitterly cold temperatures and heavy rain are staples of this race
• After diving off the back of a ferry to start the race, the conditions couldn’t have been more different to Roth and Kona, and Lars tweaked his fuel and hydration strategy according to the conditions and his individual needs
• Adverse weather conditions on the local mountain, Gaustatoppen, meant the race was forced to finish after 32.5km (20 mile) of the run at the foot of the mountain, instead of the usual 42.2km (26.2 mile) finish line on the mountain top, but still proved a brutal day of racing

Hydration

• Ahead of the race, Lars created his own preloading beverage by adding a PH 1500 Packet and ½ a serving of PF 60 Drink Mix to 650ml (22oz) of water
• This hybrid mix made a relative sodium concentration of ~1,500mg/L (mg/32oz), with ~30g of carbohydrate, perfect for starting the race optimally hydrated. Interestingly, adding a small amount of carb to a high-sodium drink has been investigated recently as to whether it provides any benefit for pre-hydration, and so far the results have been positive
• Then during the race, Lars knew he wouldn’t be sweating excessively, but still has a relatively high sweat rate, so kept his fluid intake fairly high to avoid becoming dehydrated
• He managed to drink ~4.8L (162oz) throughout the 180km (112 mile) bike, averaging an impressive ~911ml (31oz) per hour
• To ensure he replaced a good proportion of his low sodium losses (he loses 655 milligrams per litre / 32oz of sweat), Lars drank a mixture of PH 1500 and PF 60 Drink Mix, along with plenty of plain water (~2.2L / 70oz total). He also made sure he took some Electrolyte Capsules as he increased his water intake, to avoid over-diluting his fluids
• During the run, Lars’ fluid consumption dropped significantly to ~395ml/h (14oz/h), as he started to feel a little nauseous at the halfway mark, and his pace was dropping due to a previous leg injury rearing its head
• After a brief moment where Lars felt like he could be sick, he tried drinking some Coca Cola as it often helps “settle his stomach”, and this occasion was no different, as he was able to continue pushing on deep into the run
• This strategy saw him average ~611ml (18oz) per hour for the entire race, which is 42% less than he drank at the IRONMAN World Champs. As Lars still peed twice, and rated his hydration strategy a solid 9 (out of 10), this fluid and electrolyte replacement was likely an appropriate reflection of his reduced sweat rate in the different temperatures (11℃ [52℉] vs 27℃ [81℉])

Fueling

Conclusions

• Lars’ first visit to the Norseman triathlon was as epic as he expected, and despite a few adversities along the way, he felt his performance reflected his current training status
• He was chasing fellow PF&H ambassador Allan Hovda throughout the race, and said afterwards that he would have loved to have been closer to him and have a proper battle
• Lars was able to rate his overall performance satisfaction a 9 (out of 10), which is pretty good for a first attempt at this brutal race, and he’s looking forward to iterating his fuel and hydration plan for his next visit