IRONMAN® Copenhagen

On the ~4-hour bike leg, Mathias achieved his best-ever power output, a testament to his well-planned carb intake. Despite losing a couple of bottles of fuel, he deliberately replenished this at the aid stations, calculating it in his head to ensure he was hitting his targets of just over 100g/h. However, he did still experience fatigue as he neared the final 10km of the bike leg. On the run, Mathias’ strategy was to maintain a steady pace, knowing that the early parts of the marathon would feel easier. He pushed through the first 30km with relative ease and stayed on top of his fuel intake, but in the final 5km, he felt as though his energy stores were nearly depleted, and it was a battle of willpower to keep going.

Mathias acknowledged that while things went well with his hydration strategy, there were areas for improvement. During the bike leg, Mathias consumed ~1L of fluid before reaching the first aid station as a result of equipment issues (his bottle cages broke) limiting his ability to carry this bottle. As a result he peed pretty soon into the bike leg, but it was worth it to ensure he stayed on top of his fluid losses early on, particularly after the swim where he (hopefully) wasn’t drinking. He replenished his bottles at the aid stations, alternating between plain water and electrolytes since PH 1000 was available on course. Staying ahead of dehydration is crucial, particularly in endurance events, even for athletes like Mathias, whose sweat sodium concentration is on the lower end of the scale.

On the marathon, Mathias aimed to drink more water than in previous races to avoid the stomach issues he’d encountered, as he’d attributed these to lack of fluid affecting his ability to absorb carbphydrates. In Copenhagen, when his stomach began to react, he recognised that water would help settle it, and fortunately for someone with a lower sweat sodium concentration, this wasn’t detrimental to his strategy. This decision to drink plenty of fluids and power through the discomfort clearly paid off, as he ran an epic 2:37 marathon.

Caffeine’s role in endurance racing is well-established in sports science to improve performance by reducing the perception of effort, allowing athletes to push harder for longer. Mathias used caffeine strategically throughout his race, integrating it into both his bike and run fueling plans. He consumed PF 30 Caffeine Gels to help sustain his energy levels and push through the harder parts of the race where caffeine acts as a physical and psychological boost, including increasing focus and attenuating mental fatigue that could have slowed his pace. Mathias’s dose was slightly above the scientific recommendations for caffeine intake in endurance events, around 3-6mg per kg of body weight, but given the duration of the event and his lack of issues with this amount, it was likely appropriate for the day.