• Neil raced the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona for the fourth time, but the first time as a member of the Zwift Triathlon Academy 2022
• He is well accustomed to the brutal conditions on the Big Island, but unfortunately suffered with some illness leading into the race which hampered his progress towards his pre-race target of an age group podium

Hydration

• Neil got on top of his hydration ahead of the race by preloading his sodium levels with 500ml (16oz) PH 1500 the evening and morning before. This will have helped expand his blood plasma volume and potentially reduce the cardiovascular load he would endure during the race
• As someone with a sweat sodium concentration of 1,269 milligrams of sodium per litre (mg/32oz), and who has experienced hydration related issues in some of his races prior to joining the PF&H squad, Neil knows the value of an appropriate strategy with accurate execution
• After a solid swim, Neil headed out onto the bike where he was aiming to consume a similar fluid and sodium dose to his race at Challenge Roth earlier in the year, where he finished third overall. His Kona bike was loaded with a highly concentrated drink in his ~1.3L (45oz) integrated hydration system containing six PH 1500 (Drink Mix) packets. He also carried two 750ml (24oz) bottles with a further three PH 1500 (Drink Mix) packets
• Neil’s plan, which he’s practised extensively in training, was to dilute these sodium-rich fluids with plain water obtained from the on-course aid stations. He did so by picking up nine bottles of water, bringing his total fluid intake to ~7.8L (263oz), averaging ~1.6L (54oz) per hour, with a relative sodium concentration of ~1,216mg/L (mg/32oz). It’s worth noting that despite Neil’s best efforts, due to the large number of aid stations where he collected water, there is more potential for error within the fluid calculations
• During the run, Neil headed out of T2 with a Soft Flask containing two PH 1500 (Drink Mix) packets, and he collected another at the special needs aid station. Similarly to the bike, Neil then set about diluting this salty solution with cups of water (~2.59L/91oz in total) from the on-course aid stations positioned every ~1.6 miles (~2.5km)
• In addition to a few cups of on-course energy drink and ~720ml (22oz) Coca Cola, gave Neil a similar relative sodium concentration of ~1,206mg/L (mg/32oz) which will have closely matched the concentration of his sweat loss, thus replacing a good proportion of his losses
• Neil was feeling the effects of an illness he’d been battling for a couple of days before the race, and went to the medical tent post-race to get checked over. He had lost ~3.1kg (~7lbs) which equates to ~4% reduction in body weight, which highlights the severe effect the heat has on sweat rate, even on someone as familiar with racing there as Neil

Fueling

Conclusions

• In all, Neil had a good race in Kona, demonstrating a well-rounded hydration and fueling plan that he’s executed several times with great success, and this time was no different
• Whilst it’s unfortunate that he wasn’t able to fight for the age group world title, he was proud of his performance considering his health at the time