IRONMAN® Cairns

Penny went into IRONMAN® Cairns with a well-practised fueling strategy. On the bike, she used PF 300 Flow Gel, PF Carb Only Drink Mix, PF 30 Caffeine Gels and PF 30 Chews to average ~110 grams of carb per hour. She carried this momentum onto the run, fueling with PF 30 Gels, a PF 30 Caffeine Gel, a flask of Carb Only Drink Mix and cola from aid stations to maintain above ~110g/h, averaging an impressive ~101g/h across the full race. Gut training is key to tolerating carbohydrate intakes above 90g/h, and Penny's stomach comfort on race day is a testament to the work she has put in during training.

Racing in hot and humid conditions, peaking at 27°C (80°F) with 76% humidity, Penny averaged ~697ml/h across the full race, with a higher intake (~887ml/h) on the bike where she drank predominantly plain water compared to 648ml/h on the run. Having swallowed seawater during the swim, she made the sensible call to hold off on sodium until ~90 minutes into the bike to avoid any potential GI issues, and then used Electrolyte Capsules from that point onwards. This cautious approach, combined with neglecting electrolytes in the first hour of the run, contributed to a relative sodium concentration of ~278mg per litre across the race. This was notably below her sweat sodium concentration of 536mg/L and likely played a role in the cramping she experienced in the closing 15km. In future races, ideally without the complication of seawater ingestion, following a preloading protocol with PH 1500 electrolytes before the start and taking Electrolyte Capsules consistently from the outset of the bike would help better match her sweat sodium losses throughout.

Penny took a PF 30 Caffeine Gel before the swim and another in T1, before spreading four further doses across the bike and run. This brought her total caffeine intake to ~7.8mg/kg, above the 3-6mg/kg guidance, but at a level that she tolerated well given her high habitual caffeine use and the near nine-hour race duration. Distributing doses evenly across such a long effort is a sound approach to maintaining circulating caffeine levels and sustaining focus and perceived energy through the closing miles.