Phillip Morgan
IRONMAN 70.3® Swansea
SwanseaDNFPhillip's headline numbers
Phillip'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 felt strong and made it to running down the red carpet, it was just the heat that impacted my race on the day."
On the morning of the race, Phil made sure to consume a carbohydrate-rich breakfast to top up liver glycogen stores, and ensure he was fully prepared for a long day of racing. The bike is where Phil really honed in on his carbohydrates, consuming six PF 30 Gels, one PF 90 Gel and some real food to hit ~88g/h of carbohydrate. This rate of intake then dropped to ~75g/h on the run - a common theme across our database - where he fuelled with two PF 90 Gels and a PF 30 Chew. This is a solid effort and falls in the mid-range of the 60-90g/h recommendation for the full 8 hours 36 minutes Phil was on course (just missing cut off). With a perfect 10/10 rating for stomach comfort, he now has room to push his intake further. As Phil trains and builds towards his next 70.3, he may benefit from some dedicated gut training to increase his carb intake closer to ~90g/h. There is a common dose-response relationship with fueling and performance, so aiming towards the upper end of the guidelines may help him improve his performance next time as he aims to beat the cut off.
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.
T - 60mins: Drank ~500ml of strong electrolyte drink
"I feel I consumed as much fluid as possible. I don't think I could have taken on anymore without feeling it was too much for me."
With hot race day conditions, hydration played a key role in maintaining performance for all athletes out in Swansea. Phil relied on PH 1000 and PH 1500 to fulfil his water and electrolyte needs, though his intake varied between the bike and run quite drastically. On the bike, he drank ~870ml/h, which was likely replacing a large proportion of his estimated sweat losses before his fluid intake dropped below 500ml/h on the run. Although Phil hasn’t had a Sweat Test, the average sweat sodium concentration in our database of Sweat Tests is ~991mg per litre and Phil averaged ~1423mg/L across the race. In future, aiming for a more conservative ~800 to 1,000mg/L would likely be a good target, and adjusting with some Electrolyte Capsules if required.
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.
Consuming caffeine in the hours before the start may have increased perceived energy levels
Phil decided not to have any caffeine during the race. Athletes can respond to the stimulant differently, and race day would not be a good time to try it out. If Phil wanted to benefit from the well researched ergogenic benefits of caffeine, then he should start to gradually increase how much he takes in training, perhaps starting with a single PF 30 Caffeine Gel or coffee, and building up to the recommended guidelines of 3-6mg/kg of bodyweight.
How Phillip hit his numbers
Here's everything that Phillip ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“Completing the race was a massive achievement for me although I missed the cut off by 6 minutes. I felt I couldn’t have given any more.”
“Phil left it all out there in one of the hottest editions of IRONMAN 70.3® Swansea in the event’s history. He tolerated his carb, sodium and fluid intake well, with 10/10 stomach comfort and no cramping. He missed the run cut-off by six agonising minutes, but his fueling and hydration were likely not the limiting factor, and small refinements to his transition execution and other minor areas offer straightforward ways to find those six minutes next time.”
PF&HPhillip'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.