IRONMAN® Mallorca

Ruth consumed her carbs in the form of either energy gels or drink mix to ensure she met her body’s needs and maintained high energy levels throughout. Similar to other athletes in the field of long-distance triathlon, Ruth is consistently able to average over 90 grams of carb per hour without suffering from any GI issues, no doubt supported by her efforts in gut training during some of her key training sessions in the build up to races. As we often see in triathletes, Ruth consumed more of her carb intake on the bike than on the run, where the more stable position lends to better digestion than the increased motion experienced on the run.

Ruth maintained and stuck to a well-planned hydration strategy, using pre-mixed bottles on the bike and picking up fluids from the aid stations on the run. She noticed she was peeing more frequently than she would have liked on the run portion, indicating she was possibly over-drinking and could benefit from some fine-tuned sweat rate testing for specific weather conditions. The relative sodium concentration of her drinks were appropriate when compared to her sweat sodium concentration, lowering the risk of cramping, but in hot conditions, like this race, increasing her intake slightly to account for a higher fluid losses, perhaps by carrying some Electrolyte Capsules on the run, would be beneficial and encourage some water retention.

Ruth pre-caffeinated with a caffeine gel before the start of the race. Given it takes ~45 minutes for caffeine to peak in the bloodstream this would have given her a small energy boost as she was finishing the swim. She didn't supplement any additional caffeine during the race other than a very small amount via a few cups of coke and red bull during the run. Given her total intake was significantly below the scientific recommendations for a race of this duration and intensity, it’d be worth trying out PF 30 Caffeine Gels in training to ensure she can tolerate the stimulant well while working hard and look to implement it for future races to reap the ergogenic benefits.