2nd
Sam Appleton's scorecard
IRONMAN 70.3 Boulder
Saturday 7th August, 2021
Within recommended ranges
Just outside recommended ranges
Significantly outside recommended ranges
63g
Carb per hour
649mg
Sodium per hour
434ml
Fluid per hour
1,494mg/L
Relative sodium concentration
207mg
Total caffeine
How Sam hit those numbers
1 x Blueberry Muffin
200ml x Black Coffee
1 x PF 30 Gel
*** Tip: For sea swims, put a bottle of water at T1 to rinse your mouth out
500ml x PH 1000 (Tablets)
500ml x PH 1500 (Tablets)
2 x PF 30 Gel
200ml x Additional fluid in mixed drinks
1 x Energy gel with caffeine (25g carb, 25mg caffeine)
1 x Energy gel with caffeine (24g carb, 50mg caffeine)
1 x Energy gel with caffeine (24g carb, 72mg caffeine)
500ml x PH 1500 (Tablets)
125ml x Plain water
-350ml x Additional fluid in mixed drinks
2 x Energy gel with caffeine (25g carb, 25mg caffeine)
125ml x Cola
How Sam's hydration and fueling went...
- Sam had a successful race at Boulder 70.3, placing 2nd overall. This race was part of his preparation for the inaugural Collins Cup at the end of August and the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in September
- Sticking to a hydration and fuelling strategy that has worked well for him in past races helped him perform at a very high level during the race
Hydration
- Sam preloaded with PH 1500 the night before the race, but did not follow this up with another preload in the morning. This could be something for Sam to consider before future races
- Similarly, Sam’s breakfast was small (a muffin with butter) but he put this down to the very early start time, saying “It may seem a little unorthodox, but at 4am I like to eat whatever I can get down easiest, and baked goods are the most appealing thing for me at 4am. Plus they're high in calories and then I add butter for a few more calories and taste. This meal also doesn't sit heavy in my stomach because it is not a tonne of volume.”
- Sam drank around ~609ml/hr (~21oz/hr) on the bike, compared to roughly ~320ml/hr (~11oz) on the run. Considering the heat, his fluid intake was on the lighter side (averaging ~435ml/~15oz per hour over the race). In these conditions, increasing his overall fluid intake a bit may have been beneficial
- The relative sodium concentration of everything Sam took in over the race was 1,494mg/L, which is on the high side given Sam’s sweat sodium concentration is a relatively low 655mg/L. Increasing the amount of fluid he consumes alongside the sodium he’s getting in would dilute this down closer to the level he’s losing in his sweat
Fueling
Quick Carb Calculator Recommendation
30g
carb 30 mins before
60-90g
carb per hour during
- We’d recommend taking ~30g of carb 15 minutes before the race. This is exactly what Sam did, consuming a PF 30 Gel pre-race. Learn more
- Sam consumed about 63g/hr over the 3 hour 40 minute race, so just about within our recommended range
- This broke down into a higher 70g/hr on the bike and 52g/hr towards the later stages of the race during the run. This tapering in consumption is not uncommon in long triathlons, but Sam would benefit from upping his intake on the run in particular, perhaps by taking in one more gel
Conclusions
- Overall, Sam executed his fuelling and hydration plan well, with a solid race outcome. Sam’s plan is tried and tested for him during races of this length and worked well on the day
- He got on board a decent amount of electrolytes, but could have increased his fluid slightly (especially on the run) given the hot conditions (which will have increased his sweat rate)
- Arguably the biggest pay-off for Sam would be to push his carb intake into the upper range of the recommended 60-90g intake going forward. On the bike, this might involve eating 1-2 energy chews, or part of an energy bar, every hour on top of the gels he’s already getting in. On the run this could be as easy as taking another gel
Key info
Sam Appleton
Male
Sweat sodium concentration
655mg/L
Sweat sodium classification
Low
* determined by a PH Advanced Sweat Test
Result
Position
2nd
Overall Time
3:41:00
Swim Time
0:24:40
Bike Time
1:58:32
Run Time
1:15:15
Event information
Sport
Triathlon
Discipline
Middle distance
Event
IRONMAN 70.3 Boulder
Location
Boulder, USA
Date
7th August, 2021
Website
Swim Distance
1.9km / 1.2mi
Bike Distance
90.1km / 56.0mi
Run Distance
21.1km / 13.1mi
Total Distance
113.1km / 70.3mi
Bike Elevation
628m / 2,060ft
Run Elevation
99m / 325ft
Total Elevation
727m / 2,385ft
Race conditions
Weather Conditions
Hot
Precipitation
No Rain
Min Temp
16°C / 61°F
Max Temp
24°C / 75°F
Avg Temp
22°C / 72°F
Humidity
20%
Athlete feedback
Hydration rating
7/10
Sam's full stats
| Carbohydrate (g) | Sodium (mg) | Fluid (ml) | Caffeine (mg) | Relative sodium concentration (mg/L) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | |||||
| Total intake | 232 | 2,390 | 1,600 | 207 | 1,494 |
| Per hour | 63 | 649 | 434 | 56 | |
| Bike and Run | |||||
| Total intake | 202 | 2,390 | 1,600 | 207 | 1,494 |
| Per hour | 63 | 743 | 497 | 64 | |
| Bike | |||||
| Total intake | 137 | 1,460 | 1,200 | 147 | 1,217 |
| Per hour | 70 | 742 | 610 | 75 | |
| Run | |||||
| Total intake | 65 | 930 | 400 | 60 | 2,325 |
| Per hour | 52 | 744 | 320 | 48 | |
Data Confidence
1
2
3
4
5
There is good confidence in the accuracy of the data reported. An athlete feels that the numbers closely reflect what they consumed despite a couple of estimations which may carry some degree of error. The majority of what was consumed is recorded to a high level of specificity (most volumes are known through the use of bottles brands quantities flavours). The numbers are very plausible and align with previous data recordings (if an athlete has collected data previously).