Sarah Crowley
IRONMAN® Cairns
Cairns1st, FPROSarah's headline numbers
Sarah's strategy
Fueling
T - 1-4hrs: Ate a carb rich meal (Low in fat & fibre)
T - 15mins: Took in a final dose of carb
"My energy levels were good all day. I stuck to my usual fueling strategy and it served me well to take the win!"
Sarah entered the race with plenty of energy thanks to a high carb breakfast, plus a banana and some energy chews in the final 30 minutes before the start. She fueled with a variety of products to attenuate flavour fatigue, including PF 30 Gels, carb drink mixes and on-course energy drinks. Overall, she consumed ~75g of carb per hour, which broke down into ~100g/h on the bike and ~59g/h on the run. This is the highest carb intake we’ve seen Sarah take in on the bike, most likely because of drinking more energy drink mix, and her tolerance of the higher carb intake reflects the effort she’s put into training her gut.
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.
Sarah387mg/L
Sarah has been Sweat Tested to dial in her hydration plan
Sweat sodium concentration (mg/L) is largely genetically determined and remains relatively stable. Knowing how salty your sweat is enables you to replace a good proportion of your sweat losses, which can range from 200-2,000mg/L.
Whilst Sarah's losses are on the low side, getting her hydration strategy right is still crucial when it's hot and/or humid as her higher sweat rate in these conditions can result in significant net losses over the duration of a race.
Learn moreT - 60mins: Drank ~500ml of strong electrolyte drink
"I knew it was going to be warm so I made sure to up my fluid intake during the bike."
Sarah carried carb and protein drinks on the bike, picking up additional fluids at the aid stations. In total she drank 883ml/h on the bike, which was an appropriate adjustment from her usual intake considering the higher temperatures on race day. Her intake dropped on the run (to ~531ml/h), coming from a mixture of plain water, carb drink mix, and cola. Overall, her fluid intake was sensible for the conditions, preventing significant fluid deficits and dehydration-related symptoms. Given her low sweat sodium concentration, she took in enough electrolytes to manage her hydration. However, for much hotter or humid conditions, she should consider replacing a greater proportion of electrolytes in a more strategic way, possibly by carrying Electrolyte Capsules for a quick and easy sodium boost to pair with on course fluid she picks up.
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
Sarah consumed a total caffeine dose that hits the top end of the recommended guidelines. This allowed her to reap the ergogenic benefits of the stimulant, masking fatigue and reducing perception of effort. She spaced out her doses well across the bike and run to ensure a steady influx of the stimulant into her bloodstream, helping her maintain consistent energy levels.
How Sarah hit her numbers
Here's everything that Sarah ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“I had a great race to win with almost a 6 minute lead, my tried and tested fueling and hydration strategy served me well with the addition of extra fluid on the bike.”
“Sarah's race was a testament to her well-planned and practiced fueling and hydration strategy. Her ability to adapt to the warmer conditions with a sensible fluid intake played a crucial role in her impressive win and can be further fine-tuned by adjusting the sodium concentration for hotter races.”
PF&HSarah'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 some confidence in the quantities and brands of products consumed but the data may lack specifics (e.g. volumes specific flavours). A high number of estimations have been made and the room for error is moderate-high. There may also be the possibility that some intake has been grossly over- or under-estimated.