IRONMAN 70.3® European Championships Tallinn

After starting the morning with a carb-rich breakfast and final carb hit prior to the start, Tamara’s in-race fueling strategy was almost a complete replica of her previous race at T100 London. To fuel her efforts across the race, she relied on PF 30 Chews and PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix on the bike and a PF 30 Gel on the run. After consistent gut training and years of racing with sports nutrition products, Tamara rarely suffers any GI discomfort and comfortably tolerates the recommended carb intake of 90g/h.

Given the warm conditions experienced on race day, Tamara’s sweat losses may have been slightly higher than she anticipated. Although her fluid intake likely replaced a solid proportion of her sweat fluid losses, the relative sodium concentration she took on board was below the concentration of her sweat. This may have contributed to cramps she experienced at the start of the run. Tamara’s sodium intake was entirely reliant on the PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix she consumed during the bike leg. Given this, she could consume some Electrolyte Capsules on the bike and run to supplement the fluid she picks up at the aid stations and ensure she replaces enough of her sweat sodium losses to avoid the negative effects.

As we’ve seen previously, Tamara doesn’t consume any caffeine during her races, but always pre-caffeinates with a cup of coffee in the morning and a PF 30 Caffeine Gel in the last 30 minutes before toeing the start line. Although this puts her below the recommendations of 3-6 mg/kg, she would still benefit from the stimulant’s ergogenic benefits. As she expressed some energy dips in the race, it could be beneficial to try using caffeine during some of her key training sessions to see if this better supports her energy levels before implementing more caffeine into her racing strategy.