• Tom Walker, an age-group triathlete and endurance coach based in Dubai, performed well to finish 14th in his age group (M30-34) at IRONMAN Estonia in a time of 9 hours and 23 minutes on what was a wet and windy day
• It was great to see Tom use a range of Precision Fuel & Hydration products to meet his needs and post-race he reported that he ‘had great energy throughout the race with no drop offs’

Hydration

• Tom drank an average of ~265ml/10oz per hour across the duration of the 9.5 hour event. The conditions were mild, wet and windy which wouldn't have elicited a high rate of sweating. As a result, we would expect to see Tom’s fluid intake on the lower end of the normal range
• As an experienced triathlete, Tom knows that in hotter conditions he would have needed to have drunk more. Whilst Tom’s fluid intake was quite low, he felt his hydration strategy was robust and never felt like he was dehydrated in the race
• Our usual recommendations are to preload before endurance races with a strong sodium-based drink (like PH 1500) to achieve optimal pre-hydration. On this occasion, Tom used one serving of the PF 30 Drink Mix and one PH 1000 Tablet in his pre-race fluid. It isn’t the conventional way to preload but this mix is certainly sodium-rich (PF 30 Energy Drink Mix contains 500mg of sodium just like PH 1000!)
• Tom’s hydration strategy consisted of drinking mostly energy drink mixes with added electrolytes. This strategy can work, and evidently did on this occasion for Tom who reported no GI issues. But, it should be noted that the conditions in Estonia were mild and would not have elicited super high sweat rates
• When total fluid losses are greater, as a result of warmer conditions, you will naturally drink more because your thirst is greater, and under these circumstances having your carbs, fluid and electrolytes all in one bottle can be limiting. It gives you less control over the amounts you’re replacing

Fueling

Conclusions

• Tom had a good race out at Estonia despite some challenging conditions to contend with
• His carb, fluid and sodium intake were all adequate for the mild temperatures he faced and he intuitively drip-fed his system with just enough of each to keep himself well-fuelled throughout the duration of the event up until the finish line
• With no cramping, no GI issues and good recovery (as good as you can hope for post-IRONMAN!) Tom’s fueling and hydration strategy was effective at powering him round the course. Nice work Tom!