From early race day mistakes to age-group wins — what I’ve learned about long-course fueling that you can use right now.
Back in 1997, I did my first Ironman. I trained hard. I showed up ready. And five miles into the marathon, I projectile vomited five times.
Not just once. Five. Times.
Needless to say, things went downhill from there. But at the time, sports nutrition for events that long was still in its infancy — we really didn’t know what we were doing. We just tried to eat and drink whatever we could get down and hoped it would work.
That race taught me a lot. Because five years later, I came back and won my age group at Ironman Florida, setting what was then a course record. And what changed?
Yes, smarter training. But also: way smarter fueling.
That’s why I’m still so committed to helping athletes dial this in. Because when you get it right, everything changes.
The Three Pillars of Endurance Fueling
When I work with athletes on their long-course nutrition plan, we start with three core elements — and we treat them individually, not all lumped together.
- Hydration / Fluid Volume – maintaining blood volume and thermoregulation
- Energy Intake / Calories – giving your body the fuel to go the distance
- Sodium / Electrolytes – ensuring fluid absorption and balancing blood plasma
This concept isn’t new — in fact, I first heard Dr. Stacy Sims advocate for this approach over 15 years ago when she worked with Osmo Nutrition. Her advice?
“Calories in your pocket, hydration in your bottle.”
It’s simple, but it’s brilliant. And it still works. And it still underlines the approach I take today.
A Pro Cycling Insight That Applies to Triathletes, Too
I recently watched a video breaking down the nutrition strategies used by pro cyclists. The message: separate your hydration from your energy intake, and focus on volume over time.
This absolutely applies to long-course triathletes, but with one important distinction:
Ironman is even longer.
We’re not riding a 5-hour stage and done. We’re out there for 10 to 17 hours — often with less support, less power output, and more solo decision-making. So fueling becomes not just about strategy, but also about staying mentally engaged and adaptable.
The Ironman Reality: Why Duration Matters
- Small mistakes compound over time. Fuel too little or hydrate poorly, and by hour 8, you’ll feel it — hard.
- But we also have time to recover. Unlike short-course events, Ironman gives us the window to course-correct — if we’re paying attention.
- Flavour fatigue is a real threat. That sweet gel that worked in training? You might not be able to stomach it at mile 80.
- Your brain will wander. And when it does, so will your fueling strategy — unless you’ve got cues to pull your focus back.
Lower Power ≠ Less Importance
Age-group athletes often assume, “I’m not pushing as hard as the pros, so I don’t need as much.” While that’s true to an extent, it’s not a license to ignore fueling. In fact, because we’re out there longer, we may face more cumulative nutrition challenges — from gut fatigue to missed doses to heat-related issues.
And no — trying to take in pro-level carbs per hour often ends badly.
The goals are consistency over ego.
My Approach Today
When I guide athletes through their fueling plan, we test and adjust:
- Hydration: matched to sweat rate and climate, not just “one bottle an hour”
- Calories: via real food or sports nutrition, carried in the pocket or pouch
- Sodium: managed as part of a fluid strategy, not an afterthought
- Monitoring: with mental “check-ins” to avoid drift
And most importantly — we treat fueling like a discipline, just like swim, bike, or run.
Final Thoughts
If you're training for a long course race, especially your first, here’s my advice:
- Don't wing it.
- Don’t rely on what's handed out on course unless you've trained with it.
- Don’t assume you'll remember to fuel — plan reminders.
And remember: vomiting five times at mile five of the run is a very effective teacher.
But if I can help you avoid that lesson the hard way, I absolutely will.