No demons this time around
If you read our last article, you already know the truth. Ironman isn’t just about swimming, biking, and running. It’s about fuelling. Real fuelling. Not the “I’ll be right, I had a big breakfast” kind of fuelling.
This follow up is all about one athlete who finally cracked the code. No wall. No wandering demons whispering “you’re cooked, mate”. Just a solid race, a steady engine, and a twenty minute personal best.
And before we dive in, we have to share our favourite quote of the day from another participant getting ready for the start line…
“I’ve just had a shot of Fireball. I’m good to go.”
We would have loved to bump into him post race to see how that went. Let’s assume not great.
Meanwhile, our guy fuelled properly and had the race of his life. Here’s exactly what he did.
The Fuelling Strategy That Actually Worked
Thirty Minutes Before the Start: Quiet Confidence
Instead of a Fireball shot, the fuelling was simple and strategic.
T1 – Swim Done, Energy Topped Up Again
Straight out of the water and into:
The Bike – Where Races Are Won, Lost, or Completely Unravelled
This time, everything was dialled in. The bike leg is where most people fall apart. This athlete? They built momentum.
Hour 1 on the Bike
Hour 2 on the Bike
Then we entered the “realistic athlete” zone.
Did it work? Also absolutely.
No burn out. No spiralling self-talk. No regrets. Just predictable energy all the way into T2.
The Run – The Final Test
T2
At Every Aid Station
The Result? A Huge 20 Minute PB
Same athlete. Same training block. Completely different experience.
Why?
Because this time they didn’t try to “wing it”. They didn’t forget to eat. They didn’t ration gels like precious gemstones. They treated fuelling like part of the race, not an optional extra.
And that alone delivered a twenty minute improvement.
So What’s the Lesson Here?
If you want to finish stronger, recover better, and maybe even smile during the run…Fuel early. Fuel often. Fuel like you actually want to survive the day.
And please, for the love of finish line photos, skip the Fireball.
Ready to build your own race day plan?
Check out our Fuelling Hub Race Day Planner and explore the Pure Nutrition range that kept this athlete cruising.
If you read our last article, you already know the truth. Ironman isn’t just about swimming, biking, and running. It’s about fuelling. Real fuelling. Not the “I’ll be right, I had a big breakfast” kind of fuelling.
This follow up is all about one athlete who finally cracked the code. No wall. No wandering demons whispering “you’re cooked, mate”. Just a solid race, a steady engine, and a twenty minute personal best.
And before we dive in, we have to share our favourite quote of the day from another participant getting ready for the start line…
“I’ve just had a shot of Fireball. I’m good to go.”
We would have loved to bump into him post race to see how that went. Let’s assume not great.
Meanwhile, our guy fuelled properly and had the race of his life. Here’s exactly what he did.
The Fuelling Strategy That Actually Worked
Thirty Minutes Before the Start: Quiet Confidence
Instead of a Fireball shot, the fuelling was simple and strategic.
- 1 x Pure Nutrition 23 g carb gel
T1 – Swim Done, Energy Topped Up Again
Straight out of the water and into:
- 1 x Pure Nutrition 23 g carb gel
The Bike – Where Races Are Won, Lost, or Completely Unravelled
This time, everything was dialled in. The bike leg is where most people fall apart. This athlete? They built momentum.
Hour 1 on the Bike
- 1 x Pure Nutrition 23 g carb gel
- 1 x Pure Nutrition 90 g Race Fuel Mix
Hour 2 on the Bike
Then we entered the “realistic athlete” zone.
- 2 x Pure Nutrition 23 g carb gels
- 2 x LCM bars (yes… naughty. We’ve all been there.)
- 1 x Pure Nutrition 90 g Race Fuel Mix (1.8 litres of water with 1 litre carb mix)
Did it work? Also absolutely.
No burn out. No spiralling self-talk. No regrets. Just predictable energy all the way into T2.
The Run – The Final Test
T2
- 1 x Pure Nutrition 23 g carb gel
At Every Aid Station
- One cup of water
- One cup of electrolytes
The Result? A Huge 20 Minute PB
Same athlete. Same training block. Completely different experience.
Why?
Because this time they didn’t try to “wing it”. They didn’t forget to eat. They didn’t ration gels like precious gemstones. They treated fuelling like part of the race, not an optional extra.
And that alone delivered a twenty minute improvement.
So What’s the Lesson Here?
If you want to finish stronger, recover better, and maybe even smile during the run…Fuel early. Fuel often. Fuel like you actually want to survive the day.
And please, for the love of finish line photos, skip the Fireball.
Ready to build your own race day plan?
Check out our Fuelling Hub Race Day Planner and explore the Pure Nutrition range that kept this athlete cruising.
