HPT Athlete and PTO #10, Chelsea Sodaro, capped off a successful string of spring races with a win at IM New Zealand. Here, we get some insight into how Sodaro fueled her success and what her go-to strategy looks like for an IRONMAN.
What is your high carb fueling strategy/plan for full and half-distance IRONMANs?
During a 70.3 I will take in 5-6 gels on the bike and 1-2 gels on the run. I typically choose Maurten gels and alternate with CAF and Regular Gels. For IRONMAN I take three Maurten gels during the first hour and then switch to Clif Bloks. I take two Bloks every twenty minutes. I will also eat a Clif Bar if possible. I’ll replace two servings of the Bloks with half a Clif bar. I’ll also sip on SOS Hydration and Fuels Race+. This ends up being about 50-60g of carbs/ hour.
A lot of athletes will make a high carb bottle – is this something you do as well?
For 70.3 I use two scoops of SOS Hydration. I just take in electrolytes, no added carbs. For the full distance I use three scoops of SFuels Race + in my downtime bottle.
How many carbs do you take on per hour for half and full distances? What products do you rely on?
I take in 50-60g of carbs/ hour on the bike. During the run at IMNZ I took two Maurten gels and sipped on coke at the aid stations.
How are you fueling specifically on the bike and run legs?
During a 70.3 I take a Maurten gel every 20-30 minutes. I alternate between CAF and regular. On the run I’ll take Maurten gels as needed. Usually it’s 1-2 and I will sip on coke and electrolyte drink from the aid station. During an IRONMAN I take in carbs every 20 minutes. On the run I’ll aim to get something down every 10k.
What is your pre-race routine when it comes to nutrition the 24 hours before the race?
My focus in the 24 hours is on staying hydrated and getting in low-fiber foods. I’ll sip on water and SOS hydration. I eat things like white rice, scrambled eggs, gluten free toast, salmon, and lean meat. The morning of the race I eat oatmeal with UCAN Plant Protein + Energy with a little bit of almond butter. It’s not very colorful or rich in vegetables – I save that for post-race.
