Fueling for My Debut 70.3: Lessons from Shanghai
By Nicole van der Kaay
Pro Triathlete
Nicole van der Kaay is back, sharing some insight into her fueling strategy that powered her to a debut 70.3 win. Check out how she's adapting her fueling to meet the varying demands of triathlon.
Fuelling for a Sprint or Olympic distance triathlon isn’t drastically different—they’re both relatively short races, typically lasting between 1–2 hours. It’s crucial to have energy in the tank, but during these distances, you're really just “topping up the engine.”
A 70.3, however, is a completely different beast when it comes to nutrition. You're out there for 4+ hours, with variables like heat, humidity, and intensity all playing a role. Unlike the shorter races, you can’t get by without fuelling properly. Otherwise, you'll likely face what endurance athletes dread most: the bonk.
Your muscles store about an hour’s worth of glycogen. Once that’s depleted, it's incredibly difficult to recover. This is where the concept of carbo-loading comes in— where hungry athletes are encouraged to consume plenty of carbs! Carbo-loading boosts your glycogen stores, preparing your body for the hard work ahead. Since I was racing in China, I had to be extra cautious about food and water quality. I stuck to a simple, clean, and athlete-friendly diet: rice, broccoli, chicken, and eggs from trusted sources. This wasn’t just a safety decision—it was ideal for racing. Low-fibre, low-gluten, and easily digestible meals helped avoid any gastrointestinal issues come race day. Lucky for me, I love rice!
In the months leading up to the race, my coach Ben and I focused on training the gut—getting my body used to race-day fuelling strategies during long training sessions. I consistently aimed for 80g of carbs and 1000mg of sodium per hour.
Since sodium loss varies from person to person, I took a Precision Hydration sweat test and found I lose 1500mg of sodium per litre of sweat—no surprise given the white salt stains on my kit after long, hot rides. Knowing your sodium needs is essential, especially in hotter climates. Cramping from sodium loss can ruin a race, just as taking in too much can cause issues if you're a low sodium sweater. I recommend checking out a Precision Test Centre—they offer a painless 45-minute test to dial in your numbers.
So How Did I Fuel?
Pre-race: I ate my usual pre-race meal 2.5 hours before the start, with an added sodium top-up. Right before the gun, I had a SiS Gel and 80mg of caffeine.
Bike: I drank two bottles over the course of the ride. Each bottle contained:
2 x SiS Beta Fuel gels (for 80g carbs)
1000mg of sodium via Precision Hydration tabs
40mg of caffeine
Mixed with water I drank one bottle per hour, alongside plain water from a second bottle.
Run: I carried:
2 x SiS Beta Fuel gels
2–4x 250mg Precision sodium tabs - I took the first gel at 8km and the second at 14km.
The result? No gut issues. No bonking. No cramping. And best of all—a win in my first 70.3! I was absolutely over the moon. I went in with just a plan and no certainty of the outcome, and I couldn’t have asked for a better debut. Already counting down to the next one!
Photo Credits: Kiera McVitty