Iron Cowboy: What It Takes to Do 100 Ironmans in 100 Days

If you're a triathlete, you've likely heard of James Lawrence — aka the Iron Cowboy. Completing one Ironman is impressive. Doing 100 of them, on 100 consecutive days? That's next-level bonkers.

But what does it actually take to fuel such a feat? And what can everyday age group triathletes learn from it?

We sat down with James on the Triathlon Nutrition Academy podcast to uncover the gritty, behind-the-scenes details of how he fuelled his Conquer 100 mission. Here's what we learned.

1. Consistency Trumps Perfection

James didn’t stumble into the Conquer 100 overnight. It was 15+ years of groundwork — showing up daily, doing the small things well, and building an unshakeable foundation.

"We made a lot of mistakes along the way. But all of that mattered. Eventually, you wake up one day and realise more is possible."

His approach to nutrition was no different. While there were times it went sideways (more on that later), the key was relentless consistency.

2. Real Food Reigned Supreme

Forget gels and sugary sports drinks. For James, fuelling 140 miles a day meant real food: pancakes, breakfast burritos, full pizzas, and chicken Alfredo.

"I trained my gut to handle volume. I’d eat two brekkie burritos in the first hour on the bike. Later on the run, I’d smash a pizza or two."

When his palate fatigue kicked in hard, cravings guided the way. On one marathon, he even polished off a porterhouse steak mid-run.

3. Calorie Needs Were Off the Charts

James was consuming over 12,000 calories per day.

• Low-volume, high-calorie options became his go-to
  
• Muffins and cookies made the cut when ulcers and thrush made eating painful
  
• At one point, he was six and a half percent body fat while still fuelling hard
  

"The thing that hurt the most during the Conquer 100 wasn’t the training. It was eating."

4. Gut Training Is a Game-Changer

James swears by his “iron gut”. His secret? Years of gut training and not relying on engineered fuels.

He knew exactly what worked, and when things went wrong (like that time he vomited orange liquid mid-ride), he recalibrated quickly and got back on plan.

"If I do have a talent, it’s that I’ve developed an iron gut. I can eat whatever, whenever."

5. Nutrition Mishaps Had Immediate Consequences

On days where he didn’t get fuelling right, the impact was obvious:

• Drop in power
  
• Spike in heart rate
  
• Mental fog
  

When your energy drops, your decision-making goes with it. James learnt this the hard way — and adjusted fast.

6. Build a Bulletproof Nutrition System

Despite not working with a sports dietitian initially (gasp!), James and his wife Sunny created systems and adapted on the fly. But it wasn’t perfect.

He openly admits a dietitian would’ve made life a lot easier — and possibly less painful.

What Can You Learn from James?

You’re (hopefully) not planning to race 100 Ironmans. But you can steal these golden lessons:

• Practise your nutrition like you do your training
  
• Train your gut — real food counts!
  
• Plan ahead so you’re not winging it when it matters most
  
• Listen to your body — cravings often mean something
  
• Have a support crew (or a coach) to keep you accountable
  

Next Steps for You

If you're ready to start levelling up your own nutrition:

• Download the Triathlon Nutrition Checklist to check how you're tracking
  
• Get your Blood Tests for Triathletes sorted
  
• Grab some free recipes to fuel your training the tasty way
  

Feeling inspired to build your own nutrition system? Join us inside the Triathlon Nutrition Academy where we make this stuff simple and specific to you.

Because smashing your next race isn’t just about swim, bike, run. It’s about fuelling the fourth leg like a pro.