Episode 207 -3 Race-Day Fuel Hacks We Proved at Sunny Coast 70.3

3 Race-Day Fuel Hacks We Proved at Sunny Coast 70.3

What if your race-day nutrition is the reason you’re not hitting your potential?

In this week’s episode, I’m joined by two TNA athletes, Kelly and Kathleen, who travelled all the way from Idaho to race Sunny Coast 70.3. Together we break down the three game-changing race-day fuel strategies that led to huge PBs, zero gut issues and podium finishes.

You’ll hear how:

• Kelly fuelled his way to a 21-minute course PB and world champs spot at 65

• Kathleen built the confidence to race overseas solo and smashed her goal

• Both used science-backed strategies to fuel smarter and recover stronger

These aren’t just tips – they’re proven strategies you can implement to level up your next race.

Links:

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Episode Transcription

Episode 207: 3 Race-Day Fuel Hacks We Proved at Sunny Coast 70.3

Welcome to the Triathlon Nutrition Academy podcast. The show designed to serve you up evidence-based sports nutrition advice from the experts. Hi, I'm your host Taryn, Accredited Practicing Dietitian, Advanced Sports Dietitian and founder of Dietitian Approved. Listen as I break down the latest evidence to give you practical, easy-to-digest strategies to train hard, recover faster and perform at your best. You have so much potential, and I want to help you unlock that with the power of nutrition. Let's get into it.

Taryn Richardson (00:00)
Welcome back to the Triathlon Nutrition Academy podcast. Today we are celebrating some incredible race day performances at Sunny Coast 70.3. We are coming to you live from Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast, where we had 22, I think, athletes competing from all over the world in our second annual Triathlon Nutrition Academy event. Lots of different ages, lots of different locations, experience levels, and fitness levels took on the course on Sunday.

Our speediest competitor was Lewis in 4:55:26. And the person who got their money’s worth was Matthew, who finished in 7:25:45, and he used this race as his first training session for the season. Team TNA came second.

Next year, for our annual event, we will be taking on Cairns with a 70.3 and a full distance option. Our 2027 event will be in Santa Cruz, California. If you want to join our TNA family, have a good time with us, and get lots of high fives out on course, then join our final cohort for 2025 at dietitianapproved.com/academy.

I have two very special athletes joining me today, Kelly Estes and Kathleen Gilton, both from Idaho in the USA. And before you ask, no, they are not together. They just travelled together and happen to live in the same state. Kelly is 65 years young, the leanest and fastest he has ever been. He raced Sunny Coast last year and came back and shaved 21 minutes off his time, taking third in his age group. Show us your medal, Kelly.

Kelly (01:49)
Where is it? Right there. Yeah.

Taryn Richardson (01:53)
And he is now qualified for world champs next year. Congratulations, Kelly.

Kelly (01:58)
Thank you.

Taryn Richardson (02:01)
And Kathleen only got back into triathlon in 2023 and has been steadily building up to the 70.3 distance at Sunny Coast. She smashed a PB and, more importantly, built the confidence to travel halfway around the world solo, without her husband, to race internationally. In this episode, we are sharing three race day fuel hacks that both Kelly and Kathleen proved out on course at Sunny Coast, plus lessons you can take into your own training and racing.

Welcome to the podcast, Kelly and Kathleen.

Kelly (02:39)
Yay!

Kathleen (02:40)
Thanks for having us.

Taryn Richardson (02:42)
So exciting to talk to you. I know we have spent a lot of time together the last few days, but I miss you already.

So, Kelly, you raced Sunny Coast last year. You came to our first annual TNA event and you came back this year, thanks for coming back, and you took 21 minutes off your race time compared to last year. Same course. You got a new bike, but you probably cannot credit 21 minutes just to a new bike. What have you done in the last 12 months that helped you go that much faster?

Kelly (03:10)
A big part of it has been the nutrition I have improved over the last year. I spend a lot of time making sure I get my pre training nutrition in every day and, when I am training, that I get the right nutrition at the right times. For shorter sessions you do not need much, but for longer sessions you do. There is the timing, when you take your nutrition, and making sure you are taking the right type.

And then, of course, recovery afterwards. There is ideally a window when you should take your post training nutrition. Throughout the day, I make sure I am getting the right amount of energy so I am fuelled for future sessions. My baseline is about 2,500 calories a day. With training, I add another 1,000. I am between 3,500 and 4,000 calories a day on average. That seems like a lot, but it is what I need. As you mentioned, I am the leanest and fastest I have ever been. The program taught me to get the right nutrition at the right times, and the results are undeniable.

Taryn Richardson (04:42)
Yeah, you are eating more than you ever have. You are hungry and your metabolism is on fire. We are stoking the fire and it is burning a lot of calories. That is a lot of food. People trying to lose weight on 1,200 calories will be thinking, holy crap. What changed so you are now the leanest you have ever been and the fastest at 65?

Kelly (05:00)
One of the things the Triathlon Nutrition Academy has helped with, besides when and what to eat, is the Healthy Lifestyle Challenge. It helps you understand how many serves of fruit and vegetables you should have, how much hydration you need each day, and what to avoid. There is also a sleep component, how much you should get each night.

You do not go from zero to 100 percent compliant overnight. You build it. The challenge runs for a month or two each time. I think I have done it three times now. Each time I embrace more of it until it is a habit. Now I aim for the recommended serves of fruits and vegetables, hydrate properly, get enough sleep, and avoid the foods we are told to limit. Whether I am at home or travelling, I know what to look for and how to optimise my nutrition.

Combined with what TNA teaches about when to take your nutrition and how to optimise for training and racing, I am lean, fast, still getting faster, feeling good, not injured, and I train six days a week. I am retired, so I have the time. The training program and the nutrition have me healthy and full of energy. A couple of data points. I retired in January 2022 and started triathlon training. Eighteen months later I did a full Ironman. It was not easy and I did not set records, but I finished, felt good, and recovered well. Two years later, here at Sunshine Coast 70.3, I took third in my age group in 5:29. My first 70.3 at Indian Wells was over seven hours. Back then I thought a 5:30 guy was unbelievable and I would never get there. Now I am there. It is not just the training, it is the nutrition.

Taryn Richardson (08:42)
Speed demon.

Kelly (08:49)
It has all come together nicely.

Taryn Richardson (08:52)
Your nutrition has changed a lot since I met you. You posted in our Facebook group your early pre training and recovery nutrition, lots of packaged foods. You look back now and think, what was I doing. It is habit stacking over time. It is obviously working. You are the leanest and the fastest, and you know how to eat in a completely different country and adapt your plan in Australia compared to the US.

Kelly (09:31)
Yeah, big difference. A lot more whole foods, a lot more fruits and vegetables. And I am not miserable doing it. I enjoy what I am eating. It has not been a struggle where I am hungry all the time or eating bland food thinking, how long is this going to go on. I enjoy healthy foods, I can see how it helps me, and there are so many options now to make flavourful, healthy food. It is really nice.

Taryn Richardson (10:09)
Using the recipe database is good for that. It is whole, real food designed for active people, and quick to make, as well as full of flavour. That is how I like to eat. I do not want boring rabbit food either.

You are a numbers tracker, spreadsheets galore. You know how many calories you have daily. What about carbohydrate availability and periodising to training? Roughly how much carbohydrate do you eat on a light day versus a big training day?

Kelly (10:51)
I do not have the exact numbers in memory, but ballpark I am in the 400 grams of carbs a day or higher, 400 to 500 grams, depending on training. On average I add about 1,000 calories a day from exercise. On long bike or long run days it is 2,000 to 2,500 additional calories. You have to eat accordingly. With periodisation, you eat those extra calories on those days to fuel the work and recover. I have a good feel for it now. I track in MyFitnessPal to make sure I am eating enough. A lot of people under fuel without realising. If I do not get enough, I am tired. Sometimes I go over, and that is okay. My body burns it. I am still surprised how lean I am. It is amazing how this works.

Taryn Richardson (12:42)
And the results speak for themselves, third place podium and a spot for world champs. Do you feel fuelling was the missing link to unlock the next level?

Kelly (13:07)
Oh, yeah. Training alone will not do it. Nutrition feeds into motivation to get out the door. If you do not feel like getting out of bed, you will not train. Proper fuelling gives me the energy and desire to train in the morning, and enough energy during training so I am not thinking, this is hard, I do not want to do this. Then I have my post training recovery meal, and I can go mow my lawn, yes, I have wonderful grass, and do my chores. TNA helps you piece it together so you have energy all day to live your life and train.

Taryn Richardson (14:04)
You do have great grass.

Kelly (14:24)
Nutrition is the secret to being healthy, happy, and motivated day after day.

Taryn Richardson (14:47)
Amen.

Kathleen, your carbohydrate availability has changed drastically too. You used to eat a big salad the night before your race and wonder why you had gut issues. Now you have a science backed carb loading plan and know exactly what to do before and after the race, and in the lead up. How much has that changed your performance?

Kathleen (15:14)
It has been huge. I used to have a big salad the night before because I thought it was my last chance to get healthy food. That caught up with me around mile eight, no matter what I did. I blamed gel products, but joining the Academy and talking with you helped me realise it was not the gels, it was what I was doing beforehand.

One great thing about the Academy is you teach us how to carb load, it is not just a stereotypical bowl of spaghetti the night before. I am different to Kelly, I am a two steps forward, one step back person. I learn the hard way. But my last two races I pre measured everything with a scale in advance, little containers in the cooler. At lunchtime on the road, I pulled out the fried rice recipe from the database. I knew I had the right amount of protein, fibre, carbs, everything. I carried that through, and for the first time I even pre measured my pre race meal. I do peanut butter and honey on a bagel. You had pointed out I needed a lot of honey. Turns out, yes, that is a lot of honey. But on race morning I was energised, with no issues during or after. I took 10 minutes off an Olympic time six weeks ago, and another 10 off here at Sunny Coast on a tougher course.

Travelling internationally added complexity. When we arrived in Mooloolaba, Kelly insisted we all go to the grocery store. I grabbed what I thought I needed, then realised ingredients and carb and fibre levels were different. The day before the race I went to my carb loading plan and simply swapped in the foods I was actually eating. By day’s end I was calculating, do I still have room for this amount of spaghetti, did I save space for my Mars Bars. Yes, I did. I had no idea carb loading was such a precise equation to feel your best on race day. I am very grateful I learned it in the Academy.

Taryn Richardson (19:05)
How exciting is it to shop in a different country and still put a carb loading plan together because you sub out items in the spreadsheet. So good, and so easy.

You had a 17 year break from triathlon. You did it one summer, loved it, but life was different then, little kids, husband working away. You came back in 2023, your era. What was it like returning and building to a 70.3? You started in the Academy before you had even done a race, dabbled in the short stuff, and now you are a 70.3 weapon.

Kathleen (19:52)
I was inspired because your podcast popped up when I was researching sports nutrition. I was only running and was so afraid of fuelling that I would do a 12 mile run with maybe 250 mL of water and no food. I had seen people fuelling 90 g of carbs an hour and thought, how is that even possible, and does it apply to me. I could not piece it together.

Your podcast, the first one I heard was about dairy, helped. I had cut dairy, thinking it upset my gut. You explained the science and different choices, including lactose free options, and pointed out oat milk is not exactly a nutrient powerhouse. Listening to you, I caught the bug again. I signed up for a sprint and an Olympic and realised I would not figure nutrition out on my own. I joined the Academy. I loved that you teach the hows, whys, and whats so it is personal and science based. Power Hour for Q and A was huge.

After a month of training I had a mini meltdown, pool schedules, gear, never drinking or eating on the bike, everything felt hard. But learning nutrition took some of that hardness away. My first sprint, I won my age group at a local race. I had a tri suit, I felt legit. I met Kelly at my Olympic. I assumed Olympic would be my limit because six plus hours felt impossible.

Over the next months, training and nutrition continued. A friend signed up for a 70.3. I thought, maybe I can do this. I did Coeur d’Alene 70.3 in June, then Indian Wells in December. Then you mentioned coming back to Sunny Coast. I had had two good 70.3s and still had progress to make, but no gut issues, none in my other six races either. Travelling across the world is a big deal. Everything had to be dialled for me to feel comfortable. Thanks to confidence from my nutrition, the friends I had made, my training, and my husband’s encouragement, I decided to do it. My goal was to finish and finish happy. Ocean swim, first time, and a harder course. At day’s end I was 10 to 11 minutes faster than before. The best part, my swim leg was stellar, the only one where I beat Kelly Estes.

Taryn Richardson (25:43)
Claim it, claim it forever.

Kelly (25:52)
It was only about two minutes, so not a big gap.

Taryn Richardson (25:57)
Hey, a win is a win, Kelly.

Kathleen (25:59)
Two minutes on the shortest part of the course, Kelly Estes. Let me have this.

Taryn Richardson (26:06)
All right, calm down, you two.

What I love, Kathleen, is that it was a PB on a tough, hot course, and your first time racing overseas without your husband, and resident bike mechanic. How much did having your nutrition dialled give you the confidence to do that?

Kathleen (26:41)
Having my nutrition dialled made this 100 percent possible. Going to another country when you are not sure about the foods is a huge question mark. I felt confident I would have support and guidance from you and others in the Academy on the trip. But nutrition is the one thing that carries you from start to finish. It is not my wetsuit or my bike. If I am running out of gas three miles into the run, it is miserable. I have done this twice now and get better each time, as long as I stick to the plan and do not do the two steps forward, one step back thing. It was hugely impactful.

Taryn Richardson (27:55)
Amazing.

You both travelled internationally for this race, which adds logistics, flights, packing and transporting bikes, rebuilding them, jet lag if you have not done our masterclass on beating jet lag, and more. One of the biggest things we worked on before you came was practising your race nutrition and fuelling routine inside and out so nothing was left to chance. How did that play out on race day? Kelly?

Kelly (28:36)
This was one of my best races for how I felt on course with nutrition intake. There is a lot in making sure you have the right food. I brought a few gels and bought everything else here for carb loading. On the bike, halfway through, I thought, I feel pretty good, no discomfort, no bloating. Same on the run. By the time you hit the run, you have already had two hours forty five of nutrition and hydration on the bike. On the run, I cannot take the same carbs per hour, so I adjust based on training. Halfway through the run, I felt really good. The entire race came down to willpower, how fast can I make myself go. I had the energy and no discomfort. That is from what I have learned at TNA and the experience of lining training and nutrition up.

Before TNA it was trial and error. Friends tell you to try certain gels, you hope it works. TNA takes away trial and error and turns it into process improvement. You have a plan, do it, assess, adjust, repeat, until you have a performance like yesterday. I had plenty of energy and hit my nutrition targets at the right times. Then it is, shut up, legs, and go.

I shaved five minutes off the swim from last year. Thirteen minutes off the bike, yes, new bike, but also higher wattage output, which takes energy. On the run, even in the heat, I felt good enough to negative split. It was about mental strategy, when to pick up the pace and leave nothing out there. Very successful day.

Taryn Richardson (32:36)
Was there a point where you realised, I have nailed this fuelling thing?

Kelly (32:44)
Twice. Halfway through the bike I realised I felt great. If carb or fluid intake is too high, you feel bloated or nauseous, you have to back off. I had none of that. Then halfway through the run I thought, my intake is right on target, I am not under or over fuelling. That comes with experience. Earlier races, you hope to get there. The last couple I have been there. You test sweat rates, dial the numbers, then fine tune. Yesterday was optimum, dialled in beyond anything I imagined. It is a science. I love it, data, spreadsheets and all.

Taryn Richardson (34:27)
You are a data junkie, and we love that.

You two nailed your logistics. I am so proud. Everything arrived in one piece, bikes back together perfectly. I reckon Kathleen is doing more solo trips after this, it worked.

The third thing you both proved at Sunny Coast is how important recovery nutrition is. Kathleen, one of your key differences has been how much better you recover now. What were you doing before versus now?

Kathleen (35:08)
Before, after a long run, say 12 miles, where I drank next to nothing and had no fuel, I would get home with my friend, make coffee, and sit for two hours. That was our recovery meal. I had zero idea recovery was a thing. I had seen a canister labelled recovery fuel and thought, why would you need fuel after you are done. The very first module in the Academy is Recovery. I wondered why it was first, I expected fruits and veg. My eyes were opened. There is science behind what you eat and when you eat, based on you.

You had us create three recovery meals and put them on the fridge, plug and play. Now I have standard recovery meals. I come home, get out the scale, measure my Greek yoghurt, maybe strawberries and a little granola, down to the gram. I had also been remiss with hydration, besides coffee. Now I drink water as soon as I get home. If I get distracted and feel off later, I troubleshoot, what did I eat and drink. It helps me prepare for the next session. Like Kelly, I train six days a week. As a masters athlete, you have to prepare for what is next, not just celebrate what you finished.

Taryn Richardson (38:01)
Yeah, it is so important. Kelly, being the leanest and fastest you have ever been, how important is recovery nutrition for helping you train consistently and bounce back?

Kelly (38:14)
Very important. Before the Academy, I would come back from training, eat or drink nothing, and take a nap. Then I would wake up hungry and eat. I learned how unhelpful that was. Now, I hit my recovery window with carb and protein targets every day. No naps needed. Day after day, it sets me up for the next session. Training six days a week, I need that energy in the morning to execute. Getting recovery right has made all the difference. Training, execution, recovery, they are all equally important. Do them all well, and you have an efficient, well running machine.

Taryn Richardson (39:38)
Because you have nailed that consistently for every session, you both did a massive training block to get here and reaped the rewards. You did not get injured or sick. You turned up ready. Many triathletes hurt themselves right before, or get sick in taper, and race anyway. If they had sorted recovery nutrition day in, day out, a lot of that would not happen. Most think they are doing it right, but it is not until you understand what you need specifically. That is why Recovery is our first masterclass, because you only adapt from the sessions you recover from. That is why Kathleen and Kelly smashed it and are in peak shape.

Kelly (40:42)
I will add, having great nutrition alongside great training lets me look at the next race like another day at the office. I know what I will eat and do. I have already signed up, planning to come back for Cairns next June and Worlds next September. I know I will be successful if I follow my nutrition and training. No stress. Life is good. TNA sets us on track so I am on autopilot. All I have to do is pick the next race.

Taryn Richardson (41:39)
Massive congratulations, you two. It has been so good to see you in the flesh in my country. Kelly and Kathleen are proof that when you get your nutrition right, the results can be life changing, whether that is qualifying for world champs at 65, or travelling overseas solo with the confidence to race at your best, and snagging a PB in the process.

Quick recap of the three hacks these two, and the 22 other athletes racing, proved at Sunny Coast:

1. Dial in your carbohydrate availability, every day in training and on race day.

2. Nail your race day routine and logistics, preparation starts months in advance, and the longer the distance, the longer the prep. Kelly prepared for 12 months and it showed.

3. Prioritise recovery nutrition, it helps you train consistently, avoid illness and injury, and arrive fresh, even internationally.

These are not just hacks, they are strategies we teach inside the Triathlon Nutrition Academy program. If you want to learn how to apply them, doors are opening soon for our final cohort of 2025. Make sure your name is on the list, dietitianapproved.com/academy. Join us in Cairns 2026, and maybe you will be on the podcast sharing your awesome race performance. No pressure. This is your chance to fuel smarter so you can train harder and race stronger, just like Kelly and Kathleen.

That is it from me. I am going to crawl into a dark hole and sleep for a week to recover from an epic weekend. Show us your medals, guys, yee.

So exciting. Thanks for joining me. I will see everyone next week.

Thanks for joining me for this episode of the Triathlon Nutrition Academy podcast. I would love to hear from you. If you have any questions or want to share with me what you've learned, email me at [email protected]. You can also spread the word by leaving me a review and taking a screenshot of you listening to the show. Don't forget to tag me on social media, @dietitian.approved, so I can give you a shout out, too. If you want to learn more about what we do, head to dietitianapproved.com. And if you want to learn more about the Triathlon Nutrition Academy program, head to dietitianapproved.com/academy. Thanks for joining me and I look forward to helping you smashed in the fourth leg - nutrition!