Qualified for Kona! Thoughts After Ironman Lake Placid 

Great to see Trevor remembering proper decorum and saying “Yes sir” as he passes the Colonel in the change tent.

LS drops a video. I get notifed. I drop everything To be satisfied

Running a 2:46 marathon while still stopping to throw up is insane

Doing another Ironman before Kona in October I think is crazy. Lionel has to sit down with someone like Mark Allen. You are fit man, you are ready. Dial up your nutrition and just get there healthy and rested. I, for one, want to see you doing extremely well in Kona. Drop the craziness and the anxiety. Good luck Lionel.

@talbot thanks for not cutting me out of the clips (was 3rd place bike escort for Lionel), it was an amazing experience to see him race in person and the crowds went wild for him. Keep on rocking Lionel, go get it!

Cheering you on….your candid assessment will make you a great coach! Lucy Charles Barkley was having gastric issues. She did blood work and learned she had celiac disease which helped her re design her nutrition.

Maple syrup is probably mainly sucrose, which you will digest slower (not ideal when you need that energy fast). Other people use either the classic 2:1 ratio of glucose:fructose or a new-ish 1:0.8, and that's why they can use more carbs without the gut problems (and they also train with that for weeks and months).

Dude, you finished an Ironman without walking most of the marathon. You’re heading in the right direction. Preparation continues. Doesn’t matter how you got there, only matters that you made it and you’ve been given the chance. Don’t let it slip. Be diligent and make wise decisions. It may be your last chance, you have know what the future holds. Good luck Lionel

Can't wait to see you hit your stride in Kona. Everybody is behind you, Lionel.

Hi Lionel, it was great seeing you race again and for what its worth, running a 2:46 marathon with that stomach is insanely impressive!! I wanted to point out that maple syrup seems to mainly have a 1:1 ratio of glucose:fructose whereas modern carb drinks use 2:1 for 90g/h and less and 1:0.8 for 100g+/h... So maybe you're "simply" having too much fructose? Its the sugar that most often leads to stomach issues. Check that perhaps. Hope it helps.

12:37 every time I hear Lionel say "if you just copy everyone else....." that's usually a sign he's about to throw out his current coaching team and go back to "coaching himself" and another disaster in Kona. I really hope that doesn't happen and he truly recognises that processes haven't failed you just because you come 4th in your 1st race back to 140.6 in 2 years!! Hopefully he'll see the plan and process through and train with his race nutrition between now and Kona, to nail what works! That "coach myself" record is getting really old and the record is scratched, so throw it out!!

How is the race nutrition not dialed in after this many years of racing? Love you Lionel. Get it together.

I don't recall last time he was somewhat happy with his performance.

LFG Lionel. Rooting for you

Lionel saying it’s an honor to race with you has got to be one of the best compliments these guys can hear

racing another long distance between now and Kona feels like you are spilling your beans again

Oh dear. He's gonna blow it. He is 100% repeating the mistakes he made in 2022, mindset, actions, everything. I had my hopes so high for this season after he won Oceanside. By next Kona he'll be 38. This "journey" he speaks of has about 3 months left. Kona is his dream, and he's done everything else on the list. Kona is the final thing for him to achieve; or at least find out that he genuinely can't, even at his best. Even if he knows he can't win, he should at least learn the lessons of the past and go into as strong as he possibly can and not blow it by pointlessly going over to Frankfurt just to waste his legs away. I can't watch this...

this dude never gives up on the dream, and i'm here for it

That race was so savage!!! Everyone was suffering. Great work getting it done…Kona-🎉🎉🎉

IMLP was an incredible experience....for me, anyway! 😇 A high five from LS right before the red carpet, selfies with Talbot, HJ, Tim & Rinny and Jackson...and meeting Becky and Erin too--this tri gal was elated! But I paid my dues last weekend racing at 70.3 Maine, cramping a quarter mile before the finish line, UGH. But I finished on my feet, Praise God and then had the pleasure of chatting with Trevor afterward...hoping to see some Kona training together--hint, hint! 😁 Praying lots as you Get Warmer and Warmer; God bless, Megan 🙏💪🙏

You makes us hungry for more triathlon!!! Thx and greetings to the family and Talbot from Germany.

I would love for him to smash it like a 100%. He's tried out so much. Struggeling. But he is mr no limit ... It's inspiring to see that when he fails and that is relativly often he gets back on the horse! Right away. No limits - no quitting. Just recab. Adjust. Re attack... Great. Such a legend!!

@Lionel Sanders: What percentage of your calorie/carbohydrate intake during the bike/run came from maple syrup? I know you said you've raced well on it before (perhaps that was also in races where you did not try to push the envelope and take in 120g/hour?) but as far as I can see, maple syrup is sugar-wise 50-75% sucrose and less than 10% glucose and less than 4% fructose. The issue there could be that the human intestine do not have transport mechanisms for sucrose to get across the intestine and into the blood (whereas it do have specific transporters for glucose and fructose; hence why you can absorb more per hour if you combine the two types) so you have to rely on enzymes (sucrase) in your mouth and in particular your intestine that breaks down sucrose into glucose and fructose which can then be transported across to the blood. Hence, by having maple syrup as a source compared to conventional gels or energy drinks, you're introducing another enzymatic chemical step that needs to occur before you can get access to that sugar in the blood (and ultimately muscles). I'm not sure the kinetics of this enzymatic step but it's possible that this makes it harder for your to approach the 120g/hour that people are pushing for these days (or at least many while on the bike are). Just a comment and maybe worth considering and looking into. All the best wishes, Rune.

Great video. Very forthright and informative. You are a great person and a hero.

You are a f**** beast!!!! Last HM without nutrition and still ended on the podium. Smile Lio, smile🔥🔥🔥

What a guy. I think the whole racing world will be willing things to go right for you in Kona. I definitely want to see that 🏊🚲🏃‍♂️

It’s amazing seeing how far Lionel’s running form has improved over the years. Night and day from the giddy up hitch in his step.

Lionel....you are not taking enough salt so you dihydrate end of story. I had exactly the same problem. Try salt stick or equivalent. Thanks for the inspiration

Masterclass performance. Perseverance pays off...

Maybe talk to Florian Angert. He had bad races with stomach problems…maybe some learnings to exchange. It must suck to not reach the potential due to something like this. All fingers crossed for Kona…go get it 💪

With Jan in your corner surely he is advising you how to overcome your frustration issues...

Great race, especially being your first full in so long. I agree with the fans that are saying don't over think it. You ran an excellent race overall, even with dealing with the nutritional/Gi challenges. And Placid is a tough course too. Maybe work on the nutrition aspect, but other than that I think you're heading in the right direction. The way you gutted it out and retained 3rd was incredible. So many would have DNF'D or definitely fell way further back. Got nothing but respect for you!

Please don't do another Ironman before Kona. Time to rest and focus your training for Kona. Keep it simple. Don't over think it. Do your Kona prep and do your best in the race.

LIONEL! less is more sometimes with the carbs... don't feel bad only hitting 80-100gs

Hey Lionel, well done! have you tried to do more open water training? Rooting for you! 🙌

It was the Ironman of the sour stomach...it was good to talk to you about our troubles and heard so many other stories from friends and racers. But we made it through, and you got your slot. Here's to good training and performance at your next scheduled event!

As an ultra runner I would recommend not racing before you need to really race. Focus on shorter simulations and focus on finding correct nutrition. I have had exact same issue as you, and still have. Good luck man! Support from Estonia!

Telling it like it is, always real as can be. Your first two races this season were awesome. Your on the right track. Keep it up!

The perfect IM race is very allusive at any level. Getting it right is a mix of experience, trial and error, luck and persistence. Even if you do get it right one time, you may not ever replicate it again. 140.6 is a tough gig. The day is fickle. You don't always get back what you put into it. Lionel sums this up every time I watch his videos.

I knew something happened cuz I’m 10000% sure that Lionel will run high 2:30s otb that’s crazy he ran 2:46 stoping and committing… that’s hard , I can’t wait to see him again with no problems at all , I’m sure that day it’s near

Massive change in your run form LS. I have been following you for years, and i see a change happening!! ❤❤

Electrolytes? You aren’t taking any? Are you training your gut to take more carbs? You cant just expect your body to be able to digest 100+ g/hr without training for it, just like you train for swim, bike, run. Love the vids LS and Talbot!! We are cheering for you LS!!!

I have feeling Lionel and team are experts on this topic. I need to jump in here regarding being fat-adapted for us age groupers. Dr. Andy Galpin has some excellent information on this subject. There is a physiological limit on how much fat someone can burn, and one cannot exclusively burn fat. But don’t take my word for it; check out his RU-vid channel or countless podcasts. In a nutshell, someone like Lionel or another top-level endurance athlete is fat-adapted. Let's consider a person weighing 160 lbs with 5% body fat (likely lower) and average bone mass. The weight of body fat would be: Weight of body fat=160lbs×0.05=8lbs Given that a fat-adapted person can burn between 30 to 42 grams of fat per hour, they can burn approximately 270 to 378 calories of fat per hour during sustained endurance exercise. Total Estimated Caloric Burn: Lower estimate: 500 (swim) + 3000 (bike) + 2700 (run) = 6200 calories Upper estimate: 700 (swim) + 5400 (bike) + 4400 (run) = 10500 calories In an Ironman: Calories burned per hour: 6200 calories / 8 hours = 775 calories per hour Calories burned per hour: 10500 calories / 8 hours = 1312.5 calories per hour 100 grams of carbohydrates contain 400 calories. A fat-adapted person can burn approximately 270 to 378 calories of fat per hour, resulting in a total burn rate of around 670-780 calories per hour. The above are general numbers. However, to compete at this level, one is burning fat, and the challenge is finding the correct amount of carbs, which is a blend of art and science. If anyone is interested, just get a DEXA scan; they cost around $40-$50 every 3 months. Adjust your diet accordingly. For example, if you swim early or your first session is under 90 minutes, try it fasted but eat protein and carbs immediately afterward to replace the glycogen stores. Then fuel for performance with your other daytime/evening workouts and avoid snacking at night. A key point for us age groupers is to avoid drinking carbs during short runs and rides when the duration does not require it (art & science). I hope this helps everyone in our own quest.

An amazing job running that marathon without anything coming in! You are exactly right in that it's better to take in less than more. You can increase but once thing start coming out one end, it's very hard to get your body to absorb additional nutrition. Racing nutrition is highly individual. You did a test today that showed you your limits. This >100 grams of carbs per hour is not for everyone and is not always needed. Metabolic testing can tell you exactly what you need.

You're an inspiration man, keep it going and close out this year strong!

Well done Lionel! Given everything you went through on the run and still putting up that time is something to give you confidence in.

Thanks for the video and good luck figuring out the nutrition puzzle👍

Interesting analysis. My take away on this race fore you Lionel. You had a "bad" race and finished 3rd with major stomach issues. Your 3rd place finish was the fourth fastest time in the history of the race and would have won this race handily every other year but this year and last year by a large margin. 2023 was an amazing race by Joe Skipper with a course record. It took an incredible Trevor Foley with a race of his life and possibly the ironman race of the year to beat you. Stay the course and sort out your nutrition, it seems like you know what went wrong, and get your swimming back up to the level of Oceanside and you'll have a great Kona. Chapeau on a great race and sticking with in spite of stomach issues and feeling flat.

Yet another superb video. Really - so interesting - take on things. Love the reflection on both overview & concrete details - across all ‘’4 disciplines’’ (& the 5’ mental mode / power). - super thanks!

Lionel, your videos are gold. Always so many helpful insights.

It’s great getting real talk about this stuff. I’ve done a few 70.3’s and hope to do full distance next year. Nutrition is something that concerns me to find the right balance.

So I am no professionnel athlete but Ive done a few ironmans and 70.3. What works for me to not have nausea and for my stomach not shut down are pretzels!!! You never know! Awesome video as always

Awesome as always! By Kona '24 you have all te experience for a super good race. Don't overdo it in every aspect of the preparation and race execution and grab that podium in Hawaii!

God I was so excited to see you race full IM again - Kona woohoo !!! 🥳

For swim strat, I would love to see you mark someone who's coming out 1-1:30 ahead of you and line up right behind them. Getting on their feet is going to make such a massive difference in your overall time. Leiferman, Laundry, Hanson would all be pretty decent picks for future races.

To get Kona slot and only be 1 minute off old course record and have a bad day from start ending with gi issues - whatever you’re doing is working Yes get nutrition fixed but quite a performance given all that. Rest of world mails it in or quits.

Awesome job Lionel!!! Was awesome to see you on course!

Congrats on top 3 finish and Kona slot.

Lionel, you have to train your gut to consume ~120 g/h of carbohydrates. Even if you can't absorb 120 g/h, it is still necessary to take close to 120 g/h (even if you can only absorb 100 g/h), as you are then ensuring your body is adequately fuelled throughout the race. If for example you consume 100 g/h, and you consume a gel slightly late, there could be a small period of 5 minutes where your body isn't completely fuelled, and this can lead to compounding issues later in the race (which is why fuelling appropriately is so important for ultra-endurance events).

Lionel might want to consider UCAN for his fueling strategy. Better on the stomach as it is corn starch based. Smoother absorption, less GI upset and healthier. It has worked wonders for me vs glucose.

great to see your report about stomach issues with the "the feed" cap :D

Fantastic video Lionel thanks brotha, best of luck on the next one

Puking, not eating, running 2:46, and finishing third is an awesome performance

If LS wins KONA….. that would be so RAD! Rooting for you 👊🏻

strong work!! love watching you train and race

Curious if Lionel is training with 120g/hr+ at all... If 90g/he is what works and what you've been using in training, there's no point in pushing carbs beyond that for the sake of hitting numbers. Don't make rookie mistakes: trying new things on race day!!! Excited to see how this season plays out, it's obvious there's potential for an exceptional race in Kona. Follow YOUR plan, trust your intuition.

I really don’t understand the 9 time zone comment about Frankfurt. There are direct 10h flights from Phoenix, just book a business ticket and take a good nap. His travel to Lake Placid will have been worse…

God Bless Lionel !

I know he doesn’t read the comments but I really hope he doesn’t do another race in between now and Kona. He doesn’t need it. He is heading the right direction he needs to dial his nutrition and he will do great things. Doing another race can also bring more doubts or see what happened in the Miami race. He needs to stay healthy, dial nutrition and focus on Kona. Whatever you do good luck!

I saw you fly by me on the bike 😊

The majority of PROs would love a 8:05. You did a 6:20 mile the same as 2nd place. Put the last piece in the puzzle. I had already bought my tickets to see you and Trevor in Kona. I still think you should partially fat adapt, but I will see you in Kona.

7:55- i know you dont want to travel to Frankfurt, BUT drawing from the experience of ‘getting better’ at ironman that you had between the initial disaster in June 2021 and coming second at the WC in St George in may the next year, I would suggest that you do go to Frankfurt and retest your carbohydrate strategy at 90 grams per hour. Also Ironman is a different beast than 70.3s and you haven’t done one for 20 months - and in fact you haven’t done a good one since St George. I think you can actually race yourself into top ironman shape by Kona by using Frankfurt as a preparation race. Also - there is still 10 weeks between Frankfurt and Kona, and doing another ironman in a few weeks may help you resist the urge to overtrain over a 16 week period. … final bonus - you could also spend a few days back at Canyon perfecting your final bike fit for Kona as well after the race. … and maybe after that you could swing down to andorra for a couple of weeks of tempo training at altitude with Cam and Frodo before returning home for the final 6 weeks grind before heading to Kona to taper and race. …Edited to add: - 14:50 - its good to see that you are thinking of another IM before Kona to ‘polish the axe’ and practice a revised nutrition strategy, BUT please don’t discount Frankfurt as an option. You have done Ironman with only a 4 week break before - and indeed last time you were dedicated to ironman as a speciality you did 4 ironman in a row - and got better at each one. Doing Frankfurt in august gives you a full 10 weeks to recover, reset and build into your A race in Kona. IMO - if you want to do another IM before then, Frankfurt is a no brainer.

Don’t get disappointed dude you still got a slot on a day with bad sensations. All that matters is doing everything you can to have good sensations on the day that really matters. You have time to get some consistency going and mentally if you can have a good swim I think you can still do very well on the big island.

Keep it up Lionel! Adjust the calories and you are there!❤

LFG Lionel. Lets get KONA!

Karlyn Pipes faster freestyle in an endless pool lets one know what works and what doesn't regarding swimming and technique. I loved the Kona camp I went to.

Everyone sweats out salt at different rates. You can get your rate accurately measured and take the electrolytes accordingly.

Do you not test the carbs in training so see what your limit is?

Trevor Foley is the future of the sport. He can learn so much from the King.🎉🎉

Nice work. Looking next race

Damn six minutes down that's brutal :( sorry to hear it

Your mediocre (podium finish BTW) day well exceeds anything close to my PB( and probably 99.9% of everyone else here). Can’t wait to see you crush it in Kona! Best wishes…send it!!!

Did the Bike fitting in Germany helped a little bit? (Avg. Watts) Keep following your current training plan for Kona! 6 Min from swimming is not an issue once you can handle the Kona heat and hit a sub 2:40 h

Great shot at 5:00 coming through the feed zone

PEOPLE'S CHAMP! Great job Lionel! Keep the LION hungry! LFG🔥

Good work Lionel!

No need for sugar at all , Professor Tim Nokes proves it , the sugar companies have got you addicted on the cheap cocaine

Hungry for more, let’s get it!

You will figure it out 👊

LS dropping truth bombs! The sport of a triathlon is a merciless bitch. The joy is in the journey!

Mvdp can use 120kjh. But that makes him pretty unique. And it's properly tested with him. His team mates use between 105-115. I wonder what Blu's uptake is.

Let’s go get it.

Love you Lionel, sounds like you're #1 priority should be chugging carbs in training

Might try honey instead of maple syrup? I've found that it sits in my stomach better than maple syrup. Best of luck in Kona

Great video Lionel. - don’t do the full carb thing - I’ve had terrible results following the 100grm line. I do 50 now in water and use natural food to top up on bike... result is a transformation in my tolerance - Morton is a con ! Tour de France guys don’t do massive gels and carbs. Also, veer see you run stand alone marathons - why ?

At one point you were doing Gatorade Endurance. If it has a 6% carb to liquid ratio, have you considered going back to that? I remember you doing pretty well when you were taking that during races. Just an observation.

The best sports drink I have ever used is HEED from hammer. Highly recommended to try it

Do you train at 120 carb per hr. in training?

Why are you discovering these nutritional problems in the race? Surely you are testing the carb intake before the race? You also have to train the stomach to be able to handle 120 grams/hour, so I don't really understand why this was noticed in the race.

I wish I could swim well enough to participate in at least one stage of a short triathlon......in the meantime, I’ll just stick to duathlons. Haha! Greetings from Brasilia, Brazil.