Road to Kona Pt 3 with Holly Lawrence: Holly did an IRONMAN!

Holly Lawrence’s first Ironman wasn’t a highlight reel—it was real. In this candid debrief, Scott and Holly unpack the gap between expectation and reality: torrential rain, first-day-of-period nausea, a bottle ejection, nonstop bathroom breaks, and the unexpected mental grind of hours alone with your thoughts. Still, she rode ~5:02, ran 3:02, finished 5th, and punched her Kona ticket—while juggling new-mum emotions and the shock of a truly long day.

The episode gets practical fast: have a Plan-B pre-race breakfast when nerves kill appetite; use T1 to top up carbs; swap some drink mix for gels/blocks in cool races to avoid over-drinking; hold sodium near your personal “sweet spot”; and don’t wait for a caffeine “buzz”—dose on schedule. Post-finish, Holly nails the pro recovery: protein + big carbs now, then food later.

What’s next? Kona. More heat prep, more long ride-into-run fueling practice, and mental reps for the inevitable dark patches. Holly’s verdict on Ironman: tougher, lonelier, and more emotional than expected—and exactly the challenge she’s ready to tackle again.

Want the unfiltered play-by-play—and the race-week tweaks Holly’s making for Kona? Listen now to Fuelin Sessions.

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