If you never try, you never fail. But it will not diminish the sense of regret. “I'll just try a triathlon. And I liked it a lot. I thought it was super cool that I can continue swimming, but then at the same time start something new. So I kept doing it and this year I did my first 70.3.” — Melissa Carloni.

LOG 1 — introducing Melissa

Typically, it’s the discipline that people struggle most with. Maybe are even fearful of. But Melissa is in the enviable position of coming into triathlon as a strong swimmer already. Years of synchronized swimming and life-saving events have equipped her with a good feel for the water. “To get better at swimming, I would need to train every day because I'm already, I think, at a level where it's hard to see large improvements. It's also the shortest part of the race, so that’s a bit sad for me.”

For Melissa, the challenges start after, as the race develops. As the body position moves through lying in the water, to sitting on the bike, and then upright for the run. Consuming the right fuel at the right time for three disciplines is hard. It puts a lot of strain on the gut and takes a lot of practice.

“I think I had this idea in mind that you should — and I now know this is the wrong idea — train your body and make it used to performing, even in hot conditions, with no food or with no nutrition. Because then when you get food on race day you are much stronger or much faster. That's the perception I had.”

It’s an honest admission of not knowing how to prepare. But we’ve probably all been there at some point — influenced by outdated protocol. The old school methods that die hard.

The reality, supported by science, is that training our guts with certain amounts of sports nutrition decreases the likelihood of gastrointestinal distress on race day. GI discomfort is a significant inhibitor to performance. By fueling training with the right amount of carbohydrates per hour, our bodies can adapt and get used to it. It’s a well-trodden route into fueling. A rite of passage, almost.

“The first mistake I made was already in the preparation phase because I was not getting used to enough gels or carbs. I think in my mind I didn’t associate training with a need to fuel.”

It’s a well-trodden route into fueling. A rite of passage, almost.

You reap what you sow and inevitably Melissa’s first attempt at an IRONMAN 70.3 in Mallorca was a harsh reckoning. Her body providing acute feedback on the avoidance of fueling during training. “I was so excited because I’d spent so much time training for it. But my nutrition was so bad, The cycling part was great, but then I was completely sick. I had so much cramps, nausea, and all this kind of stuff. When my body left the sitting position (off the bike), I started feeling all these mixed stomach issues. I just thought I had to finish, no matter what. I will stop eating because it might get worse and I will just continue. But then I had a lot of pain everywhere. The run was not really a run. Overall, not the greatest experience.”

In the clarity of hindsight, it’s easy for Melissa to see where mistakes were made. But they are perfectly human mistakes. Errors everyone makes because racing can be intense. It clouds judgment and muddles rational thought. “On the bike I kind of deprioritized nutrition in a sense. I wasn’t drinking so much because even taking bottles every 5 minutes, I didn’t feel like I had time or I was too stressed for that. And of course, then I paid for it. I think that's also something I would need to practice.” The hyper-focused atmosphere of a race, when the mind and body are amped with adrenaline, is not something easily recreated in training. We give ourselves mindless instructions — I'll eat at the top of the climb, I'll eat when I stop next, or I'll eat when I catch the person ahead. Always fuel without delay. 

Despite full-time work commitments that consume her diary from 9am until 6pm, Melissa is already learning from her experience in Mallorca. “I’ve already improved a lot. I did a half marathon in Copenhagen recently and it went well — much better than it was last year. So I think there is a big space for improvement, especially in cycling and running. I am not yet as fast as I could get.”

The year ahead will be a great opportunity for Melissa to master her own fueling strategy.

“I guess everybody is different. Maybe I tolerate better some other kind of carbs but not solids. Or maybe it's better for me to drink a lot and not get so many gels. I have no idea — I'm completely new on that.”

It’s a position familiar to many. Melissa has listened to the noise and has been influenced by fueling advice that ultimately didn’t work. Fueled for a Year is a chance to learn what’s right on her terms.