Matt Page's scorecard
King Alfred's Way FKT
Wednesday 25th May, 2022
Within recommended ranges
Just outside recommended ranges
Significantly outside recommended ranges
88g
Carb per hour
234mg
Sodium per hour
344ml
Fluid per hour
682mg/L
Relative sodium concentration
306mg
Total caffeine
How Matt hit those numbers
1 x Bowl of muesli
200ml x PH 500 (Tablets)
2 x PF 30 Energy Chews
20 x PF 30 Energy Gel
3L x PF 30 Energy Drink Mix
2 x PF 90 Energy Gel
8 x PF 30 Energy Chews
2L x Plain water
2 x Energy gel with caffeine (24g carb, 72mg caffeine)
330ml x Red Bull
2 x Mars Bar
How Matt's hydration and fueling went...
- Matt had previously claimed the Fastest Known Time (FKT) over the King Alfred’s Way trail in a single ride, but this accolade was stripped from him by Global Cycling Network’s Simon Richardson just a couple of months later. This time round he was determined to retain his record, and put it out of sight for others attempting it. Matt ended up breaking the record by ~45 minutes, and said he possibly could have gone faster!
- Setting off at 04:30 fully stocked with almost all his fuel and hydration supplements on board, Matt stopped only to top up his water bottle and repair a puncture which set him back slightly at ~150k
- Matt battled through some very British weather along the route, making parts of the off-road course particularly treacherous, which makes his new FKT even more impressive
- To average such a solid carb intake of ~88g/hr is an impressive feat in itself, especially as he maintained this intake for 16 hours - kudos Matt!
Hydration
- Matt drank ~500ml/16oz PH 500 the night before, and ~200ml/7oz PH 500 ~30 mins before setting off. Usually we would recommend preloading with a stronger electrolyte drink, such as PH 1500, to adequately prime the body’s sodium levels to optimise fluid retention and maximise blood plasma volume
- Matt drank ~5L/176oz of fluid throughout this ride, with 3L/101oz of PF 30 Drink Mix being his primary source of both energy and sodium. He also supplemented drank ~2L/67oz of plain water, giving him an average fluid intake of ~331ml/h
- This fluid intake may appear fairly low, but considering the weather conditions were mild (12-19℃/ 53-66℉), and it was raining for a good portion of the day, his sweat rate would likely have been low. Matt also peed six times throughout the ride, further supporting the notion that he was adequately hydrated
- Matt took ~3,521mg of sodium, with a relative sodium concentration of ~661mg/L. Whilst we don’t know Matthew’s sweat sodium concentration, given he experienced no cramps and no cravings for salty foods, it’s safe to assume that Matt did a solid job at replacing a good proportion of the sodium he lost through sweating
- Giving a subjective hydration rating of 8/10, Matt felt that he may have actually taken too much fluid with him, given that he finished with almost a full bottle of water. Although he understandably didn’t want to risk running out
Fueling
Quick Carb Calculator Recommendation
30g
carb 30 mins before
60-90g
carb per hour during
- Matt started his epic day in the saddle by topping off his stored glycogen with a bowl of muesli. He also had a final carb hit with two packets of PF 30 Chews ~30 mins before setting off which would have hit his bloodstream quickly and spared his stored glycogen for later in the day
- Having iterated his fueling plan for several months, Matt has trained his gut to absorb a large amount of carbs over long periods of time, so all he had to worry about was cycling for 16 hours!
- Matt set an alarm on his bike computer to go off every 30 minutes, so he ensured he was taking on some carbs regularly. As with longer duration events, it can be easy to make the mistake of going for long periods without eating or drinking, so this was a great strategy to prevent under-fueling
- Just over half of Matt’s fluid intake (~3L/101oz) contained PF 30 Energy Drink Mix, and he topped up his carb intake with an impressive twenty PF 30 Gels, eight PF 30 Chews, two PF 90 Gels, two caffeine gels and a Mars bar
- Choosing to use the PF 30 Drink Mix was a tactical decision, as being able to drink liquid carbs saves packet opening whilst trying to ride fast off-road, which can be a challenge. In all, Matt took ~1,416g of carbs over the 354 kms, averaging ~88g/h
- Matt finished the ride saying “In general my stomach felt good, considering the time I spent cycling and the amount I ate”, and rated his GI comfort 10/10
- Rating his energy levels 6/10, Matt felt he was fading towards the latter end of the ride, saying “Towards the end I was dropping, and if I could have carried more fuel I would have done” but he found it logistically hard to carry much more and he didn’t want to have to stop to pick up supplies either
Conclusions
- Overall, Matt was pleased to claim the FKT over the King Alfred’s Way course, beating the previous record held by Global Cycling Network’s Simon Richardson’s time by almost 45 minutes
- Matt managed to take on an impressive amount of carbs throughout the feat, which is a testament to his years of experience fueling ultra-endurance bike rides, and should give him confidence heading towards his next challenge
- In summary, Matt rated his race satisfaction 8/10 saying “I’m happy with the attempt, but as is often the way, I’m always looking for improvements, and I believe there’s more to come”
- Matt has released a YouTube video documenting his record breaking day which you can watch here
Key info
Matt Page
Male
Result
Overall Time
16:05:42
Event information
Sport
Cycling
Discipline
Mountain bike
Event
King Alfred's Way FKT
Location
Winchester, England
Date
25th May, 2022
Website
Total Distance
354.0km / 220.0mi
Race conditions
Weather Conditions
Mild
Precipitation
Rain
Min Temp
12°C / 54°F
Max Temp
19°C / 66°F
Avg Temp
17°C / 63°F
Humidity
50%
Athlete feedback
Race Satisfaction
8/10
Hydration rating
8/10
Finished with a full bottle so if anything I took too much
Energy levels
6/10
If I could have carried more fuel I would have done
Toilet stops
Yes
GI comfort
10/10
Cramping
No cramping
Matt's Thoughts
Happy with the result, but there's always room for improvement!
Matt's full stats
| Carbohydrate (g) | Sodium (mg) | Fluid (ml) | Caffeine (mg) | Relative sodium concentration (mg/L) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | |||||
| Total intake | 1,416 | 3,771 | 5,530 | 306 | 682 |
| Per hour | 88 | 234 | 344 | 19 | |
Data Confidence
1
2
3
4
5
There is an adequate level of accuracy in the data collected and the numbers reported. The athlete manages to recall what they ate and drank including most specifics (brands flavours quantities plausible estimations of volumes). However there are estimations made within the data which affect the overall confidence level in the data reported.