Ali Wilson's scorecard
29029 Whistler #2
Friday 23rd September, 2022
Within recommended ranges
Just outside recommended ranges
Significantly outside recommended ranges
35g
Carb per hour
493mg
Sodium per hour
689ml
Fluid per hour
716mg/L
Relative sodium concentration
6.89mg/kg
Caffeine per bodyweight
How Ali hit those numbers
How Ali's hydration and fueling went...
- Precision Fuel & Hydration’s Web Developer, Ali, took on 29029 Whistler as his ‘BHAG’ (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) for 2022. Despite completing the New Forest Marathon just two weeks prior, Ali repeatedly climbed Blackcomb Peak in Canada eight times to achieve the goal of hiking the equivalent height of Mount Everest - 29,029ft
- Ali kept a record of everything he ate during the course of his 17 hours moving time on the mountain so he could keep track of his carbohydrate, sodium, fluid and caffeine intake, whilst leaving him to focus on the vertical ascent (and avoiding bears!)
Hydration
- Prior to his first ascent at 6am, Ali made sure to start drinking PH 1500 ~90 minutes before he started hiking in order to ensure that he was starting well hydrated before a long day of sweating
- Throughout the total 28 hours time on the mountain (which included short breaks for meals and a sleep so that Ali could complete his final ascent in the daylight), he kept well hydrated by mainly using the hypotonic Precision Hydration drinks - PH 500, PH 1000 and PH 1500 tablets - that were available at the aid stations on course. While we normally see large variation in drinking volume during events of this length as the temperature drops overnight, Ali maintained a strong fluid intake with at least one cup at each of the four aid stations on the mountain
- Drinking a total of ~19.9L (~700oz) of fluid, Ali’s average fluid intake for the challenge worked out at ~689ml (~23oz) of fluid per hour. It’s worth noting that Ali’s fluid intake tends to be on the higher side as he has a very high sweat rate and so tends to drink quite a lot, even during an event where conditions on the mountain were a relatively temperate 0-11°C (32°F-51.8F), with an average of 5°C (41°F)
- Having undergone a Sweat Test at PF&H HQ ahead of this event, Ali knew that he’s a ‘moderately salty’ sweater, losing 921mg/L (mg/32oz), and he relied on electrolytes and salty foods as his main sources of sodium. The relative sodiumconcentration of his intake worked out at ~716mg of sodium per litre (32oz) on average, which would have replaced a decent proportion of his sweat sodium losses
- He also utilised the benefits of caffeine well by drinking a total of ~1.1L (~33oz) of coffee. This meant that his caffeine intake worked out at ~6.9mg per kg of bodyweight, which is just above the general recommendation of ~3-6mg/kg for endurance performance
- This was a suitable intake for Ali on this occasion as it helped to keep his perceived energy levels relatively high throughout such a long event. Ali has a decent tolerance of caffeine and so going over the recommended range of ~3-6mg/kg was an appropriate decision as he was hiking into the night and will have been fighting his natural sleep-wake cycle
- Ali hiked until 3am on the first day, before enjoying a sleep and then returning to make his final summit when the sun had risen. Had he wanted to finish straight away and continue through the night, we’d certainly recommend having some more caffeine to increase his alertness, as sleep deprivation would’ve started to become more of a factor
Fueling
Quick Carb Calculator Recommendation
30g
carb 30 mins before
30-60g
carb per hour during
- By carb-loading in the days leading up to the event and then again eating a carbohydrate-rich meal of porridge and oats a few hours before the first hike, Ali went into the event with his glycogen stores fully topped up
- Due to the lower intensity of a prolonged event like this, the primary source of fuel the body uses is fat. This means that Ali was able to rely on more ‘real foods’, like Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches, than he would’ve typically used in his previous running events. He also opted to top up his energy with sports nutrition products like PF 30 Chews ahead of more intense sections of the climb
- Over the course of his time on Blackcomb Peak, Ali consumed ~1,015g of carbohydrate, with an average intake of ~35g/h per hour. This falls within the 30-60g/h recommendation of the Quick Carb Calculator for an event of this duration and intensity
- This no doubt contributed to his high perceived energy rating of 9 (out of 10), with the only dip he can remember, occurring towards the end of his seventh consecutive climb, which finished at 3am
Conclusions
- Overall, Ali performed very well to successfully ‘Everest’ Blackcomb Peak Mountain. He completed the 6.94km route (which featured 3,628ft/1,106m of elevation) eight times to earn the coveted red cap for completing the 29029 challenge
- Using a mixture of real foods and sports nutrition, Ali fueled effectively and maintained a good level of hydration throughout this event, resulting in solid energy levels and no cramping
Key info
Ali Wilson
Male
85kg
Sweat sodium concentration
921mg/L
Sweat sodium classification
Moderate
* determined by a PH Advanced Sweat Test
Event information
Sport
Other
Discipline
Hiking
Event
29029 Whistler #2
Location
Whistler, Canada
Date
23rd September, 2022
Website
Run Distance
55.5km / 34.5mi
Total Distance
55.5km / 34.5mi
Total Elevation
9,769m / 32,051ft
Event conditions
Weather Conditions
Cold
Precipitation
Rain
Min Temp
0°C / 32°F
Max Temp
11°C / 52°F
Avg Temp
5°C / 41°F
Humidity
80%
Athlete feedback
Event Satisfaction
10/10
Hydration rating
10/10
I was drinking to thirst so I never felt dehydrated
Energy levels
9/10
Good energy except for the end of climb number 7
Toilet stops
Yes
GI comfort
8/10
Cramping
No cramping
Ali's Thoughts
Unbelievable experience during my first event of this kind and keeping track of my intake as I went was really useful!
Ali's full stats
Carbohydrate (g) | Sodium (mg) | Fluid (ml) | Caffeine (mg) | Relative sodium concentration (mg/L) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | |||||
Total intake | 1,015 | 14,249 | 19,906 | 586 | 716 |
Per hour | 35 | 493 | 689 | 20 |
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.