13th
Andy Blow's scorecard
ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Championships
Monday 2nd September, 2019
Within recommended ranges
Just outside recommended ranges
Significantly outside recommended ranges
55g
Carb per hour
867mg
Sodium per hour
483ml
Fluid per hour
1,793mg/L
Relative sodium concentration
1.37mg/kg
Caffeine per bodyweight
How Andy hit those numbers
500ml x PH 1500 (Tablets)
1 x Fist of porridge with milk
2 x Black coffee (~150ml each)
0.5 x Flapjack
1 x White bread roll
1 x Hard boiled egg
3L x PH 1500 (Tablets)
8 x PH Electrolyte Capsule
1.35L Plain water
1 x Small cinnamon roll
1 x Small cheese naan
5 x Small chocolate bars
1 x Twix finger
6 x Jelly sweets
3 x Energy gel (25g carb)
1 x Energy chew packet with caffeine (48g carb, 100mg caffeine)
1 x Energy bar (Mango)
1 x Almond butter and jam pouch
How Andy's hydration and fueling went...
- Andy had a great race at the ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Championships, despite being open about not having done enough training in advance of race day!
- He stayed on top of his fluid and sodium losses throughout the event using the on-course PH and his own soft flasks. He reported that, in hindsight, he probably under did his fueling and the numbers do suggest this was the case
Hydration
- Andy consumed ~867mg/hr of sodium and ~483ml/hr of fluid, which equates to a relative sodium concentration of ~1,793mg/L. Given Andy's high sweat sodium concentration (of nearly 1,900mg/L) and sweat rate, this is a necessary level of consumption for him on such a long day out
- Andy preloaded before the race with PH 1500 and also carried the same strength in his soft flasks. He also used 8 Electrolyte Capsules to top-up his sodium intake and to ensure he wasn't going to suffer towards the back end of the day
- Overall, Andy did a great job of meeting his sodium and fluid needs even in the challenging race environment and circumstances
Fueling
Quick Carb Calculator Recommendation
30g
carb 30 mins before
60-90g
carb per hour during
- Andy hit ~55g of carb per hour across the 9-hour event which, given the circumstances (i.e. regular long swims), this is not bad albeit coming in at just under what we’d recommend
- When asked to reflect on the race, Andy commented that he probably underfuelled in part due to choosing to 'travel light' and not run/swim with too much fuel from the start. At periods during the race he suffered from bouts of low energy (he rated energy levels at a 3/4 on occasions), though this may be due to undertraining for the event
- Andy got a good proportion of his carbohydrates from aid stations around the course, picking up small chocolate bars and some other real food options which is sensible in an event like this. That said, he carried four gels and some energy chews with him which was also crucial
Conclusions
- Given he's done the race three times now (and each time been more adamant that he's never doing it again!), it's highly unlikely that Andy will take on another swimrun event of this duration. If he were to change his mind, the main takeaway from this race would be to carry more of his own fuel during the event to help him hit his carb numbers and suffer fewer bouts of low energy
Key info
Andy Blow
Male
73kg
Sweat sodium concentration
1,800mg/L
Sweat sodium classification
Very High
* determined by a PH Advanced Sweat Test
Result
Position
13th
Overall Time
9:00:04
Bodyweight change
-1.9%
Event information
Sport
Other
Discipline
Swimrun
Event
ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Championships
Location
Stockholm, Sweden
Date
2nd September, 2019
Website
Swim Distance
10.0km / 6.2mi
Run Distance
65.0km / 40.4mi
Total Distance
75.0km / 46.6mi
Event conditions
Weather Conditions
Hot
Precipitation
No Rain
Min Temp
12°C / 54°F
Max Temp
19°C / 66°F
Avg Temp
18°C / 64°F
Humidity
70%
Athlete feedback
Event Satisfaction
8/10
Hydration rating
7/10
Energy levels
6/10
Fluctated throughout the event, at times it was high and at others pretty low
Toilet stops
Yes
GI comfort
8/10
No major issues
Cramping
No cramping
Andy's Thoughts
This one was ‘up there’ with how much I’ve suffered at points due to the mismatch between my training volume and the length of the race. I had more of a plan for this one based on prior experience and also, because I was nervous about racing with someone fitter than me, I didn't want to let energy depletion, dehydration or cramp derail things
Andy's full stats
| Carbohydrate (g) | Sodium (mg) | Fluid (ml) | Caffeine (mg) | Relative sodium concentration (mg/L) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | |||||
| Total intake | 492 | 7,801 | 4,350 | 100 | 1,793 |
| Per hour | 55 | 867 | 483 | 11 | |
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.