5th
Allan Hovda's scorecard
Bislett Ultra Challenge 50km
Saturday 11th February, 2023
Within recommended ranges
Just outside recommended ranges
Significantly outside recommended ranges
49g
Carb per hour
628mg
Sodium per hour
330ml
Fluid per hour
1,905mg/L
Relative sodium concentration
304mg
Total caffeine
How Allan hit those numbers
500ml x PH 1500
120g x Oats
25g x Raisins
66g x Banana (Peeled)
600ml x Soy Milk
1 x PF 30 Gel
8 x PH Electrolyte Capsule
4 x PF 30 Gel
1L x Plain water
50ml x Cola
1.5 x Caffeine tablet (200mg caffeine)
How Allan's hydration and fueling went...
- As a well accomplished ultra endurance athlete, having previously won the Norseman triathlon three times and won the Bislett 24 Hour Indoor Challenge over a distance of 264.9km, Allan took part in this ‘shorter’ 50km ultra
- Overall, he was satisfied that he largely executed his fueling and hydration strategy effectively, particularly as he was able to adapt on the fly on his way to a 3:11:22 time and 5th place
Hydration
- Allan made sure to start the 50km race optimally hydrated by preloading with PH 1500, but also restricted his other fluid intake (i.e. no morning coffee) so he could prevent needing to pee during the race. This plan paid off as he didn’t feel the need to stop once during the run
- Interestingly, the temperature inside the stadium was 16ºc / 61ºF with a humidity of ~30%. The indoor event meant there was no headwind providing a cooling effect, and so Allan’s core temperature measurements and sweat losses (~3.5L/64oz total) are reflective of a much hotter outdoor race
- Allan was confident that he had achieved the ‘correct amount of dehydration’ for what his body can tolerate before declining physical performance occurs, with ~1.05L (33oz) of fluid taken in throughout the race
- As someone with a sweat sodium concentration of 1,412mg/L (mg/32oz), Allan potentially overdid his sodium intake relative to the amount of fluid he consumed, averaging ~1,905mg/L (mg/32oz) on the day. He could easily adapt this to be more in line with his losses by reducing his utilisation of Electrolyte Capsules, or drinking more plain water to dilute the concentration
- Using a portable core temperature sensor during the race, Allan observed a very high reading during the last two hours. Due to being indoors, several cooling methods, like dumping water on his head and creating shade from the sun were out of the question, although his perceived comfort was aided by wearing a cooling headband
Fueling
Quick Carb Calculator Recommendation
30g
carb 30 mins before
60-90g
carb per hour during
- As a seasoned professional at fueling for ultra events, Allan knows the importance of having enough stored carbohydrate for long-distance races. To ensure this was the case, Allan increased the proportion of carbohydrate in his diet while reducing the proportion of fibre and protein for ~36-48 hours pre race. His preparation culminated in his usual carb-rich breakfast of exactly 120g (~4oz) of oats, raisins and a 66g (~2.3oz) banana
- A final pre-race PF 30 Gel increased Allan’s blood glucose and helped to spare some of his stored glycogen for utilisation later in the race
- During one of the laps, he dropped a PF 30 Gel and planned to pick it up the next time around, but it had been cleared off the track and instead he had to improvise with 50ml (1.6oz) of coke, collected from aid stations. While Allan knew this wouldn’t replace the carbs that he’d lost from his gel, it was better than nothing and helped to somewhat maintain his blood glucose levels
- Wearing a continuous glucose monitor throughout, Allan was able to share that he sat around 167mg/dL (typically within the optimal ‘performance zone’ according to Supersapiens). This was achieved with an average intake of ~49g of carb per hour, which is lower than the science would recommend. Despite this, his glucose remained stable throughout the race, meaning he was able to report strong and even energy levels at a 10 (out of 10)
- With the Fuel & Hydration Planner suggesting ~75g/h for an event of this length and intensity, Allan may want to consider elevating his intake here. A good initial step for him would be to incorporate some targeted gut training sessions
- Allan largely nailed his caffeine intake, taking ~300mg at 1 hour and 40 minutes in to ‘maximise the benefits’ for the rest of his 3 hour and 11 minute effort. This value puts someone of Allan’s weight at the high end of the general recommendation for performance benefits (3-6 mg/kg)
- While he was conscious of not wanting to pee during the race and so omitted his morning coffee, he may have improved his usage of caffeine marginally by replacing his PF 30 Gel for a PF 30 Caffeine Gel 15 minutes before race start. This would have given him an additional mental and physical boost through the first half of the race
Conclusions
- From a fueling and hydration standpoint, Allan was satisfied with his energy levels and hydration for this 50km run. There are some areas which could be tweaked for future events, such as his carb intake per hour, but he can be largely satisfied with this part of his day
- Looking to future races, Allan suffers from atrial fibrillation and has undergone unsuccessful surgery in the past to cauterise ineffective nodes within the heart. Unfortunately, after undergoing further surgery, his heart rate and pace during this race suggests that his surgery wasn’t successful in resolving the issue
- He’s looking at how he can manage this issue without any potentially serious consequences moving forwards
Key info
Allan Hovda
Male
Sweat sodium concentration
1,412mg/L
Sweat sodium classification
Very High
* determined by a PH Advanced Sweat Test
Result
Position
5th
Overall Time
3:11:22
Event information
Sport
Running
Discipline
Ultra
Event
Bislett Ultra Challenge 50km
Location
Oslo, Noway
Date
11th February, 2023
Website
Total Distance
50.0km / 31.1mi
Race conditions
Weather Conditions
Hot
Precipitation
No Rain
Min Temp
16°C / 61°F
Max Temp
16°C / 61°F
Avg Temp
16°C / 61°F
Humidity
30%
Athlete feedback
Race Satisfaction
9/10
Hydration rating
10/10
I know that 2,5 litres of dehydration is something my body handles without negative performance consequenses so I will say I hit the "correct" amount of dehydration.
Energy levels
10/10
Unfortunately I got heart arrythmia after about 14km which definitly made me feel not great. So I will say its a 10, but other issues made
the subjective feeling worse.
Toilet stops
No
I ensured I didnt need to pee by limiting my fluid intake before the race
GI comfort
9/10
Cramping
No cramping
Allan's Thoughts
While I did perform about 10 seconds slower per kilometer than my goal I am truly pleased with that performance. The goal was set with the heart surgery was 100 % successful, and as it was not I can't complain about the result. Of course, I wished it otherwise, but the main goal for the race was to test the heart and find out if further measures has to be done. And on that I got an answer.
Allan's full stats
| Carbohydrate (g) | Sodium (mg) | Fluid (ml) | Caffeine (mg) | Relative sodium concentration (mg/L) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | |||||
| Total intake | 155 | 2,000 | 1,050 | 304 | 1,905 |
| Per hour | 49 | 628 | 330 | 95 | |
Data Confidence
1
2
3
4
5
There is good confidence in the accuracy of the data reported. An athlete feels that the numbers closely reflect what they consumed despite a couple of estimations which may carry some degree of error. The majority of what was consumed is recorded to a high level of specificity (most volumes are known through the use of bottles brands quantities flavours). The numbers are very plausible and align with previous data recordings (if an athlete has collected data previously).