Bowline CC Charnwood Hills Race

Andy returned to his hometown in Leicester for this race, where he fueled effectively. Due to a big carb load leading up to the race, Andy felt very well fueled going into the run although a little queasy after forcing a big breakfast down. His intake during the 14-mile race sat just over the recommended carb intake for an event of this duration, taking in ~41 grams per hour. He said if he went much further over the guidelines while maintaining that racing intensity, he would’ve been sick! However, this solid carb intake was reflected in his energy levels, which he rated a perfect 10/10 throughout.

Andy’s hydration strategy was well thought out for this race in the cool Midlands conditions. A pre-loading strategy that also looked to increase his carbohydrate intake with Carb and Electrolyte Drink Mix was vital in helping Andy prepare for the race. Going forward, Andy should look to use the most effective pre-loading protocol of a higher strength electrolyte in the lead up to the race by using [PH 1500 Electrolytes] and either keeping his final carb load to solid form or using the Carb Only Drink Mix. As a very salty sweater with an equally high sweat rate, it’s important for Andy to get his hydration strategy on point. Andy didn’t quite replace his full losses during this event with the relative sodium concentration of his drinks only being ~1,000mg/L. It would be good to see Andy increase his sodium intake during his next race, which may also help prevent the slight cramp warnings he felt in his hamstrings and calves during the last 20 minutes of the race. However, he notes there were other factors such as general muscle fatigue that contributed to this. From his pre- and post-race body weight measurements, we can see that even in these mild conditions, Andy lost 2L of fluid. From his total intake of 610ml, it’s clear he didn’t quite replace the majority of his losses fluid wise as well, which will have also contributed to his feelings of dehydration at the end.

Andy is certainly no stranger to caffeine in his day to day life, to the point where he set up the UK office's commercial level bean subscription. Despite this, and even making the video on how to best use caffeine, he didn't take any throughout this race as he didn’t feel he needed it.