7th
Bobbie Baker's scorecard
Mullingar Marathon
Saturday 13th November, 2021
Within recommended ranges
Just outside recommended ranges
Significantly outside recommended ranges
55g
Carb per hour
420mg
Sodium per hour
670ml
Fluid per hour
626mg/L
Relative sodium concentration
0mg
Total caffeine
How Bobbie hit those numbers
500ml x PH 1500 (Tablet)
500ml x Plain water
500ml x Energy Drink Mix (79g carb)
1 x Banana
1 x Bowl of porridge
1 x Slice of toast
750ml x PH 1500 (Tablets)
1.25L x Plain water
6.5 x Energy gel (25g carb)
How Bobbie's hydration and fueling went...
- Bobbie Baker enjoyed an excellent finish to 2021, placing 7th out of 482 competitors at the Mullingar Marathon
- Bobbie booked a one-to-one video call with Precision Fuel & Hydration’s Head of Customer Support, James, to refine his hydration and fuelling strategy ahead of the race
- Looking back on the race, Bobbie said “The plan went perfectly! The fueling was excellent. I felt well hydrated, strong, with no cramping, even in the final kilometres. I feel the PH 1500 tablets did the job!”. He rated his overall race satisfaction as 10 out of 10
- In relatively mild conditions (10℃/50°F), he performed well to finish in a time of 2 hours and 59 minutes, with an average pace of 4:15min/km. He followed his refined hydration and fueling plan over the race, while listening to his body and making a few adjustments on the day
Hydration
- In total, Bobbie drank ~2L (68oz) of fluid over the race which equates to an average of ~670ml/hr (22oz/hr) per hour. We don’t have information about Bobbie’s sweat rate, but the conditions were mild (10℃/50°F) and an hourly intake of this volume would more than likely have replaced an adequate proportion of his sweat losses
- To start well hydrated, Bobbie preloaded before the race by drinking PH 1500. Following our recommended preloading protocol with a strong-sodium based electrolyte drink before the race will have made sure he was starting optimally hydrated with maximal blood volume
- During the race, Bobbie drank water from aid stations and had 250ml/8oz bottles of PH 1500 passed to him by his family at 6km, 16km and 26km. Over the whole race he consumed a total of ~1252mg of sodium, which worked out an average of ~420mg per hour
- Bobbie hasn’t had an Advanced Sweat Test, but said that he wouldn’t consider himself as a salty sweater. In relation to his fluid intake, the relative sodium concentration of Bobbie’s intake was ~626mg/L, a proactive level of replacement for a marathon in mild conditions. Bobbie was happy with this hydration strategy (9 out of 10) and believes it played a part in him not experiencing any cramping
Fueling
Quick Carb Calculator Recommendation
30g
carb 30 mins before
60-90g
carb per hour during
- Bobbie ate a bowl of porridge, a banana, toast and 500ml/16oz of an energy drink mix on the morning of the race. This is a solid pre-race meal, increasing his glycogen stores ahead of the early race start of 8.00am; the general recommendation to maximise endurance performance is between 1-4g carb per kilogram of bodyweight 1-4 hours before the race
- Bobbie may also benefit from taking a final ~30g of carbohydrate in the last 30 minutes before the race. We have seen other marathon runners use this technique to top up on fuel and spare glycogen stores for later in the race, but this tactic will come down to personal preference
- During the run, Bobbie consumed six-and-a-half energy gels - one at 6km, 11km, 16km, 21km, 26km, 31km and half at 39km. Spreading his intake out is an ideal way to continually fuel his performance. He said that he “managed to pass a number of competitors in the latter stages who perhaps weren’t so attentive in their fueling”
- Using this strategy, he hit an average of ~55g carb per hour. This is a decent amount to fuel him throughout, and consequently Bobbie rated his energy levels as 9 out of 10
- The Quick Carb Calculator would recommend Bobbie tries to push over 60g/hr for a race of this duration and intensity, but considering Bobbie had an excellent pre-race carb intake and was used to ~50g/hr, this level of carb intake was solid
- During the last 6km, Bobbie felt like he couldn't consume any more gels or fluids, therefore didn’t finish his final gel or pick up his last bottle. He correctly decided not to “put my body under too much strain in the final segment of the race” which proved to be effective as he pushed on and finished strongly
- If Bobbie was to look at increasing his carb and fluid intake in future races, he should attempt to gradually train his gut to higher volumes of fluid and carbs in training first (learn more)
- Bobbie didn’t consume any caffeine before or during the race. It’s an athlete’s preference whether they use it or not, but it may be beneficial for Bobbie to have some caffeine beforehand as it has been found to reduce perceptions of effort, delay fatigue and provide a motivational boost
Conclusions
- Bobbie raced well at the Mullingar Marathon to produce a solid performance, placing in the top 10 and running under the 3-hour mark. He followed a simple but effective hydration and fueling strategy throughout the race. only letting up at the end when he couldn’t stomach anymore fluid or gels
- He fueled well before and throughout the race with PH 1500 and energy gels. In future, he could increase his carb intake to above 60g/hr with the aim to enhance performance. This would require more gut training prior to race day in order to make sure that he’s able to increase his carb tolerance without experiencing any gastrointestinal issues
Key info
Bobbie Baker
Male
Result
Position
7th
Overall Time
2:59:27
Event information
Sport
Running
Discipline
Marathon
Event
Mullingar Marathon
Location
Mullingar, Ireland
Date
13th November, 2021
Website
Total Distance
42.2km / 26.2mi
Race conditions
Weather Conditions
Mild
Precipitation
No Rain
Min Temp
7°C / 45°F
Max Temp
12°C / 54°F
Avg Temp
10°C / 50°F
Humidity
95%
Athlete feedback
Race Satisfaction
10/10
Hydration rating
9/10
With the help of PH I feel the hydration strategy was very appropriate
Energy levels
9/10
My energy and strength levels were high throughout the race and I maintained a consistent effort
Toilet stops
No
GI comfort
8/10
My stomach felt fine until the last 6kms
Cramping
No cramping
Bobbie's Thoughts
The plan went perfectly, 2:59:27. The fueling was excellent. I felt well hydrated, strong, with no cramping even in the final kms, the PH tablets did the job!
Bobbie's full stats
| Carbohydrate (g) | Sodium (mg) | Fluid (ml) | Caffeine (mg) | Relative sodium concentration (mg/L) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | |||||
| Total intake | 165 | 1,252 | 2,000 | 0 | 626 |
| Per hour | 55 | 420 | 670 | 0 | |
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).