Caleb Olson
Madeira Island Ultra Trail 85km
Madeira2nd, MPROCaleb's headline numbers
Caleb's strategy
Fueling
A carb rich meal (low in fat & fibre) ~1-4 hours before would help Caleb start optimally fueled
T - 15mins: Took in a final dose of carb
"The last part felt the lowest energy but I don’t think I’d put that down to fuel, more motivation and heat. Factoring in that I’ve been sick, they felt pretty good. "
After working closely with the PF&H Sports Science Team Caleb went into MIUT with a well planned out fueling strategy. Suffering previously from gut issues, Caleb has found his simple and thought-out plan works really well during longer races. The PF&H Sports Science team, along with Caleb’s crew, weighed all of his gels to understand exactly what he was consuming across the duration of the race. Despite a small amount of gel remaining in each packet, Caleb still had an impressive carbohydrate intake of 98g/h which helped keep his energy levels high, despite the arduous terrain. Overall, considering his bout of illness, Caleb did well to navigate the race to a solid outcome and he felt positive about his fueling. It’s great to hear he is feeling confident taking this strategy into the Western States Endurance Run.
Hydration
Taking on board an appropriate amount of fluid and sodium is essential to maintaining blood volume and supporting the cardiovascular effort needed to perform on race day.
Whilst the absolute amount of sodium and fluid consumed per hour is important, it’s critical to consider these in relation to each other. This is known as 'relative sodium concentration' and it’s expressed in milligrams per litre (mg/L). How much sodium you’re taking in per litre of fluid is more important than the absolute amount taken in per hour.
T - 60mins: Drank ~500ml of strong electrolyte drink
"I noticed my pee was dark and I was thirsty by the time I reached Pico de Rivo aid station (~43km) so I think I would’ve been better off if I had some fluid and chugged a bottle at that aid station and then filled it again. Overall, I felt like I knew where the finish was and my intake was enough to get me there. "
Caleb had confidence in his hydration strategy going into the race, knowing he’d need to replace his moderately-salty sweat and average sweat rate. He executed this strategy well - with his crew to provide a helping hand - but did report feeling thirsty in the latter stages of this race. Going into some longer training runs in the lead up to the next big event, Caleb could look to carry extra plain water and Electrolyte Capsules to help with the thirst but ensure his sodium remains in line with his losses. Caleb is also going to get a sweat test in the next few weeks to ensure he dials in his plan as best as possible.
Caffeine
Beyond the Three Levers of Performance (carb, sodium and fluid), caffeine is one of only a few substances that is proven to improve performance for most endurance athletes as it can help stave off mental and physical fatigue.
T - 0-4hrs: Had a final hit of caffeine
Caleb has been experimenting with introducing caffeine across the months of training prior to this race. Instead of starting this immediately, he has been drip feeding half a caffeine gel at a time, into his runs, to avoid any negative side effects. This worked well for Caleb and he sat within the scientific recommendations to provide the most ergogenic benefits from the stimulant.
How Caleb hit his numbers
Here's everything that Caleb ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“I did as well as I could have today and I’m happy with that. The main goal for 2024 is still Western States, but I’d say all things considered I feel pretty positive.”
Caleb“Caleb had a well planned out strategy going into this 85k race. With the PF&H team and family crew at hand, Caleb was able to access all the fuel and hydration he required to perform as best he could despite illness. This was a solid race for Caleb, and an incredible opportunity for the Sports Science crew on the ground to support an athlete. ”
PF&HCaleb's full stats
Data Confidence
We rate each of our case studies from 1-5 based on the level of accuracy, and our confidence in the data.
There is a high level of confidence in the accuracy in the data. The numbers presented are believed to be a very close reflection of reality. There may still be one or two estimations made in the data (an inescapable part of field data) but there is reason to believe that these are accurate and that possible error has been kept to a minimum. It is data that has been collected and recalled as accurately as is possible given the uncontrolled settings/circumstances.