Caroline Pakenaite
Ultra X Scotland 50k
InvernessTop 50, F25-29Caroline's headline numbers
Caroline's strategy
Fueling
T - 1-4hrs: Ate a carb rich meal (Low in fat & fibre)
T - 15mins: Took in a final dose of carb
"We started off steady, easing into the terrain and incline. By around the 20km mark, we hit a flat stretch of a road. It was easy for me to see and navigate so I wasn't following my guides anymore. I was running comfortably and confidently and didn’t feel like I was going to hit the wall. But after one of my guides got injured, we had to slow down and ended up walking the remainder of the race."
Caroline’s story is a remarkable one, as this 50k ultra-marathon wasn’t just her first ultra event but a key milestone in her preparation for an upcoming ascent of Mount Everest. As a deaf-blind athlete, Caroline faces a unique set of logistical and physical challenges, including the need for guides on race day, adding a level of coordination that most runners don’t have to consider. Unfortunately, one of her guides picked up an injury during the race and she was forced to ease back, even though she felt physically strong. Since completing the London marathon earlier this year, she’s focused on training her gut and refining a simple, effective fueling plan. She stuck to her planned carb-load in the days leading up to the race, and consumed a PF 30 Caffeine Gel right before the start. On course, she took one PF 30 Chew per hour and supplemented at aid stations with some real foods. While her overall intake was slightly below the recommended hourly carb intake for a race of this duration, her intensity ended up being lower than she’d planned so it’s likely her energy demands were also reduced. For future events, she should continue to practice taking more fuel while on the move to reduce the reliance on aid stations.
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 was sipping steadily and took larger gulps at stations. I didn’t need to pee until the final 10km, when I needed to stop three times."
Considering the cooler conditions in the Scottish highlands, Caroline likely replaced most of her fluid losses by carrying a 2L (~64oz) hydration pack mixed with PH 1500 (Tablets) and topping up with cups of water at aid stations. Since she hasn’t had a Sweat Test, it’s tricky to know her exact sodium needs, but her relative sodium concentration on race day was on the higher end, and above the average losses (~991mg/L) we see in athletes, so she may have slightly ‘oversalted’ her drinks. She noted not having to pee at all until near the end, when she suddenly had to go several times in a row, also suggesting there’s room to adjust her fluid and sodium intake. Going forward, it’d be helpful for Caroline to gather some sweat rate data and fine tune her sodium needs with a Sweat Test.
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
Alongside her morning coffee, Caroline used a caffeinated gel as her final top-up for both carbs and caffeine before hitting the start line. Considering the duration of the event, she’d likely benefit from another dose or two of the stimulant, eliciting its ergogenic benefits to mask fatigue and increase alertness. Practically, she could swap a couple of her PF 30 Chews for PF 30 Caffeine Gels and reach the recommended range of milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight.
How Caroline hit her numbers
Here's everything that Caroline ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“It’s exciting to say I’ve done my first ultramarathon! It didn’t go quite as planned, but I’m really grateful to have finished - especially alongside my guides. Things got tough, but my guides stuck with me and insisted we finish together. I’m so thankful for their strength and quiet determination. It was a great experience, and I learned a lot - about pacing, fueling, and letting go of expectations. I am looking forward to more ultras and continuing to explore my limits.”
“Even though Caroline was disappointed that she wasn’t able to fully test her limits at this race, she still achieved a milestone in her endurance endeavors and set the stage for even better performances to come. Her fuel and hydration strategy was greatly improved from when she first started working with the Sports Science Team and with a few tweaks to increase her carb intake on the move and fine tune her hydration, she’ll be well set for her next challenge.”
PF&HCaroline'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 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.