Dan's headline numbers
Dan's strategy
Fueling
T - 1-4hrs: Ate a carb rich meal (Low in fat & fibre)
T - 15mins: Took in a final dose of carb
"My energy was very good for most of the day. It got a bit tougher at about 75km and then again when I got a stitch at 87km after drinking some coke. Luckily, it didn't slow me down too much and overall, I can't complain!"
Dan exceeded his pre-race, 90 gram per hour carbohydrate target by following a pre-planned strategy that utilised a variety of products. Dan used easily accessible PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix in 500ml soft flasks, as well as PF 30 Gels which gave a more concentrated energy boost. He felt extremely comfortable for the majority of the race having trained with these types of products extensively. The only slight misstep came when he got a stitch after drinking some cola he picked up at a late aid station. The gut adapts to be able to specifically tolerate what it’s frequently exposed to. So, going forwards Dan could incorporate some cola (otherwise known as the “red ambulance” in endurance sports circles) into his training if he wants to continue using it in races without the discomfort. Happily, Dan made the right decision to allow his gut some time to process this by not eating or drinking for a bit, which meant he could maintain his 4:31min/km (7:16min/mile) average pace, before the stitch eventually subsided with about 6km (4 miles) to go.
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.
Dan635mg/L
Dan has been Sweat Tested to dial in his hydration plan
Sweat sodium concentration (mg/L) is largely genetically determined and remains relatively stable. Knowing how salty your sweat is enables you to replace a good proportion of your sweat losses, which can range from 200-2,000mg/L.
Whilst Dan's losses are on the low side, getting his hydration strategy right is still crucial when it's hot and/or humid as his higher sweat rate in these conditions can result in significant net losses over the duration of a race.
Learn moreT - 60mins: Drank ~500ml of strong electrolyte drink
"My hydration strategy was pretty good. I got a bit thirsty at one stage just before Okataina (57km) but had a pretty even fluid intake otherwise. I only lost a couple of kilograms judging by pre- and post-race weigh-in, which was encouraging."
Dan appropriately assessed the environmental conditions ahead of this race, which meant his race strategy supplied him with enough fluid to replace his sweat losses, while not carrying unnecessary weight. Proof of this was in his pre- and post-weights which showed just a couple of kilograms loss; which was unlikely to be enough to impair his performance through dehydration. Dan also replaced his sodium losses with PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix, effectively diluted with some plain water and coke to achieve a relative sodium concentration of ~865m of sodium per litre of fluid for the race. This is slightly higher than his Sweat Test result, but didn’t negatively impact his performance. He can confidently adopt this same strategy in slightly warmer races when his sweat rate will increase and he’ll want to drink more plain water.
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
Dan used caffeine to his advantage during his imposing performance, by kicking the day off with a coffee at breakfast, before topping up with four PF 30 Caffeine Gels and some coke during the race. This meant he nailed the top end of scientific recommendations for someone with his body weight, to gain all of the performance benefits associated with the ergogenic substance.
How Dan hit his numbers
Here's everything that Dan ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“If I hadn't gotten the stitch in the last part, it would have been 10 out of 10 for satisfaction. I was having fun out there. Racing solo meant the pressure was off but I wanted to put in a fast time.”
Dan“Dan’s emphatic (*nearly 39 minute!*) win and title defence his second appearance at the Tarawera Ultra was underpinned by a fuel & hydration strategy which provided his muscles with ample available energy, and appropriately replaced his fluid and electrolyte losses. While Dan could consider some experimentation with building tolerance to carbonated drinks in training, the vast majority of his 2024 strategy is clearly well grooved and dialled in for his races going forwards.”
PF&HDan'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 some confidence in the quantities and brands of products consumed but the data may lack specifics (e.g. volumes specific flavours). A high number of estimations have been made and the room for error is moderate-high. There may also be the possibility that some intake has been grossly over- or under-estimated.