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
"This was probably my best fueling experience to date. Hitting ~110g per hour, with no GI issues and no stitch was awesome. I’ll definitely use the Flow Gel during Western States, just like I did here."
Dan absolutely crushed his fueling! It was great to hear he had no GI distress, even at a high average intake, which bodes well for Western States Endurance Run (WSER) 2024. In that race, the relative intensity will have to drop a little due to the increased distance, which means he can afford to lower his hourly carb intake for an even *easier* setup for his gut. With WSER in mind, Dan and the PF&H team will sit down and strategically design his plan based on this intake from Bryce Canyon and subjective feedback to ensure he's ready for the challenging course, temperature, humidity and terrain.
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
"I thought my hydration at Bryce was really good. It was great to be self-sufficient with two full flasks of fluid at the start and another one with just the powder to fill with water along the course."
Dan used this race as a ‘trial run’ in the build up for WSER, and had no problems with his hydration strategy. Most of the elite athletes run with handhelds and Soft Flasks rather than hydration packs and he was no exception, using three Soft Flasks of the PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix. To reduce weight, Dan added the Drink Mix powder to his flasks before the start and rolled them up into his race belt. At the aid station, he added water to the Drink Mix flask and gave it a good shake. This strategy gave him access to his favourite energy drink whenever he needed it. After emptying a Soft Flask, he simply rolled it up tight and stored it in his belt.
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’s morning coffee ahead of the race was likely still providing some circulating caffeine by the time he ran, which would have bumped his numbers just above ~3mg/kg and ‘into the green’ according to the scientific literature for an event of this duration and intensity. Naturally, the longer format of WSER means he’ll have to consider his timing of the stimulant to strategically manipulate the ergogenic benefits associated with it and ensure they are consumed at sections where the course profile may require an energy boost. It’ll also be worth considering using a larger total amount instead of being on the lower end of the recommended range.
How Dan hit his numbers
Here's everything that Dan ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“I spoke to my coach, Robbie Britton, ahead of the start to discuss my pacing strategy, and thankfully I nailed both this aspect of the race and my nutrition. Setting a course record along the way was a nice touch, and I hope some good photos come out of this as the Red Canyon was unreal.”
Dan“It was great to see Dan execute a tried and tested strategy once again, successfully approaching each of the ‘three essential levers’ to support his efforts. We’re looking forward to being on the ground with Dan at WSER where he’s hoping to best his top-5 finish last year.”
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.