Jurassic Coast Challenge

Dave struggled with his energy levels at the start of day one, but by adapting his fueling strategy and introducing some variety in the form of solid foods he managed to put a spring back in his step and improve his comfort as the days progressed. In addition to this, due to the multi-day format of this race, Dave was fortunate to be able to refuel between stages at dinner with high-carb foods such as pasta and bread. He struggled to take on more carbs and had a few GI issues and was feeling quite full, which suggests that Dave would have benefitted from some gut training in the weeks prior to ultra events in the future. This would also help him to increase his carb intake per hour to reach the scientific recommendations of 75g/h and contribute to more sustained energy levels.

Dave preloaded effectively using PH 1500 immediately prior to each day. This helped make sure he was caught up on the deficit of a day's sweat losses - particularly with his high sweat sodium concentration - to start each stage optimally hydrated. Dave used soft flasks to carry his fluids and made sure he kept them topped up at the aid stations and with the help of his crew. Some more practice with the PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix would have really helped Dave feel confident at tolerating the volume required and help him stick to his hydration strategy in future races.

Despite Dave’s total caffeine intake per kg of body weight being within the recommended range at ~4.0mg/kg, per day he only consumed ~1.4mg/kg. This is outside the recommended guidelines and we would also encourage Dave to pre-caffeinate with caffeine immediately prior to the race and implement a more consistent caffeine intake throughout the race to help reduce his perceived ratings of exertion and fatigue.