• As part of his build-up towards Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) later this year, David Beard enjoyed a challenging ultra on what was an undulating course in Cornwall, finishing 5th in the men’s veteran 45-50 age group
• Since his previous race at the South Devon Ultra, David has consistently tested his hydration strategy in training which allowed him to make some final tweaks before this race. A big focus for David has been to train his gut to tolerate both the quantity and products he would be consuming
• This resulted in a great execution of his strategy on race day and after the run he said he “wouldn’t have changed a thing” in terms of his hydration strategy, rating it 10 (out of 10)

Hydration

• Ahead of the race, David preloaded effectively with PH 1500 both the night before and the morning of the race which ensured that he was going into the tough race optimally hydrated with maximal blood plasma volume
• During the race, David carried two ~500ml (16oz) bottles which he kept filling up with PH 1000 at aid stations; ~3 litres (94oz) in total. On top of this, in the latter stages of the race David opted to reach for salt capsules (341mg of sodium in each) that he took with plain water from the aid stations as he was “craving a different taste taste in his mouth”. He had a total of twelve salt tablets with ~2L/64oz of plain water
• Therefore, over the whole race David consumed ~5.5L (193oz) that averaged ~585ml/19oz per hour which was slightly more than that in Devon (511ml/ 17oz per hour) where the conditions were cooler (~8℃/46°F). Although we don’t have data on David’s sweat rate, he does describe himself as being a moderate sweater, so an hourly intake of this volume would likely have replaced a decent amount of his losses
• David was more proactive with his sodium replacement this time round, after his Sweat Test with Joe Wenman indicated that he has high sweat sodium losses (1,044mg/L). Using PH 1000 and electrolyte capsules throughout the race meant the relative sodium concentration of his intake was ~1,426mg/L across the whole race, higher than the 232mg/L he reached during the South Devon Ultra. Positively with this higher sodium intake, David avoided experiencing any cramps (a normal occurrence for him previously), but does give some credit to pacing this race better than the last

Fueling

Conclusions

• David went into the Classic Quarter Ultra well fueled and hydrated and he implemented an effective strategy throughout to largely avoid the cramping and GI issues he has endured in previous races
• In future races, David may look to mix up his fueling strategy by including some solid foods to avoid the feelings of sickness from relying completely on gels. In order to do this, he will need to trial this strategy out during training before implementing it on race day
• Overall, David rated his race satisfaction as 8 out of 10 and we look forward to seeing how he adapts his plan ready for the Black Mountains 50 Mile Ultra in June and at UTMB in August