Emily Kiriakou
The New Forest Half Marathon
Brockenhurst, HampshireCompletedEmily's headline numbers
Emily's strategy
Fueling
T - 1-4hrs: Ate a carb rich meal (Low in fat & fibre)
T - 15mins: Took in a final dose of carb
"I felt really good for the first 8-9km, but started to slow down from 17km onwards. I probably should’ve packed another gel. "
Emily, the HR Manager at PF&H, started her race morning with a bowl of overnight oats and banana, providing a good source of carbohydrate ahead of the gun. In the 30 minutes pre-start, she also took a PF 30 Caffeine Gel for a final boost. During the race, she consumed a single PF 30 Gel alongside some energy drink, working out at ~52g of carbohydrate per hour. For Emily’s longest ever run, this is a really solid starting point and leaves room to improve and reap the benefits in future races. As she said herself, an additional PF 30 Gel would’ve improved her perceived energy levels and increased her average carb intake from ~52g/h to ~70g/h, closer to the recommended intakes for a race of this duration and intensity.
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.
Emily901mg/L
Emily has been Sweat Tested to dial in her 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 Emily's losses are on the moderate side, getting her hydration strategy right is still important if she wants to perform at her best.
Learn moreT - 60mins: Drank ~500ml of strong electrolyte drink
"I was pretty warm, particularly at the start and I felt like I was sweating a lot. I didn’t feel super thirsty until about 16-17km but made sure to have a decent top up from the aid stations. "
The conditions on race day were fairly mild but very humid, which would have made for a sweatier race (as high humidity limits evaporative heat loss). Emily took on ~850ml of fluid across the race, split between PH 1500 and some additional energy drink picked up from the aid stations. This resulted in a relative sodium concentration of ~780mg/L, which sits just a little below her measured sweat sodium concentration of 901mg/L, which for a race of this duration and intensity would’ve been sufficient. Nailing this in longer or hotter races will be more important.
Preloading with PH 1500 on race morning was a smart move to start optimally hydrated given the humidity, and carrying a flask to stay hydrated during the race to refill at aid stations helped her avoid feeling dehydrated. For her next race, carrying some additional Electrolyte Capsules would bring her sodium intake closer to her actual sweat losses.
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
Emily's caffeine intake came from a single PF 30 Caffeine Gel taken just before race start. Although helpful to increase energy levels going into the race, this dose is under the 3-6mg/kg range associated with a performance benefit. If she wants more of a lift for a similar distance in future, a second caffeine gel mid-race would push her total closer to that range without changing her pre-race routine and still deliver a solid boost to her perceived energy levels.
How Emily hit her numbers
Here's everything that Emily ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“I am pretty happy all things considered. If I didn’t work at PF&H it would’ve been a totally different story as I have some exposure to what other athletes do during races like this. There’s still lots to refine before I do it again.”
“It was a solid half marathon from Emily in tough, humid conditions, backed by a fueling and hydration strategy that held up well for most of the race. The fade in energy from 17km suggests it’s worth adding an extra gel (possibly caffeinated) and some additional sodium. With those small adjustments, there's a quicker, possibly more enjoyable time well within reach for her next one.”
PF&HEmily'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.