Manchester Marathon

Having previously struggled with some GI issues in his longer ultra events likely due to a high consumption of carb drinks, Gary did well to achieve his highest carb intake yet whilst running at a higher relative intensity and being able to rate his GI comfort as 10 out of 10. This demonstrates that Gary has done a great job at training his gut to tolerate more carbohydrate in the form of gels and chews, enabling him to fuel with enough energy to maintain his high pace and output without causing any stomach upset. Even though he forgot to take one of his planned in-race PF 30 Gels, he prefuelled well before taking a PF 30 Caffeine Gel and PF 30 Gel every 20 minutes for the majority of the run, which helped him to still hit the top end of the marathon fueling recommendations.

Gary’s hydration strategy supported his effort across the race. Being aware of the milder conditions and shorter duration for this event compared to his last race, the Dragon’s Back Ultra in 2023, Gary intelligently amended his hydration plan by consistently taking on fluids but at a lower amount per hour. He also increased his sodium intake from the last race, where he consumed a low relative sodium concentration and instead supplemented with some Electrolyte Capsules. This strategy helped him avoid any significant cramping and ensured he wasn't dehydrated.

Gary had a cup of tea and a double espresso on the morning of the marathon along with a PF 30 Caffeine Gel immediately before the race, helping him to pre-caffeinate effectively reap the ergogenic effects of caffeine. Additionally, he topped up his caffeine levels throughout the race using two PF 30 Caffeine Gels to avoid any perceived dips in energy.