Hayden's headline numbers
Hayden's strategy
Fueling
T - 1-4hrs: Ate a carb rich meal (Low in fat & fibre)
T - 15mins: Took in a final dose of carb
"My fueling was on point all day and I felt great going into the final climb after the Vallorcine aid station."
Hayden meticulously planned his fueling based on his predicted splits and made sure to carry enough carbs to get him to each crewed aid station. After having success at recent races using a very similar plan, predominantly relying on PF 300 Flow Gel to consume close to 100g/h, Hayden stuck to this simple strategy and just adapted it to the mountainous course profile of CCC to have ample energy coming in to big climbs. He reported no stomach discomfort with this consistently high carbohydrate intake, which is a testament to his extensive gut training. Hayden even said he felt great as he left the last crewed aid station to tackle the final climb with ~400m / 1310ft of elevation to seal the race win in Chamonix.
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.
Hayden901mg/L
Hayden 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 Hayden's losses are on the moderate 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 stuck to my plan and filled up at a lot of water stops on course, which ensured I took on enough fluid given the warmer conditions."
To precisely plan his fluid intake, Hayden measured his sweat rate at race pace on the CCC course. Using this data, Hayden found that his fluid intake could be lower for the first three hours before increasing to ~1L per hour during the hotter parts of the day. This strategy would in theory still result in a bodyweight change of less than -2% over the 100km, falling within the ‘acceptable range’ of dehydration. Hayden stuck to plain water, paired with Electrolyte Capsules to account for his sodium losses, so that he could use the natural springs and rivers on course to fill up his flasks without having to carry too much fluid on him at any one time. In previous humid races, Hayden has struggled to maintain fluid intake at the required rate to offset his sweat losses. Recognising this, during sections of the race Hayden opted to carry one soft flask at a time in order to encourage himself to keep consuming enough fluids and stick to the plan of finishing each flask before reaching the next preplanned refill spot on course.
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
Hayden pre-caffeinated with an energy drink and a final PF 30 Caffeine Gel to increase his focus up the first climb. He then consumed four Caffeine Gels over the 10 hours, with the doses spaced equally every two hours. Though he had planned to consume a fifth PF 30 Caffeine Gel towards the end, he instead used cola at an aid station late into the race. With these regular doses, Hayden exceeded the recommended total dose in an attempt to maximise the stimulant’s performance benefits. This strategy was relatively low risk for Hayden given his experience using caffeine, and as usual for him, he had no negative side effects from it.
How Hayden hit his numbers
Here's everything that Hayden ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“To win here again was very special and to have my family at the finish line meant the world. My son was only a few months old last time I won 7 years ago, so it was a very special moment.”
Hayden“Hayden’s consistency in not only his training, but also his nutrition strategy, allows him to really unlock his best performances. He keeps it simple and straightforward but still adapts the finer details to appropriately meet his individual and race-specific requirements at each event. For CCC, Hayden put together a robust race plan *and* executed this to a near perfect level. This truly demonstrates that he understands the importance of all three levers of his fueling and hydration.”
PF&HHayden'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.