UTMB

Jack meticulously planned his fueling strategy to the gram based on forecasted split times which meant that he could carry exactly the amount of carbs he needed to make it to each aid station. He predominantly relied on 18 PF 90 Gels as his main source of fuel during this gruelling 100-mile race, enjoying the simplicity of throwing back one PF 90 Gel per hour along with some additional carbs to top up from PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix, cola and ‘real food’, ultimately achieving just over 100g/h. At times, Jack deviated from this strategy to avoid GI discomfort by only using cola, and as he reduced his carb intake slightly, he felt better. This gave his stomach the break it needed and enabled him to bring his intake back up to his planned levels successfully, where he has been regularly gut training at race intensities.

Jack has spent countless sessions over the years refining his fluid intake strategy based on sweat rate data he’s collected at home and out on the trails. By understanding his sweat losses in a range of temperatures, Jack has become familiar with how to adjust his fluid intake for race day. Combining the appropriate fluid intake with a moderate sodium intake to match his sweat sodium concentration alleviated his risk of cramp, and enabled him to stay well-hydrated across the 100 miles. Jack's hydration strategy revolved around a combination of PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix and plain water with Electrolyte Capsules to account for his sodium losses. Alternating between the two allowed him to have the drink mix as a baseline source of electrolytes and fuel, while the plain water and Electrolyte Capsules let him scale his intake up and down to match his changing sweat losses over the 24 hours of racing.

Starting a race in the evening means your caffeine strategy often needs a second thought. Jack appropriately delayed his first PF 30 Caffeine Gel until ~7 hours into the race when it was the early hours of the night and he felt that he would benefit most from the stimulant. He predicted he could handle the first part of the race without caffeine and then prepared to dose up to continually feel the full benefits of the stimulant in the early hours of the morning and into the day as he continued to take one PF 30 Caffeine Gel every 3 hours until he finished.