Jake Lowe's scorecard
Manchester Marathon
Sunday 3rd April, 2022
Within recommended ranges
Just outside recommended ranges
Significantly outside recommended ranges
38g
Carb per hour
0mg
Sodium per hour
190ml
Fluid per hour
0mg/L
Relative sodium concentration
0mg/kg
Caffeine per bodyweight
How Jake hit those numbers
500ml x PH 1500 (Drink Mix)
1 x PH Electrolye Capsule
2.5 x PF 30 Energy Chews (75g carb)
2 x Porridge pots
1 x Mug of black coffee
4 x PF 30 Energy Gel
600ml x Plain water
How Jake's hydration and fueling went...
- Running with Jake Podcast host, Jake Lowe, had a great day out at the Manchester Marathon to complete his fastest marathon in 7 years! Aiming for between 3:05 and 3:10, Jake was pleased to reach his goal by finishing in 3:09:25, and therefore rated his race satisfaction as 8 out of 10
- After experiencing cramping and GI issues in previous marathons attempts, Jake visited the Precision Fuel & Hydration HQ to refine his strategy prior to Manchester. Jake took a Sweat Test and discussed marathon fueling and hydration, including preloading and pre-fueling, with our Sports Science team
Hydration
- Jake followed our preloading protocol by drinking 500ml/16oz of PH 1500 the evening before the race and repeating this in the morning. Sipping on the PH 1500 with breakfast, Jake chose to have an additional PH Electrolyte Capsule as he didn’t finish his 500ml of PH 1500. Preloading and having the extra capsule was a solid strategy to get a high amount of sodium on board to increase his acute fluid retention going into the race and start optimally hydrated
- The conditions in Manchester were mild (9ºC/48ºF) on race day, so Jake didn’t have to be as proactive with his sodium replacement. He subjectively rated his sweat rate as ‘moderate’ and as a result his net losses would likely have been on the lower side
- From his Advanced Sweat Test, we know Jake is a salty sweater (he loses 1,392mg of sodium per litre of sweat) and he mentioned ending the day with visible salt marks on his kit. Therefore, in future races, especially in hotter conditions, carrying electrolyte capsules will be a good strategy to take alongside the water he picks up and replenish some of his higher sodium losses
- Jake took two sips of plain water at the first five aid stations on course before upping this to about five sips at the last three stations. In total, this meant Jake drank ~600ml/20oz of water which equates to an average of ~190ml/6oz per hour
- In the mild conditions, Jake made the suitable decision to drink to thirst during the race and was happy with this volume of fluid, rating his overall hydration strategy 8 out of 10. He was especially happy to experience no cramping in this race as he had blown up with cramps during his previous marathon attempt
Fueling
Quick Carb Calculator Recommendation
30g
carb 30 mins before
60-90g
carb per hour during
- Jake had a breakfast of two porridge pots at 6:00am before eating two and a half packs of PF 30 Chews at 8:30am. These carb-rich foods will have topped up his glycogen stores before the race; at ~2.46g of carb per kg of bodyweight, he comfortably hit the recommended pre-race carb intake guideline to maximize endurance performance (1-4g/kg in the 1-4 hours before the race)
- Jake could consider having a final ~30g of carbohydrate pre-race around 15-30 minutes before the gun goes off. This will spike his blood glucose levels at the beginning of the race, increasing carbohydrate availability in the body and preserving some of his stored glycogen for the later stages
- In total, Jake had four PF 30 Energy Gels. He had his first PF 30 Gel 40 minutes into the race, then a gel every 30 minutes up until 2:10. Jake chose to skip his last planned gel (at 2:40) because he didn’t feel he needed it and was conscious of having GI issues which he has experienced in the past
- Jake consumed an average of ~38g of carb per hour during the race. This is below the Quick Carb Calculator’s recommendations (60-90g/hr) for a race of this duration and intensity, and despite fueling him adequately for the first two hours, Jake’s energy levels started to drop and he experienced a big dip with about a mile to go (which meant his girlfriend Martina was able to drop him and claim bragging rights…)
- Looking back on the race, Jake regretted not eating his last gel and plans to increase his carb intake in future races in order to avoid the dip in pace he experienced. We would recommend he tries to push towards the recommended 60g/hr, as evidence shows a positive trend between higher carb intake and endurance performance
- To tolerate higher carb consumption while avoiding GI issues, he should undertake some gut training. This involves challenging the gut with a greater volume of carbohydrate during race simulation training in the weeks prior to race day. Over time, this will improve carb absorption and glucose availability, while reducing gut discomfort, which will help Jake confidently approach races knowing he can comfortably tolerate his intended gel intake
- Before the race, Jake had one black coffee (~100mg caffeine). With an average half-life of ~5 hours the caffeine would still have been in his system during the race and will have helped to reduce his perception of effort and delay fatigue (learn more)
Conclusions
- Using his new fueling and hydration plan, Jake had an excellent performance at the Manchester Marathon to finish in 3:09. Jake was consistent with his fuel intake early on in the race but after not fueling during the last hour, he experienced a dip in energy levels, and is looking to refine his strategy further to avoid this problem occurring in future races
- Building towards the Valencia Marathon at the end of the year, Jake plans to undertake some gut training in order to increase his ability to comfortably tolerate a higher carb consumption, whilst he will collect some sweat rate data to quantify his fluid losses in different conditions
Key info
Jake Lowe
Male
62.3kg
Sweat sodium concentration
1392mg/L
Sweat sodium classification
Very High
* determined by a PH Advanced Sweat Test
Result
Overall Time
3:09:25
Event information
Sport
Running
Discipline
Marathon
Event
Manchester Marathon
Location
Manchester, England
Date
3rd April, 2022
Website
Total Distance
42.2km / 26.2mi
Total Elevation
54m / 177ft
Race conditions
Weather Conditions
Mild
Precipitation
No Rain
Min Temp
8°C / 46°F
Max Temp
10°C / 50°F
Avg Temp
9°C / 48°F
Humidity
80%
Athlete feedback
Race Satisfaction
8/10
Hydration rating
8/10
I could have possibly taken on more fluid during the race
Energy levels
7/10
Good other than the last 10 mile
Toilet stops
No
GI comfort
8/10
I've had GI issues in the past so it was on my mind, but I was fine
Cramping
No cramping
Jake's full stats
| Carbohydrate (g) | Sodium (mg) | Fluid (ml) | Caffeine (mg) | Relative sodium concentration (mg/L) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | |||||
| Total intake | 120 | 0 | 600 | 0 | 0 |
| Per hour | 38 | 0 | 190 | 0 | |
Data Confidence
1
2
3
4
5
There is good confidence in the accuracy of the data reported. An athlete feels that the numbers closely reflect what they consumed despite a couple of estimations which may carry some degree of error. The majority of what was consumed is recorded to a high level of specificity (most volumes are known through the use of bottles, brands, quantities, flavours). The numbers are very plausible and align with previous data recordings (if an athlete has collected data previously).