Kate Battersby
Maverick Exmoor 50km
DevonKate's headline numbers
Kate'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 just kept eating!"
During the preparation for Maverick Exmoor, Kate was surprised to hear just how much the science actually recommends ultramarathoners eat *during* their races to sustain energy levels and help them work harder for longer. Kate embraced this information and used it to devise a strategy that aimed for ~90g of carb per hour, which she executed brilliantly (and even exceeded at times)! Importantly, as someone who has never taken this much fuel on board during a race before, Kate was also able to rate her gastrointestinal comfort as a perfect 10 out of 10.
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.
T - 60mins: Drank ~500ml of strong electrolyte drink
"I didn’t feel dehydrated at any point. "
Kate carried two 500ml soft flasks in her hydration vest, both filled with PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix. Once they were empty, she refilled them with PH 1000 at Maverick’s well-stocked ‘outposts’ (aid stations), repeating this several times throughout the race. Although she didn’t need to pee *during* the race itself, Kate went straight after the finish with no issues, suggesting she had replenished an adequate volume of fluid for her individual sweat losses and avoided the negative performance effects of too great a level of dehydration. Ahead of her next ultramarathon (*she has well and truly caught the bug*) Kate is planning on getting a Sweat Test to ensure she is confident nailing her electrolyte replacement based on her individual sodium 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.
Consuming caffeine in the hours before the start may have increased perceived energy levels
Kate hit the higher end of the caffeine recommendations, which would have helped reduce her perception of effort right up until the end of the race.
How Kate hit her numbers
Here's everything that Kate ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“I couldn't have asked for a better race for my first ultra! ”
“Kate was incredibly pleased with how her fuel and hydration strategy played a part in crushing her first ultramarathon, giving her plenty of energy and helping her avoid the dreaded cramps she had frequently experienced at races in the past. She enjoyed both the tough muddy sections as well as the camaraderie found among other runners and volunteers at the event. Having had such a great experience at this race, Kate immediately signed up to run another ultramarathon just three months after this one where she’s hoping to nail her strategy once again. ”
PF&HKate'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.