Kate Battersby
Classic Quarter
PenzanceTop 20, F30-34Kate'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 had no gastrointestinal issues at all during the race which was great as I could keep fueling throughout. "
For Kate’s furthest ever race, she had a well-thought out fueling strategy to ensure she provided her muscles with the energy they needed to get her to the finish line. She chose a range of carbohydrate sources to consistently fuel across the 10-hour race duration, averaging ~94 grams of carb per hour, almost spot on based on the recommended guidelines for a race of this duration and intensity. The combination of Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix and PF 90 Gels supplied a consistent flow of glucose & fructose into her bloodstream to support her efforts, whilst also helping stave off the flavour fatigue associated with relying on single sources of energy for this length of race. With no reported GI issues, Kate did a great job in the build up to the race to train her gut so she was comfortably tolerating higher volumes of carbohydrate, like she has done in her previous races.
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 was really pleased with my hydration for the race but I did have some cramping going up a set of steps 40 miles in, but nothing too bad!"
During the race, Kate used Soft Flasks within the shoulder straps of her pack to carry the fluid she needed to stay hydrated, refilling with water at checkpoints along the course. She didn't need to pee at all during the race which may indicate she was slightly dehydrated, and so it would be suitable for her to do some sweat rate testing to determine if her strategy was appropriate for her losses. She did suffer a little from some cramping towards the end of the race, but given the duration and intensity of the race, it’s likely this was due to neuromuscular fatigue as opposed to her fluid and electrolyte intake.
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’s caffeine intake was *slightly* below the scientific recommended guidelines at ~2.9mg/kg of bodyweight. Kate tolerates the stimulant well and has used it to boost her performance at some previous races. She may find additional benefit by increasing the dose every so slightly, perhaps by including a pre-race PF 30 Caffeine Gel or by supplementing with some more Caffeine Gels throughout the race, and possibly increase the ergogenic benefits.
How Kate hit her numbers
Here's everything that Kate ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“This was my furthest ever race so my number one goal was to finish, and the second was to run it in around 10-11 hours. I crossed the line in just over 10 hours so I am super happy with that. I definitely spent too long at the aid stations queuing for water and I couldn't find my drop bag at one so I lost a lot of time there.”
“Kate did a fantastic job at keeping both fueled and hydrated during her race to meet her goals. Ahead of future races, we would encourage her to trial increasing her caffeine consumption to further support her performance and carry out some sweat rate testing to ensure her hydration strategy is replacing enough of her sweat losses to avoid performance decline.”
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.