Black Canyon 100km

Lauren started with a well-structured fueling plan after refining it over the last year, including a combination of gels and drink mix. Early on, Lauren managed to stick to the plan and keep her blood glucose levels fairly stable with a consistent supply of carbohydrates. However, as the race progressed, a lingering hip injury caused significant pain, making every step feel like an enormous effort. Lauren explained that “the physical discomfort made it harder to stay focused on fueling”, causing her to even consider dropping out. This period of doubt led to her missing a couple of her planned gels, meaning her carb intake dipped below the optimal level for a race of this duration and intensity. Despite this setback, Lauren did well to get back on track once she committed to finishing. While she managed to sustain her effort to the end, missing fuel early on could have led to a significant energy crash and disrupted her performance. This race reinforced the importance of adaptability - things don’t always go perfectly, but making the best of a tough situation can make all the difference when it matters most.

After previously struggling to nail her sodium intake during races, Lauren approached this race with a plan designed to match her fluid and electrolyte losses to stay ahead of dehydration while also avoiding cramping or dips in performance. Her sodium replacement strategy almost perfectly matched her individual losses in these mild and dry desert conditions where her total losses would not have been very high. Throughout the race, Lauren relied on a mix of Electrolyte Capsules and drink mixes and used the aid stations and crew stops to replenish these when needed. Despite the disruptions in her planned intake because of the pain she felt in her hip, her ability to adjust and continue hydrating helped her push through to the finish, reinforcing the value of an individualised and well-practiced hydration strategy.

Lauren incorporated caffeine strategically throughout her race, helping to enhance alertness and reduce perceived effort. Her intake of ~7.2mg/kg was slightly higher than the recommendations but given the extended duration of this race and her experience with caffeine, this strategy worked well for her.