Lakes in a Day

Ry opted not to take 30g of carbs in the final 30 minutes before the race, but he started fueling early on, taking his first gel within 15-20 minutes. Relying mainly on an energy drink mix, supplemented with gels and bars, he averaged ~73g of carbs per hour, which is a solid amount for a race of this length, although slightly below the 90g/h recommendation. Around 6.5 hours in, Ry’s stomach began feeling off, and by 7 hours, he vomited ~1L of fluid, likely expelling up to 60g of carbs. This setback cost him 10-15 minutes but didn’t impact his position due to his substantial lead. His quick recovery, lack of total aversion to food and fluids, and ability to resume fueling suggest the sickness may have stemmed from an overload of carb-rich fluid. To prevent this in the future, he could decouple his fuel and hydration, giving him greater control over the three levers and allowing for more precise adjustments based on his needs.

Ry averaged just under 500ml of fluid per hour, but signs of dehydration emerged as the race progressed. In the first hour and 45 minutes, he consumed ~750ml of fluid. After refilling at a checkpoint, he then stretched 1L across the next four hours, leaving him with minimal fluid intake over a long period of running. By the 4-hour 20-minute mark, he experienced dark urine, a common indicator of dehydration. After vomiting, he felt thirsty at checkpoints and relied heavily on energy drink mix with very little plain water. This imbalance may have contributed to his stomach issues, as an excess of carb-rich fluid can be difficult to digest over prolonged efforts. Ry is a salty sweater with a sweat sodium concentration of 1228mg/L and therefore is someone who needs to be mindful of staying on top of his sodium losses during periods of prolonged sweating, especially if the conditions are warm. Ry over did this aspect of his nutrition, consistently taking salt capsules alongside his fluids. He could have slightly reduced his sodium intake to better align with his lower sweat sodium concentration and low fluid consumption. Moving forward, Ry should focus on reducing his salt capsule intake while increasing his plain water consumption. When thirsty, he should prioritize water over carb-heavy fluids to maintain a better balance and support optimal hydration.

Ry chose to avoid caffeine for this race, with his only intake coming from a small amount of cola. In future races, he could consider incorporating it more strategically to take advantage of its performance-enhancing effects.