Tabor Hemming
OCC by UTMB
Tabor's headline numbers
Tabor's strategy
Fueling
Carbohydrate is the main fuel you burn when racing. Failing to fuel properly is a leading cause of underperformance in longer races.
Tabor had planned to consume between 70 and 80g/h of carbs during the race using a combination of PF 300 Flow Gel and PF 30 Gels, since this is what she had trained her gut to tolerate leading up to the event. Despite her well-thought-out plan, Tabor deviated and consumed a lot more carb early on. By the time she reached ~44km, she had nearly consumed all her planned intake for the entire race. Sadly, due to other reasons, she unfortunately had to DNF at this point. When Tabor talked us through her race it was clear she didn’t feel she was lacking in energy and felt she was benefitting from this slightly higher carb intake. Moving forward, it would be beneficial for her to aim for the upper end of our recommendations, at 90g/h. It will be worthwhile for Tabor to dedicate some time to practise this in her training to ensure she can tolerate this slightly higher dose of carbs during high-intensity exercise, similar to when racing.
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.
Sweat sodium concentration (mg/L) is largely genetically determined and remains relatively stable. Knowing how salty your sweat is enables you to replace a good proportion of your sweat losses, which can range from 200-2,000mg/L.
Whilst Tabor’s losses are on the moderate side, getting her hydration strategy right is still crucial when it’s hot and/or humid as her higher sweat rate in these conditions can result in significant net losses over the duration of a race.
Learn moreTabor started the race with one soft flask of PH 1500, which she aimed to consume and refill regularly at checkpoints during the race to ensure she was replacing both her sweat fluid and sodium losses. In addition to the electrolytes she consumed in her soft flasks, Tabor supplemented the plain water she consumed from the aid stations with several Electrolyte Capsules to increase her total sodium intake. As a result of the heat, Tabor consumed a lot more water than she anticipated, and consequently the average relative sodium concentration of the fluid she took on was lower than the sodium that she was losing in her sweat. As Tabor experienced several bouts of cramping on the descent to the check-point at Argentière, we’d recommend that she carry some additional Electrolyte Capsules in her pack. Then, if she does find herself drinking more plain water, she can maintain a more ideal sodium intake to mitigate against cramping and better support her sweat losses in future races.
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.
Tabor has previously used caffeine during her races to support her performance. Like many athletes we work with, she pre-caffeinated with a PF 30 Caffeine Gel just before heading to the start line. In addition to this, she took two further PF 30 Caffeine Gels during the race to ensure she maintained a consistent circulating concentration of the stimulant in her body and ensure she reaped the ergogenic benefits it has to offer. Overall, her caffeine intake fell suitably within the recommended guidelines for a race of this distance and intensity.
How Tabor hit her numbers
Here's everything that Tabor ate and drank on the day...
Tabor's weapons of choice
Final thoughts
Tabor
PF&HTabor's full stats
Data Confidence?
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).