Tara Grosvenor
Chianti Ultra Trail
Radda in Chianti2nd, F35-39Tara's headline numbers
Tara'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 am really happy with my fueling for this race, I feel I am getting better at tolerating more carb and keeping consistent with my strategy."
In comparison to Tara’s previous race, she managed to consume 30g per hour more carb during the Chianti Ultra Trail. Though she typically prefers eating more ‘real foods’ during her races, such as rice and chicken broth she has recently been training her gut to tolerate more energy gels as she finds these easier to carry during her events.
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.
Tara716mg/L
Tara has been Sweat Tested to dial in her hydration plan
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 Tara's losses are on the low side, getting her hydration strategy right is still important if she wants to perform at her best.
Learn moreT - 60mins: Drank ~500ml of strong electrolyte drink
"I think having the PH 1000s has really helped limit the amount I need to pee during races. I also got some cola and lemon drink at the aid stations to mix it up."
Fortunately for Tara, the race conditions were slightly cooler than some of her previous races. Though this meant her [sweat rate]() was likely a bit lower, she did well to stick to her planned strategy of drinking PH 1000 from her Soft Flasks to ensure she was able to replace both her fluid and electrolyte losses. The sodium consumption also encouraged water retention, helping to pull water into the bloodstream and keep it there, limiting any excessive peeing which Tara has previously struggled with.
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
After discussions with the Sports Science team at PF&H, Tara has learned the benefits of strategically timing her caffeine consumption during races to maximise the perceived benefits of it. As most athletes do, Tara tends to struggle more with fatigue when it gets darker and her natural circadian rhythm encourages her to rest. So, she chooses to avoid pre-caffeinating before her race and instead consume PF 30 Caffeine Gels later on in the event when she feels it will be most beneficial.
How Tara hit her numbers
Here's everything that Tara ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“I am really pleased with my performance in this race and think that consuming a higher carb intake than I previously have really helped keep my energy levels up.”
“Tara raced incredibly well and managed to secure a spot on the podium against tough competition. She fine-tuned her fuel and hydration strategy ahead of the race and did a standup job of implementing this throughout to hit her numbers; Kudos Tara!”
PF&HTara'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.