Lars Wichert
Norseman
Eidfjord5thLars' headline numbers
Lars' strategy
Fueling
T - 1-4hrs: Ate a carb rich meal (Low in fat & fibre)
T - 15mins: Took in a final dose of carb
"I was perfect for the swim and bike, but I had a really low point between 10 and 28km on the run, so I started drinking some cola which helped."
Lars front-loaded his fueling on the bike (~97g/h), but this dropped off considerably on the run (~46g/h) as he fell below the carb recommendations for a race of this length and intensity. This drop-off was caused by Lars starting to feel a little nauseous around the halfway mark, meaning his body was starting to run out of energy to maintain his target run pace, characterised by a significant dip in energy levels. In future, maintaining a higher fluid intake on the run may help him stabilise his energy levels by increasing the absorption of the carbohydrates in his stomach, as low fluid availability is known to reduce carb uptake.
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.
Lars655mg/L
Lars has been Sweat Tested to dial in his 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 Lars's losses are on the low side, getting his hydration strategy right is still important if he wants to perform at his best.
Learn moreT - 60mins: Drank ~500ml of strong electrolyte drink
"It was really cold in the beginning, but I stuck to my hydration plan as I knew I would be sweating more than most. I began to drink less on the run as my leg injury flared up, then I started to feel a bit sick so drank even less."
During the race, Lars knew he wouldn’t be sweating excessively due to the cool conditions in Norway, but still has a relatively high sweat rate. Similar to his fueling, his fluid consumption dropped significantly on the run, coinciding with starting to feel nauseous at the halfway mark. His pace was also dropping due to a previous leg injury rearing its head. After a brief moment where Lars felt like he could be sick, he tried drinking some cola as he finds it often helps ‘settle his stomach’, and this occasion was no different, as he was able to continue pushing on deep into the run. Although Lars still rated his hydration strategy a solid 9 (out of 10), it’s likely that some more fluid during the run could have helped prevent some of his sickness by helping his fuel (*even if significantly reduced*) be absorbed more easily.
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
Lars used a perfect amount of caffeine to maximise the associated ergogenic benefits. It’s possible the peak in energy levels again towards the end of the run was in part due to the caffeine boost from his cola, perhaps suggesting some more caffeine earlier in the run could have helped prevent this dip.
How Lars hit his numbers
Here's everything that Lars ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“I got everything out of myself considering my current fitness level, and I'm satisfied with 5th.”
“Lars’ first visit to the Norseman Xtreme Triathlon was as epic as he expected, and despite a few adversities along the way, he felt his performance reflected his current training status. He was chasing fellow PF&H ambassador Allan Hovda throughout the race, and said afterwards that he would have loved to have been closer to him and have a proper battle, but was content with his performance nonetheless. ”
PF&HLars' 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.