Sarah Crowley
Challenge Roth
Bavaria5th, FPROSarah's headline numbers
Sarah's strategy
Fueling
T - 1-4hrs: Ate a carb rich meal (Low in fat & fibre)
Sarah would benefit from taking in a final dose of carb <30 minutes before
"Overall I felt okay, I know I need to up my carb intake to ensure I don't run out of energy on the run like I did here."
Sarah decided she wouldn’t consume anything in the last 15 minutes before the race because she hasn’t got on well with this previously. Despite consuming some PF 30 Gels and other energy products *during* the race, her overall carb intake was significantly below the recommended guidelines for this duration and intensity, which likely explain the energy dip she experienced ~30km into the run. Going forwards, Sarah could practice having a small dose of carb before, and more frequent doses during training sessions to train her gut to tolerate these higher quantities and ideally be able to handle closer to 90g/h without experiencing any GI issues during a race.
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.
Sarah387mg/L
Sarah 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 Sarah's losses are on the low 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 moreDrinking a strong electrolyte drink before the race could have helped Sarah start optimally hydrated
"I didn't pee at all during the race, which makes me think I didn't drink enough! I'll take this into account over my next few races and work on it."
Although Sarah consumed some electrolytes alongside her breakfast on the morning of the race, she’d be better off using a stronger concentration of electrolytes, such as PH 1500, to effectively preload and optimize her pre-race hydration status. Sarah's sodium intake during the race was extremely low, especially in these weather conditions, and her fluid intake may also have been too low considering she did not pee at all. Moving forward it would be helpful for Sarah to perform some sweat rate testing and get a Sweat Test to ensure she is replacing her sweat sodium and fluid losses sufficiently to avoid the negative effects of dehydration. Incorporating an extra bottle or cup of water from each aid station alongside Electrolyte Capsules would be a practical way to improve this part of her strategy and prioritize hydration throughout the race.
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.
T - 0-4hrs: Had a final hit of caffeine
Given the duration of the race, Sarah's consumption of caffeine was below the scientific recommended guidelines. Sarah tends to prefer consuming caffeine more on the run than the bike to utilise the ergogenic benefits of the stimulant when she is most fatigued and in need of a boost. To take a more proactive approach to this, especially considering the way caffeine takes ~45 minutes to peak in the bloodstream, Sarah may benefit from incorporating some of her caffeine on the bike and then consuming her usual doses on the run.
How Sarah hit her numbers
Here's everything that Sarah ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“Challenge Roth was a tough race for me. I know I definitely need to work on increasing my carb and sodium intake for my next races to support my performance.”
“Overall, Sarah had a challenging race and has room for improvement on her carb intake, as she suffered the energy consequences of a low intake in the final quarter of the run. Prioritizing sodium intake as well will help support her future performances through better hydration levels and hopefully see her finish with some strong race results!”
PF&HSarah'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.