Gravel Wales

Even though Amelia had a hectic few days leading up to Gravel Wales, she still managed to ensure she started the race off with full glycogen stores by sneaking in some extra carbohydrates with a carb-rich dinner the night before and breakfast the morning of. Her dedication to fueling continued once starting the race, as she used PF Carb Only Drink Mix, PF 30 Gels and PF 30 Caffeine Gels to hit well over the recommended 90g/h. Since she’s been practising it in training and her other races, she knows her stomach can comfortably handle this dose of carbs. It paid off in a stellar performance where her energy levels were high the entire time, from the start right up until the finish line.

Amelia is a pretty salty sweater who’s suffered from bouts of cramping in races previously, but since incorporating more sodium into her strategy, she’s had significant improvements. She added PH 1500 to her bottles of PF Carb Only Drink Mix so every time she drank fluid, she knew she was supporting her electrolyte needs. Considering the mild conditions and four-hour duration of this race, her sweat rate was likely low enough that, even though her relative sodium concentration was lower than her personal losses, it didn’t accumulate enough to negatively affect her performance. The minor stomach cramps this time may have been from consuming different foods to what she is accustomed to in the lead up to the race, compared to a specific electrolyte imbalance. In the future, it’d be worth dialling up the sodium to be more in line with her salty sweat losses to ensure she avoids cramp and can retain the fluid she’s consuming. Practically, since she put a single 500ml (16oz) serving of PH 1500 in larger bottles (750ml / 24oz), thus diluting down the concentration, she could add another half tablet to each, or carry Electrolyte Capsules to better hit her target.

Incorporating a pre-race PF 30 Caffeine Gel has been a helpful strategy for Amelia, giving her an essential energy boost as she sets out on course. She also used two more doses later on, which she credits for keeping her legs strong towards the latter part of the race. Caffeine can help mask fatigue and reduce perception of effort, and since her intake fell within the recommended dosing range of 3-6mg/kg of body weight, it certainly would have played a positive role in her silver-medal performance.