2nd

Andy Sloan's scorecard

Lulworth Cove Trail Running Challenge

Saturday 30th October, 2021

Within recommended ranges

Just outside recommended ranges

Significantly outside recommended ranges

85g

Carb per hour

502mg

Sodium per hour

493ml

Fluid per hour

1,019mg/L

Relative sodium concentration

0mg/kg

Caffeine per bodyweight

How Andy hit those numbers

How Andy's hydration and fueling went...

After taking an extended break from running, Andy returned to training for 3 months before taking the (some might call ‘bonkers’) decision to run 3 ultramarathons in 21 days, culminating in the Lulworth Cove Trail 52km event at the end of October
Following his 2nd place finish at the VOTWO Atlantic Coast Ultra and his win at the Maverick Jurassic Coast race, Andy made it three podium finishes out of three as he came 2nd overall at Lulworth Cove, finishing in a time of 5 hours and 28 minutes

Hydration

Andy drank an average of ~493ml/hr (~17oz/hr) during the race. This is a slightly lower fluid intake than what we saw him drink during the last to ultras, but this is to be expected due to the cooler and wetter race conditions
Without data on Andy’s sweat rate it is hard to determine whether this will have adequately replaced his sweat losses in these conditions, but he peed three times during the race which suggests he didn’t under hydrate. Andy also rated his hydration strategy as 8 out of 10 but did say, as with his previous ultra, that he may have benefitted from taking on a little bit more water in the latter stages
During this event, Andy consumed ~502mg of sodium per hour. Again, this is a slightly lower intake than his last two ultras. But, in relation to the fluid he drank, the relative sodium concentration of his intake was still a decent ~1019mg/L replacing a good proportion of his losses considering his moderate sweat sodium concentration (Andy loses 859mg of sodium per litre of sweat)
Positively, Andy experienced zero cramping during the race! He has a history of cramping and experienced twinges at the Atlantic Coast Ultra and mild cramps at the Jurassic Coast Ultra. The lower intensity of racing and the different race conditions could have played a part in the cramps not occurring this time, while the fact he was able to get through without any twinges despite running 3 ultras in 21 days was great to see

Fueling

Quick Carb Calculator Recommendation

30g

carb 30 mins before

60-90g

carb per hour during

Andy has honed his pre-race fueling strategy over the course of his 3 ultras and he again used a carb-rich breakfast made up of oats, energy drink mix and a mocha. This will have topped up his fuel stores meaning he had high energy availability at the beginning of the race
Our Quick Carb Calculator recommended Andy consume 30g of carb in the final 30 minutes before the race. He had planned to do this but unfortunately forgot during the hustle and bustle of getting to the start line. This final top-up is a matter of personal preference of course but it’s something we’ve recommended Andy trials in future to see if he feels any benefit to his early race performance
During the race, Andy had his usual bottles containing PF 30 Energy Gels (this time 7 in each 500ml/16oz bottle) and this helped him consume an average of ~85g/hr during the entire race. In line with his high intake during his two previous ultras, this is an impressive amount at the top of our recommended range (60-90g/hr)
This intake is exactly the same as what he achieved at the Jurassic Coast Ultra and just shy of the ~89g/hr he hit at the Atlantic Coast Ultra. Showing he can sustain this intake over the course of each ultra with limited GI issues is great and backs up his opinion that he ‘can eat a lot!’
Andy has previously used caffeine tablets during his races but forgot to carry any on this occasion. He didn’t think the lack of caffeine affected his race performance drastically but he mentioned that he raced at a lower intensity to his previous two. This lower intensity was due to the fact that the course had a lot more elevation (over 2,000m) than his previous two events, which inevitably meant a slowing in his pace
Considering the length of the event and the fact he’s accustomed to using caffeine, Andy could consider taking a moderate dose (3-6mg/kg bodyweight) to aid his performance in future (learn more)

Conclusions

Andy was especially happy to not experience any cramping and he feels this greatly benefitted his post- race recovery
Despite completing 3 ultras in 21 days, Andy doesn’t seem to be done for the year just yet and mentioned a 45-mile ultra at the start of December. We can’t wait to see how he does and analyse his hydration and fueling strategy again
For the race in December, Andy may benefit from trying a gel/snack just before the start, taking on board a moderate dose of caffeine throughout, and slightly increasing his fluid intake

Key info

Andy Sloan

Male

82kg

Sweat sodium concentration

859mg/L

Sweat sodium classification

Moderate

* determined by our Sweat Test

Result

Position

2nd

Overall Time

5:28:27

Event information

Sport

Running

Discipline

Ultra

Event

Lulworth Cove Trail Running Challenge

Location

Lulworth Cove, England

Date

30th October, 2021

Total Distance

52.0km / 32.3mi

Total Elevation

2,301m / 7,549ft

Race conditions

Weather Conditions

Mild

Precipitation

Rain

Min Temp

12°C / 54°F

Max Temp

14°C / 57°F

Avg Temp

13°C / 55°F

Humidity

80%

Athlete feedback

Race Satisfaction

7/10

Hydration rating

8/10

I could have done with a bit more water in the last hour

Energy levels

7/10

Energy was generally okay

Toilet stops

Yes

Three times

GI comfort

8/10

Alright but a little sick in the last 5-10 minutes

Cramping

No cramping

Andy's Thoughts

3 months back running now, and 3 ultras over the last 21 days has been challenging

Andy's full stats

	Carbohydrate (g)	Sodium (mg)	Fluid (ml)	Caffeine (mg)	Relative sodium concentration (mg/L)
Overall
Total intake	465	2,750	2,700	0	Relative sodium concentration (mg/L)	1,019
Per hour	85	502	493	0		1,019

Data Confidence

1

2

3

4

5

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).

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