Transgrancanaria Classic

Caleb executed a simple, gels-only fueling strategy, averaging the highest amount of carbs per hour for any race we’ve analysed his intake from. This supported his slightly more aggressive race tactics, which saw him push the pace at the front early on while maintaining high energy levels throughout the race. His gut training over the winter in Utah paid off as he reported no GI discomfort, and was able to adhere to his fuel plan perfectly, despite going through a couple of checkpoints significantly faster than planner, which bumped up his hourly intake slightly.

The high humidity during the night reduced Caleb’s sweat efficiency, as the moisture-laden air hindered evaporation, decreasing the cooling effect of sweating. This will have led to a higher sweat rate as his body worked harder to regulate his core temperature, contributing to greater fluid and electrolyte losses. By mile 40, he was experiencing mild nausea, and by mile 70, some cramp twinges, which are both signs of dehydration. He mentioned that his drinks were quite warm in the beginning, which discouraged him from drinking them as much as he’d have liked, but once his crew began icing his bottles and offering him ice-bandanas, he was far more inclined to drink. Post-race, he acknowledged that his winter training in Salt Lake City, Utah, where temperatures were significantly lower, didn’t simulate the fluid demands of a warm and humid race. Next time he should aim to either train in artificially warm conditions (e.g., treadmill running with heat) or arrive to his race destinations early to familiarise with the higher fluid demands.

Caleb consumed ~300mg of caffeine over the 12 hour race, strategically spreading it throughout to sustain focus and reduce his perception of effort. He noticed after his pre-race Caffeine Gel that his heart rate was slightly elevated compared to normal, but put this down to the race intensity, the heat and some caffeine in his system, so didn’t fret. Despite this, he showed no adverse responses to the caffeine, with no reported crashes or jitters, and felt his planned intake enhanced his performance during his first ever night-race.