CCC by UTMB

Hayden meticulously planned his fueling based on his predicted splits and made sure to carry enough carbs to get him to each crewed aid station. After having success at recent races using a very similar plan, predominantly relying on PF 300 Flow Gel to consume close to 100g/h, Hayden stuck to this simple strategy and just adapted it to the mountainous course profile of CCC to have ample energy coming in to big climbs. He reported no stomach discomfort with this consistently high carbohydrate intake, which is a testament to his extensive gut training. Hayden even said he felt great as he left the last crewed aid station to tackle the final climb with ~400m / 1310ft of elevation to seal the race win in Chamonix.

To precisely plan his fluid intake, Hayden measured his sweat rate at race pace on the CCC course. Using this data, Hayden found that his fluid intake could be lower for the first three hours before increasing to ~1L per hour during the hotter parts of the day. This strategy would in theory still result in a bodyweight change of less than -2% over the 100km, falling within the ‘acceptable range’ of dehydration. Hayden stuck to plain water, paired with Electrolyte Capsules to account for his sodium losses, so that he could use the natural springs and rivers on course to fill up his flasks without having to carry too much fluid on him at any one time. In previous humid races, Hayden has struggled to maintain fluid intake at the required rate to offset his sweat losses. Recognising this, during sections of the race Hayden opted to carry one soft flask at a time in order to encourage himself to keep consuming enough fluids and stick to the plan of finishing each flask before reaching the next preplanned refill spot on course.

Hayden pre-caffeinated with an energy drink and a final PF 30 Caffeine Gel to increase his focus up the first climb. He then consumed four Caffeine Gels over the 10 hours, with the doses spaced equally every two hours. Though he had planned to consume a fifth PF 30 Caffeine Gel towards the end, he instead used cola at an aid station late into the race. With these regular doses, Hayden exceeded the recommended total dose in an attempt to maximise the stimulant’s performance benefits. This strategy was relatively low risk for Hayden given his experience using caffeine, and as usual for him, he had no negative side effects from it.