Allan Hovda
Norseman
Allan's headline numbers
Allan's strategy
Fueling
Carbohydrate is the main fuel you burn when racing. Failing to fuel properly is a leading cause of underperformance in longer races.
During the bike portion of this race, Allan had a support crew tracking him throughout the race and could provide fluid and fuel along the way. He utilised this strategically, taking a single gel or chew every 20 minutes, so that he was never carrying any excess weight, which was particularly important considering the ~3,000m/9,800ft of elevation. In total, Allan averaged an impressive ~95g/h whilst on the bike. However, his carb intake dropped significantly on the run to just over 60g/h, taking his overall average intake below the 90g/h recommendation for a race of this duration and intensity. This was a result of Allan experiencing some flavour fatigue, as after just two gels on the run he could only stomach cola for fuel; this may have been due to the high number of gels he consumed prior on the bike. To combat this in future, Allan may want to consider mixing up the source of his carbohydrates, such as through drink mixes or even some real food options.
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.
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.
Given Allan’s losses are Very High (1,412mg/L), nailing his hydration strategy remains important, even when it’s Cold.
Learn moreThroughout the bike, Allan got all of his fluid from bottles containing PH 1500 (Tablets), giving him a relative sodium concentration of ~1,500mg per litre. Because he switched to cola to maintain his carb intake, his fluid intake increased compared to whilst on the bike, averaging ~905ml/h (~31oz/h) on the run. This could have resulted in Allan becoming bloated and diluting his relative sodium concentration, but he wisely took 14 PH Electrolyte Capsules to maintain his sodium levels whilst running, which he felt subjectively was sufficient.
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.
Overall, Allan took six caffeine tablets; three before the race, one at the ~120km mark on the bike course to utilise the stimulant’s fatigue masking effect and deliver a reduction in perceived effort while climbing up the large hill around 50 minutes later, and two additional tablets on the run. As well as the cola he had during the run, this intake exceeded the 3-6mg/kg recommendations. However, Allan has a high tolerance to the stimulant through extensive trial and error, and had no negative side effects from pulling this lever harder than the science would suggest is optimal.
How Allan hit his numbers
Here's everything that Allan ate and drank on the day...
Allan's weapons of choice
Final thoughts
PF&HAllan's full stats
Data Confidence?
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.