2nd
Lars Wichert's scorecard
Challenge Roth
Sunday 25th June, 2023
Within recommended ranges
Just outside recommended ranges
Significantly outside recommended ranges
107g
Carb per hour
1,052mg
Sodium per hour
654ml
Fluid per hour
1,609mg/L
Relative sodium concentration
5.59mg/kg
Caffeine per bodyweight
How Lars hit those numbers
How Lars' hydration and fueling went...
- After Lars’ endured a challenging race at the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona in his final race of 2022, where he suffered with stomach issues, he bounced back with a hugely impressive 8:15:45 finish time in his first race of 2023
- He made some alterations to his hydration and fueling strategy, with the help of the PF&H Sports Science team to help keep his GI comfort rating high, and prevent any sickness during this race
Hydration
- Lars executed a largely different hydration strategy to his previous IRONMAN in Kona. After suffering with some vomiting problems on the bike, it was vital that Lars altered not only his fueling strategy but also his hydration because Roth was quite a bit cooler and less humid than Hawaii
- Lars had an average fluid intake of ~810ml (28oz) per hour on the bike with a relative sodium concentration of ~1,139 mg/L (mg/32oz). Considering his sweat sodium concentration of 655mg/L, Lars could consider dialling his sodium intake back slightly
- Going into the run, Lars felt well hydrated. By overmixing PH 1500 drink mix (he used,4 packets in just 1 litre (32oz) of water - we generally recommend mixing two packets in 1L to maintain the relative sodium concentration of the drink), which he split into two 500ml (16oz) Soft Flasks. This meant he could carry the majority of his electrolytes without carrying large volumes of water
- To dilute the concentration to more closely match his sweat sodium score, Lars’ plan was to pick up plenty of water from the on-course aid stations. This plan fell short of his goal, and he only managed to pick up ~150ml (5oz) of water, leaving his average sodium concentration very high at ~2,486mg/L (mg/32oz) during the run
- After the race, he mentioned feeling like he had a full stomach from drinking so much whilst running, and this bloating feeling could be a result of overdoing the sodiumsomewhat
- As he also topped up his fluid intake with ~675ml (~21oz) of on-course electrolyte drink which may have contributed to the bloated feeling
- In the future, he may want to cut back on this amount of electrolyte drink, and instead focus on more plain water to reduce the overall concentration, and reduce the likelihood of feeling bloated
- Lars reported to us that he also suffered from cramps in the last hour of the bike and during the run, where he had to stop and walk to alleviate the pain. This was unlikely due to sodium depletion, and instead was possibly due to one of the other multifactorial causes of cramp. Perhaps as this was his first full-distance triathlon of the year, muscle conditioning and fatigue played a role in these cramps, something Lars will look to work on before his next race
Fueling
Quick Carb Calculator Recommendation
30g
carb 30 mins before
60-90g
carb per hour during
- Lars thought carefully about his meals a few days prior to the race, reducing the fat and fibre content in his foods and increasing his carbohydrate intake, eating mainly carb-rich foods for the 48 hours prior. Lars’ pre-race fuel consisted of a bowl of oatmeal along with some PF 60 drink mix, to maximise his carb stores before the race
- Less than 30 minutes before he jumped in the water, Lars had a PF 30 Gel to help increase the glucose levels in his blood, and save some glycogen in his stores for later in the race
- On the bike, Lars had two PF 30 Gels, a PF 30 Caffeine Gel and three-and-a-half PF 90 Gels. This helped Lars keep up with the recommended carb intake of 90+g per hour, averaging ~116g/h, which set him up well for the preceding marathon
- On the run, Lars matched his bike fueling closely both in terms of quantity, and the method of sticking primarily to gels helped him to average ~119g/h
- Lars’ gastrointestinal comfort wasn’t perfect, but with an aggressive fueling strategy, along with a high sodium intake, it’s likely this was the leading cause of any discomfort. It’s worth remembering that Lars still raced very well, clocking the second fastest amateur time of the day but, ever the perfectionist, he’s looking for ways to improve further
Conclusions
- Lars had a successful race at Challenge Roth, and rated his satisfaction a 9.5 (out of 10), feeling he “got everything out of myself considering my current training volume”
- Despite getting a few cramps towards the end, Lars still succeeded in securing a first place age group position (plus second fastest amateur overall) and felt particularly happy with his swim, and looks forward to carrying this speed in the water to his next race
Key info
Lars Wichert
Male
73kg
Sweat sodium concentration
655mg/L
Sweat sodium classification
Low
* determined by our Sweat Test
Result
Position
2nd
Overall Time
8:15:35
Swim Time
0:55:35
Bike Time
4:20:15
Run Time
2:56:13
Normalised power (Bike)
273W
Strava
Event information
Sport
Triathlon
Discipline
Full distance
Event
Challenge Roth
Location
Roth bei Nürnberg, Germany
Date
25th June, 2023
Swim Distance
3.8km / 2.4mi
Bike Distance
180.2km / 112.0mi
Run Distance
42.2km / 26.2mi
Total Distance
226.2km / 140.6mi
Bike Elevation
1,567m / 5,141ft
Run Elevation
167m / 548ft
Total Elevation
3,134m / 10,282ft
Race conditions
Weather Conditions
Hot
Precipitation
No Rain
Min Temp
15°C / 59°F
Max Temp
29°C / 84°F
Avg Temp
25°C / 77°F
Humidity
40%
Athlete feedback
Race Satisfaction
10/10
Hydration rating
10/10
Energy levels
8/10
Toilet stops
No
Cramping
Yes
Lars' Thoughts
I'm really happy with the time and the result and happy that I got the nutrition so on point after Hawaii.
Lars' full stats
Carbohydrate (g) | Sodium (mg) | Fluid (ml) | Caffeine (mg) | Relative sodium concentration (mg/L) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | |||||
Total intake | 880 | 8,682 | 5,395 | 408 | 1,609 |
Per hour | 107 | 1,052 | 654 | 49 | |
Bike and Run | |||||
Total intake | 850 | 8,682 | 5,395 | 408 | 1,609 |
Per hour | 117 | 1,195 | 742 | 56 | |
Bike | |||||
Total intake | 501 | 3,997 | 3,510 | 100 | 1,139 |
Per hour | 116 | 922 | 810 | 23 | |
Run | |||||
Total intake | 350 | 4,685 | 1,885 | 308 | 2,486 |
Per hour | 119 | 1,597 | 643 | 105 |
Data Confidence
1
2
3
4
5
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.