What I ate pre-race?
It was a destination race. I stayed at a bed and breakfast the night before and didn’t have my usual morning setup. The start of the race was early, at 4 pm.
I wanted to sleep for as long as possible, so the plan was something easy yet energy-packed for breakfast. Two energy bars and two cups of coffee did the job.
A little bit about the race
TNF 50 km had 2500+ m in elevation and took me 7 hours and 6 minutes. There were some steep, muddy and slippery sections (quite technical), but overall, I would rate it as a runnable course. (For your reference, the winner, Hong Kong’s Stone Tsang, won it in 5 hours and 40 minutes)
Water stations were located at 5 km, 16 km, 24 km, 32 km, 43km, and 47km.
Temperatures began at around 23 degrees Celsius and steadily climbed to 30+ degrees.
My fueling plan
I used the fuel calculator provided by Neversecond, another energy gel brand we reviewed recently. It suggested I consume 60-70 g of carbohydrates and 0.5 L of water per hour.
Following a simple self-evaluation and based on past experiences, I know I’m not a “salty sweater.” Consuming 250-300 mg of sodium per hour is typically more than sufficient for me.
I started with the above information and recommendations and adjusted during the race as the temperature soared. Always listen to your body and improvise when necessary.