Brits at the TMB 2008

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Originally Posted by SimonE

Hi Alan,
It was me at La Fouly with the magic potion! I wish I'd given you another one at Champex - although you did look pretty pale (well completely white actually) when we spoke again at Champex.

I am very lucky as my wife has an MSc in Sports Nutrition and runs a nutrition business www.inside-out-nutrition.co.uk

As part of my preparation/training she looked at the route and the timings between check points for my estimated running time. The difficulty was in knowing what was actually available at the checkpoints - food/drink wise.

She then calculated a feeding and drinking programme that she put onto a card so that in my befuddled state I would remember! I checked the card at each cp to see what I needed to eat/drink and pick up. The card worked a treat and I got stronger and stronger through the race moving steadily through the field from 830th down to 225th to finish in 34hrs 49mins. I also carried 1.5 L of fluid rather than the basic 1L required (or nothing if you were the race winner?) The extra fluid was in view of the time I was likely to take between cp's and the absorbtion rates for water/fluid.

For a race of the length of the UTMB I regarded the feeding plan as a major part of my overall preparation - especially because of the likely temperatures. Crossing the start line fit and fueled was only the start, as too many Brits found out the race plan has to build in what you need to keep moving in the conditions. I get her advice on shorter races too - as soon as I know that I will need to eat on route.

Ultimately this time I just wanted to finish as I had based a family holiday around the race, maybe I will go for a time in 2009?

Simon

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HI Simon,
Your plan was a good one and clearly worked well Congratulations again on a great effort, and to all those that completed, in testingly hot conditions. My problem was 2 fold.
1) A lack of salt intake, and to some degree a lack of water near the end. Approx 0.4 ltrs per hour near the end when it was the hottest, and probably only about 1/4 teaspoon of salt per hour instead of 1-2 / hour. Food fuel is important, but I know how to get this right. The salt and fluid intake - I now know- is vital without that being right you can't function. Being low on energy you can. A lack of food intake is easier to correct than a lack of sodium intake.
2) A lack of a fall back plan in case of feeling rough. I should have had a get to the finish plan. But was hell bent on a good finishing time and could not see beyond it in my dehydrated state. Unfortunatley I panicked and if I had a "just get to the finish plan", I would have seeked help from the medics and took some sleep at the rest of the checkpoints when needed.

In all my other efforts - appart from TMB 2005 when it was wet and cold for the most part - I have used Lucazde sport and clearly got enough salts from it having not had to quit like this before. Having said that I have never had a run anywhere near as long as that in that kind of heat. Nunn tabs next time.

i'm very unscientific about these things. I don't know why but I didn't have any problems with cramp - may be its the slow pace? I just grabbed a handful of crsisps where available and had the salty soup. I also had a few cups of Maxim and had a couple of cups of coke at each refuelling point. apart from that I filled up the water bottle from streams at the end, but can't have had more than 400ml per section.

I think the bad summer in England (no time out there to get used to the heat) meant that I did not manage the conditions well, and I let myself get into a state that I probably would'nt have if I had recognised the onset earlier. The salt intake was the big problem. I am like you FMA in that I dont take a scientific approach to these things,and have never suffered in any other event.
But when you have a spectacular failure like tmine, you tend to look for reasons. I displayed classic signs of low sodium. Something that I have never had to this degree before. I could probably have come around from this, but would have to have abandond my goal of a good finnishing time altogether.
Your 400 ml / section is impressive but then you were travlling quick as well!
Well done by the way, a cracking time.
I will be back ASAP to correct all my errors and hopefully finish in the sub 34 hours I was after. If not I will just finish!

Just spotted a load of photographs (200 plus) which are on the Ultra Trail link on


www.galerie-chamonix.com


Morgan