The Pikes Peak Ascent

The Pikes Peak Ascent is not an ordinary half marathon.  The start line is at an elevation of 6,300 feet above sea level; the finish line is at 14,115 feet above sea level.   The thirteen some miles in between pick up 7,815 feet,  winding from the base of Pikes Peak all the way to the summit.  The challenge attracts all sorts of runners every year, each one hoping to climb one of Colorado's most famous "fourteeners" as fast as possible. 

I decided to run the Ascent as my last race in Colorado.   I knew that it would be a challenge, not only in terms of the extreme course and conditions, but also in terms of managing my blood sugar.  The longer duration of the race meant that I would need plenty of fuel.  However, the course is point to point, and runners never see the same piece of trail twice.  Although there are aid stations that offer Gatorade and water along the way, it is the individual's responsibility to carry all the supplies he or she will need.  For this reason, my dad ran the race with me.  He probably carried enough sports drinks, energy gels, and gummies to fuel six runners, but we were prepared for any blood sugar situation.

I have had only positive experiences using Hammer Nutrition products, notably the Heed and Perpetuem sports drinks.  I favor Heed for situations where I am exercising for less than two hours, and Perpetuem for longer workouts.  Following guidelines from the company, I chose "Perpetuem" as my main fuel source for this race, as I knew that I would be out for more than two hours.   

Hammer offers a large amount of information concerning fueling as effectively as possible.  It is physically impossible to replenish lost fluids, calories, and sodium at the rate that is depleted during exercise.  In fact, only 30-40% of the calories burned can be efficiently replenished during exercise; the body uses its fat stores to meet the rest of its energy requirements.  Therefore, Dr. Bill Misner encourages athletes to focus on what the body can "reasonably assimilate during any given period of time." 

According to Dr. Bill, "for most athletes, calorie oxidation rate and gastric absorption rate typically allow for no more than 300 calories per hour to be consumed for successful gastric absorption to energy transfer."  Therefore, the body cannot actually use any calories beyond that point for energy.  Moreover, the extra calories are likely to cause digestive issues notorious to endurance events.

I used longer training runs as an opportunity to experiment with my fueling, focusing especially on the ratio of carbs and insulin on an hourly basis.  I found success using about 25 grams of carbohydrate an hour, which equates to roughly one scoop of Perpetuem.  I wanted to carry enough fuel for four full hours, so I decided on four scoops of Perpetuem.  Although mixing four scoops of Perpetuem into one big water bottle or CamelBak bladder was an option, it would make it very difficult for me to know exactly how many carbohydrates I was consuming an hour.  Instead, I pre-mixed four 12 oz plastic water bottles with one scoop of fuel in each.  This approach gave me maximum control over my fueling strategy.  I consumed one bottle each hour, and took a small bolus to help cover the carbs.