Fueling for the 24-HR ATR with Hammer Nutrition

Last weekend I took part in my first 24-hour ultra event – the 24-HR Adventure Trail Run, held at Prince William Forest Park just outside Triangle, VA. Aside from potentially running over 100 miles, fueling for 24 hours of activity was always going to be a challenge too. As regular readers already know, Hammer Nutrition has always been my fuel of choice for training and racing, so naturally I didn’t intend changing anything for my latest adventure. After a little bit of research on the “Knowledge” section of the Hammer Nutrition web site, I decided on the following strategy:

• Alternate Perpetuem, Sustained Energy & HEED each loop as my primary fuel source.
• Take 3 – 4 Endurolyte capsules per loop.
• Always carry a Hammer Gel for an extra boost of energy on some of the longer (time-wise) loops.
• Drink plain water at both the 3 mile aid station, and the main drop bag/aid station located at the start/finish area.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure how long I could maintain a Hammer only fuel strategy, but aside from a momentary craving for a cup of Mountain Dew (not a good idea!), two small triangles of quesadilla (really hit the spot), a medium-sized banana (boring, but did the trick), bottle of ZICO coconut water (a welcome change for the taste buds) and cup of hot beef broth made from two OXO cubes (a real life-saver), I stuck to Hammer Nutrition fuel like my life depended on it. Of course, it really helped to have a great crew who could prepare and hand-off the fuel at the start of each loop, but that’s a story for another time.

Because I constantly switched from product to product, I never tired of the taste – one loop it would be the plain old Sustained Energy, the next my taste buds would come alive for the Orange-Vanilla Perpetuem and then there was always the refreshing Mandarin Orange HEED every third loop. Also, an espresso gel at the mid point of each 6.25 mile loop would provide a welcome kick to get me back to the start/finish area if required.

I decided on a 1.5 scoops/22oz bottle of each fuel per loop – that’s 150 calories for HEED, a fraction over 200 calories for Perpetuem and 160 calories for Sustained Energy. Add in a 90 calorie espresso gel per loop, and my fuel requirements for the whole 24 hours were adequately taken care of. On paper anyway.

Now I have time to sit back and think about the race, I can honestly say I suffered no stomach issues whatsoever, aside from one small “windy” issue after consuming the Mountain Dew. Never again.

As for the race conditions, once the sun came up, it turned pretty hot and sticky on some parts of the course. This lasted through to the mid-afternoon, when a few clouds rolled in and thankfully cooled things off a bit. Consequently I sweated a lot, but had total faith that the Endurolytes were maintaining my electrolyte levels. Despite hearing a few horror stories about hunger, dehydration and severe cramping, I managed to keep cramps at bay and my energy levels stayed pretty consistent throughout – a great testimony to the wonderful range of products from Hammer Nutrition.

The event was a great one, as I managed to churn out 106.25 miles in just under 24 hours, and win the race. Unbelievably, my last 6.25 mile loop was faster than at least the previous ten, and I’m still in shock at how much energy I had left after 23 hours of running. Thank you, Hammer – can’t imagine racing without you.

[To receive 15% off your first order with Hammer, be sure to mention code 29178 when you check out.]