Scott Jurek

I met Scott Jurek at the Bighorn 100M Packet Pickup this evening and got some great tips on nutrition and hydration. 3 quick tips from Scott...

1: Your body needs carbs during ultras. I knew that but never knew how much. Scott says take your body weight in kilograms (divide lbs by 2.2) then multiply by .7. That's the number of grams of carbs you need per hour. Cool!!

2: Dehydration is bad, but don't panic if you're only 1-3% below your starting weight. At 4% you better be focused on getting back on track quickly, because it's a slippery slope to 5%+. At 5% you're likely experiencing nausea. A sweat test will give you a good indication of how much you need to drink. Sweat test procedures are i) weigh yourself naked, ii) run 60 minutes without drinking or urinating, iii) weigh yourself naked again, iv) Subtract iii from i. For each lb you loose that's 16 ounces of fluid you need per hour to remain at constant weight.

3: Electrolytes are key, particularly sodium. How much you need really depends on your body mass and how much you sweat. Find what works for you under different conditions (e.g. you need more electrolytes when it's hot). Be careful if you're gaining weight. Many runners will increase electrolytes at this point, but it is probably better to stop drinking until you start peeing again.