Fuelling fixes: what to do when it goes wrong

Stomach niggles

Very common, and usually something you can sort in training. Try these in order and change one thing at a time, so you know what made the difference.

1. Same carbs, smaller bites. One pastille more often rather than two at once. Your hourly total stays the same.
2. Sip water with each pastille. A mouthful or two every time.
3. Hold the rate that felt fine for another week or two before adding more.
4. Start earlier, at an easier pace. Get the first pastille in at 20 minutes, not when the effort is already hard.
5. Nothing new on the day. New breakfast, new drink, new gel: one at a time, in training.
6. Write down what you ate in the three hours before, and when it started. Patterns show up quickly.

If it keeps happening whatever you change, it's worth talking to a sports dietitian.

Ran out of energy

Usually it means fuelling started too late, got spread too thin, or stopped before the end.

1. First pastille at 20 minutes, before you feel you need it.
2. Set a repeating timer on your watch for your pastille interval and eat when it goes off.
3. Keep going to the end. The last hour is where most people stop eating.
4. Add 5 to 10g an hour on your next long session, if your stomach is happy.
5. Carb breakfast 2 to 3 hours before a long session: porridge, toast, bagel.

Forgot to eat

Happens to everyone, and it's the easiest one to fix.

1. Repeating timer on your watch for your pastille interval.
2. Fuel where your hand goes: front of the belt, top-tube bag or vest pocket.
3. Take the first one at 20 minutes to get into the rhythm.
4. Count each hour's pastilles out the night before, so you can see at a glance if you're behind.

Too much faff

If fuelling feels like hard work, you'll skip it. Make it grab and go.

1. Move some carbs into your bottle. One scoop of Power Fluids is 27g of carbs and 300mg of sodium, with nothing to open on the move.
2. Pre-count pastilles into your pouch by the hour before you leave.
3. One pocket per hour on longer days, so you always know what's next.
4. Mix your bottle at home, or carry pre-measured scoops in a small bag for refills.

It went to plan

That's the hardest part done. Now make race day a repeat, not an experiment.

1. Change nothing: same pastilles, same timer, same breakfast.
2. Rehearse at goal pace on part of your next long session, with the same fuel.
3. Check you have enough for race day, plus a few spares.

Hit the wall late in a race

Most late-race fades come from eating less as the race goes on, or going out faster than planned.

1. Keep the timer going right to the finish. The second half is where it's easiest to forget, especially when the crowds thin.
2. Count what you actually ate. Leftover pastilles in your pouch tell you where it slipped.
3. Practise eating at race pace in your long sessions, not just at easy pace.
4. Pace the first third with discipline. Starting too fast makes it harder to keep eating later.

Stomach trouble on race day

Thanks for telling us. Note when it started and what you had in the hour before, while it's fresh.

1. Anything new on the day? An aid-station gel or drink, a different breakfast, more coffee than usual.
2. Too much at once? Race nerves make it tempting to take two or three together. Spread them out.
3. Water with every pastille, taken at the aid stations or from your bottle.
4. Rehearse the exact race morning next time: same breakfast, same timing, same fuel, on a long session.

Reply to any of our race emails with the details and we'll help you plan the next one.

Race went well

Brilliant. Write down exactly what you ate, when and how much while it's fresh. That note is your starting point for the next one.

Didn't make the start

Sorry to hear that. When you've got your next date, put it into the fuel planner and you'll get a fresh plan and countdown.