Fat Ox 48 hours — pre

Project document / race plan

Simen Holvik

12 min readNov 6, 2023

Fat Ox Endurance race is a fixed time race stating November 17th in Phoenix, Arizona. Race website here.

0. Race strategy

Look at this as two 24 hour races
First day, aim for 250–260 km. Not 230 or 270 (do not do the normal sprint at the end).
Get a good flow
do not change shoes or sit down

1. Sponsors

Cegal (#Cegalway supports Redd Barna #savethechildren)
Timeanddate.com
Heimdal Forvaltning
Kjeldsberg Eiendomsforvaltning
Notar
Lervig aloholc free No Worries (Order from Canteen)
Precision Fuel and Hydration (order from webshop, use SIMEN15 for discsount)

You can donate to this project at:

Vipps #662995 (Norway only)
PayPal at this link.

2. Records

Norwegian: Trond Sjåvik (Bislett, 2015) 357,919 km (222,401 mi). 226 laps at Fat Ox. Note: The Norwegian Athletics (NFIF) follows WA and does not keep track of 48 hours records (only 100 km and 24 hours). The only avilable overview is the one from Kondis.no at this link.
Nordic: Stein Orsvärn SWE (2018) 393,984 km (244,810 mi). 248 laps at Fat Ox. (He has written two articles from that race, one about the preparations and another about the actual race.)
European: Yiannis Kouros GRE (1985) 452,279 km (281,033 mi). 285 laps at Fat Ox.
IAU 48 hours (M) 45 age group: Yiannis Kouros GRE (Surgeres, FRA, 2004) 443,337 km (275,477 mi). (At the age of 48 years.) 278 laps at Fat Ox.
IAU 48 hours (M) World best performance (WBP): Yiannis Kouros AUS (Surgeres, FRA, 1996) 473,495 km (294,216 mi) (Note: Kouros had dual citizenship at that point of time?!?) (At this race Kouros was at the age of 40 years.) This distance corresponds to 298 laps at Fat Ox.

Note 1: Regarding Yiannis Kouros and his records: The 48-hour record (473,495 km) is generally considered to be comparable to or even slightly better than his 24-hour record (303,306 km). Both are definitely stronger than his 6-day record 1,038.851 km.

Note 2: IAU WBP does not differentiate between road — or track records. But for overiew, Kouros´48-hour WBP was at track. His best 48-hour at road was 433,095 km (269.113 mi) according to this link.

— -

Course record: 413.500 km (256,937 mi)— Yiannis Kouros (’05)

3. Support crew

Tori Head
Heater Barrick

4. Temperature

5. Race course

USATF Certified 0.988178 mile (1.59031834 km) course. Check this video for course preview.
IAU bronze label
Race director: Katie Davis / Aravaipa
Doping test, if record, done by USADA

7. Fuel & hydration

Main strategies:

1. Carbohydrate

Target: 60 gram carbs per hour !!!

Approach the race with 4 or 5 options of things to eat / drink in a 30g carb portion:

500ml x carb only drink mix (30g carb)
PF30 Chew (30g carb)
PF30 Gel (30g carb)

30g carb portions;

1,5 banana (30g)
Snickers (1 bar/1.86oz) (32g)
M&M, peanut (50g) (30g carbs)
Simply Orange pulp free orange juice 300ml (32g)
Raisins 40g (30g)
Dried figs 50g (29g)
Dr. Pepper mini can (25g)
Barq´s root beer 225ml (31g)

2. Fluid/sodium

250 to 1 000 ml fluid per hour
Sodium target: 1000 mg per liter fluid (Always keep sodium relative to fluid intake)

1 electrolyte capsles → 250 mg sodium
500 ml x PH1500 → 750 mg sodium
500 ml x carb only drink mix → 0 mg sodium
500 ml x carb drink mix → 500 mg

In terms of fluid intake across the race, it’s shoud be based on the temperature. When it gets colder during the nighttime sections your sweat rate will drop and therefore your fluid intake will naturally reduce. The plan should not be so rigid that I feel I have to drink 500ml x Drink Mix every hour, even in the cold of the night, because of the energy content. It’s likely that my intake will drop closer to 250–500ml fluid in total per hour during the cold nighttime hours rather than 750ml or more in the heat of the day. Crew Tori and Heather can best apply it during the second nighttime section when my decision making might be less sharp than at the start.

3. Other items

Stick with breakfast, lunch and dinner with solid food
Break up the sweets with AF (alcohol free) beer

4. Carbohydrate loading

After a period of high protein (medium fat) and very low carb, I will — for the three days prior to the race — start the carbo loading period. And aim for a total daily carbohydrate consumption of around 800–900 grams (73 kg x 12 gram = 876 gram). (The usual advice is to increase your carb intake to ~8–12 grams per kilogram of body mass to fully replenish your muscle glycogen stores.)
In addition to carobohydrate target; remove (or reduce) fat and fiber and eat simply carbohydrate.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — -

Tuesday, November 14 (T-3) — carb loading

Do eaxctly same meals as for Thursday. (except electrolyte drink)

Wednesday, November 15 (T-2) — carb loading

Do eaxctly same meals as for Thursday (except electrolyte drink)

Thursday, November 16 (T-1) — carb loading

Breakfast: Four slices of bread, one with peanut butter and three with strawberry jam + banana + 300ml orange juice + 500ml black coffee → 130g carbs (11g fat, 15g protein)
Snack: Two plain bagel (96g) with blackberry jam (~25g) and 500ml Dr Pepper (56g) → 172g carbs (6g fat, 22g protein)
Lunch: Bowl with fried rice, (white rice, soy sauce, eggs, peas, carrots and green onions) (85g) with Orange chicken (51g) and fortune cookie from Panda Express. And 500ml Barq´s Root Beer (64g) → 206g carbs (39g fat, 37g protein)
Snack: 1 Banana (~20g) + one blueberry bagel (48g) with strawberry jam (15g) and + 900ml Powerade Fruit Punch (53g)
Dinner: Spagetti with tomato saus (~25g) from Taste of Italy + 500ml Powerade Mountain Blast (20g)
Snack: PF30 chew (30g) + 500ml x PH 1500 electrolyte drink

— —

Bread: Hearth baked artisan bread — Kalamata Olive

Orange juice: Pulp free simply orange

Friday, November 17 (Race day)

The general recommendation for pre-exercise carb intake to maximise endurance performance is to ingest 1–4g of carbohydrate per kilo of body weight in the 1–4 hours prior to the race.

complete by 06:00 — Breakfast: Four slices of bread, one with peanut butter and three with strawberry jam + banana + 300ml orange juice + 500ml black coffee + 500ml x PH 1500 electrolyte drink → 145g carbs (11g fat, 15g protein). According to therory, I should aim for ca 72–292 gram of total carbohydrate (73 kg x 4 g = 292). 145g is OK.

Regarding breakfast: Relatively low in fat and protein, low in fibre, relatively ‘plain’ in taste. And familiar, tried and tested in the past

07:45 — gel 30 gram carbs
08:00 — Race start

Note: below plan is not 100% correct regarding fluid. Must be altered based on weather condition.

— — — — — —> The first 4 hours:

08:00 → 500ml x carb only drink mix + 2 x Energy Chew + 2 x electrolyte capsules (60 g. carbs and 500 mg. sodium)
09:00 → 500ml x carb only drink mix + gel + 2 x electrolyte capsules (60 g. carbs / 500mg sodium)
10:00 → 500ml x carb only drink mix + 2 x Energy Chew + 2 x electrolyte capsules (60 g. carbs / 500 mg. sodium)
11:00 → 500 ml x carb only drink mix + gel + 2 x electrolyte capsules (60 g. carbs / 500 mg. sodium)

— — — — — — The second part. Starting to warm up. Increase fluid intake:

12:00 → Lunch: Bowl with fried rice, (white rice, soy sauce, eggs, peas, carrots and green onions) (85g) with Orange chicken (51g) and Dr. Pepper mini can
13:00 → 500ml carb only drink mix + 2 x Energy Chew + 3 x electrolyte capsules + 0.25 l water (60 g. carbs / 750 mg sodium)
14:00 → 0.33 l AF beer
15:00 → 500ml carb only drink mix + gel + 3x electrolyte capsules + 0.25 l water (60 g. carbs / 750 mg. sodium)

— — — — — — Part 3.

16:00 → Dinner: Spagetti with tomato saus (~25g) from Taste of Italy + Dr. Pepper mini can
17:00 → 500ml carb only drink mix + 2 x Energy Chew + 3 x electrolyte capsules + 0.25 l water (60 g. carbs / 750 mg sodium)
18:00 → 0.33 dl AF beer
19:00 → 500ml carb only drink mix + gel + 3x electrolyte capsules + 0.25 l water (60 g. carbs / 750 mg. sodium)

— — — — — — Part 4. The last part day 1. Starting to be colder. Reduce fluid

20:00 → Evening: fruits. Orange and pinapple
21:00 → 500ml carb only drink mix + 2 x Energy Chew + 2 x electrolyte capsules (60 g. carbs / 500 mg. sodium)
22:00 → 0.33 dl AF beer
23:00 → 500ml carb only drink mix + gel + 2 x electrolyte capsules (60 g. carbs / 500 mg. sodium)

— — — — — —

Saturday, November 18

— — — — — — Part 5: Reduce fluid till 250 ml if cold

00:00 → Coca Cola
01:00 → 250 ml carb only drink mix + Caffeine gel + 1x electrolyte capsules (60 g. carbs / 250 mg. sodium)
02:00 → 250 ml carb only drink mix + Caffeine gel + 1x electrolyte capsules (60 g. carbs / 250 mg. sodium)
03:00 → 250 ml carb only drink mix + 2 x Energy Chew + 1x electrolyte capsules (60 g. carbs / 250 mg. sodium)

— — — — — — Part 6: Still cold?

04:00 → 250 ml carb only drink mix + 2 x Energy Chew + 1x electrolyte capsules (60 g. carbs / 250 mg. sodium)
05:00 → 250 ml carb only drink mix + gel + 2 x electrolyte capsules (60 g. carbs / 250 mg. sodium)
06:00 → 250 ml carb only drink mix + 2 x Energy Chew + 2 x electrolyte capsules (60 g. carbs / 250 mg. sodium)
07:00 → 250 ml carb only drink mix + gel + 2 x electrolyte capsules (60 g. carbs / 250 mg. sodium)

— — — — — — Part 7. gear up fluid?

08:00 → Breakfast: Two slices with spelt bread with peanut and strawberry jelly. 0.5 l fresh orange juice and 0.5 l black coffee.
09:00 → 500 ml carb only drink mix + gel + 2 x electrolyte capsules (60 g. carbs / 500 mg. sodium)
10:00 → 500 ml carb only drink mix + 2 x Energy Chew + 2 x electrolyte capsules (60 g. carbs / 250 mg. sodium)
11:00 → 500 ml carb only drink mix + gel + 2 x electrolyte capsules (60 g. carbs / 250 mg. sodium)

— — — — — — Part 8. gear up fluid?

12:00 —Lunch: Bowl with fried rice, (white rice, soy sauce, eggs, peas, carrots and green onions) (85g) with Orange chicken (51g) and Dr. Pepper mini can
13:00 → 500 ml carb only drink mix + 2 x Energy Chew + 3 x electrolyte capsules + 0.25 l water (60 g. carbs / 750 mg. sodium)
14:00 → 0.33 l AF beer
15:00 → 500 ml carb only drink mix + gel + 3 x electrolyte capsules + 0.25 l water (60 g. carbs / 750 mg. sodium)

— — — — — — Part 9

16:00 — Dinner: Spagetti with tomato saus (~25g) from Taste of Italy + Dr. Pepper mini can
17:00→ 500 ml carb only drink mix + 2 x Energy Chew + 3 x electrolyte capsules + 0.25 l water (60 g. carbs / 750 mg. sodium)
18:00 — 0.33 dl AF beer
19:00 → 500 ml carb only drink mix+ gel + 3 x electrolyte capsules + 0.25 l water (60 g. carbs / 750 mg. sodium)

— — — — — — Part 10: reduce fluid

20:00 — Evening: fruits. Orange and pinapple
21:00 → 500 ml carb only drink mix + 2 x Energy Chew + 2 x electrolyte capsules (60 g. carbs / 500 mg. sodium)
22:00 — 0.33 dl AF beer
23:00 → 500 ml carb only drink mix + gel + 2 x electrolyte capsules + 0.25 l water (60 g. carbs / 500 mg. sodium)

Sunday, November 19

— — — — — — Part 11 reduce fluid

00:00 → Coca Cola
01:00 → 250 ml carb only drink mix + Caffeine gel + 1 x electrolyte capsules (60 g. carbs / 250 mg. sodium)
02:00 → 250 ml carb only drink mix + Caffeine gel + 1x electrolyte capsules (60 g. carbs / 250 mg. sodium)
03:00 → 250 ml carb only drink mix + gel + 1 x electrolyte capsules (60 g. carbs / 250 mg. sodium)

— — — — — — part 12

04:00 → 250 ml carb only drink mix+ 2 x Energy Chew + 2 x electrolyte capsules (60 g. carbs / 250 mg. sodium)
05:00 → 250 ml carb only drink mix + gel + 2 x electrolyte capsules (60 g. carbs / 250 mg. sodium)
06:00 → 250 ml carb only drink mix + 2 x Energy Chew + 1x electrolyte capsules (60 g. carbs / 250 mg. sodium)
07:00 → 250 ml carb only drink mix + gel + 1x electrolyte capsules (60 g. carbs / 250 mg. sodium)