KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Front-footing hydration and cooling—then holding steady—can beat “drink more as it gets hotter.”
Chris Myers averaged ~1.1 L fluid/h with ~1,000 mg sodium/L and kept body mass essentially unchanged across 14+ hours, while avoiding GI blow-ups or late cramps.
- Very high carb intakes are trainable and, for some, race-winning. Chris averaged ~126 g/h for 14 hours—above classic 90 g/h guidance—using glucose–fructose mixes and planned bottle/gel swaps; the science supports feasibility (tolerability, oxidation) but performance superiority over 90 g/h remains context-dependent.
I love it when a plan survives the canyons.
I recently sat down with Chris Myers, runner-up at the 2025 Western States Endurance Run (14:17:39), and Andy Blow, CEO of Precision Fuel & Hydration (PF&H). We dug into the unglamorous details that so often decide outcomes at Western States: how you hydrate when it’s cool early and scorching later, how you carry fuel and ice, how fast you get in and out of aid, and how aggressive you can be with carbohydrate when the clock reads hours, not minutes. Chris’ day was a masterclass in doing the small things unusually well, repeatedly.
DISCLAIMER: Fuelin was not part of the team that helped Chris achieve this monumental feat of human endurance. We just love the story, the effort and tye team from Precision. We wanted to cover it to ensure everyone knew what it took to comete at this level.
Hydration: front-load with intent, then be boringly consistent
Many runners wait for the heat to prompt them to drink more. Chris didn’t. He and the PF&H crew drank intentionally from the gun and pre-empted the hot climbs: average ~1.1 L/h across the day, with ~1,000 mg sodium per liter—a strategy that limited drift rather than chasing it. That sounds simple, but it squares with two things we know:
Avoiding over-drinking and exercise-associated hyponatremia requires respecting thirst and conditions; consensus guidance remains “drink to thirst” within a sensible plan in long events—especially in the heat.
The totality of evidence on sodium caps and performance is mixed; most controlled trials don’t show direct performance gains, though individualized sodium can support plasma volume and comfort for some athletes over very long, hot efforts. Practically: decouple fluid from sodium (e.g., use salt capsules) so you’re not “held hostage” by bottle strength or early cool temps.
My opinion: in 100-milers with big thermal swings, “front-footing” is a superior tactic for heavy sweaters. You buy resilience early, when it’s easy to under-drink. It’s notable that Chris’ finish weight was essentially unchanged while his pace held under increasing heat—exactly the stability we want when attrition bites. That also aligns with real-world EAH guidance: don’t chase zero weight loss, avoid large gains, and steer toward modest, progressive dehydration rather than extremes.
Cooling and Carry: ice where it counts, logistics that don’t leak time
PF&H helped Chris with a custom vest—secure pockets for flow gel bulk carb, tidy access for soft flasks, and even an ice pocket that trickled meltwater down his mid-back each hour. Pre-/per-cooling with ice slurries or strategically placed ice lowers thermal strain and can meaningfully help endurance in the heat; the research base here is solid.
The vest mattered for speed too: pack swaps beat repacking. Chris totaled ~10–11 minutes of stoppage over ~100 miles—about 33 s per aid station—because everything was pre-measured, pre-stuffed, or swapped wholesale. In ultras, transitions are intervals. If you can cut 5–10 minutes of faffing, you’ve earned “free watts” without moving your threshold one bit.
Carbohydrate: trained guts can go big (if the plan and format are right)
Chris averaged ~126 g/h of carbohydrate—for fourteen hours. That’s above the still-sensible consensus of up to ~90 g/h using multiple transportable carbs (glucose + fructose), which maximizes absorption and oxidation while reducing GI risk. Recent lab work shows 120 g/h is feasible and well-tolerated in trained athletes and raises exogenous carb oxidation versus 90 g/h; however, superiority for performance versus 90 g/h is not guaranteed, and benefits likely depend on context (duration, intensity, gut training, delivery format).
Two practical notes from Chris’ execution that align with the literature and with what we coach at Fuelin:
Blend your formats.
Chris used a mix of carb-electrolyte drink in crewed sections and flow gel/gels almost everywhere, with water top-ups at uncrewed aid. Multiple transportable carbs across drink + gel + chews have comparable oxidation rates; that flexibility helps you keep hitting targets when terrain or aid variability would otherwise trip you up.
Train the gut.
High intakes for 2–3 hours in training aren’t the same as tolerating them for 12–15 hours, but GI distress risk drops when you progressively practice the exact products and feeding frequency you’ll race with. Mechanistically, gut training improves comfort and nutrient transport; heat and high intensity are two big GI risk multipliers, so rehearsal under race-like stress matters.
For athletes asking, “Should I target 120 g/h?”—my view is: earn the right. If you can tolerate 90 g/h without symptoms, consider nudging upward only after several successful long runs/sims using mixed formats and glucose:fructose blends. The peer-reviewed data show feasibility and high oxidation at 120 g/h; performance upside over a well-executed 90 g/h plan is still an open question and may hinge on total duration, pacing, and whether big intakes let you fade less late.
The Hidden Edge: measurement, not magic
One thing I loved about Andy’s crew playbook was the post-section accounting: every returned pack was emptied and weighed; fluid drunk, gels used, and sodium consumed were logged; “planned vs. actual” graphs were updated on the fly. That feedback loop let Chris keep his plan on the rails and gave the crew the confidence to stay boring when others were yo-yoing intake with the thermometer. In a race where emotions run hot and cell reception runs cold, boring wins.
What you can steal for your next ultra?
Hydration:
Pair a liter-class target (e.g., 0.7–1.0 L/h, modulated by heat and your sweat testing) with decoupled sodium (capsules or separate high-sodium bottles). That keeps you on plan early and reduces late-race over- or under-correcting. Watch for weight gains and swelling; avoid chasing “zero change.”
Carbohydrate:
Build to 90 g/h with glucose–fructose blends before flirting with triple digits. If you trial 120 g/h, mimic race feeding frequency and formats (drink + gels), and track symptoms, belching, sloshing, and perceived effort.
Cooling:
Use ice strategically (vest pockets, hat, handhelds, slurries) at hot checkpoints. It’s legal, simple, and effective.
Logistics:
Pre-pack everything. Swap packs, don’t restock packs. Give yourself an “insurance gel” each segment; budget the seconds you spend at aid like they’re watts.
Laughter:
Chris also reminded us to carry a sense of humour across Rucky Chucky (yes, that snorkel). Pressure is real at the front of Western States—but so is joy, and joy is a performance enhancer we chronically underdose.
Hope you enjoyed this!
Scott