fluid loss calculator Boston Marathon, seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson left no stone unturned when it came to preparing for the rigors of the distance.
But in addition to running the marathon in his goal time of sub-3 hours, Johnson also faced the challenge of completing a 400-lap NASCAR race on Saturday night with just one day of full recovery in-between both competitions. (Johnson placed 12th under the lights in Richmond, Virginia, at the Toyota Owners 400.)
In order to take on the unique double after spending three hours strapped into his car, Johnson and his team developed a detailed strategy for optimum performance in both races.
Understanding His Sweat Rate
We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) was a major reason Johnson had the knowledge and tools needed to prepare his body for the marathon distance as well as the race car.
Beginner Running Plans Published: Apr 14, 2019 3:16 PM EDT., a principal scientist at GSSI who put him through a series of tests to find his sweat rate and his sweat electrolyte loss. While wearing a sweat patch, Johnson ran his race pace indoors on a treadmill to simulate a warmer day in Boston. He also ran outdoors at the same pace on a cooler 40-degree day to simulate the variety of conditions he could face in Boston.
Gatorade Endurance gels.
“I sweat way more than I thought I did, and that means I have to put that much in to maintain for 26.2,” Johnson said in episode 2 of Gatorade Endurance's “Formulated for Boston” series.
In February, during the early period of his training build-up, Johnson met with.
“It’s a very harsh environment that they’re in [within the car]. And we know that carbohydrate is a fuel, and your brain uses carbohydrates,” Pahnke told Runner’s World. “The drivers need to be very sharp with hydration, and if you get extremely dehydrated, we know that your cognitive abilities and your reaction times are going to degrade.”
But as all runners know, weather conditions can be different each time you run the race or do a particular workout. “For running, the carbohydrate recommendations are based on duration, so the longer you go the higher amount of carbohydrate is recommended per hour,” Pahnke said.
In the summertime, Johnson often races inside of a vehicle that can reach temperatures up to 140 degrees. Running at Boston Marathon Qualifying Standards Get Tougher, that can help any athlete formulate their own hydration plan 6:50-minute miles, also requires a lot of physical exertion. For Johnson, he actually found that his sweat loss for both activities is very similar.
“That’s been probably the most surprising thing to me, is the heart rate and sweat loss in the car is close to what I see running or cycling,” Johnson told Runner’s World. “That’s the part where I learned so much about myself through. I’ve been able to learn from being on foot and carry that knowledge to the car, and visa versa, so it’s been an interesting parallel.”
For those who cannot use the GSSI resources in-person, the institute offers a DAA Industry Opt Out Taylor J. Dutch.
Perfect a Fuel and Hydration Strategy
Johnson also works with his longtime endurance coach, Jamey Yon, who has helped implement the fuel and hydration strategy throughout the training block. Johnson and Yon have worked together since 2008 to prepare for several triathlons, cycling, and running events. After the tests revealed Johnson's high sweat loss levels, his team worked on a strategy to meet the challenge.
“I think Gatorade mentioned his [sweat rate] was 50 plus ounces an hour, which is a lot. Typically, an average person loses about 30 to 35 ounces an hour, so he’s on the high side,” Yon said. “Today, he ran seven miles with me and weighed 169 (pounds) before the run and 165 after the run. Yeah, it was a little humid and hot, but it goes to show you that he can actually lose up to 60 ounces an hour, which is hard to replace in a race.”
When Johnson wasn’t on the road for a NASCAR race, he and Yon trained together during the winter in Charlotte, North Carolina, where the temperatures have been on the cooler side. On Johnson’s 20-mile runs, Yon would ride his bicycle with bottles next to him and provide fluids periodically. Johnson also relied on Gatorade Endurance gels throughout his marathon preparation.
“You can only replace so much of what you lose. So as long as you don’t lose more than, let’s say, 2 or 3 percent of your body weight in fluid, you’ll generally be okay,” Yon said. “You naturally get dehydrated. There’s just a certain point to where you get so dehydrated that it's going to take away from your performance.”
Nutrition - Weight Loss Races - Places, Yon anticipated that Johnson will need to consume between 20 and 30 ounces of fluid per hour to replenish during the race.
Nutrition has also played a key role in Johnson’s preparation. He focused on a lower carbohydrate and higher protein regimen, but now for race week, Johnson is leaning into eating a higher amount of carbohydrates.
This week, Johnson is consuming foods such as colorful vegetables, fruits, rice, potatoes and proteins like chicken.
For breakfast on Monday, he’ll likely eat oatmeal with bananas and honey. For snacks leading up to Monday, he will continue to eat YonBons, performance bars created by Yon that contain 50 percent carbohydrates, 25 percent protein, and 25 percent healthy fat nutrients. For each meal before Boston, Johnson will begin to lightly salt his food in order to keep his sodium levels higher for race day.
While the diet may seem very precise, it’s all part of a strategy that Johnson embraces in order to perform at his best. “He’s very tuned into nutrition, so any challenge you give him in that department, he sticks with it,” Yon said.
Manage Recovery Between the Car and the Run
After he crossed the finish line in Richmond, his plan was to travel to Boston and continue his recovery routine before the next challenge on Monday morning.
On Sunday, the focus will continue to be replenishing, hydrating, and fueling his body back up from the sweat losses he will experience in the car. Johnson will also utilize a pair of NormaTec Recovery boots, which are designed to enhance blood flow and speed up the recovery process in an athlete’s legs.
At 10:02 am on Monday morning, the first wave of non-elite runners will take off at the Boston Marathon starting line in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. He will have less than 36 hours between the end of the NASCAR race and the beginning of the Boston Marathon. For Johnson, the challenge of the entire situation is part of what drives him.
“He loves a challenge and even if he fails, he fails. He gets back up and does it again,” Yon said. “He doesn’t pay as much attention to what everybody else thinks. It’s kind of the way he operates. He wants to be the best that he can be.”
Taylor Dutch is a sports and fitness writer living in Chicago; a former NCAA track athlete, Taylor specializes in health, wellness, and endurance sports coverage. Her work has appeared in SELF, Runner’s World, Bicycling, Outside, and Podium Runner. When she’s not writing, Taylor volunteers as a coach to up-and-coming runners in the Chicago area.
