The Hikuri 100k, part of the Puerto Vallarta Race Series by UTMB, gives athletes the opportunity to immerse themselves in the roots of the ancient Mexican Wixárika heritage through unique trails, fields, and jungles. The course runs through the largest mountain range in Mexico, The Sierra Madre Occidental and descends into the Cuale River and crosses the jungle to Puerto Vallarta. We spoke with HydraPak athlete Paddy O'Leary about his training build for this 100k race. From his fueling strategies to how he adjusted his training to better tackle the climate, Paddy shares his insights for race day success.
What made you decide to participate in this race?
Since 2019, I have been consistently plagued with GI distress in my ultramarathons that push longer than 7 hours, especially where heat is a factor. These past 6 months, I’ve been working with a sports scientist at Precision Fuel & Hydration, and think we’ve narrowed down the best strategy for me to control my stomach upset and maximize my performance. After focusing on sub-ultra efforts so far this season, I wanted to close out with a long ultra. I’ve had such great interactions with the Mexican trail running community, Puerto Vallarta is a direct flight from San Francisco, I quite enjoy the rooty technical nature of the course, and hell it’s going to be a great test of my new nutrition strategy. Did I pick a race that is much too hot and humid for my test case? Haha, perhaps. I guess time will tell. It’ll be an adventure that’s for sure!
There is a 2L minimum requirement for this race. What gear will you be bringing with you to accommodate that much hydration?
Carrying this amount of liquid is definitely new for me through this training block. Personally I prefer the soft flask approach, rather than a reservoir. With soft flasks, I can also carry both water and drink mix so I can tailor my nutrition plan. I plan to carry two UltraFlask WMX500s with a SpeedFill cap in my TNF race vest, with two more flasks in my Naked Belt (either the UltraFlask WMX500 with a 42mm Locking Cap or the soon to be released PocketFlask). Once I use the first two flasks, I’ll move the freshies up to my vest.
I plan to consume at least 1 flask of water and 1 flask of Precision Carb and Electrolyte Drink mix per hour, so I’m going to leave each aid station ensuring I have 2 of each prepared for the first and second hour. Since I won’t have a crew and only have access to one drop bag at the 65K mark (hour 6-7), I’ll carry the drink mix for hours 3-6 divided into small plastic bags, and then re-up my gels (90g Precision gels) and drink mix baggies from my drop bag at the 65K aid station.
This climate is different from previous races you’ve done, how are you adjusting your hydration plan for a race like this?
This summer, I have been bumping up my fluid, salt and carb intake to a level I’ve never attempted prior to this training block. In my 30K races so far this summer (Sierre Zinal, the Rut, Mammoth Trailfest), I’ve been managing to consume 1L of liquid, 100g of carbs and 750mg of salt per hour. That has left me feeling strong till the finish line in these races, always chasing people down til the end.
I’ve done extensive testing this summer and discovered that I tend to lose 1-1.25L of liquid per hour (through sweat and pee) and lose 1000mg of salt per liter of sweat. Given those statistics and the heat and humidity of the Hikuri course, I’m aiming to up that sodium intake to 1000mg/hour. Depending on how I feel out there, I may need to up my liquid intake to 1.5L/hour as well.
The Hikuri 100k has over 3500M+ of elevation gain in the heat and humidity of Mexico. Did you do anything specific or different in your training for this race?
On paper, the elevation isn’t too bad for this event actually. The Hikuri 100k has 3500m of climbing over 95K, which pales in comparison to some of the European 100Ks I’ve done (>6000m). So I’m confident with how my body will handle the elevation gain, especially after racking up a lot of solid climbing this summer.
The heat and humidity is what really worries me coming into this event. Across many 2-6 hour runs this autumn, I’ve prepared my gut to consume the levels of liquid, carbs and salt I described above, and I have been doing an extensive heat training protocol in the weeks leading up the race. Across the three weeks prior to race week, I’ll have done 15 post-run dry sauna and hot tub sessions (30-40 minutes) to prepare my body and mind for the heat. Ideally I would have access to a wet sauna to mimic the high humidity, but alas I have to work with what I have access to in my neighborhood and with my schedule.
Do you plan to adjust your pacing strategy given the intense elevation and climate factors?
Rather than climbing, it’s the 5000m of descending (hello quads!), and the steepness and rootiness of these descents that will really throw off consistent pacing. With the more runnable fire road sections coming in the first half, I’ll need to be cognizant of not emptying the tank early in the race and leaving strength in my legs to move well through the technical second half. But it’s the climate factors that are the true challenge in this event. I will have no qualms about spending some extra time in aid stations to ensure I’m leaving with some extra fluid or ice. Or spending 30 seconds lying submerged in a stream every chance I get. A minute taken to cool oneself now might save you a lot of time by avoiding a blow-up later.
Are you planning on bringing any additional gear for this race?
Will 2 liters of fluid be enough to get myself from one aid station to the next? Perhaps not. So I will be planning to carry a HydraPak filter with me to use with one of the WMX500 flasks if I run out of water. It’s so light, and it’ll be handy to have it for emergencies. That’s another benefit of using soft flasks instead of a reservoir. It’s much easier to remove the flask and fill from a HydraPak 42mm filter, than to take a reservoir out and filter into it. I will also keep a SkyFlask™ Speed 500ml flask in my 65K drop bag in case I realize that I’m drinking so much that it would be handy to keep the hydration in my hand. However, I anticipate I’m going to be using both hands to pull myself up rooty steep climbs, so acknowledge that I may not end up taking the SkyFlask from that drop bag.
What are you most excited (or nervous) about in tackling the terrain and climate in Puerto Vallarta?
The terrain is my bread and butter from years of adventuring through the technical terrain of Ireland. However, the climate is going to be a major test for me and my past race experiences. I’ve planned and trained well for this race, and I’m excited to see how my body and mind handle this challenge.
How are you mentally preparing for the challenges of this unique course?
I always remind myself in these races that everyone is in the same boat. We’re all experiencing the same conditions, and we’re all suffering out there. If I have a low point, I need to recognize that I can just keep fueling and acknowledging that I can rally out of a low point.
What’s one aspect of your hydration or nutrition strategy that’s non-negotiable for a race like this?
Consuming sufficient liquid is going to be so important for this one. Consistently taking fluid down throughout each hour, and over the race. Reminding myself every few minutes to take a sip of water, grab a salt capsule, and take some gel onboard. And if I experience some dry heaving or pukey moments, don’t let that hold back my onboarding of liquid and fuel. Be persistent. Be consistent. Give the body what it needs.
Last photo credit to Dylan Ladds
