Lessons Learnt at the Cheshire 100 Ultra

By Laura Swanton-Rouvelin

GB Ultra’s Cheshire 100 ultramarathon started at 6am, and as always with these big races, I had a mixture of excitement, nerves, and quiet determination bubbling away. I crossed the finish line 19 hours and 28 minutes later, coming in as 2nd lady and 9th overall, which I’m happy with considering the race was an experiment in maintaining pace without puking! Though… let’s not talk about when I got lost in the last 0.7 miles and lost a good 30 minutes 🤦♀️. Still, I came away proud and full of ideas on what I can do better next time to produce an even stronger finish.

Preparation: Fuelling the Engine

Nutrition is something I’ve been working really hard on over the last year, and this race was the best it’s ever gone for me. I always carb-load leading up to races with lots of pasta and extra calories through the week, and the day before I made sure I didn’t go hungry, snacking regularly on cereal or protein bars. I’ve been using Protein Rebel’s Accelerate protein powder as an easy and tasty way to boost calories, and it became a real staple for me in the build-up.

When I have access to a kitchen, breakfast is always white toast with my beloved Marmite and peanut butter combo. Sadly, this time I wasn’t near a kitchen so no toast for me! I had vegan muesli with Protein Rebel protein powder and oat milk instead, just to make sure I got some calories in despite my nervous tummy.

I’m always pretty good with hydration, so I stuck to at least 1.5 litres of water per day leading up to race day (probably a little more consciously a couple of days before).

Race Day Nutrition: My Best Yet

The plan for the race was simple but disciplined. I’ve struggled a lot in the past with nausea and not being able to eat enough, so this time I decided to start conservatively with my pace to keep adrenaline and stomach issues in check. That turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve made in an ultra - it made fuelling so much easier.

The goal was two Protein Rebel Maple Ignite gels per hour, along with regular sips of Tailwind so I never felt thirsty. I supplemented that with protein shakes at each checkpoint (around every 8–10 miles), plus Skittles to suck on between stations. I also had bits of real food like Ritz biscuits, orange slices, vegan Babybels, and whatever else I could manage to get down. When night fell, I switched between the Maple Ignite gels and Maple Coffee caffeine gels (taking one of each per hour), which was brilliant for keeping sleepiness at bay.

I didn’t have a strict plan for carbs or electrolytes. This is still a work in progress but I’m making huge strides. The biggest victory was Zero nausea. That’s basically unheard of for me! I was able to take gels right through to the end, even one in the last two miles, and still enjoy the taste. The natural ingredients in Protein Rebel’s gels have honestly been a game-changer for my sensitive tummy.

What Worked and What’s Next…

I’m calling this my best nutritional performance ever. Starting slowly really paid off. I was able to fuel consistently, maintain pace for longer, and recover faster. I didn’t have that horrible end-of-race crash I’ve had before. I still know I didn’t take in quite enough fuel overall, so that’s the next area to improve, but my progress was huge.

I also swapped my usual Coke for lemon Fanta, which seemed to sit much better with me, especially alongside the caffeine gels at night. Small tweaks like this made a big difference.

One thing my coach and I shall be focusing on next is reducing fibre before big races to help prevent tummy issues. So instead of my usual pasta and bread, I’ll be switching to things like gnocchi and “white” foods - simple, easy-to-digest options.

Post-Race Recovery

Post-race, I definitely made up for lost calories with lots of food (lots of chips!), and daily Protein Rebel Accelerate protein shakes to help with muscle recovery. I’ve also been taking Protein Rebel’s Power Up magnesium every night since the race. It really helps calm my post-race legs and gives me the most amazing deep sleep (and some pretty wild dreams!).

I’ve noticed a big improvement in how quickly I recover now, and I’m certain it’s because I’m being more structured with my recovery nutrition.

Lessons Learned

This race reinforced so many things for me. Be brave enough to start slow. Trust the process. Keep experimenting. And most importantly, find the nutrition that works for your body. For me, the combination of pacing discipline and natural, gentle-on-the-stomach products like Protein Rebel has completely changed my race experience.

I’ve still got lots to learn and refine, but I’m genuinely excited about it. Each race is another chance to test, tweak, and grow stronger. And I’m hoping with my next ultra, I don’t get lost!