Magdalena Boulet Fuels Herself to Victory in The North Face Endurance Challenge 50-Mile Championship

The finale of The North Face Endurance Challenge series attracted one of the top fields in U.S. ultrarunning, and the fastest woman on the day was Magdalena Lewy Boulet, who torched the field for a win in 7:08:09.

Putting nine minutes on runner-up Megan Kimmel and twenty minutes on third-place finisher Stephanie Howe, Boulet improved on last year’s second-place finish in TNF 50 during her debut ultramarathon.

Boulet, who is the Vice President of Product Development and Innovation at GU, followed a meticulous nutrition strategy during the race, highlighted by her favorite products – some of which she developed herself.

“My nutrition strategy for fueling this race was to keep it very simple. I started off with a Lemonade Roctane Ultra Endurance gel five minutes before the gun went off, and had a Carmel Macciato gel on the course before the last big climb. Altogether I was able to take in roughly 1,600 calories in seven hours, with 126 ounces of Roctane drink and two gels in total. I find that I perform best when I consume frequently, but in small doses.”

With a personal best of 2:26:22 in the marathon, Boulet still keeps her hand in the road racing game – she clocked a 2:41:36 finish in this year’s Boston Marathon and qualified for the US marathon Olympic Trials in 2016 – but she has taken to the trails and ultra distance with a passion.

Boulet added, “After years of racing on roads I am truly enjoying the new challenges trail races offer. I fell in love with the diverse courses and amazingly supportive community. I find that I can apply what I have gained from years of training for roads and track to trail racing and couldn’t ask for a better way to continue my competitive years as an athlete.”

Holding a Bachlor’s Degree in Exercise Physiology from the University of California and a Master’s Degree in Sports Nutrition from Cal State East Bay, Boulet has worked for GU Energy Labs dating back to 1999, when she was still pursuing her master’s degree. In her current position, she is central in developing the company’s entire product line, from hydration and recovery products to gels and chewable products. She is married to Richie Boulet, himself an elite runner, and the couple has a 9-year-old son, Owen.

Both Caramel Macchiato energy gel and Lemonade Roctane were released in mid-2014, and both are well-suited to ultra-running. Caramel Macciato has, in addition to the carbohydrate energy and amino acids common to all GU gels, 40mg of caffeine to increase focus and alertness. All Roctane Ultra Endurance gels feature increased levels of GU’s amino acid blend, as well as other performance-enhancing ingredients.

Next up on Magda’s schedule is a well-deserved break and a fun local race: “The Christmas Relays” around Lake Merced in San Francisco with her Bay Area Track Club teammates.

ABOUT GU ENERGY LABS

GU Energy Gel, the original energy gel, was developed in 1993 in Berkeley, California. To this day, GU remains the market share leader by a margin of more than two to one, and is still the premium gel available to endurance athletes. GU Roctane, Chomps and Brew are designed to provide athletes with scientifically-based, performance-tested nutrition. For more information about GU, log onto www.GUenergy.com.