Our Head of Research and Development, Dr. Tim Podlogar, often spends his days riding a bike inside his lab and plugged into a computer, gathering data to help him further his knowledge of performance and nutrition.
But, on one day last May, he sees a note from his Coach written on the wall:
Do a ride with at least 3,000 meters of elevation gain.
So, Dr. Podlogar unplugged and headed out of the lab with his road bike to put his knowledge to use in real conditions.
Tackling Vršič Pass
Vršič Pass is a challenging climb with 11.6 kilometers with 802 meters of elevation on the northern side and 8.8 kilometers with 808 meters of elevation on the southern side.
Not satisfied with just one ascent, Tim climbed it six times in a row, alternating between the northern and southern routes.
Snow in May
As Dr. Podlogar reached Vršič Pass, he was greeted with snow on the road—a rare occurrence in May.
Even though he was dressed for spring weather and had a puny road bike, Tim pressed on. Witnesses would recount seeing a man navigating icy switchbacks, laughing as he powered through the snow with an energy gel in hand.
The Numbers Behind the Effort
It took Dr. Podlogar 8 hours and 5 minutes to cover 144 km of distance. In total there was 5,800 m of elevation (far more than the 3,000 his coach recommended!).
To stay fueled during the ride, Dr. Podlogar consumed Nrgy Gels 45 and Nrgy Drink 45. However, he admits that he didn’t plan his nutrition as well as he should have. He only consumed an average of 56 grams of carbohydrates per hour, far lower than the recommended intake of 90g/h for intense endurance exercise.
Despite the low intake for such a grueling effort, his fueling strategy still carried him through.
This ride wasn’t just a test of physical endurance but also an experiment in applying science to real-world challenges—a combination that fuels both Tim’s passion and his research.