A fueling plan with an energy curve: when do you run out?
Hitting the wall is not bad luck. It happens when your legs run out of glycogen. Dolichos estimates how much they have left across the whole course, counts every planned gel and shows whether your fueling plan gets you to the finish.
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What your legs have left, kilometer by kilometer
Like a fuel gauge, the curve shows how much glycogen your legs can still use. It falls with your burn rate from the pacing plan, and at zero you hit the wall. Every gel is a point on the curve. Dolichos tracks the liver separately: it keeps your blood sugar up, and that is what gels cover first, so they help your legs less than you might think. A band around the curve shows how far the estimate can be off. You can see exactly where your plan tips over.
- Starting stores adjustable in g/kg
- Every intake as a marker, caffeine highlighted
- Gels absorb with a delay and at most 90 g/h
- Uncertainty band and liver status
- Expandable: exactly how it is calculated
Honest feedback instead of a score
The plan check tests your plan against common guidelines and tells you exactly what is missing: "Your legs run empty at 37.2 km — you hit the wall and slow down markedly. Take more carbs or run slower." It also warns when a slightly higher burn would be enough to run you empty, and rates how reliable the forecast is, and why.
- A warning when 20 % more burn would not get you to the finish
- Average carbs per hour against the guideline of at least 60 g/h
- Peaks per hour and long gaps
- Caffeine total in view
- Reliability high, medium or low, with reasons
Your fuel burn, measured instead of estimated
How many carbs you burn at race pace is individual. Import your lab test and the energy curve uses your measured carb and fat burn per stage. The plan check then also tells you whether your measurements match the energy cost of running.
- Import a PDF report or Cortex XML
- FatMax and metabolic stages from your test
- A more reliable forecast
Your gels, your numbers
Add the products you use in training with carbs, caffeine, sodium and fluid per serving. In the plan you pick product and servings, and Dolichos does the rest. The packing list for the night before counts how many gels you need.
- Product library in your profile
- Aid stations on the course with planned arrival times
- Time intakes by distance or by time
Frequently asked questions
How many carbs per hour during a marathon?
At least 60 g per hour is recommended; trained athletes often take in 80–90 g/h. The plan check in Dolichos shows your average and your peaks per hour.
How many gels do I need for a marathon?
It depends on your finish time and the carbs per gel. At 3:30 and 25 g per gel you need about eight gels for 60 g/h if you take no other carbs. Dolichos works it out for your plan.
How Lena plans her gels for BerlinWhen should I take my first gel?
Many runners take their first gel after 30 to 45 minutes. The energy curve shows how an earlier or later first gel affects your stores near the end.
How accurate is the energy curve?
It is an estimate. With weight and threshold heart rate the reliability is at most "medium". Import a lab test and Dolichos uses your measured fuel burn. A band around the curve shows how far it can be off: ±20 % when estimated, ±10 % with lab values. The app always tells you what the forecast is based on.
Does the fueling plan work for triathlon?
Yes. The plan covers the whole race. Time your intake by the clock to make the most of the bike, where you usually take in more than on the run.
More features
Race week planner
Race week, the night before and race day: countdown, alarm, evening plan, packing list and hotel departure.
Open pagePacing plan
Enter a goal time, drag race zones, see heart rate and fuel burn per zone.
Open pageCarb loading calculator
Carbs in grams per day, calculated from your weight. Log with a tap.
Open pageCrew & live tracking
Invite your crew with a code, hand out assignments and get live ETAs, with optional GPS from your phone.
Open pageSpectator link
Family and friends follow your race live from a link, with no way to change anything.
Open pageRunning partners
Two runners, one crew: link your races and everyone sees you both live on one map.
Open pageRace report
After the race: GPS splits, your pace curve, notes from your crew and a reflection that comes back when you plan the next one.
Open pageAI assistant
Plan race week with Claude or ChatGPT: pacing, fueling, race morning and carb loading by chat.
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