Seventy30zero

• Event Name: VJ MacLehose Trail 45
• Date: 9th September 2024
• Start Time: 8:00 am
• Total Distance: 45 km
• Total Elevation Gain: 2600 m
• Time Limit: 12 hours

This event covered a grueling 45km mountainous trail on sections 4 to 8 of the MacLehose Trail in Hong Kong. It included Mao On Shan, the 4th highest peak at 702 meters (2,303 ft), and Tai Mo Shan, the highest peak in Hong Kong at 975 meters (3,140 ft). The total elevation gain of the 4 sections covered during the race is about 2,600 m (8530 ft).

The trail was waterlogged after the passage of Super Typhoon Yagi. The typhoon skirted just 300 km south of the territory. It brought high winds and heavy rainfall just 2 days before the event. Fortunately, the temperatures were cooler due to the typhoon. The temperature dropped from highs of 34°C mid week to a more ‘comfortable’ 27°C, although the humidity remained at 100%. Additionally, there was rain both before the start and throughout the morning warning us of a wet and muddy slog ahead.

Preparing for Race Day

My prerace day was spent fueling well and preparing the race pack and the support bags. I was quite relaxed but was conscious that I had been suffering a few weeks of some annoying oxalate dumping symptoms.

Oxalate dumping quite often occurs when you are on a zero carb animal based diet. Your body releases the oxalates accumulated over the years if you have been consuming foods high in oxalate over a extended period of time. Being on a ketogenic/low carb diet for 6 years, I have been eating a lot of nuts and seeds and vegetables that were particularly high in these oxalate. Now 5 months into my carnivore diet, I had been experiencing some ongoing issues of sporadic joint inflammation, eye irritations, sudden tiredness and a few mood swings. Apparently these are common symptoms of your body releasing the stored away oxalate. Inevitably it affects your whole outlook on things and so I admit I was feeling some negativity over the upcoming race as well.

The good thing was I had been sleeping quite well and was happy with my training. I tapered well and had my last moderate hike 3 days before the race. Unfortunately for some reason, I started to feel very stiff all over especially my hamstrings after I stopped training. I included yoga and some foam rolling and stretching to ease it. I drank a cup of Japanese hojicha tea (black and green teas are beverages higher on the oxalate level) to try to alleviate a bit of the dumping. It was all kind of a new issue for me this general stiffness. It luckily seemed to ease up the morning before but then I felt a tightness in my right calf muscle. Hopefully this was just one of those prerace nerve things.

So back to prerace day preparations. Breakfast was my usual black coffee whizzed together with 1 tbsp grass fed butter. I had my main meal which was an entire Tomahawk Wagyu steak (which is approximately a whopping 1,700 calories!) at around mid day. I wanted to make sure I took in the best protein and fat calories in early so I wouldn’t have to have a heavy dinner. In the afternoon after packing all my things I took a long, magnesium salt bath to relax all my muscles. That helped with my tight calf muscle so that was a relief. I had prepared some minced Angus steak meat balls for my food during the race so I had a few of them for dinner and packed the rest so they were ready to go. I finished with a bowl of Greek yoghurt, full fat, with some grass fed collagen powder mixed in it. I was pretty full all day after that huge steak that I didn’t really need anything else.

Thankfully the early bath and the light dinner did wonders for me. For the first time ever prerace, I was able to fall asleep straight away around 9 pm and was out like a log until 3:40am. This is unheard of for me. Normally before any race or even just a long hike, I would be happy if I can manage to get 3 hours just at the end of the night. So having a solid 6 hours was just amazing. I usually wake at around 4 am anyway so this was just perfect.

I got up, showered, dressed in my gear and went to do some last minute prep for my trusty support team, my husband and 2 sons, and lastly I made my breakfast coffee to go. Everything seemed set to go and I thought we had everything when we left the house but of course, I forgot something! I had planned to put my trail shoes on in the car since we had a fairly long drive to the start. Locking up the house, I realised I didn’t have them. I rushed back in relieved that I had remembered. As I climbed into our car I looked at my hands and realised I forgot my coffee! Rushed back to the house and grabbed my thermos mug and ran back to get in the car. Finally off on our way, feeling pleased about the coffee, it was only later along the way I realised I forgot my bottle of unsweetened electrolyte drink which I planned to have on route to the start. Oh well, I will have to make do. What I didn’t realise at this point was that I had also forgotten the bone broth which I carefully made and chilled earlier in the week. This was going to be my main go to for salt, fat, and everything I needed at the support stop later in the race. At this point, ignorance was bliss. Telling myself I can make do without the drink, I had my breakfast (2 boiled eggs and a good amount of salt to make up for the missing electrolyte drink) in the car and finished my coffee.

So we finally get to the start and I do my normal last minute checks and I have my last minute toilet stop and all is great. This rather embarrassing topic is another huge change for me since I started on the carnivore diet. I’m pretty sure I have had IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) undiagnosed for most of my life. This had always caused serious nervous gut issues every time before taking part in any type of physical event. I would have to make sure to visit the toilet at least 3 or 4 times before the start and it was always on the forefront of my mind that the starting point of the any race needed to have a good toilet facilities!

Today, I had slept well, my stomach felt settled and I was super relaxed and chilled. The weather was crap, steamy and wet, but I was excited about the challenge ahead.

Section 1 (The MacLehose Trail Stage 4)

Distance:12.7 km (7.9 miles) Elevation gain: approx 778 m (2553 ft) Elevation loss 441m (1447 ft) Difficulty rating is 4/5.

The start of the race was straight off a barbecue area on the main road straight onto a narrow trail. Quite a bottle neck start but since I was very familiar with this trail I knew that just a few minutes onward it would open up to a wider concrete road winding its way up to the next trail head where we would start our ascent of Mao On Shan.

I was racing with a very good hiking buddy of mine and so we had a nice chat on the way up as we set off at a pretty casual speed. The trail was so muddy and wet. The many racers in end pack, which we were a part of, had the more casual hikers with their hiking poles who were gingerly avoiding the puddles. I knew there was no hope for keeping our shoes dry for very long, so I just powered pass them as they carefully avoided the mud. My friend and I are used to mud and rough trails as we train in them all the time back home so it was easy for us to weave through them and pick up more pace.

We completed the first hill as best as we could given the conditions, then we had a more gentle undulating trail till we arrived at the first check point. Feeling pretty strong at this point and being able to move more quickly on the runnable sections, I was really enjoying it but as experience has taught me, this early positivity would not last for very long.

I kept track of my heart rate and was aware that I was pushing it up there although I wasn’t feeling it. It was most likely just the adrenaline kick at the beginning of the race. I realised I would have to try to dial it back. My legs started to feel a bit heavy and my neck started to ache a bit. I never know whether this is because I carry too much or it’s just one of those weak areas that I always feel the fatigue first because I have depleted my glycogen store on the first big push of the race . It is great to be pulled along with the other racers but I needed bring my heart rate down and find my fat burning zone.

At the first CP, they had a small nicely done support stop. Water, Pocari and coke, some Nocco drinks with caffeine, the usual orange wedges, bananas and some sandwiches. Very typical fare at all races. Only foods full of carbohydrates, none of which I could use. At this point I knew I needed some fuel, and I pulled out my small thermos container (250 ml) with cold bone broth. I made this with chicken wings, salt, vinegar and water in a slow cooker. When you chill it, it becomes like jelly, and it is cold, salty and slips down easily. I also put lumps of butter in it because that is the only way to keep the butter from melting and I know I need the fat. This is the only type of food that I know won’t cause digestive distress for me on a race. It went down like a treat. I then I filled up my soft bottles with plain water passing up the very sugar laden coke and pocari drinks that the volunteers so readily offered and headed off to start section 2.

Section 2 (The MacLehose Trail Stage 5)

Distance: 10.6 km (6.58 miles) Elevation gain: approx 364 m (1194 ft) Elevation loss: approx 623 m (2044 ft) Difficulty rating: 3/5

The next section was starting to feel a bit tougher. The trail became more runnable so I tried to keep up with my younger hiking buddy. The regrets of having gone a bit too fast at the beginning were starting to sink in. Trying to pace better and reminding myself to just do my thing, I had to try to start to get in my zone and stay on track.

Sweating profusely we arrived at Check Point 2. It was the same type of efficient support and this time I knew I needed something more. The heat and humidity up until this point were starting to take its toll on all the competitors. I decided to eat a few orange wedges. They did taste very good. I haven’t had any fruit in 5 months so it felt like a huge treat! I just sucked the juice and prayed my stomach will be able to handle it. It seemed to be a good move and I started to feel better or it could also have been because of the long and cruisy downhill that gave me a bit more energy.

The next CP seemed to come a lot quicker than I remembered which was a nice surprise. I got a burst of energy remembering my boys were meeting me at this one. I was ready for some food and more bone broth that they had in the ice box for me (or so I thought) and most importantly, good old TLC.

Section 3 ( The MacLehose Trail Stage 6)

Distance: 4.6 km (2.85 miles) Elevation gain: approx 211 m (727 ft), Elevation loss: approx 173 m (568 ft) Difficulty rating: 2/5

We arrive near the check point and was greeted by my eldest son who is a professional running coach and trail/road runner himself. He casually told me that I have just slipped into podium level in my category (Womens 51 and over). Shocked and totally surprised, I had not expected anything like that at all. Of course, somewhere deep inside, you always aim and hope to do the extraordinary on any race day but with the course being so waterlogged with the heat and humidity, I was just happy to not have to DNF. Now the tone of the race had turned. Thanks to my lovely son my motivation of the race had shifted! The new goal: to get myself on the old lady podium spot.

My boy took us to the parked car with our supplies and they had our seats and towels ready for us. I treated myself to a very cold Coke Zero. and then I asked my hubby to get me my cold bone broth. They looked puzzled. There was no container of bone broth. Oh no! I did all the packing myself so I couldn’t be upset with anyone else. I just couldn’t believe that I’d forget to put that one crucial thing in the ice box!

For just a moment I was about to lose my cool, but instead, I stopped myself and took a breath. This is where the real advantage of being fat adapted comes through. My body was feeling hungry and depleted, but my brain, fueled by it’s own ketones (the brain’s preferred fuel which are made from the breakdown of fats in the liver), was still very logical and calm. I just said to myself, ‘Well, never mind that, that’s happened. Let’s go to plan B and I asked for some hot instant bone broth made from powdered packets which, thankfully I had remembered to put in the bags at the last minute. I threw a huge knob of salted butter in it and drank it all. Tasted great actually. At this point I also knew that the orange wedges worked for me so I confidently tucked into that. I also had 2 small rice balls with my beef meat balls. I quickly polished that off hoping for the best and that my stomach wouldn’t revolt since it had also been 5 months since I’ve had rice.

We set off again, still with my hiking buddy. She was doing well but was looking a bit more weary at that last support stop. She did share with me earlier that she considered a DNF at the support stop but after a break she decided she would carry on.

For me, that support stop was a game changer. That little bit of carb in the rice balls must have filled up my glycogen stores again and my legs felt stronger and my neck pain was gone. I did unload some extra stuff which I knew I wouldn’t need any more and miraculously the big mountains ahead didn’t seem that daunting any more. I knew I had this, I will finish it!

There are 2 tough climbs in this next stage, Needle Hill, 532 m (1,745 ft) and Grassy Hill, 647 m (2,211 ft) and then a rocky descent (after all the hard work of climbing you did) to the next supply stop, Lead Mine Pass, where you start the long climb up the last big one, Tai Mo Shan, ‘Big Hat Mountain’.

We started up the first ascent of Needle Hill. It is about an hour of just endless stone stairs. I put my head down and just kept going. About 1/3 of the way up I looked back to check on my hiking buddy. She had dropped back a bit and I asked her if she was okay. She admitted she needed to rest a bit and have some food but she was also adamant that I should not wait for her and to keep going. I felt very bad to leave her, but I made sure she was okay and not suffering from anything more serious. She is a very tough lady and an experienced trail runner so I felt confident to leave her. I also knew that if she was feeling a bit tired, she would feel worse if she felt she was holding me back.

I think we both realised at this point that it was time for us separate and run our own race. We both said our good byes, wished each other good luck and a mutual ‘see you at the finish line!’

I carried on up the endless steps and realised I suddenly felt good! I just kept going up and up and I started to feel like I tapped into some new source of energy from somewhere. I knew that my little ‘cheat’ carb, in the form of a Japanese person’s favourite travel food, ‘onigiri’ (rice ball) that I had at the last check point was part of the reason, but also I think I finally allowed myself to settle into my own pace.

Needle Hill was ticked off, then Grassy Hill. There were no surprises there and I knew it was tough but I told myself, ‘you always get there in the end’ and the end came surprisingly quicker than I expected. And wow, this was amazing this late in the race.

The wet summer we’ve had this year made everything grow so thick and lush. I got up to the top and didn’t recognise it because it was so green but I saw the familiar sign post at the top and I knew I was done! Just an easy decent down to the next check point and then only one more big one to go! 

As I jogged down to Lead Mine Pass, I marveled at how confident and good I was feeling as I headed for final section of the race.

Section 4 (The MacLehose Trail Stage 7)

Arriving at CP 4, I was so appreciative that the organisers made all the check points so reliable, so I would know exactly what to expect. I enjoyed my orange wedges again, filled up my water bottles and set off straight away without a break. I headed up the stony steps and surprised the volunteers who expected all the racers to sit down and rest for a while at this late stage. They clapped and cheered me on my way.

The competitiveness started to creep in as I got closer to the finish line. I began to notice the other hikers around me and made mental notes on them. I had passed another female racer heading up Grassy Hill. She was not far behind me and also arrived just after me but then I headed off and to my relief, I didn’t see her again.

The climb up Tai Mo Shan is deceptively brutal. It seems not as steep as the hills before but it just goes on and on. Most of the very rocky terrain along trail was covered in slippery mud so you were having to climb in and around boulders all along the way. About 2/3 of the way up, the trail ends abruptly and turns thankfully into a concrete emergency access road. This is just temporary relief since it quickly becomes super steep and goes into a sort of endless switchback for about 20 to 30 hellish minutes before arriving at the highest point we will have to reach.

It was pleasing to feel strong enough to pass quite a few people on the trail. Some were from the 22 km race which had started mid way and 4 hours after our full 45 km race began. I also saw another female runner in front of me from my race who I successfully passed in the end.  I managed the last slog up the slope and finally reaching the top I pass by other 22km runners stopping and catching their breaths and taking selfies.

I started my down hill run. This was it! I just had to run down this hill to the finish. Gravity was my friend here and even as my whole body had started to groan from all the impact it has had to endure for the last 9 hours, I just ran and ran and kept running, knowing the end was in sight. I passed a few more people on the way down and sprinted, well, it felt like a sprint to me, to the finish line. It was so good to finish and I did make the podium, 3rd place in the women’s 51+ category. I received a nice token and of course the finishers medal. Seeing my boys’ faces was the best, knowing I didn’t disappoint them and completed what I set off to do.

My hiking buddy thankfully finished strong, only a short while after me. She looked good and was very happy to have got through it to the end too.

All in all, it was a highly successful day for everyone. I believe that my first race on a carnivore diet was a great success in terms of the goals I have set for myself. This dietary strategy is aimed at maintaining my health, achieving exceptional fitness, and enabling me to continue enjoying trail adventures for years to come. While it may not be an effortless path to becoming exceedingly fast, setting records, or winning races, I wouldn’t discount the possibility for anyone interested in giving it a try. Initially, incorporating a few carbs to replenish glycogen in my muscles made a noticeable difference, but once I found my rhythm, I felt remarkably strong. By making some adjustments to my pacing and minimizing mistakes in my fueling and race bag packing, (ie, just stop carrying so much stuff!) I think I can really give this zero carb thing a go. I am super happy with the result!

Recovery

Post race recovery was different this time. I normally used to treat myself to either a big mac and fries from MacDonald’s or some other burger or pizza from a restaurant. It pretty much depended on what time I finished the race and what was the closest available option. I did not make it a habit to eat junk food but after a big race I felt it didn’t matter what I ate, I just needed put some calories back into my body. I did usually end up just having a few bites and feeling a bit nauseous post race.

Before I went Keto/low carb, I finished my ultras ending up hypoglycemic (low blood sugar), nauseous and needing to lie down for a long time before being able to move or to eat anything for a few hours. In my late 30’s, after one adventure race, I ended up in the medic tent attached to an IV drip. When I couldn’t stand up after a length of time, I was put in an ambulance and then carted off to the nearest hospital. I was told after a few tests that I had hyponatremia (Low concentration of sodium in the blood). I was kept overnight under observations since my potassium level was so low they were afraid I would go into cardiac arrest. Apparently, I was severely dehydrated because I over hydrated before and during the race, flushing out my electrolytes even before I started the race. My body just kept flushing out any water and all the electrolytes. A very dangerous condition to put your body in. I was much more careful with hydration after that and was also told off by my doctor to only drink sports drinks, not just water during races.

Not the greatest advice really from a GP and was probably the start of all my gut issues consuming all the sugary sports drinks during that time in the early 2000s. Eventually I had so many problems with inconsistent energy by consuming so much carb and sugar for my training. Each race seemed to just get more difficult and my recovery took longer and longer . I was starting to feel that maybe I was getting too old and or that I just wasn’t built to do these types of extreme sport. Disheartened I did nearly give up on it all even though it was what I loved doing.

I did persevere since I guess I am stubborn like that. Regardless of all those annoying issues to my health I kept tweaking and testing my fueling till finally I arrived at Keto and then carnivore diet.

So recovery with Keto was going great but I still sabotaged it by going for the junk food after the race feeling as though I deserved it but mainly because my body still craved it.

The main difference on this carnivore fueled race regarding post race nutrition is that I have no desire or need to actually eat anything afterwards. I felt absolutely fine, just tired, a bit stiff after sitting but no nausea or dizziness. Amazingly this time, in the heat with so much sweating, I had no cramping even as I was just drinking plain water during the race. I did take a couple of salt tablets because I was conscious of missing out on my electrolyte drink in the morning but I don’t actually think I needed it. The points where I did feel bad was just when I needed actual food.

I think what carnivore has taught me so far, especially after this race, is that all I need to do is to eat clean, and simple and my body will do the rest.

It has been hard to wean off all those supplements and gels and power bars that they promote so enthusiastically on all the sporting events that they become a bit like your security blanket. You begin to feel like you have to have it to race successfully. Besides that, everyone is using them. I think after this race I’ve realised that, especially after forgetting to pack my bone broth (my other security blanket), it’s okay to let go and trust your body as long as you train smart and feed it clean.

My Carnivore Takeaways

Pacing at the start has always been a challenge for me. The excitement of the start of the event will always push me above my threshold level for some time. This will inevitably deplete my glycogen stores faster than I can replace it but being fat adapted on a low carb diet I should be able to convert protein into glucose. This is something that I need to be patient with and trust that my body will get better at doing every time I put it through a punishing race. I did discover with this race that there is a point where adding a bit of the right carbohydrate fuel can make a huge difference when the need arises. This will only make a difference if you are already fully fat adapted. It is a very personal thing and it takes a lot of trials and errors to find a strategy that fits you. I’m getting there I think.

Things I got right: Eating the heaviest meal mid day with a light meal in the evening, not stressing about the small details and trust my body, being mindful of hydration at all times, having the best support and a great hiking friend who knows you well and visa versa.

Things I need to do better: Pace better at the start, ditch the extra weight in the pack, don’t overthink things so much, enjoy and…use more anti chaffing cream.

I am still not quite there yet in terms of this carnivore journey but it feels like a promising start and I feel really excited. My body is still healing and there will still be strange symptoms going on for a while. Every race is a learning curve and a great way for me to test this new way of eating.

Carnivore is truly a game changer, but it requires full commitment and is not everyone’s cup of tea. Personally, I believe I can thrive on this 100%, so I am committed to continuing on this path. I am thrilled to have opened up new possibilities for my health, fitness, and ultra running journey.