Seventy30zero

The Ultimate Carnivore Challenge

• Event Name: Nepal Action Asia Ultra Marathon 3 Day Stage
• Date: 31 October – 2 November, 2024
• Location: Nepal
• Distance: 83 km Total completed (approx breakdown for 3 days- 43 km, 22 km, 18km)
• Highest Elevation: 3700 m.
• Total Elevation gain: 3959 m

This 3 day ultra marathon was quite the challenge for me. I was quite confident of my fitness and trail running capabilities but the other metrics was more of an unknown. Finding foods I could eat in a foreign country to fuel my runs was difficult. Replenishing my stores each day was also challenging. Additionally, dealing with the higher altitude on top created a bigger challenge.

This was a multi-day event offering a choice of two distances. Participants could choose between 100 km or 60 km. The event was held in an undisclosed location roughly a six-hour bus journey from Kathmandu, Nepal.

The participants will be picked up at the designated hotel in Kathmandu. They will be taken by bus to another accommodation closer to the trails. We will be racing on these trails for 3 days. Briefings are held the night before each race day, with information on the route, breakfast and departure instructions.

Kathmandu

I traveled with a wonderful group of ladies, all of mixed levels of trail running experience. There were eight of us, 4 participating in the 60 km distance and 4 of us including me challenging ourselves to do the 100 km category.

The 3 of us doing the 100 km distance decided to arrive a few days early to spend some acclimatizing time in Kathmandu before the other racers arrived. We checked into our hotel late in the night and got settled in.

We were now at approximately 1,355 m. Sleep that night was pretty good but I had woken up with a slight headache or more of a pressure in my head. I assumed then that it was mostly dehydration from the flight as I had some cramping in my legs during the night.

The next morning I made some bone broth from powder I had brought from home before going downstairs for the breakfast buffet. I managed to score 2 fried eggs and then ordered another 2 after that. I also had my coffee with a little bit of butter from the toast and bread area. The rest of the food was the usual carbohydrate filled hotel breakfast buffet fare which I skipped.

I realised that I will have to try to eat what I could but I would inevitably lose some weight while I was there. The main issue was not that I chose not to eat the food available but my body would just simply reject it.

Having not eaten any plant foods for 6 months on a strict carnivore diet, I found that my body was incapable to digest this type of fiber anymore. My gut which has been rock solid happy now with my meat only diet revolted each time I had any other type of food or spice that was hidden in the marinade or sauce.

Nepali population which is predominantly Hindu, over 80%, do not eat beef. They consider cows to be a sacred symbol of life that should be protected and they are also vegetarian. They do serve chicken, pork and some buffalo meat in restaurants but they are usually curries or heavily spiced. The buffalo meat is tough and very hard to eat. We were also warned off eating meat in general in Nepal due to hygiene standards. Having a stomach bug before an ultra marathon was not ideal for anyone.

My options were very slim. I was aware of this before I left home so had stocked up on ready prepared meal pouches. Unfortunately it is very hard to find ready prepared carnivore meals so I had to make do with low carbohydrate, keto friendly meals. I also had packed, various dried meats and jerky options but knew that they lacked the fat I need. I was hoping to buy butter, albeit, yak butter in Kathmandu but there is no way to transport it in your bags without it melting to liquid. I did have some ghee in a jar I brought from home which saved me in the end.

After breakfast we decided to hire a guide to take us on a simple hiking tour in the hills outside of Kathmandu. It was a beautiful day and unexpectedly very hot but a very pleasant and stress free introduction to Nepal. Our first stop was the Changu Narayan Temple. Known as one of the oldest Hindu Temples in Nepal, dated to have been built in the 4th century AD. From there our guide took us on a 12 km relaxed hike through hills and villages finishing at a UNESCO recognised site called Bhaktapur Durbar Square. This is an ancient royal palace which housed various kings during the 14th to 18th century and it was a place that was very badly damaged in past major earthquakes including more recently the 2015 earthquake that devastated this area.

Culturally, it was very fascinating and enriching but since this blog is about my carnivore/race strategy I will have to move along.

The hike was very easy and I stayed predominantly in zone 1 of my heart rate zones but I definitely felt the altitude on the inclines. My fingers were rather swollen from the start and I felt more effort breathing during the uphill sections.

We had plenty of water with us and bought more along the way in the village shops so we stayed well hydrated. Food was another matter. We didn’t have our lunch till we finished our tour in Bhaktapur and the choice was very minimal even for my vegetable and carb eating friends. I chose to just have a black tea, which I don’t usually have, but apart from water, that was the only choice. I did have my dried pork stick which saved me but was definitely not enough.

After looking around the square for a while longer, our guide took us to the restaurant that we had planned to have our dinner. I was able to order a pork belly dish which was seasoned with quite a lot of black pepper and spices but I was so hungry I just devoured it. I also had a salty Lassi (a plain yoghurt drink) which I managed to make sure they did not add any sugar to and that was very nice.

This was our introduction to Kathmandu and it was such an eyeopening experience. I also began to fully understand the challenges I faced in my fueling strategy throughout our time here in Nepal.

The other 5 ladies joined us late that evening and so we were all together the next day to do some more sightseeing around Kathmandu. It was getting increasingly harder for me to find anything that I was able to eat.

My lovely friends in this group all knew my dietary requirements and they were all quite particular about their own varied diets and food sensitivities. They totally understood my predicament and took care to choose restaurants which would suit us all.

The next day we moved into the accommodation included in our race package with all the other participants. This hotel was closer to a 5 star and had a much better breakfast buffet. Still, the only thing suitable for me were eggs. There were hard boiled eggs or omelette to order. I chose a plain cheese omelette and I was very happy with that.

One of top benefits of the carnivore diet is that food cravings diminish and food becomes a means to simply fuel the body. As long as you give it satiating protein and fats, there are no cravings for anything else. Eggs are one of the top nutritionally packed foods available supplying almost every nutrient our bodies need. Unfortunately for me, they were not so readily available after we left the more westernized hotels in Kathmandu.

The next morning, all the participants gathered by the lobby with all our luggage to check out and collect our race bibs. Everything went smoothly as we also got to meet all our competitors and get excited about the next few days of adventure ahead.

We found out our destination was a small town called Jiri known as one of the original starting points of some of the most famous Mount Everest expeditions including that of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. This of course caused a excited stir among the participants being so close to the Everest Mountain range.

Travel Day

Our very 7 hour ‘rustic’ bus journey was extended further along the washed out roads that Nepal had recently suffered from uncommonly heavy rains and landslides that affected the main route to our destination of Jiri.

At the end we were on the bus for 9 hours. I was amazed at the patience of everyone but then this was what was expected on this type of adventure race. Toilet breaks were spaced pretty well and we had a designated town halfway where we would stop for lunch.

The only dish available to everyone was a simple Nepali Thali plate consisting of steamed rice, dhal, stir fried greens and spiced potatoes. It is a local comfort food and served up to twice a day in Nepalese homes. Everyone seemed to enjoy this fully carbohydrate dish but there was no meat available so I opted to eat my own prepacked food. They had free flowing hot water so I also managed to have my own bone broth mix and some ghee and some hot coffee, which was great for the time being.

Jiri

Arriving at our modest accommodation in Jiri (elevation 1,905 m) was quite the eye opener for some. Personally, I had no expectations whatsoever before our arrival so the sparse conditions did not bother me much. Some people were not so impressed but in the end it all panned out as best as possible. There was definitely fatigue and hunger after the long journey and I am sure the complaints were fueled mainly by that.

Everyone settled down and then we had our first briefing on our itinerary for the next day. We received our detailed maps for the two categories and breakfast and bus departure times.

Since it was already quite late when be arrived in Jiri, the choices of eating places were almost non existent so we decided to eat at our accommodation which was the easiest choice since we all needed to unpack our bags and get our racing gear ready for the very early start the next day.

I was quite hungry and knew I needed the energy for the race the next day which would be a 42 km race with a 11 hour cut off. I decided to order a fried pork dish which seemed to be my safest bet. I also asked for a plain Lassi again which unfortunately I had to give away because it was made with already sweetened plain yoghurt. The pork was okay but it was prepared with a very spicy curry flavour. I ate it anyway and prayed that my stomach would accept it.

It was nowhere near what I needed but I prayed I had enough fat on my bones to survive the next day.

Race Day: 1

In the morning after a semi adequate sleep, we got up early and set out to grab breakfast which unfortunately was very unorganised and chaotic. I had already decided that I will only start with a bone broth with ghee and a coffee with ghee. I had a bunch of supplements, like electrolytes, beef tallow and freeze dried beef liver capsules which I took just to make sure I had some nutrients in my system for the work again.

It was a hot day and even though we did not have to spend too much time at higher elevation the route was varied and quite tough especially for the 100 km category. I was feeling quite strong and we set off on a good pace but my gut was starting to talk to me. I had done my morning pre-race toilet visit but I suddenly felt the need to go again and unfortunately it got so urgent that I had to step off the trail and find somewhere to go. I lost quite a bit of time but managed to gain it back again. Unfortunately it was the start of a whole day of manageable but uncomfortable tummy issues. I guess the curried fried pork was not such a great choice after all.

We did quite well but from about halfway I had started to get that head ache again which stayed until we finally finished. It made the second half feel very hard and slow. I finished feeling very depleted. Our time was still great, I placed 7th overall that day, but I was feeling less confident about the next couple of days.

Race Day 1:

That evening was quite tough. It was already dinner time when we finished and I had to have a freezing cold wash in our very rustic bathroom. The cold water was almost more painful than the race. The menu for dinner was more of the same as the night before. I tried the chicken broth but found it was super spicy with a lot of diced vegetables. I gave up trying to scoop up the soup without any veg but gave up in the end and ordered a fried rice with egg. I felt so drained and my friends were worried since I looked so pale. That night was the worst night sleep of the trip so far. I was sure it was because of the fried rice at dinner.

We had only a short time to get our racing packs ready for the next morning for another early start. I had serious doubts about the race in the morning. I hardly slept and made a decision to allow myself to opt out of the full route the next day.

Race Day: 2

Day 2 for the 100 km group would be a 30 km+ distance with a huge elevation of just under 3700 m at the highest point just outside Jiri called Cherdung Hill. It would be straight uphill to start, with an elevation gain of approximately 1700 m on just that first climb. The 60 km group will do the same route to the top and then return to the hotel on pretty much the same route as they did on the incline.

I knew my ultimate goal was the TransLantau UTMB 100 km a week later back home in Hong Kong so I felt it was necessary not push too hard with this race.

The organizers allowed the 100 km participants to swap their distance to the 60 km group if they found the first day too challenging. I set off still signed up for the 100 km group but told myself that I will cut back and join the 60 km group back down.

The uphill was grueling and I adopted more of a subdued pace than the day before. I seemed to be doing better but was feeling the altitude. As we got higher I started to get a dull pain in my left rib cage both the front and back. It was one I never felt before and started to worry about what it could be. Paranoia got to me and I imagined it was my kidney. At the same time I was determined to at least do the same course as the 60 km ladies so I persevered. I was determined to get to the top or Cherdung Hill.

We had been warned about the 3500 m mark. This is where the organizer said we will start to really feel the high elevation. We were told if we are feeling unwell at this point to turn back and come down. I had definitely felt the shift at this point but my determination to get to the top outweighed anything else going on in my head (definite red flag here for altitude sickness). The last 200 m was one of the hardest climbs I had experienced. I did make it up in the end as did all the other participants and it was such a epic moment for everyone.

My group of ladies all had individual experiences of that climb. Two from our group had been taking Daimox (a drug to mitigate altitude sickness) from when they arrived in Nepal. The rest of us, for various reasons, decided against it. The ladies on Daimox did fine and had no symptoms of altitude sickness They still found the climb challenging but that was all. The rest of us, not so obvious to us at that time, all had some symptoms happening. I do feel that I had not adapted well to the high altitude since the beginning of our trip. The continued head pain and lightheadedness during the race the day before and the swelling of the fingers and general edema all came to a head at the top of the climb.

As soon as we headed down again everything started to feel normal and we were back doing our regular pace. I still decided I would finish early with the 60 km group and in the end the organizers allowed me to stay in the 100 km category but just gave me a 5 hour penalty.

I was very pleased to get back early, arriving at the finish line in time for lunch and having all afternoon to rest and get ready for the last race day.

Lunch and dinner were pretty much the same ordeal for me but I tried to stay off the carbs. However, I did have a pack of congee which I added to the soup from the restaurant at the hotel. I knew I only had one more race and we were done.

At the briefing that night we also found out that Day 3 would be the shortest and easiest day. The two distance groups would all do the same route. They also had to cut a few kilometers off the start since we had a few participants needing to get to the airport for flights home. With the added delays on the roads back to Kathmandu, they would need everyone to finish on time.

Race Day: 3

The morning start was super early this time. Luggage needed to be packed and ready to go since we would be picked up straight after the finish to be taken back to the 5 star hotel heaven in Kathmandu. No one was keen to travel on a bus for another 7 hours, sweaty and horrible but the idea of a hot shower at the hotel back in ‘civilization’ made it all bearable.

Despite another horrible night of almost no sleep, I still felt so much better for this last race. We started at a lower altitude and the route was mostly all gentle hills with the last few kilometers all down hill. It was the perfect temperature and mostly overcast throughout the morning, so I moved pretty fast and felt so much more energy.

After we finished and piled into our bus, tired and quite hungry, it would be another few hours till we had our lunch break/pit stop at the same village and restaurant as before. This time I did not hesitate. I was so hungry from just coffee and broth in the morning that I got myself the Nepali Thali set and devoured the rice with the dhal. I avoided the veg but I was so hungry that I ate all my rice.

Up to this point, it was painful watching all the participants piling in and out of the bus at the rest spots. Everyone was stiffening up and feeling the fatigue and lactic acid build up from the last 3 days. I was feeling quite nimble and had no stiffness or pain. The only other person who seemed fine was another lady in my group who is gluten intolerant so she is quite low carb anyway.

After our lunch and my full carb meal, the next couple of stops were a different story. I suddenly got pain in my left hip. It was strange and I started to limp. I guess I didn’t get off scot-free after all.

The rest of the bus ride was just very tiring but we got through it without any incidents. We arrived safely at the hotel, checked in and went straight for our wonderful, well deserved hot showers.

At 7:30 we had a buffet dinner with all the remaining participants for our final briefing and award ceremony. I received my certificate of completion and placed 6th in the women’s 100 km category even with my 5 hour penalty. It was a great evening and a wonderful buffet if you are not avoiding vegetables. I did not have any except more rice and butter chicken (in a thick sauce) and some braised mackerel steaks in sauce. I stuck with those two mains and even had two servings of rice. I was so hungry that I didn’t care at this point.

The niggling in my left hip on the bus had started to ease, especially after the hot shower, which was a relief. But then after the award ceremony and dinner were done, I stood up to go back to the room and my hip was aching again. Now I started to wonder if it was the rice and the lack of my usual fatty meat that was causing it. But how is it that it was so immediate?

The next day, our flight home was scheduled late in the evening so we had all day to relax and do our last minute sightseeing and shopping in Kathmandu.

At the breakfast buffet I decided I have to get back to my normal way of eating so I had my egg omelette, more boiled eggs and coffee with ghee. The hip was much better and I actually forgot about it.

We spent the rest of the day walking the streets of Kathmandu and since it was the last day of the Tihar festival or BhaiTika the streets were filled with marigold chains, colorful lanterns and women wearing stunning traditional red dresses. We enjoyed our last leisurely day of Kathmandu but then it was time to find some lunch. Unfortunately, being a public holiday and a Sunday, most of the restaurants were closed. We did finally manage to find one that suited most of us.

I ordered the ‘safe’, or so I thought, fried Nepalese chicken dish. Sadly it was covered in batter. I had no other choice so I ate it thinking this is the last day and I can get back to my own food at home. We got up after settling the bill but then suddenly I felt my hip again. I was amazed at how quickly the inflammation flared in my body after I consumed some carbohydrate.

This trip was a very steep learning curve for me. It was probably the most challenging thing I have ever done and was even made more challenging because I decided to do it on my extreme eating regime. I did wonder very often why I chose to test myself this way but in the end I learned so much about myself and all the limits and possibilities that I faced with this way of eating.

At this point I would like to think I’d have some good advice for someone who is trying to follow a carnivore way of life and also thinking of doing a multi-day event in Nepal. But the only advice that comes to mind would be to pack your own food, as much as you can but also seriously consider looking at other destinations that have better food options for a meat only diet.

I was definitely ready for the next race. Only one week to recover but I knew I had the home advantage this time and I was determined to spend the rest of the week recovering and refueling at home with the foods that my body craved. As long as I kept to my carnivore diet, I seemed to have no soreness and was injury free. My body felt ready to get straight back to training. I did need to get some weight back on after losing several pounds in Nepal but I knew that it would not be a big issue since this time I would have my own support bringing me the food that I needed to fuel my race.

I was super excited and confident for the all important race only 6 days later.