Karl’s Challenge For Charity Hits Toughest Stage
Gibraltarian GP Karl Alvarez, who is undertaking an extreme running challenge across five different countries and environments for charity, has returned from his latest and toughest race - a journey through the Peruvian Amazon which had to be abandoned due to illness.
Despite this, the local doctor told YGTV that he is determined to continue to the next and final race and even return to the jungle to become the first person to complete all five races of the Beyond the Ultimate global challenge in the shortest time.
The latest stage took place in what Karl describes as “toughest and harshest environment” he’s experienced up to now. The savannah, deserts and even the ice and snow of Lapland were no match, he says, for the jungle.
The running conditions were dire: rivers, bogs, lakes, and mud everywhere meant that he was never dry and he often had to fish his shoes out of the water.
As the race progressed, the extreme runner struggled to maintain his water intake at healthy levels.
“We were in the very depths of the jungle running through dense paths which made us feel almost claustrophobic. These paths trap the heat and the humidity is unbearable. As a result, I was losing lots of water, much more than I was taking in,” he explains.
Karl’s extreme water loss, he says, depleted his immune system and the result was that he picked up a viral illness which hit him hard on the fourth day, a big blow given that he had had a very promising start to the race - he came first on days one and two, finished second on day three, and started day four with a three hour advantage.
“I started to feel really sick and was vomiting and I passed out for a while. When I was helped to the next checkpoint, the medical team said I’d have to leave the race,” he says.
Of course, the natural thing we’d crave at this point is a warm bed in a quiet room but the jungle stage was, says Karl, a distinctly uncomfortable experience.
“You can’t just lie down somewhere or rest your body by placing your hand on the ground - doing so would mean touching stinging nettles, thorns or bugs. Everything there eats you alive!” he says.
The inhospitable ground of the jungle means that runners had to sleep in hammocks so it was hard to get comfortable and lasting rest. Compounding the discomfort is the lack of showers meaning that you go to sleep “caked in muck” from the day’s running.
Karl, who is doing the challenge to raise money for GibSams and SNAG, admits that he took over two weeks to fully recover and get back to his intense training regime.
So how does Karl - no stranger to discomfort, adversity and extreme physical conditions - feel about having to abandon a race?
“It was tough but I’m acutely aware that I’m doing this to raise money for mental health charities so I’m keen to stress the narrative that things in life don’t always go to plan - I was prepared in every sense possible but there is always an element of luck. I’ll just pick up and carry on…my plan is to go back next year and give it another go,” he explains.
With this renewed sense of purpose, Karl is now busy preparing for his next race in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan. He’ll be running at altitudes of up to 4,000m along very isolated paths, some of which are only accessible by donkey. It’s the first time this course has been part of the global challenge so Karl is keen to get going: “It’s going to be very cold at night and very hot during day but it’s really important for me just to finish this race.”
Once he’s back in a few weeks, Karl is also planning to take part in the Highland Ultra in Scotland next year to become the first person to complete all six races once he returns to the jungle.
Follow Karl on Instagram: https://instagram.com/drk_does_btu?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=)
To support Karl, donate via his Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/drkgoesbeyondtheultimate?utm_term=MdBpg78yX
