Final Stage Success For Local Doctor’s Global Charity Challenge
Local doctor Karl Alvarez has finished the last stage of his extreme running challenge across five different countries and environments, having returned recently from the mountain ranges of Kyrgyzstan, a landlocked country in Central Asia. The race was the fifth stage of the Beyond the Ultimate global challenge which Karl has undertaken to raise funds for GibSams and SNAG.
Although he met with a setback during the previous stage in the Peruvian Amazon, Karl has promised to return to the jungle to become the first person to complete all the races of the challenge in the shortest time.
Having run races in stunning surroundings in remote places visited by few, Karl was still bowled over by Kyrgyzstan.
“This was by far the most beautiful environment I’ve run in - it seemed remote and untouched. However, it was also very tough. For a start, it was the first time this route has been done so there were navigation issues and some paths didn’t have an easy access or exit. I’d say that only about 20% of the course was actually runnable; the rest was a mix of scrambling and hiking,” he explains.
Throughout the course he was accompanied by huge eagles and bands of wild horses. In fact, Karl says that he’d like to return here more than any other race location, either as a doctor or an assistant race director.
The altitude also contributed its own set of hurdles, with Karl’s oxygen saturation level dropping to 86% at one point. For most people, a normal reading is between 95% and 100%.
“This led to what I’d describe as snail’s pace running - it makes you feel out of breath,” he says. On the longest day, for example, he took 11 hours to complete one stage, with the last runner taking a gruelling 20 hours.
The course involved 10,500 meters of climbing and descent - that’s equivalent to 26 top of the Rock runs in five days over a 200km distance! The temperature fluctuated between 5C to 35C and there wasn’t any water available at some checkpoints due to their inaccessibility to vehicles.
He ran this race, and the two previous stages, with Kristina Madsen, a professional athlete who’s a celebrity in her native Denmark. Karl says the elite runner was way ahead of him when the challenge started in September last year but he’s been steadily keeping up with her, finishing third this time.
He explains how the training and preparation of professional athletes differs from his own: “You have to bear in mind that these professional athletes have a number of sponsors, so they don’t need to pay to enter these races or the accommodation or kit. They also get invited to training camps and train with people who are at a similar level to them. I do everything myself - I don’t follow a specific training programme…it’s built around my work and my family. They have extremely strict regimes.”
Each course has come with its set of lessons, many learnt through trial and error. The one thing Karl has taken away after this last stage is that his body can function well with less food - he says he feels sick if he eats what would otherwise be a normal amount.
“I have slowly realised that my stomach on these races works differently - I can’t just force down calories. I would have been glad to have learnt this earlier in challenge!”
Karl says he’s very grateful for a £5,000 donation from a “generous donor” and he hopes to hold a cake sale soon to boost his charity fundraising total to £10,000.
What’s next for Karl? You’d think he’d relax and enjoy his successes for a while…well, not quite! The GP is returning to Peru in June next year to attempt the jungle stage he had to abandon due to illness. He’s also planning a world record attempt on the battle ropes and the Highland Ultra in April.
From first step to the finishing line in Kyrgyzstan, he reflects on what has been an unforgettable year: “I set myself the goal of doing them all in one year, but I don’t think I was aware of extent of challenge. It was a huge undertaking, but the jungle stage was a true reality check. Over these last few months, I’ve been able to learn about myself and this includes learning the most from the worst race, and I’m grateful for that. I feel so privileged to be able to do this - these are life-changing experiences and I hope that in some way I’ve helped to inspire and motivate people.”
To continue to follow Karl’s journey, have a look at his Instagram: https://instagram.com/drk_does_btu?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=)
