Ultra Kraut Running

The fourth stage would take us from Kharikhola to Phakding, covering 27.5km or 16 miles while ascending 2,479m or 8,000ft and descending 1,975m or 6,500ft. Stage 3 had been a rough one for me, so I didn't know what to expect from today.

Waterfall as seen from one of the many hanging bridges along the course.

I settled into my usual spot just below the top ten front runners hoping for better energy levels and a more consistent performance than the previous day. The plan was to start slower and hope to sustain a decent pace and maybe even have some energy left towards the end of the stage to push to the finish.

The day started with a 1.5 mile downhill run followed by a 3.5 mile climb to just above 9,500ft. Nothing like it to get your heart rate up right off the bat. After that climb, I was able to get something of a run/hike rhythm going for the next 4 miles before another steep descent and ascent and a 5 mile final stretch to the finish. My energy stayed consistent and I was able to run my race.

Trying to keep up with the eventual female overall winner from Nepal, Chhechee Sherpa Rai.

When I crossed the finish line in Phakding, I was delighted to see that we were going to stay in a hiker's lodge for the night and that we would actually have access to a shower and a proper toilet, which was definitely a luxury during this race. In addition, this was a major hub for hikers and trekkers along the Everest Basecamp Trail, so teahouses were offering anything from battery charging services to meals to cold Cokes and Everest beer.

It was a beautiful sunny day and the lodges and teahouses were bustling with trekkers and Everest Trail race participants and crew. We sat in the sun enjoying a cold Everest beer while waiting for our fellow racers to cross the finish line. It was hard to believe that we were indeed in the middle of the Himalayan mountains, considering everything that was being available to us in this village.

Over the course of this stage, there was a noticable influx of trekkers, mule and yak trains alike. We were now mostly following the main Everest Basecamp Trail, which meant frequent dodging of mules and yaks. Most trekkers and porters were extremely accommodating to us racers by not only making room but also cheering us on.

I finished 8th overall for the stage, which was an improvement over 11th overall the previous day. I was feeling great and looking forward to the remaining stages. On a side note, this stage also reaffirmed my decision to start following a Vegan diet just a month prior to leaving fo Nepal. While it was challenging to stick with it, the Nepali diet is mostly Vegetarian, so that made it a bit easier. All n all, my daily recovery was great. I hardly had any residual muscle soreness during and after each stage, which I definitely attribute to my diet. An added benefit was the fact that I had dropped some extra weight as a result of diet, which offset some of the 4kg of weight I was carrying on my back.

The terrain was ever-changing.

One of the many mule trains along the race course.

Farming is always part of the landscape.

Beautiful monuments along the course.

One of the teahouses along the course.

Another spectacular monument to honor the mountains.

Beautiful river along the course that we would cross a couple of times.

Nepali single track.

Team Ambassador atop the hanging bridge near the finish line.

Wary trekkers relaxing in front of the lodges and teahouses at the finish.

Spectacular view atop a long climb just before starting a big descent.

The third stage presented the longest stage of the race, starting at Jase Bhanjyang just below Pikey peak and finishing at Kharikhola in front of a beautiful monastery atop a steep "hill". We would cover a total of 37.4km or 23 miles and ascend 2,521m or 8,300ft and descend 4,110m or 13,500ft finishing with a 1,300ft climb over the final 1.5 miles. My feet took a serious beating on the descent, which required me to finally try the taping method I had practiced prior to arriving in Nepal prior to the final 3 stages.

After spending what would be the coldest night over 6 days of racing, I woke up shortly before 5AM, just in time to zip open our tent for the first round of hot Sherpa tea. Fortunately, the coldest night was still a balmy 28 degrees Fahrenheit rather than the forecast for a teeth chattering low teens. While I was always concerned about every gram of weight in my pack, exchanging my 20F sleeping bag for a 5F rated sleeping bag was definitely worth the extra 100 or so grams. The right gear choices can make or break an event like this, not just regarding your running gear, but especially as it relates to your recovery gear in camp. I spent the 9 months leading up to the race weighing gear weight vs. gear purpose.

Most runners were wearing an extra layer of clothing as the morning air was still crisp after the chilly night. I opted to go short sleeve yet again as I knew I'd be warming up as soon as the climbing began...and there was always plenty of climbing to do:-)

View from our basecamp at the finish of stage 3.

My strategy was once again to stay within my own means and run my own race, so I lined up behind the top ten or so runners as we all tried to stay warm at the exposed starting line. Those chills quickly turned to sweat beads as we immediately started a short steep climb to begin stage 3.

One of the many technical descents with a spectacular backdrop.

While I felt pretty good at the start and was excited to get going, that excitement quickly turned into a feeling of strange exhaustion and lack of energy less than 6 miles into this stage, not the best thing to happen on the longest stage of the race at just over 20 miles. My legs felt ok, I was just experiencing extremely low energy. All I could do was slow down and hope for improvement. I kept a steady pace, but there was some walking into and out of checkpoints today. A little nudge from one of my fellow competitors, Ester Alves, after one of the checkpoints got my motivated to keep moving. I just followed her as we started the longest descent of the race that made up the majority of the 12,000ft descent of the day.

Can you say gnarly ascent?

While my feet certainly took a beating on all of the descending, I did manage to keep going. Unlike the previous 2 days, this stage had a kicker at the end of it, an 1,800ft climb over less than 2 miles. It all but broke me, especially when I looked up early on to see the task at hand. All I could do was to put my head down and grind it out until I would hear the welcoming RD and volunteers at the finish.

Prayer flags framed many of the spectacular views in the Himalayas.

The finish line was definitely one of the more spectacular ones as we climbed a long set of stairs after passing through a beautiful gate to complete the day in front of a monastery. I actually stopped before crossing the finish line just to take in the sight and to take some pictures.

This location also had a teahouse at the bottom of the hill. It was the most welcome sight during the race as my low levels of energy had me envisioning drinking an ice cold Coke at the finish, which now was actually a possibility, since I had brought about 3000 Rupees as emergency funds as suggested by the race organization. Who would have thought that you could buy a Coke in the middle of the Himalayan Mountains...I certainly did not and I would have paid them way more than I was actually charged, since I knew how all the supplies got there, often on the backs of porters and sometimes by use of mules and yak. The Nepalese people are the strongest and most resilient people I've ever met, oh yeah, and the most friendly by far.

Many Himalayan hillsides are used for farming.

The second highlight of the day, aside from the delicious Coke at the finish, was the fact that we all caught our first glimpse of Mount Everest. The namesake and ultimate "destination" of this race finally made an appearance at the horizon, snow-capped and beautifully framed by Lhotse and Ama Dablam.