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Ultramarathons, Frostbite and Running with Wolves

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Ultramarathons, Frostbite and Running with Wolves ENT FEATURE Ultramarathons, frostbite and running with wolves BY STUART GILLETT “I could just keep going when most sane people would stop”- the secret to success in head and neck surgery? Nearing the summit of Khardung La, La Ultra, Himalayas. n August 2015 I Ultra through the Sahara (Inset) Stuart running the Spartathlon - Greece. crossed the finish desert. After a few beers with line of La Ultra - The a friend one night, we decided IHigh. A small camp of that we should do it! I really tents and cars on the Mori had no idea how to train, what to plains in the Indian Himalayas. expect or how to go about such a huge I had just run 333km in 65 hours and 23 undertaking but I gave it a go. The MDS minutes. I had crossed three mountain is a stage race, each day presenting passes with altitudes ranging from a set distance ranging from a half 3500m to over 5400m. Temperatures marathon up to a long stage of 50 miles, varied between 30°C and -10°C. I had competitors carrying all their equipment “I had endured one blizzard, endured one blizzard, stopped for two and food for the race. Remarkably I vomited five times, lost three one-hour breaks, vomited five times and found myself in the elite top 50 group, lost three toe nails. I had avoided acute eventually finishing 37th out of over toe nails, avoided acute mountain sickness and set the second 800 runners. I found that the longer the mountain sickness and set fastest time ever – not too bad for an distance I ran, the better I was - I wasn’t ENT surgeon from a district general fast but I could just keep going when the second fastest time ever hospital in Bath. most sane people would stop. - not bad for an ENT surgeon My interest in ultra-distance racing Unsure of what race to do next, I did started in 2004 where, as a lowly ENT an Ironman Triathlon - a nice morning from a district general SHO, I first read Survival of the Fittest out, but it really didn’t offer the by Dr Mike Stroud. I have always loved challenge that I was looking for. hospital in Bath” a bit of an adventure and the part that So in February 2006 I started the really grabbed my imagination was the Yukon Arctic Ultra, a 320 mile race in Marathon Des Sables (MDS) - a 150 mile the Yukon of Northern Canada. This ent and audiology news | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 | VOL 25 NO 5 | www.entandaudiologynews.com ENT FEATURE “Standing amongst wolf footprints watching the Northern Lights dancing over the frozen Yukon River at 3am is a memory that I will treasure forever” A profile of La Ultra, Himalayas. was very different; a relentless and self- adversary who nearly ended up on the sufficient race across the frozen tundra, renal transplant list due to over use of pulling a sled laden with equipment. non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs Within a very short time I was all alone in (NSAIDs). one of the most remote and inhospitable I have also been personally involved environments on Earth. Temperatures in the medical care of two other dropped below 35°C, eyelashes froze, runners during races - one with severe removing gloves for more than a minute hypothermia in the Arctic, and a German resulted in frost bite, and such extreme orthopaedic surgeon I discovered with fatigue meant that hallucinations were a temperature of over 40C under a pile common - at least I am pretty sure they of clothes during the Spartathlon, who don’t have giant giraffes up there. I could was being warmed up as he was shivering only manage periods of sleep of about (he bought me a beer when he got out of hour before the cold became too much. hospital). However, standing amongst wolf footprints My preparation for trips has improved watching the Northern Lights dancing over greatly since my first marathon. My the frozen Yukon River at 3am is a memory wife often complains about the piles of that I will treasure forever. I came second lightweight gear that I have built up over and set the European record. the years. Sometimes, finding the ideal Ultra-racing also becomes a bit equipment was difficult and has led to me addictive and I have completed many working with a specialist lightweight down other races, including: company called PHD (phdesigns.co.uk) in the trial and design of down wear, and led • The Grand Union Canal race - a 145 to the design of the Yukon down jacket. mile no-stop race from Birmingham So how do you train for such races? to London I am a head and neck surgeon, head of • The Spartathlon - a 153 miles department and a father of three young race recreating the famous run of children - fitting training around work Pheidippides from the Acropolis in is hard. I try to use my commute as the Athens to Sparta. (1st Briton) biggest part of my training, sitting in a • The Thames Ring - a 250 mile car in traffic is something I hate and I feel non-stop canal race around central much more invigorated if I have done some England (2nd place) exercise. I also do not adhere to a strict • Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc – a 100 training plan that I can’t fulfil - I prefer to mile run around Mont Blanc through tailor my training to how I feel. If it’s going France, Italy and Switzerland, with to be a nice morning, the sun is out and I’m 9600m of vertical climb feeling good, I’ll get up early and put a few • Cape Town 100 Miler (2nd place) good miles in before work! Although I do have to admit I have told a few ‘white lies’ Often people ask me if it’s dangerous to my wife about working late into order to taking part in these races. I have always squeeze in an extra run or cycle. Mr Stuart Gillett BSc, MBBS, MRCS, managed to escape any serious medical Ultimately, I love the adventure. I have Consultant ENT Surgeon, issues (I did once have a creatinine kinase made some amazing friends, visited Royal United Hospital of over 36,000 after running through some incredible places and had some Combe Park, Bath, UK. the Alps, but I only found that out as we unforgettable experiences, and over the E: [email protected] were running a sweepstake for charity). years raised more than £20,000 for charity. Declaration of Competing Interests: None declared However, athletes have died on these And there are still plenty more races to races. I have had friends admitted with do! severe cellulitis of their legs and an ent and audiology news | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 | VOL 25 NO 5 | www.entandaudiologynews.com.
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