Well, hello ladies and gents, Robert Sykes, Keto savage.com. It's a dev get special guest Alyssa McClellan on the line and she is an ultra endurance runner and she is an absolute savage. She's been doing keto carnivore here lately for her runs and she has seen tremendous success following that protocol. So I want to kind of dive in there. But we also just talked about endurance sports in general.
She has a CrossFit background. She's been in the ultra endurance running scene for a while now, but I wanted to pick her brain as far as like fueling strategies, what she does from like a prep standpoint, how she's structuring her training, what it's like from a a mindset standpoint to keep going strong when you're 75 miles into 100 mile race and just keeping the right headspace. So third, enjoy the
conversation. I got no doubt the we'll take something from it, especially if you have any interest in endurance sports whatsoever. So that further delay sit back, relax and show conversation with Alyssa. We are live Alyssa, how you doing today? Good, good. Glad to be here. How are you doing? I'm good, I'm good. Glad to have you. So I'm always excited to talk to performance athletes that are doing hard things on a regular basis and you are certainly in that category.
You got a race coming up in how how long? A week or two? Yes. So let's see, 10 days, 10 days out, I'll be doing Habanero 100, which is in Cat Springs, Texas. And it is, I believe, the hottest race in Texas. And it starts at noon, just to make it even more miserable. Lovely. And this is so so give me the give me the details on this. So this is in Texas. Are you're based in Texas,
right? Yes I am, I live in East Texas and so this race is about 2 1/2 hours from where I am in Cat Springs Texas and they have every distance really that you can think of. Last year I did the 50K which is 32 miles and this year I'll be doing the 100 mile distance. So the goal for that is I'm going to shoot for sub 24 hours. It's going to be tough, but and. This I'll get better. This is on Saturday the 24th. What is that?
Yes, it is. It's on the 24th, August 24th and like I said, it starts at noon. Just that way that that way we can just get the heat going, you know? Well, I'm. Going to be thinking about you think because I'm going to be doing a 50 mile event on that same day starting at Saturday, I guess at 3:00 and then going until Sunday the following day. But I'm, I'm doing like a March. It's like a March for raising money for veterans through the night from Lincoln, NE to Omaha.
So you're going to be going a. Little. Harder. Oh no, that's awesome though. What a what a cool way to raise money. It is pretty good. That'll get some attention right there. Yeah, we've done it, I guess four years now. And I mean, it's, it's amazing. Like I'm, I am just simply a Walker. Like I'm not the head honcho by any means, but in doing it, I've got like profound respect for endurance athletes. I mean, the first time I did it, I, I did 0 prep Rook.
I was like, OK, we're just going to be walking. I can walk 50 miles, no big deal. I walk every day and man, my feet were wrecked. I was on crutches for a week afterwards and every year's gotten progressively better. I'd I'd hope not to have near as much damage this year, but I can't imagine doing 100 miles straight That's that's no joke for. Real. Isn't it crazy how your body
gets used to it? I remember the first 50 Ki did last year in April. The next day I could not move, I could not get out of bed, I could hardly walk. And we were in Austin and there's like this little popular area in Austin, TX where you can go and see the bats come out at night time. It's supposed to be like really cool. Well, my husband made me walk all the way across town and stand there and wait for these
bats for 3045 minutes. And when we had planned this like the week before, I was like, Oh yeah, no big deal. Well, you know, like 30 miles, like it's nothing. You know, I'm used to like running 20 miles of training. Well, let me tell you, I definitely underestimated it. And then that's when my respect for the endurance and distance running, that's when it got my respect because I was like, this is different. It is, it is totally different.
And it's like, like I'm not a runner, I'm not an endurance athlete by any means. But there is because when you think about, you know, running a marathon, for instance, like people's mind often times go to fueling strategies. What are you going to do? And all that makes sense.
Less so I guess with a marathon, like I did a marathon fasted and that wasn't too bad from a fueling standpoint, But it's like all the other things that you don't really think of, like the chafing the feet, like just the. Time, that is what gets me the most.
And you know, that really just comes with experience too, because each race, like before I go out and do this next one, I sat down last week and I pulled out my notebook and just like kind of went back in my in my brain and just recapped each race and wrote down notes. Because each race I learned something different. Like don't use this waist belt and use these shoes, but not this sock. Make sure that you have like your chafe stuff in your pack.
Because each time I came in at the last race, I was forgetting to get it from my husband. And by the end of it, it was just, I was absolutely miserable. So it's just these races, just having an experience is like such a good thing. If you can, you can bring back the notes and write it down and start tweaking it. And not even perfect a race because each race is different, but it's every single one of them is a learning opportunity
for sure. Well, I've become a a big believer in compression socks and salty britches. These salty. Britches yes, I did a race. My first 100 mile race was this year and it was February and it was in Oklahoma and I'll always tell people it was 100 mile hike and it was absolutely miserable. I was so miserable that I was 93 miles in and didn't even want to finish the last seven. But my husband made me. I'm so happy that he did, but it
was absolutely miserable. But the next day I was I was on Amazon ordering as many pairs of compression socks as I can find because my legs and my feet were so swollen. Yeah, what I found, and you can speak to this much better than I can, but like when people have, because when I've been to these 50 mile marches, like the people that's like my first one going in, I'm OK, I'm going to get some cool shoes. I'm going to wear no show ankle. Socks that look.
Good and like after about 10 miles, I'm a man. That was a bad mistake because my feet were all swollen. And as soon as your feet, well, it's over. Like, that's when you start getting blisters. That's when you start, you know, wearing holes and things that you shouldn't be wearing holes in. But like if you got compression socks and you can keep that swelling down, like you're pretty well set up for success
at that point. That's one of the things I learned at this race last year, the Habanero race was your feet swell in the summertime and your shoes will not fit and you are going to be miserable. And if you're running through sand like I was, it is not a good feeling. So the next day after that race, I was like, OK, I'm going to order a full size up in the same shoes to wear during the summertime because your feet swell so much.
Yeah, no, that that that's good. I know you're an inner like involved with innovate footwear, talking about that like I'm I'm a gear and tool and tech junkie, so like I love, you know, different, different like pieces of hardware and equipment that you can use. So when it comes to shoes, I've tried just about everything. Right Right now I'm on this zero drop wide toe box kick like a minimal shoe. So talk to me about. Well, that's innovate, right?
That's innovate right there. That's what they have. They have any minimalist shoe that you can think of the zero drop just that way you can feel your foot as so many people love to feel their feet just have that spread on the ground with each step, you know, and that way you can just kick, kick that foot back and like really plant it in the ground and, and push off of the ground. And so they have so many minimalist shoes that are designed just for that.
And every shoe that they have, they're just all their shoes are made for wider feet. And I used to wear Nikes a lot until I started doing the toe spacer and put those in between my toes and really feeling how it feels to have your feet and your toes not on top of each other. And I couldn't, I didn't want to put my feet back in Nikes and I didn't want to put them back in tight socks.
So now I wear toe socks and I wear like the wider shoes from Innovate. And like you said earlier, like like the first race, you know you're like going to look cool and you're all decked out and this nap well, by the time you're like your 5th or 600 mile race in, you're like, I don't care what I look like. I don't care if I look like a dork. I'm going to wear what is going to keep my body together. Totally, totally. So did you What what got you into the zero drop white toe
box? I didn't realize innovate was that was their thing because like for me, my freaking pinky toe, it looks like it's fused to my next toe in like they they they don't have. Any yeah, that's how they overlap yeah, you need to try toe socks now with the zero drop. I personally do not like the zero drop. I wear the the more cushion innovates that have the wide base just because I'm such a heel striker that I sound like a clown in zero drop shoes and they're just not comfortable for me.
Gotcha, personally, but zero drop shoes are very still very popular. They used to be super popular back in the day. Remember when they had the the Vibram shoes like toe? Oh, I've got a pair flat shoes. I used to have a pair just because, you know, it was like the thing, but I don't know that I ever enjoyed them. I remember running like the first time I like right in like 5 miles in them and then the name of my calves and ankles being so sore just because it's so different.
Yeah, I, I tried to do, and again, I'm not a runner by any means. I, I do enjoy trail running. I like hunting, so I'm hiking a lot. But I tried to do a lot of that like pose method style running where you're pretty much running on the, you know, your midfoot strike as opposed to the heel strike. And that I think is better for me.
But it takes like you can't really do like if you're doing a trail run, if you're doing one of those like super minimal shoes where there is no cushion, like your feet are gonna just like you can't even run on rocks like that. It hurts. Right. And a lot of these shoes, that innovative shoes will have a rock plate in the bottom, which I love because that just protects the bottom of your feet, your arches when you're going over those, those little rocks and then roots and stuff
like that. Yeah, so. I've never heard of Innovate before but I'm going to check them out for sure. I've used the ultras. Ultras are super popular. Yes, they are, they are very popular in the, but you know, Innovate is really big with CrossFit and I used to be competitive CrossFit athlete. And so I, I used to wear their stuff during CrossFit and then I was like, they have trail running stuff and kind of linked up with them and I was like, they're, they just have really
quality stuff. Yeah, they always have. Like I, I never partnered with them in the past and I still wear their stuff in the past. They just have everything they make is quality. Well, I'm all about the quality. Talk to me about the the origin for getting into these endurance rings, especially if you have got the the CrossFit background like what was the what was the journey there?
You know, I stopped CrossFit in my last year to compete at regionals was 2018 and I kind of just went into mom mode where I was, you know, my my older boys, I have four boys, two older ones and two younger ones. My older boys at the time, they were a little younger and, you know, they were starting to get into sports and it was time for, you know, I wasn't enjoying CrossFit as much as I should have been, as much time as I was putting into it. And so I kind of stepped away
from that. And the next few years, Fast forward, you know, just doing things with the older boys, their sports, taking them to, you know, dropping and picking up and games and all that kind of stuff. Practice and life changed a little bit. So Cross, it was just on the back burner. You know, I just did it in the garage, but I was always missing that desire to compete. I'm such a competitive person.
I love. I read something the other day on Instagram about why we do ultras and it really hit home with me is because at the end of the day, I want to feel like I've done something. And when I found ultra running, when I completed my first fifty, Ki felt like I had done something, you know, something something bigger than what I thought I could do. And I don't know where I was going to let's see, after that first race, I was really just
hooked. And I'm such a competitive person that if I do something, I'm going all in with it. So once I found ultra running, just, you know, started signing up for bigger races and bigger challenges and just pushing myself and, and seeing what I'm capable, capable of and what the limit is, if there is one, You know, because each time it's I've signed up for a race, it's like, man, this one's really hard and it's harder than the other one.
And I know I'm going to finish the race because I don't quit. Like I always say that you're going to have to get a stretcher and come out there and get me like I'm going to finish. It's going to be hard, but each race that I've signed up for has been harder than the previous one. And so I just haven't found that limit yet. That's, I don't know if I'm like searching for it or you know.
Well, there's definitely a mindset that goes with running ultra distances like and I love the mindset component of any type of physical endeavor like I love. Me too. Yeah, with the same reason. And like I said, I'm, I'm not a runner, but I, I, I feel like with running, it is most definitely a mindset centric sport because anybody can run and there's definitely technique behind it, but anybody can throw on a pair of shoes and just hit
the trails. But whether or not you go any distance, like that's all in the head. And like for me, I listened to, I listened to David Goggins on Joe Rogan, that's my first introduction to ultra running. And he was like, yeah, I did 0 training, decided to sign up for 100 Miller and just RIP. And I'm like, man, I'm going to do that. So that's why I signed up for that marathon having not trained at all.
And in doing that, it's like when you hit mile 20 for a marathon, you've never done any running before. It's like at that point it is 100% all in the head. Like whether you decide to drop out or keep going, that's 100% in your in your headspace. And like when you see it through the completion, the sense of fulfillment you get from that is hard to put into words. Like it's just, it's a very rewarding experience. Oh, absolutely every single one
that I've finished you. You'll see me at the finish line crying and it's like you think I'd be used to finishing these long embraces by now. But each one is so unique and carries its own challenges and things that I've overcome in each race that by the time you get to the end of it, you're just overcome with emotion of, wow, I just did that. And I broke through a place in the middle of this race that I didn't think that I would. And I climbed out of that hole.
If I can do that, like, what else can I do? And it just floods you with emotions. Like it's such an incredible thing that I think every human should experience because we live where we think that we have these caps on our limits. And I used to live like that too. Oh, I'm not, you know, the caliber of athlete that I think I am in CrossFit and this is my cap is just going to regionals and nowhere.
You know nothing after that. Well, once you're in 100 mile race and you're 70 miles in and your legs are swollen, you're you're in 100 mile, you know, I mean 100° weather and you're like, you want to quit, but you have this support system that will do everything in their power to not let you quit and help you finish what you set out to do.
Like it's such a, such an overwhelming, you know, experience and, and feeling to complete something that you don't think that you can do. And it's awesome to do it with other people and realize how much we need other people in life. Yeah. To to, to do important big things. And there seems to be like a just a a mutual respect and sense of camaraderie, understanding that the ultra
runners in that community share. Because I feel like the people that I know that are runners like, yeah, everybody wants to, there's a competitive vibe, there's competitive nature. Everybody wants to win, be the best they can be. But like when you show up, everybody's pretty, pretty friendly. Like there's just a a mutual respect for one another it seems. And I think that's because, like you said, anybody can lace up their shoes and go on a run. Like it's not about that.
It's it's if you want to run 100 miles, the work that you have to put in is just respectable. Like you can't just put on a pair of shoes and go run 100 mile race. I'm sure you can. Is it going to be comfortable? Is it or is it the best thing to do? Probably not. But if you plan it and put the work in, that's something that is just like you have my respect because it's not something that's easy, like you have to train your mind and your body for weeks in order to finish and
have a successful 100 mile race. Totally, totally. So this, this one that you get coming up in 10 days, that's 100 miles. Is that is that the longest distance you've done out of whack thus far? So I did Sedona 125 and that was in May. My very first 100 Miller was just a couple months before that, the one that I did in Oklahoma. And then I turned around and did Sedona 125 in May.
And it was just an absolutely amazing experience that on the way home, even my husband loved it on the way home, driving back, like we weren't even an hour into the drive back and he's like, let's sign up, let's do it again next year and let us do it better. It was just such, it was so much fun. So yeah, that's, that's the longest one I've done. And then we've done a couple 50s in between that and I have this 100 mile coming up. I'm doing a back-to-back 100 Miller.
I'm doing this one and then I have a four week break and then I'll do Travelers 100 and that's an Arkansas. Nice. Where in Arkansas? Where in Arkansas is it? I'm not really sure off the top of my head. I'd have to look it up. But the reason I signed up for that one is just, you know, that's definitely more of a challenge than than the races that we have here in Texas. Texas. So flat. Yeah. And I wanted more of a mountain, you know, top, top race.
And, and this will give me a little bit of that experience without just going all in and like Colorado mountains and just absolutely dying. So yeah, yeah, Well, shoot, I mean, if it's in Arkansas in the mountains, it's probably up in Northwest Ogden. So where I'm at. So definitely hit me up if you're in the in the area for sure. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I'll have to give you the details on that.
I think it's, it's one that's been around for quite a while, several years, and it's one that we're just going to kind of have fun with and use as a training race, obviously, because I don't know how to like just show up and do a training race, but one that we're just going to have family at and everybody help prove and, and just have a good time. You know, they, they really are so much fun going and doing the races and have a family there and having my husband there.
And it's just, I think he enjoys it. He probably doesn't enjoy the lack of sleep, but he we enjoy doing it together. Yeah, I want, I want to dive into to that. So like when you have a, when you're doing a distance like that, you got to have a crew What what kind of strategy goes behind your, your, your prep. They're like, what are you doing to prepare for these 100 milers?
How you kind of go about from a fueling standpoint, from a training standpoint, what do you have your your, your ground crew doing? Like what does that look like for you? As far as training, I really just try to keep a really good base. I have such a good base from my CrossFit background and then I'm just, I try to be on my feet just constantly. Time on your feet is the most important thing.
I know mentally I can't get to the end of the race, and that's because of that very first $100 that I did. It really did a lot of good for me mentally, being in the lowest point that I've ever been in a race and digging myself out of that. That was such a good mental training. And so training, yeah, just try to keep a good base and stay on my feet all day, pretty much
every day. Nutrition, I have for the past 90 days actually have done keto slash carnivore and it has been the best change that I've I've made. And then preparing for the race like like all the logistics and things like that, like me and my husband just kind of go over a loose plan. He, he's really good with having things ready, if it's a looped race, having everything ready for me coming in, He takes notes for me for the, you know, to go back and look over for the next race.
He has such a great memory, you know, where he remembers things that happened in the race and that, that we can change and work on. So it's just constantly just like a, a learning experience for both of us and making sure that we're taking notes and, and just staying prepared and packing 2 of everything, 3 of everything, 2 pairs of socks, you know, two pairs of shoes, having extra clothes, extra
bottles. And, you know, and, and making sure that we always have good attitudes with everything. If something comes up, you know, it's, hey, let's figure this out together. And I always make sure that he knows that I don't want to quit. So I'm having a low moment or something like that. It's like, hey there, we're not, there's no negative talk and there's zero chance of you not
finishing this race. So let's sit down and, you know, take a moment, collect ourselves and, and get it back together and, and get back out there. So all the prep is just a lot of mental on your feet and making sure that you just have a really good support system and that you are both on the same page with what you want the outcome to be with the race.
That that mental component, it's weird because like I would imagine people would think that once you cross that halfway point, it's all downhill from there in the sense that you just don't have any negative self talk. But I feel like it's like that 3/4 in is like the dark point. Yeah, halfway is not even halfway is you're like, all right, halfway. And then it's like you're 75 miles in. And at that point you're, you're like 25 miles. Feels like it's going to take me
forever. And if you start, if your brain starts spiraling, then I mean, you've got to stop it like that. Otherwise you're going to get in a dark spot. You may not be able to come out of it. So that's why you you really is such a mental stay in positive Patty the whole time, even when you don't want to. And it is such a parallel for life too, because not everything goes our way in life. So it's like, hey, figure it out and and get up and do something about it.
When you're running, are you like listening to music? Listen to audiobooks, podcast, listen to nothing but your thoughts? Like how do you kind of stay in the right headspace? Man, I have tried a little bit of everything. I'm always like, all right, I download this book. So I'm going to listen to this book is 12 hours long. So by the time I'm done with this book, I'm almost done with this race. Well, I'll listen to it like the audio book for like 30 minutes.
I'm like, this is extremely boring, so I'm not going to do that. But now my kind of strategy with that is no music for the first several loops and just kind of get in the zone, get in the space, kind of fill out the course and fill out the other competitors. And then I will throw some music in, some slower tempo music, usually some Christian music in the in the middle of it of the race, just to keep my pace down and not get too excited.
And then I'll take my headphones out again and just listen to my feet, my breathing and all the bugs outside in the desert at night. And then by the end of the race, I'll throw on some old school rap and just like, crank it up and like, let's go. I like it. I like it. No, that's that's the key for sure. I I got a double tap on that comment you made earlier about now here lately you've been doing keto carnivore. So. So what was the? Oh yeah, yeah.
Catalyst for that? OK, so I can go into that a little bit. I was on after having my 2 little ones. I have a three-year old and a 2 year old, so they are 15 months apart. And that is extremely difficult whenever you are just married and you have two older kids and then then you're having babies back-to-back. So I was on antidepressant actually, and I was on the highest dose that you could could get of a antidepressant, 200 milligrams of Zoloft.
And I was on it every single day for two years. And I just decided that it was time to stop using it as a crutch and like, actually own up to, you know, to who I am and my thoughts and stop numbing things. And I also lost my dad very suddenly, too. So that was just a part of all the depression. And so it was time to just heal and move on.
And so I did a lot of research after cold Turkey and my antidepressant and I found so much research that I had no idea was out there about the gut and brain being connected and how keto diet has helped so many people with so many different, you know, things going on with life and, and how it helps with mental disorders and mood. And, and so my husband was on
carnivore. He had already started carnivore and he's been very successful with that two different times that he was on it. And so we just kind of use it as a lifestyle now. But so I started carnivore and loved it so much but needed a little bit more fuel, you know, so I added a few things in with keto and I tell my husband almost every day or at least once a week, you know, there's no way I could go back to eating the traditional diet.
Like I have gone off of keto just a couple times 1 during races because that's the most important thing to me is to get to the finish line strong and then just having a cheat meal or you know, some fried chicken here and there. And the next day felt absolutely terrible.
And I had no idea that my body was feeling that terrible in the past when I was having those things until I took everything out and slowly added things in. And I don't like the way my body feels with anything besides carnivore right now at the time. And that's just butter, eggs and and ground beef.
But it sounds boring, but I, I like to use food as fuel and it's completely changed my energy levels and mood in A, and my skin and things like that in, in a way that is just, to me, it's not worth it going back and having, you know, the traditional American standard diet. No, 100% agree there. I mean you, you preach the Inquirer on me on that one. I mean, I, I pretty much eat beef, eggs and the keto brick and that's my day-to-day
nutrition without, without fail. And people always ask, do you get bored with it? Do you crave sweets? And it sounds absolutely crazy to say, no, I don't crave sweets and I seriously do not. And I was a chocolate. You got ice cream eating Andy's frozen yogurt like a couple times a week. Like, and it, it never was a body image issue. I wanted to change diets or anything like that. Like I could care less about any of that. Like I exercise so much that
none of that matters. It's about how I feel when I wake up every single morning, Like and I can do a 1718 hour fast and then have a carnivore meal and feel the best I've ever felt and have so much energy and mental clarity. Like, and I'm not trying to prove a point to anybody or convince anybody to do you know if keto died or a carnivore died. It's just it works for me. And so I stand by no A. 100% so are you. You said that you've introduced carbs you know through races in
the past. Are are have you done a race with a keto carnivore without introducing the carbs since then? Yes. So I've done 2/2/50 mile races first. First one I did, I was on carnivore for a month and then one week leading up to the race I did keto. So it's strict carnivore for four weeks and then one week keto and then went to the race, started the race completely fasted for the first hour, 2 hours.
Just so my body knows, you know, that we're going to use BAT for fuel 1st and then slowly introduced carbs little by little during the race. So I'd have dual fuel. And it was the best race that I've ever had. I ran 50 miles. The last five miles of that 50 miles, I was running 88 minute mile pace like it was the best I've ever felt. So, so yeah, it, it worked for me And then the the the next race I just did a few weeks ago, I did the exact same approach and it went really well.
So very cool. What haven't haven't, what are you doing for fueling? So many, so many people ask like, how do you run? How do you have the energy to run whenever you're you don't have any carbs, but you don't have to have carbs for the energy. You know, there's other things. Yeah. No, totally agree there. So, so when you do introduce the carbs as you're running like that, that those past two races, what did that come in the form of?
So the so the first 50 miles that I tested it with, I made my own fuel and you just sit for one and things like that. I made like fruit patches with avocado and coconut oil and things like that. So avocado and coconut, I mean, that's not. Very well, I started out with that not yeah. So I did, I did some a lot. I did more fat with a little bit of carbs at the beginning of the race when I. Oh, you're breaking up a little bit. Can you hear me?
Oh, did I lose you? Like oat bars and so I'll have, I would have that some sweet potatoes. I had candy just for that extra boost. You know when when your stomach starts hurting, you can just have a couple of hard candies that you can suck on and get energy from that and. I think I may have lost you again. Literally anything I could find I was eating. I haven't ever had like any gut
issues during races. I have pretty, pretty iron gut because I've eaten pretty much everything my entire life. So yeah, pretty much anything that because the race to me is so much more important than trying to stick to a strict keto while running. I just like to do dual fuel and there's a way to go about it where you can start with fat and then glucose and have dual fuel and like a rocket. What what do you do is you're breaking up a little bit, but I'm pretty sure I heard all that.
What do you do as far as electrolytes are concerned? Hydration. Electrolytes yeah, so, so most of the races that I've done are looped races and usually the loops are between 5 and 10 miles from what I've done so far. And so each time I come in for a loop, I will put 500 to 1000 milligrams of the BPN electrolytes or swovering BCA as and their electrolytes in a bottle and have one of my bottle 20 oz just water. And then the other one will be
electrolytes. And so I have electrolytes and then make sure I take gels and sandwiches and all those kind of things in my pocket too. And I've done like apple juice or grape juice, things like that just to get that quick sugar carbs. And they have Coke at aid stations. It's literally, I don't have like a written out list of foods that I eat. It's whatever's in front of me and I feel like I need it. I'm just going to throw it in my mouth. Pickle juice. Pickles.
What do you do anything specific for like the the the prior nights nutrition? Like I I know a lot of endurance terms of like a crazy pasta load the night before. I'm assuming you don't do that. I've done that in the past, you know, when I wasn't doing carnivore and keto. But it's such an unnecessary thing for me personally. It's not necessary. I've never felt it necessary. And so it's not something I do, I'm sure. I'm pretty sure I did that before Sedona 125.
We didn't start the carnivore journey until like right after that race. And so I think the night before that race, a couple nights before that race, when not, we had like, pizza and pasta, and then the next night we had burgers and fries. Yeah. And I was fueled just fine what doing that. And I, I feel just this, feel just the same if not better without doing that. Yeah, totally.
I, I know you mentioned that a lot of people you know, are just not really understand how you're getting energy without the carbohydrates. But do you feel like the the running community as a whole is kind of opening their eyes and minds to going about it with a more ketogenic carnivore approach or is there still like a lot of. The majority of the athletes are carb focused athletes, but there are some really great athletes out there.
My coach, Zach Bitter, he's a low carb athlete and he's one of the best in the world. Has world records and 100 mile distance, has world record and 12 hour just distance. Michael McKnight, He's a low carb athlete, one of the best 200 mile runners in the world. Yeah, I've had both them on my. Punch. So they're out there. Yeah, they're they're both awesome and awesome people and amazing best athletes I've been around. And the approach is working for them.
It's just I think it's getting people to trust that you don't have to fuel with carbs in certain situations. Yeah. For sure, but it it's hard to when I post a picture of my lunch and it is a pound of ground beef, butter and eggs. Like to me, if I looked at that as an outsider and didn't know anything about keto or carnivore, I'd be like, this girl is crazy and she's going to be sick. Like, you know, that's what people think because they just don't know.
But if you do the research, you listen to podcasts from reputable doctors and scientists and things like that, Huberman, doctor Chris Palmer. If you listen to those experts on this then it it can change your mind and you know you you can't learn anything unless you try something new. No, 100%. And Chris Palmer, I mean, I've had him on the podcast and I love what he's doing with it from like a psychological standpoint, because you'd
mentioned the the depressants. And I feel like from, from the mental state alone, the benefits to be had with a ketogenic approach far outweigh the physical. The physical just bonus on top, basically. But if you can mitigate the depression and the anxiety and just the ailments of people struggling with these days via dietary interventions alone, then I mean that that's got to
mean something right there. I totally agree and he is the one that I first started listening to and I have done nutrition plans for clients for you know, 7-8 years and have always done a well-rounded balance dot. And that works for people, it really does. But there are people out there that need something different that that does not work for. And there's people out there that are on antidepressants that don't want to be on antidepressants, but they don't know any other approach.
And So what he's doing with putting his information out there and, and sharing all his knowledge like it's, it can change people's lives because it's changed mine. And like you said, the benefits of the mental clarity, the no depression, the exercise and the you know how I feel in the when I wake up in the morning, that's just a bonus like. Well, the there's. There's so many good things.
Yeah, people don't realize. I mean, you mentioned earlier about the, the relationship between the brain and the gut, but like people don't realize that, you know, like 98% of serotonin or something crazy is produced in the gut. And it's like when you look at what the average human is consuming these days and they're not active, they're not running these ultra marathons, they're not lifting weights. They're just simply going about their day-to-day.
I mean they're. And see, that's where it can make a difference. Is, is if you want to do like a well-rounded balanced diet and you are up on your feet every single day, you're doing weight training 3-4 times a week, that's and it works for you and you don't feel like you have inflammation and you're not groggy and crashing at the end of the day, then that's great and that works for you. That's wonderful. But there are other other ways
to eat them. Then then going that you know and and still having ample energy but changing like your mental. Yeah, no 100% totally agree. You mentioned that your your husband is doing like your crew work as well too. Is he doing runs with you on occasion as well? Yeah, and even at times, my husband has a very demanding job. He is a prosthetist and he makes arms and legs for people, so he
has a very demanding job. So he's up early and home late, but in the Evening Times, if he can get in, you know, 3-4 miles with me, we usually put the babies in the double stroller and head out and get up 3-4 miles in together. Or even if it's just a walk, walk, run or run, we just try to stay fit together. But he is 100% not the only crew member that I've had. I've had one pacer 2 Pacers before in the past, which are fantastic to have Pacers in
race, especially in the night. But he is my crew, yeah. And and he takes care of pretty much everything during the race. No, that's awesome. Power couple status right there for sure. Yeah, for real, he is. He makes me want to be better. So we complement each other well. How? How do you all wrangle the kiddos throughout the race? Like you have someone watched them while he's with you through the night? Or how's that work? Yes, I have my, my mom lives close by, his parents are close.
We have great friends that come and take care of the house and and the animals because we have a dog, 4 cats, 8 chickens. And then I have four boys that are three to 12 and 16. So we got a little bit of everything. So it definitely takes a village and and I've got a good one. So my mom usually watches them during, you know, races that are far or more driving involved and overnight stays and things like that. She'll stay here and watch them.
And actually this next race we're going to take them with us. So we're going to have RV and, and take them with us to the race. This the race I did a few weeks back as a training race. It was a nine hour run, as many miles as you can in nine hours on the the 5K loop. The babies were there for a little bit and it was really refreshing to come come in from each loop and see them. I didn't realize how much I
enjoyed having them there. I'm sure my husband didn't as much as he's out there and they're just wanting me while I'm out in the woods. But it it's definitely nice to to come around each loop and see family and friends and it just gives you, you know, that fresh energy before going back out. So it's going to be it's going to be fun having them with me at this next one. We'll see if they have fun.
Everybody else has fun. Yeah, I feel like, you know, having somebody just prick your spirits up when you're getting in those, those miles, especially at night like that, that's worth its weight in gold right there. Oh my gosh, yes. And like I said, my husband is like, if I'm like, this is not what am I doing? Why am I here? He's like an instant like OK, we're going to shut that down. And I'm like I'm hurting.
He's like good. Like that's what you came here to do and that's what we're doing. So did you have? But yeah, like I mentioned before, I've had Pacers in the last in the 50 mile, the BP and 50 mile race that was in Austin. And then I've had Pacers at my first 100 Miller and then I had it in Sedona. And just having the person to talk to in the night makes it go by faster and gives you a little bit of, you know, a fresh, fresh day, You know, because you're just, you're just out there just
talking to yourself for hours. And then it's like, OK, finally I have somebody to talk to. Now I have somebody that'll listen to me and check on me and make sure like you can stop thinking for a little bit because your pacer kind of thinks for you. Like, have you had nutrition? Are you drinking your water? What else do you need when we go into an aid station? Because you forget you, you just your brain is in constantly going.
And so it, it just by the end of the race, when you're, you have 30 miles left, your, your brain is fried. And it's nice to have that pacer. That's like, OK, you told me you needed this, this and this. So when we go into this aid station, I want to make sure you have it. So I've had a couple of really great Pacers do that like a. System you got to you got to run through when you stop at an aid station to just knock out like
the hit list. Otherwise you're you're in total disarray when you start running again. Exactly. I have. My husband knows what I want and need each loop. I usually text him I'm a mile out and I need this. I need Tylenol, I need more electrolytes and I need a water and a sandwich. And he's literally standing there with it in his arms. I'll pull out my empty stuff and hand it to him and we swap out and I just keep going.
Because if you sit down in a chair like I did in Sedona, there were so many unnecessary stops and wasted time that you don't know until you do a race of that caliber you have to do this year that I did it. It was a learning opportunity and and a time to take notes next year. It's like, OK, we know what we did wrong. We know what we're not going to do this year. Now it's time to to put the hammer down in work and get it
done. This time, like the first time, was putting some feelers out there and then the next, the next one is like, all right, let's go well. When you start increasing the distance, like you get just so many more variables that come to play. Like when I had Mike on last time, we were talking about his, I think we did the Coco donor 250 or something. And like with that distance, like he'll typically, you know, take a little break from time to time throughout the night to
like get a little bit of sleep. But it's like if you sleep too much, you start getting stiff and everyone's got like a different window of time that that, you know, happens in. So it's like you got to just, you know, test all these things out. There's so many variables. Oh yeah, with each, like you said, 100 mile race and a 200 mile race are two totally different things. Sedona, I never slept. I probably, there was a point that I probably should have taken a nap, but I didn't.
I think it took me 45 hours to do that race. So there was no sleep in that time. And there was, and I mean 0 naps, not a 5 minute nap, not a 10 minute nap, absolutely no sleep. There were a couple times in the woods when I was just like, hey, I'm I just need to lay on on my stomach for a second or lay on my back and just like give me 5 minutes. But it was never anything that I could close my eyes and actually
get some sleep. Now I think with with longer distance, yes, that's something that you would have to throw in there. Obviously that way you can continue. You're only halfway through with a 200 mile race when you're 100 miles in, I mean, think how much you have left. So yeah, it's a lot of lot different strategy between 100 mile, 125 and 202 fifty. All right, it it's, it's definitely its own beast, those longer races. And they just keep getting
longer and longer. I mean, I, I saw something advertised today for like a 500 mile race and I'm like, I didn't even know that was a possibility. Like people are doing that, but it's just, it's like people just keep pushing the envelope. Yeah, I saw someone post the other day that they where OK, it's time to start training for the the Monster 300, I believe is what it is next year, maybe in Arizona or Utah, something like that, one of those places.
But it's a 300 mile race. I'm not sure what it's called or like I said, where it is, but yeah, it's constantly pushing your limits. And it would be so much fun to do something like that. It's really hard to even sneak away with four kids. Yeah, for 100 mile race because it it it's so time consuming. There's logistics, there's you can't just go and show up and just run a race like they're 100
mile distance. There's planning to it is getting there, you know, a couple days before and making sure that your body is ready, making sure you have everything prepared and packed and you have drop bags and yeah, it's it's definitely strategic. So yeah, it's the 100. Maybe one day I'd do a 200 mile distance if I could fit that in. But right now I'm really enjoying the 100 mile distance. That's good, good distance for me, I feel like. Yeah, no, that's super, super impressive.
What what do you say when when people ask about like just the, the wear and tear on your body? Like, I know ultra derntiators get a lot of Flack about, you know, that can't be good for your joints. They can't be good for your your knees, your hips, your feet, like you're, you're wearing yourself down. Like, do you feel like that is true or do you feel like, yeah, that's. True. Not at all. The benefit? Cycle.
I don't think it's true at all. I did CrossFit, like I said, competitive heavy, heavy lifting, CrossFit, barbell cycling, heavyweight for 5-6 years and that tore my body down a little bit. But your body is so resilient and if you're consistent with your training, your body gets used to the demand that you put on it. Like the first 50 Ki ran, I told you the next day I I could not walk. The next time I ran A50 Ki felt like the next day I was totally fine.
And it was a very similar race with the similar elevation profile and things like that. So it wasn't like one was 16,000 feet of gain and the other one was 2000. No, it's just my body responded well because it knew this time around what I had done and how it needed to recover. So each time you add distance to your to your races or your training, you know, just your body responds to it well and, or can respond to it well if you do it the right way.
And, you know, slowly add mileage each week and recovery, recovery is so important. And you know, if not just as important as getting all that time on your feet. And that's one of those things I think that you kind of learn with age. When I did CrossFit so competitively, seven days a week, I was like, I don't have time to rest. I don't have, you know, I've got to be in the gym. I've got to do this. I can't take a day off AM and PM sessions and just not
recovering. And your hormones go wild. And as you gain maturity with age, it's like, yeah, I think I'm gonna take a rest day. Like I don't feel like I'm fully recovered. And I think it's smart to take a rest day. And lo and behold, the next couple of training days are phenomenal because gave back to my body what it was given back to me. Yeah, no, 100%, totally, completely agree. I feel like the body is just so much more adaptable and people
give it credit for. You just have to be smart about it. You have to consume ample nutrition too. Like a lot of people that are chronically under eating like they're not doing themselves any favors. You're are you tracking your macros at all? Are you pretty much just eating intuitively? I don't know. I tracked macros for so long when I was competing in CrossFit and it was just one of those things where I said, I'm done with this. I don't want to do that.
Like it's so time consuming, you know, just did a regular diet and exercise and through both pregnancies ate pretty much everything. And then, you know, ate healthy and then tracked a little bit. And again, it was just like, this is not for me. It's not like, I just don't think it's like a realistic approach to a busy mom, a busy dad. Like, you know, there's so many other things going on in your everyday life that how do you have time to track numbers like that?
Like, I just don't. I think that if you make prote, protein and fat a probability and listen to your body, then everything else will fall in mind. Yeah, especially if you're doing keto carnivore, like it's much easier to eat intuitively and hit the right numbers because your body's satiety signalling is so much more in tune with what your body actually needs. Right. And before I would eat until I was just like, Oh my gosh, I'm so full. Like I just ate a whole pizza by
myself. And then now it's like I'm like 3 boiled eggs in and I still have half a pound of ground beef on my plate. And I'm like, I can actually hear my body saying, OK, you're full. Like I'm like, oh like I don't actually have to finish everything on this plate. Like my body's telling me I'm full and I can listen to it. No, 100%. That's awesome. I'm hopeful that more, you know, endurance athletes look to keto carnivore. That's kind of. Been I do too.
Yeah, I mean, I think that, I mean, it's just healthier. It's it's better from a psychological standpoint. From a physiological standpoint, it's more, you know, native to what we're supposed to be consuming as a species. So it's awesome talking to people like you that are moving that needle forward. So by all means, keep doing it. And it's so easy to do. And I mean, it's literally eggs, beef, and but you have to give it time. That's The thing is just just like anything great, you have to
be patient with things. It doesn't happen overnight. It took, you know, 60 days for my body to come to somewhat abnormal after getting off the antidepressant and using carnivore diets as medicine. But once I saw things change, you know, that's when it's like, wow, like, OK, that's worth it. But you have to, you got to try it and give it time first. Just like anything great you have to, you've got to put in the work and be consistent with the no A. 100% agree with you on
that one. Well where do people go to find out more about you? Following are you? Are you documenting this race in 10 days? I'm assuming you're probably putting all this stuff on your social and whatnot. Yeah, I use Instagram majority of everything, you know, I do a little TikTok, no TikTok dances
or anything like that. It's basically the same thing I post on Instagram. But yeah, Instagram AK dot McClellan. I post to my stories, I post videos each day and, you know, try to help people with shown them that the keto carnivore diet works for endurance athletes. I try to show people that hard work pays off, that if you're a mom with four kids and a house full of animals and, and a husband, that you could still,
you know, achieve great things. And just trying to inspire people, you know, to, to live each day to their full potential. That's what's all about. I mean that that's what's all about. So keep keep preaching that message for sure. What what did you do to tell a tangent right now, but you got chickens and dogs. I have. Chickens. I had chickens and then I got a dog and now I got no more chickens. So how'd you kind of keep them separated?
We have a big goofy dog. We have a greater Swiss mountain dog. He's a year old, he's 120 lbs and he hasn't even filled in yet. But he's just a big goofy, fun dog that just plays with the cats. He plays with the chickens. Our chickens are free range, so we have a little area for them, but they never stay in it and we're totally fine with that. They they eat grass more than they eat the chicken feed that we put out for him. And so all the animals, the cat,
even the cats are used to them. I have a couple cats that are indoor outdoor cats and he will literally go down there and just hang out with the chickens and then go into his own thing. But we do have a hawk around here that we have to watch gotcha with the chickens. That's the only thing that gives us trouble around here is a little hawk that wants to bother my chickens. Yeah, can't be having that. We, we got a Connie Corso pup. He's seven months old now.
He's Oh yeah. And he's just growing like a freaking weed. He he's carnivore. He's eating. He's eating raw meat. And he's eating. Like 10 lbs every every month it seems. Yes, we, we do the raw diet for Packer and it's been wonderful. Oh my gosh, his coat. And like I had mentioned before, I did meal plans for people for eight years and I never knew the research on a keto or a carnivore diet and how amazing it is for humans and for your
dogs. And so one of the the biggest reasons I started doing it was when we got this dog, we committed to doing a carnivore raw food diet for him. And I thought, if he's eating this good, I need to be eating this good. Like we all need to be eating this good, not just my dog like I need to, if my dog's eating better than I am, I need something needs to change. But his coat is so clear, he's healthy.
Like there's a a book called The Forever Dog I believe is what it is. Such a great book on research with dog food and the industry and all that. Really good book. It's so weird that like, like we take our dog, you know, the vet occasionally for his, you know, normal check UPS as he's growing. And it's weird because they'll be like, oh, he looks so great. He's grown. His coat looks amazing. His teeth are perfect. Like he's so attentive.
What are you feeding them? And then I'll be feeding them raw carnivore. And then they'll be like, Oh, yeah, but you should really increase your vegetation. You should add some more, you know, kibbled food in there. And it's like, you just got to tell me how great he was looking. Like don't, don't be going back on yours. Yeah, it's like, why would I change anything? See, he had some skin issues, which were like an allergy, outdoor allergy kind of thing.
But when we took him to the vet, they said his first vet, they said, what is his diet? And I told him and they're oh, well, how is he getting his carbs? And I'm like, have you not done research that have you seen what is, have you read what is in kibble? How could this diet be bad for him? And so that anyways, that was the last time we spoke with her.
So and, and he's still on a raw diet and his allergies have completely cleared up. So and his coat is so shiny black and he is such a youthful, playful dog. It's just he's awesome. That's the way to do it. Well, I did just look up the the Arkansas Travellers, 100 miles. That's in Central Arkansas and it goes right around Lake Winona, which is a place I used to kill. It's a National Forest. I used to go camp out there when I was in high school. Super pretty, super pretty spot.
So you're going to be in a very beautiful part of the state for sure. Wow, that's awesome. You know, we used to growing up, we always July 4th weekend went out to Hot Springs, yeah, Arkansas and we would camp and, you know, get in the river. Oh my gosh. So freezing cold and and, you know, just stay the weekend and we always left our vacation, our yearly vacation in Arkansas. That was a lot of fun. So I haven't been back to Arkansas. Oh my gosh.
Probably since my junior, senior year in high school. So it's always beautiful when I was there. Now, is that close by to where you are now? It's about 2 1/2 hours South from where I'm at currently and I'm going to be in, I'm going to be in March, those 50 miles in Omaha. Oh, that's right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I didn't. I just put those two together. So I'll be out when you're here, but you're going to be in a pretty spot at least, so that'll be good. Yeah, that's awesome.
Well, you lucked out because I was going to make you start training and pace me in the race, but maybe, maybe another one. Hey, we'll do it again for sure. I love what you're doing. By all means, keep preaching the message, keep doing what you're doing, keep inspiring people, and keep showing what's possible without carbohydrates. Alyssa, awesome, awesome conversation. I will certainly link out to your profile and that people can follow along with a journey. Yeah.
Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited that we finally got this on the calendar and got it done and got to talk about some fun stuff. A. 100% Well, let's definitely keep the conversation going all. Right. Sounds good. Thank you. Take care.