This past weekend I opted to pack the car with 4 bikes, a case of Jack Black, running shoes, girlfriend, duvets and a load of high expectation and made a beeline (ok, we got lost) for the Westcoast National Park out on the R27, less than an hour from Cape Town. The Garmin Westcoast Warmwater Weekend (here-forth now called the GWWW) was happening for the 2nd time and last year I missed out, prepping for Cape Epic.

I heard about the gees, the vibe and the food. I was more interested in giving the legs a go all weekend and eating as much as I pleased, to be dead honest. The chance to mellow out and not take it too seriously, however, was a big draw card for everyone who arrived. The field may have been limited due to the park being, essentially, a museum for natural beauty, but it lacked nothing in quality. Dan Hugo, Lieuwe Boonstra, Richard Murray, etc.

Our first dinner was lovely, quiet and it was a dead heat between the beef and the ice cream for awesomeness points. These things happen. We all made our way to The Stables (not some fancy shmancy name for a resort with horses, but actual horse stables) where we rested our excited heads for a nights rest before the triathlon in the morning.

Now it’s fair to say Cape Town is beautiful. But to wake up and drive to the race with the views we had was very special. The “transition” was nicely informal and the bay was calm with a mild wind coming up slowly. In what was to become the weekend standard, a standard “Ingpen Mile” is roughly 1.2 miles. The race start came all too soon and we were in the water, swimming in knee deep azure mind blowing circumstances and I had to remind myself that this was actually a race as I drifted off the front 3 sets of feet at the end of lap 1. I lost contact with the guys there and let them go, content to save something for a bit later. I know Paul likes his courses tough.

I was about 1:30 down at the end of the swim and in 5th place out of transition, knowing I had to work hard on the bike, but content that the work I have been doing this year has been great. A greatly reduced training load (12 hours max a week this year, more or less vs around 20 a year ago, due to various commitments) meant that I would be relatively fresh. The ride route is fantastic because it’s open, there is nowhere to hide, you have to turn a big gear from start to end and really, it rewards those who want to do the work.

At halfway I was already 5min down on Dan, he was showing the work he has done on his time trial bike in the last year has not been without purpose, 3min down on Lieuwe and I was about 2min up on Nic Muhl who was riding out of his shoes at this point. It hurt on the way back, never quite sure where the wind was coming from. I had to work hard all the time and ticked off the kilometers with a beep on the Garmin.

It must be noted I have been playing with nutrition lately and have found a way to hyperload my bottles with enough calories without the drink being mega sweet, eliminating the need for gels. More on that in a few weeks once all the testing is done.

Onto the run and I was told I was 2:30 down on Lieuwe Boonstra, clawing back some seconds on the way back. Nic was nowhere to be seen so I set off on the 11km run which included sand, surf, sand, road, sand, eland and more sand. At times, the sand was roughly calves depth and I was cursing Paul in language that is reserved for the worst of the worst. I was, however, catching Lieuwe and had him at 8km. This was a new experience for me. I had never caught him in ANY race in my life. Aware of the caliber athlete I was dealing with, I tried to get rid of him ASAP as I knew he was much faster in any form of sprint than I could ever hope to be.

I, however, was burning at around 10.5 out of 10 at this point. As we got off the beach sand, I went as hard as I could up the hill to get rid of him. By that, I mean I was running flat out with little surges for about 1km up a pretty steep hill at around 3:30 per km. That was what I had. I was breathing so hard I couldn’t hear my feet on the tar. He held to the top of the hill. Then, as we hit the peak, Lieuwe attacked. I tried as hard as I could to go with him. I checked the Garmin and I was going 3min per km and losing ground. Sneaky freaking russian had me. When we hit Preekstoel I had made peace with 3rd and took off my shoes for the trot in the water. Jogging in with a smile on my dial, I finished well and in a week where there was no rest, a great result. Dan was in a class of his own I tell you.

The afternoon was spent napping and eating before more eating and sleeping in lieu of the 14km (actually 17km) trail run in the morning and the 24km (actually 36km) mountain bike ride just afterward.

For the Sunday, all I can say is that I cruised both “races” as most of us did, enjoying the scenery and making friends along the way. The chance to cruise with mates in one of the most beautiful places you will ever go was apt reward for the previous days work.

If you missed out on this weekend, I highly suggest you get entries in early next year. It’s simply an incredible experience from passionate organisers filled with lovely people and moments that take your breath away. A special thanks to Electric Ink, Gamin and Oakley for putting on the event. We`ll be back…

Here are the files…

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Image courtesy of Nick Muzik.

I recently grabbed the chance to interview Ryan Sandes. If you have not heard of him, shame on you. He is probably one of the 3 most awarded athletes in South Africa. His sport, ultra STAGE marathon running (across deserts no less) is quite niche and like a Greg Minnaar, he is not a household name. I wanted to get some background questions to why he is so good, but in reality I ended up with the knowledge that the guy works harder than anyone I know. Plain and simple. He is willing to out train every single other hopeful ultra STAGE marathon runner in the world. Period. Full Stop. #BOOM Let’s get to the questions:

1. We have as many nerve endings in our feet as in our nether regions, hence the joy of running. Runners “high” is something I am sure you can contest to. Are you more affected when running by what you feel, or by what you see, seeing as you are someone who runs in the beautiful wide.

I would say it is a combination of both, but definitely what I see effects how I feel. When running in places like the Amazon Jungle, Atacama Desert, Fishriver Canyon, and Table Mountain I am on a constant “runners high” and running up a hill, dune or through a swamp does not feel like hard work. I become like a little kid exploring a new play park and I want too see more and hence keep running. One of the main attractions of trail running for me is the awesome environment I get to run in.

2. I have a suspicion that you have an inherent engine of economy. The way you have risen to the top has been miraculous to some, but I would hope to think you spend 10 000 hours doing something to build your engine as a kid. Economy is surely the biggest factor to your kind of running. What was your childhood like in terms of (subconsciously, of course) teaching your body to run/function on as little effort as possible? How much focus do you place in your current training on economy of movement?

My Dad ran a few Two Oceans marathons when I was about four or five years old and some of my earliest childhood memories are of me running around the garden with his medals on pretending I had just won the Two Oceans! But this was short lived and my main focus was rugby as I think it is every South African kid’s dream to play for the Springboks. Playing flank at school I always had to be one of the fitter guys on the rugby field so maybe that was the start of were I learnt how to run far..

Naturally I have quite an unusual running style but it is really economical so I have not tried to change anything, as it seems to be working. I spend a lot of time on the trails getting my body used to running long distances and this definitely helps my body adapt to being more economical.

3. Your sport is so much more niche than mine. Running is the biggest sport in the world, but Ultra STAGE Race Running is tiny. A niche which you are the worlds leading athlete at. Would you move to a more mainstream version of running if the opportunity existed to improve your professional career or are you focused on your niche for the foreseeable future?

I have set myself three major goals that I would like to achieve as an ultra distance runner. That is to win the 4 Desert Series (www.4deserts.com), the Ultra Trail Mont Blanc and the Badwater Ultra marathon (www.badwater.com).

The 4 Desert Series and the other multi day races I have run have been loads of fun and it has put me on the map as a runner but if all goes well I would like to focus on running the Mont Blanc Ultra next year. This is a different style of race to what I am used to…it is a non stop 100 miler through the Mont Blanc mountain range. I see this as a progression from the multi day stage races and the 100-miler scene is a lot more commercial. It will be a huge challenge to be competitive at the Mont Blanc, but I am excited to keep pushing my physical and mental boundaries.

And then in a few years time I would like to end off with a Badwater Ultra or few…. To me this is the ultimate challenge!

Namibia Desert Race pic by Dean Leslie www.wanderingfever.com

4. I talk about solitude a lot. You seem like a guy who understands that. I have never heard you qualify a statement you have made, which is a very rare commodity. Are you someone who runs because it puts you in scenarios of pure solitude, where you may have to question how the hell you are going to make it back home, or do you find the solitude of your sport leaves you craving contact with the “normal” world?

I am someone who enjoys being on my own and in my own headspace. After about four or five hours of running that’s is when I think most clearly. Running long distances is just a state of mind… I love doing what I do and spending 7 hours on the trails is not hard work for me – I see it as play! I break my longer runs down into mini segments focusing on the present and taking in the surrounding environment… time seems to fly by when I am in the “zone” and I don’t have a worry in the world. Endurance events are all about keeping a positive state of mind and having fun out there…

5. I heard that you sleep on the floor, in tents and have to carry your own food. I also heard you don’t have water to wash your kit in and that its very rough at these stage races. Not quite Sani2c vibes where there is decadence on tap, so to speak. Tell us about the unglamorous side of your races. People underestimate how tough your races are, in fact.

Yeah these races are fully self-supporting, the only thing competitors are given is rations of water and we sleep in massive ten man army tents. To be competitive during the race I go as light as possible and therefore take the bare minimum… I take one pair of race kit so things get smelly (I am not a hit with the chix during the race), I don’t brush my teeth and I live on freeze-dried meals, smash and Perpetuem. I also don’t take a sleeping mat to save weight which has backfired a few times…the Fishriver Canyon is quite a rocky place!

6. I also heard there is no prize money. How are you funding trips, training and all the recovery processes?

Multi day stages races are really expensive because of the remote areas they take place in. The average cost of a race entry excluding any flights etc is $3 000 and my Antarctica entry is $10 000..

Most of the races do not have prize money so when I tell people I run 250km with all my food on my back and pay up to $10 000 in race entry fees I get a few strange looks… my answer is cross that finish line and you will know why I do it!!..

So I would not be living my dream without my major sponsors Velocity Sports Lab and Salomon.

Then there is also Oakley, Suunto, Hammer Nutrition, and Imazine – thanks for your support guys!!

And I have just finalised a Red Bull sponsorship – super stoked!!

7. What was your comrades experience all about? Is it a race you could see yourself competing as a contender? I heard you were rumored to be running?

I did not end up running the Comrades this year…. 89km on tar scares the sh..&%..t out of me! My race schedule got to busy and it was a toss up between the Trans Alpine Trail run or Comrades…. Comrade is on my door step so another year.

I think the Comrades is the greatest ultra road race in the world but as road running it is not my focus and I would not be competitive at it I will wait a few years until I attempt it. But I defiantly will be running it at some stage!

Jungle Marathon in the Amazon – pic by Greg Fell www.wanderingfever.com

8. What are the 5 races you would most love to do and why those specifically?

1. The Mont Blanc Ultra – it is 166km up and around the Mont Blanc mountain range and it the ultimate test when it comes to ultra distance mountain running.

2.Racing the Planet Nepal – it is a one off race next year taking place in the Nepal mountain range. I do not think you will get a more beautiful race than that.

3.The Badwater Marathon – 135 miles (217km) non-stop through Death Valley…the road gets so hot that the racers shoes start melting. This race scares me but is one of the things I have to do before I die.

4.The Skyrun – I was injured last year but went up with Salomon to watch the race. I think this race is the ultimate trail / mountain running challenge in South Africa.

5.An Ironman – I have watched Ironman South Africa for the last two years and the race leaves me with goose bumps. Seeing guys like yourself and Greg Goodall smashing the course really inspires me to get out there one day! Unfortunately I will more than likely watch it from the sidelines again next year…. But a Greg (Ed’s note: Greg Goodall is who I would consider to be my primary rival in my age group in South Africa for Ironman. His balance across all 3 disciplines, ability to focus and do the right kind of training and calm demeanor make him the most balanced athlete out there. We have never raced an Ironman head to head but have raced many other races together. He went to Kona in 2009.) vs Raoul showdown could make for some interesting watching??:)

9. In terms of nutrition, I realize you are a Hammer Nutrition prophet. They make fantastic products, but on your long weekend runs (up to 9 hours I read somewhere), what are you eating out there for that amount of time and do you ever run with music?

Yeah I am a huge Hammer fan, especially of a product they make called Perpetuem. I run for up to 12 hours on only Perpetuem and a few Endurolyte tablets here and there. Perpetuem keeps my energy levels constant with no spikes or drops… I mix it into a thick pancake batter and have some about every 20mins washed down with water.

I listen to a bit of music on my runs, but this is more so on my road runs where things can get a bit monotonous. On the trails I like to be able to hear my surroundings like a hissing puff adder I am about to stand on.

10. I am a gear head. I have seen some siiiick gear that you have had going at African X with that snazzy back pack Salomon have developed. What is the testing process like with them for new gear and how custom is the stuff you are using from them? How much do you think the gear affects your training and racing?

Going to France and testing out all the new Salomon gear was awesome. I got to meet the guys who make the gear and you see just how passionate these guys are about making the lightest, fastest and best fitting shoes and gear for the athletes. The Salomon international group is relatively small and everyone is treated like family. They have gone out of their way to make me prototype gear to keep warm in Antarctica and are also making me custom shoes to fit the exact mould of me meet (I have fat feet!).

Endurance trail running is all about comfort while running and looking after your body so that it can recover as quickly as possible. Salomon have gone out of their way to achieve this and so I definitely feel it affects my training and racing in a positive way. A Salomon athlete wins one in every three trail races around the world so they must be doing something right.

That was that.

Ryan was off to run shortly after the interview (seriously) for a 7 hour run in prep for his Trans Alps run. 7 hours??? The guy just gets the work done, which is probably his biggest secret. I would reckon its taken him less time to get to his 10 000 hour mark in this sport than anybody else, which is why he is so ahead of the competition. His training partners are there for his shortest runs only, from what I have been told.

His results are incredible and he is the leader in ultra STAGE marathon races so far in his career, in the world. Someone equated it to walking into the ring as a first time fighter and knocking Ali out in the first round. He is easily comparable to an Armstrong, a Shumacher or a Wellington. He is local, he is lekka and we should be proud of his achievements so far. I do, however, feel that they are just the beginning.

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“The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.”
~Robert Frost

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Matthew Frazier of No Meat Athlete.

Why does the popularity of trail running in the United States surge every time there’s a national crisis or period of epidemic uncertainty?

Simple answer: Running like a wild man or woman through the woods nurtures the soul.

Trail running satisfies a primal need for movement through nature, presumably left over from our days as hunters. When things spin out of control in an age of iPads and Droids, running in the woods is one thing we can count on to be pretty much the same as it’s always been.

That’s your fancy explanation. My real reason for trail running? Getting dirty makes me feel way more badass than I am.

So what does the average road runner have to gain from venturing out into the wilderness?

Two things. First, reduced risk of injury: The soft, ever-varying surface of the trail lessens the likelihood of an overuse injury, strengthens core muscles, and ultimately makes for more comfortable long runs than asphalt. Second, a rush that road running just can’t give you. It should come as no surprise that soaking in the essence of the forest results in a quantifiably-greater endorphin release than does breathing in roadside fumes.

Trail running has done more than make me a stronger, happier runner: It has made me a runner, period. For seven years before finding the courage and initiative to learn a new type of running, I ran strictly on roads. I relished the day-to-day routine of my training. But I refused to call myself a runner until I could truly enjoy the act of running for its own sake.

It took trail running to make me feel like a runner. Don’t wait as long as I did to try it. Here’s what you need to know to hit the trails safely and discover this wildly soothing side of running.

Trail Running Gear

At its best, trail running is a more minimalistic endeavor than road running. While iPods, GPS devices, and heart rate monitors have become musts for many runners, technology tends to take away from experience of trail running. Even a watch is dispensable.

Still, there are certain necessities for trail running, some of which require different considerations from running on roads.

• Clothing: The same technical apparel that you wear on roads works for trails, but choose something that you don’t mind getting dirty or snagged.
• Shoes: Road shoes work fine for short runs. If you decide to stick with trail running, however, you’ll eventually want to get a pair of trail shoes. They offer a stronger, protective sole and greater stability than most road shoes. And while the idea of barefooting on trails is appealing, it’s smart to run a trail in standard shoes first to get a feel for how sharp those rocks are.
• Water bottle: If you’re not big on drinking from streams, you’re going to have to carry your water with you. A favorite among trail runners is the handheld water bottle that straps to the hand and has additional pouches for things like keys, ID, and food. For longer runs, consider a hydration vest. Nathan Sports is a popular brand for both hydration options.
• Insect repellent: Depending on where you’re running, bug spray may or may not be necessary.
• Headlamp or flashlight: One of the coolest things about trail running is that you can do it pretty safely at night, without having to worry about cars. But for running at night, a headlamp or flashlight is absolutely necessary. The LED versions are both lightweight and bright.

And don’t forget a towel and a change of clothes, socks, and shoes for afterward. If you’re doing it right, you’ll be wet and dirty by the end of the run.

7 Steps to Your First Trail Run

1. Find a trail.

By far the best way to start trail running is to find a local group of trail junkies and run with them. They’ll know the best trails in your area and help you get started. I met my trail-running group through my town’s running club; you can search for running clubs near you at Run the Planet’s club directory.

If you can’t find a group, the American Trail Running Association’s website offers a free directory of U.S. and international trails.

Be sure to distinguish between non-technical and technical trails. Non-technical trails are paved, gravel, or dirt roads that are generally easy to negotiate. Technical trails are narrow, dirt or rocky paths offering every variety of challenge that most people associate with trail running.

2. Slow down and take short, quick strides.

You can expect to run about 20 percent slower on trails for a given level of exertion than you would on roads. You’ll find steeper hills, more side-to-side movement, and lots of obstacles to deal with. Trail running is most fun when you forget about pace and do what feels good.

Shorten your stride so that your weight is over your feet most of the time; this allows you to react quickly and maintain balance. You’ll find that trail running works your core and stabilizer muscles more than road running, so it may help to focus on keeping your core engaged.

3. Don’t be afraid to walk the hills.

The surest way to identify a road runner on the trails is to look for the guy who runs past everybody on the uphills, only to be passed again on the downhills. Trail runners know that it’s usually more efficient to walk up the steep hills and conserve energy to make up time on the way down.

4. Scan the ground five to ten feet in front of you as you run.

When you’re running trails, you need to pay extra attention to where you step. But you certainly don’t want to be staring straight down at your feet the whole time.

Continuously scan the ground a few yards ahead of you while you’re running. As you notice an approaching obstacle, shift your attention to your feet to do whatever is necessary to clear the obstacle. And don’t be lazy—pick up your feet just a little higher than you think is necessary to avoid a root or rock. Too many falls happen due to simple complacency.

5. Keep a distance of ten feet from other runners.

If you’re going to pay attention the ground in front of you, it helps if you can actually see it. If that’s not enough reason to keep your distance, trail runners are required to change speeds all the time, rarely with warning. Nobody likes getting rear-ended.

6. Watch out for slippery roots and rocks.

If you can step over a fallen tree, root, or large rock, rather than on it, do it. Lots of them are more slippery than they look. And when crossing streams, it’s often safer to walk directly through the water than to try to tiptoe across wet rocks. (You’ll avoid being called names, too.) It’s trail running; you’re supposed to get muddy and wet!

7. Be safe. It’s not called “the wild” for nothing.

You know, the common-sense stuff. Whenever possible, run with a friend. Bring a map if you’re running a new trail for the first time. Have a first aid kit in the car, and carry extra food with you for emergencies. Bring along a cell phone or pepper spray if you’re running alone.

And know the area you’re running—how to deal with the wildlife, when and where hunting takes place, when the sun goes down, and anything else that might pose a danger.

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