Mountain Running
How personal adventure projects have improved Ryan Sandes' racing game
From FKTs to tagging 13 Peaks around Cape Town and grueling multi-day traverses of the Himalayas and Drakensberg - Ryan Sandes has learnt many lessons over the years that have made him a better racer.
"I’d rather be 30% under-trained than 2% over-trained," says ultra trail ace Ryan Sandes, talking about what sort of fitness level he would go into a multi-day adventure FKT project, such as the 25-day Great Himalaya Trail he and compatriot Ryno Griesel completed in 2018. It's not some throwaway statement but rather a deep insight into what he has learned over his 14-year-long career as a pro ultra trail runner. For Ryan, trail running has always been about adventure and throughout his career he's balanced personal projects with race goals.
Ryan Sandes during an expedition in Namibia
© Craig Kolesky / Red Bull Content Pool
Ryan Sandes during a multi-day project in Namibia
© Craig Kolesky / Red Bull Content Pool
"There are athletes who just kind of race, race, race. And that's fine, but I need to do those projects because adventure fuels me. I love going into the unknown – up the Skeleton Coast, or deep into the Drakensberg where you feel really small," he says. "Perhaps more importantly though, on those projects a lot can (and usually does) go wrong. You learn a lot about yourself through those setbacks and I've taken all those lessons and applied them in race situations over the years."
I can’t just say to you: 'Here are five key things you need to knock out the park in training and you're guaranteed race success,' trail running doesn’t work like that and that is why I love it.
You might not be about to attempt a 100-mile race or personal project, but you can apply these lessons to your own adventure activities. These are Ryan's tips:
BREAK THE BIGGER GOAL DOWN INTO SMALL, MANAGEABLE GOALS
It’s important for any novice or intermediate runner to have a goal and some kind of training plan. Goal-setting and planning helps you stay motivated. Then set a whole bunch of mini-goals leading up to the main challenge. Maybe it is to run one or two races or at least do one or two long runs before the event, so you know what to expect.
These mini goals translate to race day too and will also help give you an idea of what targets to set yourself during the race. If you can only run a 21-kays in two hours there’s no point in trying to set yourself a goal of 21-kay in an hour-and-a-half. So a few long runs before will help you set realistic goals.
Off the map: 'Just keep the sea to your left and the sand to the right'
© Craig Kolesky / Red Bull Content Pool
PLAN, PLAN, PLAN
All the planning and preparation are also super enjoyable for me. All that I have also been able to take into competitive racing - kind of planning everything in fine detail. And, analyzing everything and running various scenarios has really helped. I studied Quantity Surveying and Construction and a lot of that involved project management. That training has stood me in good stead over the years, so I’ve actually put that formal training to use! (Stay in school kids, haha). It taught me to be meticulous, to put the right teams in place and then to manage those teams against some sort of budget.
The Namib stretches for more than 2 000 kilometres along the Atlantic coast
© Craig Kolesky / Red Bull Content Pool
It’s pretty surreal running in the desert - basically out there on your own and as far as you can see just a horizon of sand.
WHEN THINGS GO WRONG, DON'T PANIC
Things will go wrong... So when they do go wrong in a race I feel like it’s a matter of, ‘cool, I’ve been here, and seen this movie, don’t panic’ because of what I’ve learned on those longer projects and adventures where there are just so many more variables. I definitely believe that the more calm and relaxed you can be in a race when things go south the better you will end up doing. I've always said it is the guys that manage their low points the best, who do the best.
Ryan loves the planning and preparation stage
© Craig Kolesky / Red Bull Content Pool
TRAIN SMARTER NOT HARDER
It's all about efficiency and getting the most out of your time. I train very race- or project-specific and the closer I get to a goal the more focused I would be on that, whether that be training in the sand for a desert project, or doing lots of climbing for an event such as UTMB. So if it’s like a multi-day project it is about conditioning your legs to run consecutive days and to make sure you peak at the right time - going into a multi-day run over-trained is almost a guarantee of failure. Where if it’s a 100-mile race through the mountains you need to be ready to go for a certain amount of time non-stop. Also, the older I get I've also realised that you need to be flexible in your training and not be shy to try new things and getting the small things right, such as dialing in running at night for UTMB.
Ryan Sandes on a barren stretch of coast.
© Craig Kolesky / Red Bull Content Pool
DON'T NEGLECT STRENGTH TRAINING
I do strength and mobility training with Mike Watson and we always do it quite periodically. If I'm doing a lot of running volume then I will back off on strength work and do more mobility stuff because if you're running a lot your hips tighten up and then when I'm preparing for a big, multi-day project I work on 'bullet-proofing' myself with strength work to help prevent injury. A project of that length you're going to gain gradual fitness (as I mentioned earlier) but it's crucial to stay injury-free, which is where the strength work comes in.
There is something really magical about vast, open landscapes. You know, complete wilderness free of all clutter. It's the only place I can really switch off. And, ask myself some pretty tough questions.
CREW IS CRUCIAL
Ryno Griesel has been with me on most big projects and events. Having that kind of stability and trust is hugely important for confidence and motivation in racing. Get your crew together and get out there!
