tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18808256579446017092024-03-05T05:02:20.249-08:00Ryan SandesRyan Sandeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903657760255027174noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1880825657944601709.post-72716607726086648992010-09-12T11:55:00.000-07:002010-09-12T12:21:37.731-07:00Trans Alpine Run 2010 Race Report…Earlier this year I decided to do the Trans Alpine run in a mixed team with Linda Doke and use it as a big training week for my build up the “Last Desert” race in Antarctica (November). At the time it sounded like an awesome idea to spend the week running 310km through the Alps and experience something a bit different to the deserts and jungles. We finished the Trans Alps yesterday and I was right…it was an awesome week of running but it was also a bit tougher on the athletes than I expected! Running up mountains that climb over 1200 meters in elevation and then descend just has quickly takes its toll on your legs over eight days. The race feels like a bit of a blur now with lots of awesome memories, some breath taking views and a few really cold experiences on top of the snow-capped summits. However I can remember how excited all the runners were to get started on day one and then by about day four it had became a battle of survival with many runners falling casualties to the vicious Alpine Mountains - those runners that were still fighting the battle of survival were held together by tape and compression gear. Then on day eight the mood and attitude of the “surviving runners” changed to one that could feel the home straight was around the corner - these survivors were determined to cross the finish line. By 2pm yesterday, 310km later and over 13 500meters of elevation gain most of the “surviving runners”had crossed the finish line. There was a mass of emotions at the finish line with some runners shedding a few tears, others gulping on champagne in celebration of their achievements, some just relieved the week was over and others just had a smile of satisfaction on their faces.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1IoFMJ37Limg_t0m2Qi5Qmfny2_KtOXFpr57Lpb52dUokIGxCjMDRjD5yQxSqlV43JTtFqre7oRPPXjTRU8hT5SKdmRkW8KoLiNdVQm2B_VByoJOz8StPKd_xNsnTs8nKTD5-DzIhoE/s1600/TAR-10Sept-KT-9462.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1IoFMJ37Limg_t0m2Qi5Qmfny2_KtOXFpr57Lpb52dUokIGxCjMDRjD5yQxSqlV43JTtFqre7oRPPXjTRU8hT5SKdmRkW8KoLiNdVQm2B_VByoJOz8StPKd_xNsnTs8nKTD5-DzIhoE/s320/TAR-10Sept-KT-9462.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516108090523549138" /></a><br /><br />PHOTO KELVIN TRAUTMAN<br /><br />Linda and I finished third overall in the mixed team division after a few long days out in the Alpine Mountain range. It was a new experience running in a team and even more so in a mixed team. We had to combine our strengths and weaknesses over the eight days to see how fast we could cover the 310km. One method of doing this was to use a tow rope - my “training week” in the Alps had suddenly become a bit tougher ☺.. We had our highs and lows during the week but huge respect to Linda for giving it 110% the whole time. She never dropped her head once, never complained (only a few times that we were going to fast..) and was a great partner to have for the week. Linda you did South Africa proud!!!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT0FgcOOhFjnXYyR4Ug9wUwO36zk9eNcqoncLTPo_4t8y456RlIS9zGTKqDrHnLRHlAhIOUlOMGLI3P0g9wjjkFI9doXKgg02gPTUkMwF7_x2MRCBcWbVwRwSoCKh2E1HhSjKWgStT2XA/s1600/60113_10150260882725346_184041215345_14227431_1658234_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT0FgcOOhFjnXYyR4Ug9wUwO36zk9eNcqoncLTPo_4t8y456RlIS9zGTKqDrHnLRHlAhIOUlOMGLI3P0g9wjjkFI9doXKgg02gPTUkMwF7_x2MRCBcWbVwRwSoCKh2E1HhSjKWgStT2XA/s320/60113_10150260882725346_184041215345_14227431_1658234_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516106436799518898" /></a><br /><br />PHOTO TRANS ALPS<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDBVH3ixiG45oSr5QJq63GlZMwuxr4H91IaK9EeFeaXIwQYpVPmgmeE7rgKNTmFQ54wrvaxs8zt8lXsi4CiGEejL7_1HmKtaaudKjKY2aiDK1dc1-Sh1fLfbmKUgXpvNsByBtbPP3P-sA/s1600/TAR-6Sept-KT-1602.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 203px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDBVH3ixiG45oSr5QJq63GlZMwuxr4H91IaK9EeFeaXIwQYpVPmgmeE7rgKNTmFQ54wrvaxs8zt8lXsi4CiGEejL7_1HmKtaaudKjKY2aiDK1dc1-Sh1fLfbmKUgXpvNsByBtbPP3P-sA/s320/TAR-6Sept-KT-1602.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516106431702087314" /></a><br /><br />PHOTO KELVIN TRAUTMAN<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXmkJIZbq9m1D9Oj8EOWLIgsfhZk5sp_jXkakWHoJgHqOtdGk1lDWCFhacOjeLtZblORrrw2Nnevzk5c5-0-gyzuiQadM9h9mkpv4Wnu6XDGN1xFkgyF2bDuzXv6PCGj3gdeKR0kA68t0/s1600/TAR-10Sept-KT-0613.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXmkJIZbq9m1D9Oj8EOWLIgsfhZk5sp_jXkakWHoJgHqOtdGk1lDWCFhacOjeLtZblORrrw2Nnevzk5c5-0-gyzuiQadM9h9mkpv4Wnu6XDGN1xFkgyF2bDuzXv6PCGj3gdeKR0kA68t0/s320/TAR-10Sept-KT-0613.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516108096915598594" /></a><br /><br />PHOTO KELVIN TRAUTMAN<br /><br />Personally the week was a huge learning experience for me as this was my first time running in the Alps. After completing the 4 Desert Series at the end of this year I would like to give the Ultra Trail Mont Blanc a bash next year…. I have relised in order to be competitive at the Mont Blanc I will need to make some adjustments to my training and preparation next year leading up to the Ultra Trail Mont Blanc. I think I will be heading back to run Sani Pass a few times….<br /><br />Otherwise all is good and it is now all systems go for the “Last Desert” in Antarctica in November. I cannot wait to get on the boat and head to Antarctica!!<br /><br />Thanks to Velocity Sports Lab and Salomon Sports for making the Trans Alps experience happen for Linda and I!!<br /><br />Thanks to my other sponsors Red Bull, Oakley, Suunto, Imazine and Hammer Nutrition – your support is invaluable!!<br /><br />And to the team… Ian, Chris, Willie, Benita, Sally, Tara and Kelly – Thanks so much guys for all your help!!<br /><br />And to everyone who supported us during the week, thanks a million we could have not done it without your messages of encouragement!!<br /><br />Keep you posted!!<br /><br />Ryan<br /><br />p.s. Keep an eye on Linda's Blog for her race report... www.lindadoke.blogspot.com<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFiRBsU-OMLuDc8vfHgf-YyYfysf_6gNQQCduMkDm8Oxf1l4Y7KOton5W9cm3ApG5HQxQc3O0Hv7ZTpIIkcTmZLKtlA7lDknn-ATBFRm5uat9ZFuu6z8uW6whV0FzOyP5gx30p5JP0OX8/s1600/61681_10150260901680346_184041215345_14227940_6284709_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFiRBsU-OMLuDc8vfHgf-YyYfysf_6gNQQCduMkDm8Oxf1l4Y7KOton5W9cm3ApG5HQxQc3O0Hv7ZTpIIkcTmZLKtlA7lDknn-ATBFRm5uat9ZFuu6z8uW6whV0FzOyP5gx30p5JP0OX8/s320/61681_10150260901680346_184041215345_14227940_6284709_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516109044527627426" /></a><br /><br />PHOTO GRIPMASTERRyan Sandeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903657760255027174noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1880825657944601709.post-52739716543105951882010-09-10T10:40:00.000-07:002010-09-10T10:41:09.029-07:00Day 7 in the Alps - almost there“Today was the best day so far, the trails were all single track and technical and the climbs were BIG, but the views at the top were awesome. It was by far one of the most beautiful trails I have ever run along!! Linda had a small knee issue with about 5km to go and we had to stop for a bit and the 5th placed team passed us……when we got started again I noticed that both the 4th and 3rd placed teams were just in front of us. I knew the last place on the podium was ours and put the tow rope on Linda and ran like crazy….we crossed the line in 3rd place. Both the 2nd and 3rd teams in the overall mixed standings are a bit worse for wear…..so we may be in with an outside chance to grab an overall podium tomorrow. We need to have the best day of our race tomorrow – my legs feel good and I am going to give it a full bash!!!”Ryan Sandeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903657760255027174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1880825657944601709.post-2927576843967391392010-09-09T05:27:00.000-07:002010-09-09T05:28:27.206-07:00Day 6 in the Alps“We are still in 4th position after 6 stages of the TransAlpine Run. Today was another insane day of running as we have now entered the Dolomites. With the aim of wanting to run Mont Blanc Ultra Trail next year the last six days of Alpine running has given me some great insight and knowledge of what type of conditions and terrain to expect. I am looking forward to tomorrows stage as the race organizers say it is one of the most beautiful stages. Thanks again to everyone for their support – Linda and I really appreciate it.”Ryan Sandeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903657760255027174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1880825657944601709.post-38452038542217171092010-09-08T05:19:00.000-07:002010-09-08T08:25:53.988-07:00Five days in the Alps - quick feedback“5 days down and 3 to go….FAAAK!!!! 305km across the Alps is a long way, but the organizers felt this was too short and added an extra 5km on to the course today due to mudslides!!! We are currently in 4th position in the very competitive mixed category…Linda had a great run today after her stomach problems yesterday. The climbs seem to get steeper everyday and my legs are starting to hear the Alps talking to them. Huge respect to Linda who keeps powering on, she has really dug deep the last few days and I am super proud of her. The next 3 days are going to be hard slogs but both Linda and I are still in high spirits and looking forward to getting to the finish in Sexten!”Ryan Sandeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903657760255027174noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1880825657944601709.post-43497986184934448302010-09-03T08:11:00.000-07:002010-09-03T08:14:55.158-07:00Less than 24hours to the Trans Alpine Run…<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmfXXCxa2KD52sxe2IFijksNndtV97cKwyxblplxltDsUGfugRvFN6snjFgzXhCfX2Ym4Dn7JCCBh-YEDaAZo0jYu-XaV2erDWULC_lWOP1cRMh0DlkIl2ZCwZjV1UMJCxi9pbfDPKiQE/s1600/Photo+on+2010-09-03+at+13.21.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmfXXCxa2KD52sxe2IFijksNndtV97cKwyxblplxltDsUGfugRvFN6snjFgzXhCfX2Ym4Dn7JCCBh-YEDaAZo0jYu-XaV2erDWULC_lWOP1cRMh0DlkIl2ZCwZjV1UMJCxi9pbfDPKiQE/s320/Photo+on+2010-09-03+at+13.21.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512705671289185634" /></a><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Linda and I have spent the last two days acclimatising in Ruhpolding, Germany - the start city for the 2010 Trans Alpine Trail Run. Ruhpolding and the surrounding areas are really awesome, everything is super clean, efficient, safe etc but it still can’t beat Africa! We have spent the last two days going for easy runs, eating pizza and ice cream, going up the mountain in a cable car (a rare luxury!!) and trying to find a decent coffee shop – there are no Vida’s here.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">We were one of the first teams to register late yesterday afternoon and by midday today the town has come alive with runners everywhere. I have just returned from the registration & expo and the “race bug” has bitten!... I have a few butterflies in my stomach and I want to get started now… Racing in a mixed team for the first time is going to be a very new and exciting experience for both Linda and myself. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We have chatted about a few strategies and now all we need to do is start running!!..</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Keep you posted!!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Ryan</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Team Salomon / Velocity Sports Lab </span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Ryan Sandeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903657760255027174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1880825657944601709.post-87494187409325209632010-08-30T13:14:00.000-07:002010-08-30T13:31:06.767-07:00Pre Trans Alpine Run Training @ the top of Sani Pass…For those of you who don’t know what the Trans Alpine Run is… it is an 8 day staged race run in teams of two (male, ladies or mixed), it is over 300km long and on average you climb just over 2000 vertical meters per day. Runners start off in the German Alps, making their way across Austria and finally finishing in the Dolomites in Italy. I will be attempting this running adventure in a mixed team with one of South Africa’s top women trail runners, Linda Doke. Her multi day team stage racing CV is very impressive… 3 races and 3 victories!!!... (Two-time Cape Odyssey winner (ladies) and current African X (ladies) title holder.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmnmGgI5RKnZ0aCRvcYP2lWdf6i54mYgClwi8RkSf53bT7ci9s6ZkxDflE1IhLUwbFaYcnYaH2-TfoX4bEjB1h04N1W0XOz-M_wvLh6RHA3RIBvnvrBConMx2HLxlYGKi4B0LSSd0SWzI/s1600/Ryan+1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmnmGgI5RKnZ0aCRvcYP2lWdf6i54mYgClwi8RkSf53bT7ci9s6ZkxDflE1IhLUwbFaYcnYaH2-TfoX4bEjB1h04N1W0XOz-M_wvLh6RHA3RIBvnvrBConMx2HLxlYGKi4B0LSSd0SWzI/s320/Ryan+1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511301435079638162" /></a><br /><br />PHOTO: KELVIN TRAUTMAN<br /><br />Oh… and I forgot to mention we will be running at an average altitude of about 2300m above sea level, with the highest point being just under 3000m. Both Linda and myself live at sea level and we needed to make a plan to get some altitude training in…FAAAAK!! Linda came up with a master plan…. which was to train / acclimatise on top of Sani Pass which is just under 3000m above sea level. A number of top Two Oceans and Comrades runners have trained up there in the past and achieved great results. Imagine Bruce Fordyce trained up there??... Or maybe he did… but I think having Africa’s highest pub as his office, dinning room and living room may have been a bit of a distraction.<br /><br />Linda headed up to Sani Pass a few days before me as I had a prior commitment to run the Puffer Trail Run… I headed up there the day after the Puffer and to my horror the daytime temperature was just below freezing and a slow “trot” felt like a 100m dash. To make things worse there was no running water in our chalets, we only had power from 6pm to 9pm and washing consisted of boiling a kettle and bucket washing. I quickly did the math and realised I was up there for just over 7 days, the same length as the desert races I have run. I never washed in the desert and hence why wash now…. Get naked in minus 3-degree temperatures and pour luke warm water on yourself…I think you will agree with me washing was a no go!!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMAy-jaKHYx3cLYsXlZVgghx04IpG8tZM8rbE5-Ltb9NQMJtvizfAymLdR2lU0EEgR3P07uyjEg96M0rvDIJsi8c_g-8mOBQKuD1ToML3hgWbAvxRLX9vlUkqgcUyfo62EPMUiAWZwRZk/s1600/Ryan+3.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMAy-jaKHYx3cLYsXlZVgghx04IpG8tZM8rbE5-Ltb9NQMJtvizfAymLdR2lU0EEgR3P07uyjEg96M0rvDIJsi8c_g-8mOBQKuD1ToML3hgWbAvxRLX9vlUkqgcUyfo62EPMUiAWZwRZk/s320/Ryan+3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511302484958610562" /></a><br /><br />PHOTO: KELVIN TRAUTMAN<br /><br />The positive about being up there is the place is a heaven for trail running at altitude… I will be back but with a camping shower of some sorts. The food was awesome and the hot chocolate up there tasted better than a Vida coffee. I was in recovery mode from the Puffer and my daily runs were not much longer than an hour and so I got to spend a lot of time in Africa’s highest pub chatting to the passing travelers. Roger who runs Sani Top Chalets for his brother was too funny… the day after Linda arrived Roger decided to have a smoke break half way up the Sani Pass. It was very kind of him to be considerate enough not to smoke in his brothers Landrover, but when stopping for his smoke break he forgot to pull the hand break up… Sani Pass 1 – Landrover 0 (write off). I would have loved to be a fly on the wall when Roger phoned is brother with the “bad” news!<br /><br />On a more serious note I think Linda and I have really benefited from training on top of Sani Pass. Ideally we need another week up there but I think we are well prepared for the Alps. I can see Linda is transforming into race mode and we both can’t wait to board the plane for Munich, Germany tomorrow night.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibu0DfbGSxdzKta5LFYabV59wBE7tbk30hokpzfXhFiNp3UgWJWW8iVOixFHAar7lrGPL-7isb3h-PJay8GIy3lxEyI1ROU_XoXBXIdettRlkYuqrVJe4JFNLmxgEQfn77yjIQUbfngKY/s1600/Ryan+2.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibu0DfbGSxdzKta5LFYabV59wBE7tbk30hokpzfXhFiNp3UgWJWW8iVOixFHAar7lrGPL-7isb3h-PJay8GIy3lxEyI1ROU_XoXBXIdettRlkYuqrVJe4JFNLmxgEQfn77yjIQUbfngKY/s320/Ryan+2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511302469922046530" /></a><br /><br />PHOTO: KELVIN TRAUTMAN<br /><br />For more info go to:<br /><br />www.transalpine-run.com<br /><br />or<br /><br />www.lindadoke.blogspot.com<br /><br />About to land in Cape Town so chat later…<br /><br />I will keep you posted on our Alps Adventure!<br /><br />Cheers<br />Ryan<br /><br />Team Salomon / Velocity Sports LabRyan Sandeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903657760255027174noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1880825657944601709.post-75654669652265823242010-08-25T01:00:00.000-07:002010-08-25T01:01:31.416-07:00Puffer Trail Run Race ReportThe day started with my alarm clock sounding a 2:30am. I jumped out of bed and looked out the window to check the weather. Faaaak...it was blowing a gale and the rain was pouring down. These were not ideal conditions for running the Puffer but I was ampt to get to the start line and get the show on the road. <br /><br />I got to Cape Point just in time to catch the 5am bus to the start. There was a deadly silence on the bus and all I could hear was my heart beating and the gale force North Wester that we would be running straight into. The rest was a nervous blur and at 5:30am the start gun sounded and we were off…<br /><br />Nick de Beer, Ake (Hout Bay Trail Challenge winner) and I took the early lead. We ran in a tight group trying to get some shelter from the gale force gusts of wind that once or twice nearly blew me off my feet. As we came out of the reserve Nick put about a 50 second gap into Ake and myself and looked very comfortable on the tar section of the race -this came as no surprise as he had run a 6hour 12min Comrades earlier this year….FAAAAKING FAST!!<br /><br />At the top of Red Hill we turned onto the trails and immediately I felt and home. My legs felt like compressed coil springs waiting to explode and soon I found myself on Nick’s heals. I looked back and Ake was nowhere to be seen. I felt really comfortable and pushed hard on all the hills up to Constantia Neck (55km mark). The gusts of wind were still really strong but luckily there was not much rain. Running into Constantia Neck I realized I was on record pace and if I had a good run over the mountain a sub 7 hour Puffer was on the cards.. The support at Constantia Neck was awesome but I got the unfortunate news we were getting diverted around the mountains due to the harsh weather conditions.<br /><br />I headed off around the mountain knowing I just had to keep a steady pace and the race was in the bag. I knew the contour path (route we were diverted along) backwards and still felt relatively strong…except for the stair section – that hurt!! Just before turning onto Tafelberg road the wind picked up again and it felt like I was running backwards in slow motion. The 70km’s of running had caught up to me… I started to hurt and was not a happy camper running along Tafelberg Road. The visibility was really bad running up Plateklip and I took a wrong turn….and suddenly realised I was nearly back on Tafelberg Road. My worst nightmare had come true and I thought I had thrown the race away! I ran, scrambled and crawled in a panicked frenzy back up to the contour path. My adrenalin was pumping and I was not tired anymore. I saw Owen Middleton on the path (taking photographs) and he confirmed I was still in the lead -that brought an instant feeling of relief and smile to my face. <br /><br />I had about 8km to go and realized a sub 7 hour Puffer was still on. I increased the tempo on the last few Km’s and crossed the finish line at Ferryman’s in the Waterfront in just over 6hours and 57mins. I was super stoked and also relieved (felt the pressure big time the week leading up the race) to have won the race known as the “Comrades” of trail running. I will have to give it another bash someday and go over the mountain!<br />Well done to all Puffer Runners, Eric for winning the Tuffer Puffer and to Karoline for winning the women’s race. Note Karoline and myself are both coached by Ian Waddell… Thanks Ian!!<br /><br />Thanks to the organisers, Serena and Martin for putting on an awesome event!!<br /><br />Thanks to my sponsors whom this would not be possible without:<br /><br />Velocity Sports Lab – Trevor there are no words to describe what you have done for me!!<br />Salomon – You guys are like family.. (Brothers and sisters from another mother!!)<br />Red Bull – That E shot with 6km to go was the bomb!! <br />Oakley – No matter how misty and gloomy conditions got…life was still bright through my Oakley’s!!<br />Imazine – My green and yellow arm bands once again helped me cross the finish line feeling strong….maybe these arm bands radiate EPO<br />Hammer Nutrition – Perpetuem…I don’t need to say anything more!! <br />Suunto – My T6c gave me accurate running pace and timing along the whole route… a must for keeping a constant rhythm!!<br /><br />A huge thanks to Big Steve (your support over the last two years has been massive – respect dude!!) and Vanessa for seconding me along the route (thanks babe!!) – I could not have finished the Puffer without you guys!! Thanks so much!!<br /><br />Cas and Pi your company along the route was awesome – things can get a bit lonely running 80km on your own. Thanks dudes!!<br /><br />Off for a light jog now on Sani Pass…. some recovery and prep for the Trans Alpine run in two weeks.<br /><br />Have a look at my running partner for the Trans Alps, Linda Doke’s blog: www.lindadoke.blogspot.com<br /><br />Thanks for all your support!!<br /><br />RyanRyan Sandeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903657760255027174noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1880825657944601709.post-61014113885528590392010-06-16T03:10:00.000-07:002010-06-16T03:27:46.554-07:00World champs and JAG hosts first-ever running camp for inner city kids<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJgVTLUbAF8EwcR9eBrhdNbPswpuTyY1e9J5Ro0juHgX61cBeeyIeKBnG_q2LGbhMMXgBffIclyADkSG-jYCFHaH_WKD7mVmue4KpYkkHfjhB9xs0j44kiSDQfVwNbWpI7IzCiXFx0Kd8/s1600/_MG_0904-1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJgVTLUbAF8EwcR9eBrhdNbPswpuTyY1e9J5Ro0juHgX61cBeeyIeKBnG_q2LGbhMMXgBffIclyADkSG-jYCFHaH_WKD7mVmue4KpYkkHfjhB9xs0j44kiSDQfVwNbWpI7IzCiXFx0Kd8/s320/_MG_0904-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483313978027020258" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6z7PyqNMcizOlUK9PnWLjJK-_EWfnChkGlyCDnZDddfSfgg8XcWe7LEA7dOb7AljuXwGnffnhxbI2jIxjfnkxSj9kjn38AfgSZszxveu_SNFXf_JbmHLYrqCeHheYdaeVlaHMRWk1iQ/s1600/_MG_0840.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6z7PyqNMcizOlUK9PnWLjJK-_EWfnChkGlyCDnZDddfSfgg8XcWe7LEA7dOb7AljuXwGnffnhxbI2jIxjfnkxSj9kjn38AfgSZszxveu_SNFXf_JbmHLYrqCeHheYdaeVlaHMRWk1iQ/s320/_MG_0840.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483313473343154722" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:11px;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; line-height: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;"><br /><br />PHOTOS JACQUES MARAIS<br /><br />Together with world renowned extreme athletes Ryan Sandes and Tatum Prins, the JAG Foundation recently hosted its first-ever running camp. Held at the Chrysalis Academy in Tokai, 26 children from the ProNutro JAGRunners programme, a running initiative implemented by the JAG Foundation to empower and equip youth in disadvantaged communities in the Western Cape, had the privilege of attending a trail running camp with world class athletes. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; line-height: 16px; "><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=" line-height: 16px; font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; line-height: 16px; "><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=" line-height: 16px; font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">Known as the world’s best ultra marathon runner, Ryan Sandes has become a household name within the global sports fraternity whilst fellow athlete Tatum Prins is known internationally as a top adventure racer – both leading athletes in their respective disciplines, Sandes and Prins have a desire to see talented youngsters achieve through sports.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; line-height: 16px; "><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=" line-height: 16px; font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; line-height: 16px; "><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=" line-height: 16px; font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">The camp was made possible thanks to a generous sponsorship from Salomon and Velocity Sports Lab in partnership with the JAG Sports and Education Foundation. </span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style=" line-height: 16px; font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">Each of the 26 children were given a goody bag with kit and shoes from Salomon and Velocity Sports Lab, watches and bands from Imazine and the all important headlamps for their late night run from Black Diamond.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; line-height: 16px; "><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=" line-height: 16px; font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; line-height: 16px; "><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=" line-height: 16px; font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">Starting on the first day of the Soccer World Cup our young runners did not miss out on all the soccer excitement. Ryan and Tatum created a very clever treasure hunt around the soccer theme to kick the camp off, followed by the children watching the opening Bafana match against Mexico.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp5vLxidf8fklainD371eW5qDKJteuomV_iucmeFfIRYZ4ZN-25jI8QWdNLe6RQzSTldsPIb8pno_4gT0pqOQ3ig6bDYrv8JEP9LgTBHdU4L5rxhhn2U_6ZtHfgjwyXUSOxLNQrOQ7LRE/s1600/_MG_2134.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp5vLxidf8fklainD371eW5qDKJteuomV_iucmeFfIRYZ4ZN-25jI8QWdNLe6RQzSTldsPIb8pno_4gT0pqOQ3ig6bDYrv8JEP9LgTBHdU4L5rxhhn2U_6ZtHfgjwyXUSOxLNQrOQ7LRE/s320/_MG_2134.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483314606890550818" /></a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; line-height: 16px; "><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=" line-height: 16px; font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; line-height: 16px; "><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style=" line-height: 16px; font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;"><br /><br />PHOTO JACQUES MARAIS<br /><br />On Saturday Ryan took the kids on a 22km run/ hike up to the mast on the Constantiaberg Mountain in Tokai as a team work exercise. Ryan and Tatum split the kids into groups – each aptly named after the Group-A soccer teams – with each team having to work together and more importantly stay together on their run up the mountain. “It was great to see how the kids worked as a team on this run, we had the stronger guys helping the smaller girls, everyone focused on their strengths and not their weaknesses,” says Ryan.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; line-height: 16px; "><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style=" line-height: 16px; font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; line-height: 16px; "><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style=" line-height: 16px; font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">“Many of the runners have not gone further than 5km previously so it was a great achievement for all of them to run 22km on a trail and over tough mountain climbs. Even though you cold see that at times a lot of them were struggling not once did they want to give up. They showed a tremendous courage and a team spirit, which is what the ProNutro JAGRunners programme is set to achieve.” says Kathleen Shuttleworth, ProNutro JAG runners programme manager.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; line-height: 16px; "><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style=" line-height: 16px; font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; line-height: 16px; "><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=" line-height: 16px; font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">Tatum’s knowledge of the mountains and her experience in the adventure sports industry added a great twist into all the activities set out for the kids and made them that much more exciting and challenging. “</span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style=" line-height: 16px; font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">It was a real “feel good” weekend. We had a load of fun and a 1000 laughs! No shortage of good humour in that group or talent for that matter,” says Tatum.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; line-height: 16px; "><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style=" line-height: 16px; font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; line-height: 16px; "><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style=" line-height: 16px; font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">On Sunday morning children were split into two groups headed by Ryan and Tatum for the 10km trail challenge. The faster group lead the pack by marking the route for the slower group which had to find the markers and get to the finish on time. The camp finished with a feedback session from the kids themselves. What stood out the most for the majority of the kids was the team work and learning to work together and help each other.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; line-height: 16px; "><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style=" line-height: 16px; font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; line-height: 16px; "><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style=" line-height: 16px; font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">The camp was a phenomenal success and had highlighted the simple power of sport in creating the change in young people’s lives. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; line-height: 16px; "><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style=" line-height: 16px; font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; line-height: 16px; "><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style=" line-height: 16px; font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;"> </span></span></p></span>Ryan Sandeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903657760255027174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1880825657944601709.post-80355212187734078342010-05-09T23:45:00.000-07:002010-05-10T01:06:05.355-07:00African X - 3 Day Trail Race (2 Day this year - Bad Weather)African x = 3 days of trail running (day 1 = 25km day 2 = 42 km and day 3 would have = 22km)<br /><br />The distances were relatively short for me and ideally I would have liked it to be a bit more technical but the concept of running in a clover leaf format and finishing at the same place every day was very exciting.<br />Running in a team for the first time was also going to be a new challenge but looking back it defiantly<br />made the race that much more exciting. Thanks Cas it was an awesome experience!!..<br /><br />We had a conservative first day finishing in second place behind race favorites, Team ProNutro, coming from a road background these guys are FAST! We were 5minutes behind and knew that if we had a good second day we could make up some time. This was not to be on day two and we finished in 3rd position, looking back we started off a bit slowly and then I cramped is the last few km which did not help with us trying to make up some ground in the last 15km.<br /><br />Lying in 3rd position going into day three we were hoping to make up the 50 odd seconds on the 2nd placed team as the ProNutro boys had the race sewn up. This was not to be as due to bad weather stage three was cancelled. It was a bit of an anticlimax not being able to cross the finish line for the last time but all and all what a great experience. To Michael Meyer and the Stillwater team you guys put on a great event!<br /><br />Well done to Michael and Warren of Team ProNutro for winning the mens race (Michael is a Salomon athlete). Team Salomon dominated both the mixed and ladies events with Michelle Lombardi and Mark Colins winning the mixed category and Linda Doke and Tatum Prins winning the ladies race.<br /><br />Below are some questions I answered for Jacky of Peridot...<br /><br />QUESTIONS<br /><br />1. Summary of Stage One (route, performance & strategy):<br /><br />Our strategy on stage one was to start out conservatively for the first 7km and then use the technical mountain section to our advantage (we both prefer the technical trails) to catch up to the leading teams. We knew the last 10km would be fast and brutal and our plan was to hang in there without hurting our legs too much for day two.<br /><br />All went according to plan and we were the second team coming out of the technical forest section about one minute behind the leaders. We ran hard to try and not let them pull away too far but we crossed the finish line just over five minutes behind them. It was a big gap but we knew Warren and Michael would be very quick on the less technical sections. We were relatively happy with the result, personally I was a bit disappointed with my legs on the hills as they felt a bit "pap" and I had a stupid fall towards the end of the stage.<br /><br />The route was awesome scenery wise and there was a nice range of trails. We started off with with a mixture of gravel trails and beach before entering the botanical gardens and up along a single track into the mountains. Then it was all down hill through a small forest which at times felt like I was running in the Amazon again - just a bit cooler! This was followed by more gravel trails and then along the river before finishing off along a boardwalk next to the beach. It was a tough 25km but the surroundings were spectacular and made it all worthwhile<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiK7u6OF8GAGIWmXrz_Oel4XcAhB8WM2FKTao_Mo_wzHgvlMUQarfmEWWY2-Yl9OT-VVp2sZvSc8gAqLEGJjQumXvDXP7YsIRcv2RgT2gyV85HI7rG43TuZnd1LGh4oDwlCGWwS84htWQ/s1600/Cas+and+Ryan3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiK7u6OF8GAGIWmXrz_Oel4XcAhB8WM2FKTao_Mo_wzHgvlMUQarfmEWWY2-Yl9OT-VVp2sZvSc8gAqLEGJjQumXvDXP7YsIRcv2RgT2gyV85HI7rG43TuZnd1LGh4oDwlCGWwS84htWQ/s320/Cas+and+Ryan3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469545943928528994" /></a><br /><br />ALL PHOTOS TAKEN BY OAKPICS<br /><br /><br />2. Summary of Stage Two (route, performance & team strategy):<br /><br /><br />Day two was the long stage of just over 42km, the trail was not very technical but there were one or two nasty hills towards the end of the route which we planned to use to our advantage. We started off at a comfortable pace and kept the leaders in sight planning to push the long climb at the 20km mark. We passed three or four teams on the long hill and upped our pace for the last 15km but once again their was no stopping Warren and Michael - they had a great race.<br /><br />Most of the route was along gravel jeep tracks with a few kilometers of single track along the river, but the surrounding landscapes were spectacular and made the route really enjoyable.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZZ72hyphenhyphenEyaFH601pG3dWean2c9_iEAaGPtDRciShlpZF1BM-X31kb5dicgjukT-acfePTn7Ob62aF0IieK_El6LRe6cvSrSWE0ecTQ6q9Z-HPK4IJMm_I9_1ENbIw3zPRmsT3QyrFMh4/s1600/Ryan+%26+Cas.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZZ72hyphenhyphenEyaFH601pG3dWean2c9_iEAaGPtDRciShlpZF1BM-X31kb5dicgjukT-acfePTn7Ob62aF0IieK_El6LRe6cvSrSWE0ecTQ6q9Z-HPK4IJMm_I9_1ENbIw3zPRmsT3QyrFMh4/s320/Ryan+%26+Cas.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469547170751242818" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Fp98x7twfqAf_h1X1AIwGAZezN903j5lAwa8UWCk5bD8gKtxqqjABbzSRMDREps5LAfVcS3MqTh-z_RWg0pqDj9h9GOV-S0nxK1OGLwxQuTsciGRdzhqMHF42Gj25HP2KVZVkHlTDD4/s1600/Ryan.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Fp98x7twfqAf_h1X1AIwGAZezN903j5lAwa8UWCk5bD8gKtxqqjABbzSRMDREps5LAfVcS3MqTh-z_RWg0pqDj9h9GOV-S0nxK1OGLwxQuTsciGRdzhqMHF42Gj25HP2KVZVkHlTDD4/s320/Ryan.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469548052081265442" /></a><br /><br />ALL PHOTOS TAKEN BY OAKPICS<br /><br />3. Feedback on your partnership with Cas (team strengths, weaknesses etc):<br /><br />Going into the race we knew the pace was going to be really fast as the distances were relatively short and trails not that technical. We planned on starting off conservatively every day, pushing on the hills and technical sections to make up time and hoped that if we were feeling good on day two (long stage) we could finish strongly and gain some time.<br /><br />4. Did the event meet your expectations:<br /><br />Yes, the event was a really memorable experience! The running was hard and fast with spectacular scenery, the event organisation was top class and the support was awesome. It was a bit disappointing to have the third and last stage cancelled due to the weather but safety comes first.<br /><br />5. You’re use to racing longer distances as an individual athlete, what was it like racing the shorter distances as part of a team:<br /><br />Racing the shorter distances was hard work as there is no time to warm up - you have to be on top of your game from the start. Running in a team adds a whole new dimension to the race as you are only as strong as your weakest team member. However I really enjoyed the experience and running with Cas.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6jD5XyCAQooG5WvYRqFQlMF0K3_soxp7FL7C33V7z9Aphv0n24jJ8_W8oEa_mp-hwLTFxOFlBaRd7UKEUAKgMwi2xrFlGTq7_dD0x9-ywOBSr_vYdMrj0kYhYtRs0A1Du1hG6Vbj79M/s1600/Cas+%26+Ryan.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6jD5XyCAQooG5WvYRqFQlMF0K3_soxp7FL7C33V7z9Aphv0n24jJ8_W8oEa_mp-hwLTFxOFlBaRd7UKEUAKgMwi2xrFlGTq7_dD0x9-ywOBSr_vYdMrj0kYhYtRs0A1Du1hG6Vbj79M/s320/Cas+%26+Ryan.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469549202602664130" /></a><br /><br />ALL PHOTOS TAKEN BY OAKPICS<br /><br /><br />6. What did you enjoy most about the event:<br /><br />Running in one of the most beautiful places in the world and the post race vibe every evening in the race village.<br /><br />7. What is your most memorable moment:<br /><br /><br />Cramping in both calves and both hamstrings going up the last hill...poor Cas had to push me up the hill!<br /><br />8. Advise for runners wanting to compete for the first time in 2011:<br /><br />Enter NOW!!.... This is an event for all runners - the distances are short enough for beginner runners, the trails are not too technical if you come from a road running back ground and if you are competitive the competition is stiff at the front of the pack.<br /><br />9. Would you like to compete again in 2011:<br /><br /><br />The event was loads of fun and I am hoping to compete again next year if it fits in with my race schedule.<br /><br />My next focus is the Hout Bay Trail Challenge in July and Trans Alpine Run in September where I will be teaming up with Linda Doke.<br /><br />Hout Bay Trail Challenge Website:<br /><br />http://www.sports4u.co.za/HBTC/Content/GenericContent.aspx?eid=27&group=Home&name=N/A<br /><br />Trans Alpine Run Website:<br /><br />www.transalpine-run.com/alps_cross_start.htm<br /><br />Cheers<br /><br />RyanRyan Sandeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903657760255027174noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1880825657944601709.post-48774087001433714752010-04-02T05:27:00.000-07:002010-04-02T05:43:18.309-07:00Two Oceans Trail Run…When I first heard of the Two Oceans trail run I thought it was going to be a bit of a road run along the jeep tracks above the University of Cape Town. So it did not sound very appealing…but then I spoke to Trevor Ball (race organiser) and he was concerned the route was in fact too technical. I knew at that moment that Trevor was cooking up a very interesting course and entered.. and it would also be a nice African x training run for me.<br /><br />At 6:15am this morning I arrived at the famous Jameson steps (University of Cape Town) to get my race passport scanned before the race start at 7:15am. Universities must attract hot chix??!!…the talent the other night in Stellenbosch was unbelievable but there was no shortage at U.C.T this morning!! …And they were trail runner chix!! … Things are starting to look good on the trail running scene!! It crossed my mind to start in the slow group with some of the chix…. But that ego of mine got the better of me again!<br /><br />At 7:14am Trevor gave us a quick race briefing…. I heard something about ropes, “heartbreak hill” and “bastard hill” – I like hills so things were looking good! Off we went and within a few minutes we were running on the slopes of Table Mountain. I think a lot of us “Cape Town runners take for granted the quality of trails we have… this morning’s scenery and views were awesome. I am not much of a writer so the best way I can describe it is…..FAAAAK…. and I was not having one of the most comfortable runs so my vision was a bit “hazy”. My legs were feeling like “jelly” and more of a rest after the Atacama Desert Race was probably a better option – but I did not want to miss out on the inaugural Two Oceans Trail Run… and I am glad I did not!<br /><br />Up the mountain we went…up some more…faaak Trevor was not joking about there being a few hills….up some more….up….up… my legs had now gone from the “jelly” sensation to feeling like someone had put concrete in my shoes and set my quads on fire. Enjoy the views I told myself and we reached the summit… from there it was a flat traverse along the contour path before going down past the Blockhouse and into the forest. My legs were starting to feel a bit better with the flat sections and then “bastard hill” appeared…it was not that long but it hurt!! The tears in my eyes from “bastard hill” hampered my vision and I missed the turn off and kept going up the mountain… I was now on a mountain bike trail following white dots and thought Trevor had gone for the “Easter Egg Hunt” theme. Things got worse and the path disappeared…luckily I could hear Mike Finch’s (Runners World Editor and race announcer) voice over the loud speaker and I followed the voice through the thick vegetation before popping out just above U.C.T. <br /><br />I ran over the finish line and explained my little mishap to the time keepers….Mike Finch asked me with a concerned look on his face how I managed to run 250km through a desert without getting lost and then I go and get lost in my own backyard. I put it down to “bastard hill”!!<br /><br />Well done to fellow Salomon Athletes Cas van Aardenne and Michelle Lombardi for winning the Overall Male and Female. I am stoked to be running African X with Cas, who is running very strong – I think the Mast Challenge will be put on hold to give my legs some rest and I need to get some speed in my "sticks".<br /><br />Thanks to Trevor for organizing an awesome event – a great showpiece for trail running!! Nice work Trev and team!!<br /><br />I will be back next year and hopefully make it past “bastard hill”!<br /><br />Happy Easter!!<br /><br />RyanRyan Sandeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903657760255027174noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1880825657944601709.post-68170366032443092922010-03-30T05:06:00.000-07:002010-03-30T08:28:57.072-07:00Back in the Republic of Hout Bay….After just over a month of travelling it has been awesome to spend the last week back home in Hout Bay taking it easy and resting the legs. By day I have been hanging out in coffee shops catching up with mates and by night I have hit a few “jols” and have enjoyed the odd tequila. Stellenbosch was rocking last night at Intervarsity Rugby…. I miss being a student…the Maties have got no shortage of pretty ladies!!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguT0-TUCEz12PfA9BQaF7Lt7dMUAHaGagq-VNlVmWBmnrt4loo12dAygxI6lx1CWmF01irkem8TKynpEP8_kC9uG0Bwf37Q2NnD47S1eUNGSRvAKtu87Odc2Mn83vu6UyuCYus-9FicPo/s1600/RackMultipart_29711_0_display_image.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 208px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguT0-TUCEz12PfA9BQaF7Lt7dMUAHaGagq-VNlVmWBmnrt4loo12dAygxI6lx1CWmF01irkem8TKynpEP8_kC9uG0Bwf37Q2NnD47S1eUNGSRvAKtu87Odc2Mn83vu6UyuCYus-9FicPo/s320/RackMultipart_29711_0_display_image.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454448956861844738" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />What is next on the cards….The African x at the beginning of May. It is a 3 day stage race run in teams of two. I have never run a multi day race in a team before so I am looking forward to the challenge and some company along the way. I am teaming up with Cas van Aardenne who is running very strong at the moment so I have got some work to do the next few weeks! I will also be running the Two Oceans trail run this weekend as part of my training and then it’s the Mast Challenge in three weeks time..<br /><br />Mast Challenge??? Go to www.trailrunning.co.za.... 11.5km up to the Tokai Mast – Run vs Ride or if you are stupid enough…you can do both. I decided to do both but I am regretting that decision after riding up to the Mast last Friday. I was in all sorts of pain…more so than all the pain I suffered in the Gobi, Sahara and Atacama Desert races combined. Biking is hard work and huge respect to all the Epic finishers!!...I think I will stick to running multi day races!!<br /><br /><br />Before and after Mast ride photos.....note I am wearing the polka dot jersey...I started off the ride thinking I was the King of the Mountain and was going to tame the Mast….I was crying by about half way up… 1 – 0 to the Mast!!<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMhiBALUiIVeIWMbwshGOzyOJu5b4bmHtxqKFsCjHPe6GCGe1siM5f5n1V6QBCCI4XrOzuSgsRn8TIkHPecuEKNq-BYj8xNB7tPBAv7h1_-o41N5BhNsDBwf9lVoqYGsI5lXMDd95_nZA/s1600/IMG00112-20100326-1625.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454441263381777234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMhiBALUiIVeIWMbwshGOzyOJu5b4bmHtxqKFsCjHPe6GCGe1siM5f5n1V6QBCCI4XrOzuSgsRn8TIkHPecuEKNq-BYj8xNB7tPBAv7h1_-o41N5BhNsDBwf9lVoqYGsI5lXMDd95_nZA/s320/IMG00112-20100326-1625.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXoN3ValdkhTxaAX3AOvgSdjTR-il713Lu_X7EvgTf0nOvsnUff-ZAR1VW3IkAvgQ669_kcCBFCVN-RJLn9_j9M3t7N5RMNXhyphenhyphenKQRQsJhIM1Id7GQY2RG_aLsqHgG0COW4VqqJEumlGKM/s1600/IMG00118-20100326-1738.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454400801571296754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXoN3ValdkhTxaAX3AOvgSdjTR-il713Lu_X7EvgTf0nOvsnUff-ZAR1VW3IkAvgQ669_kcCBFCVN-RJLn9_j9M3t7N5RMNXhyphenhyphenKQRQsJhIM1Id7GQY2RG_aLsqHgG0COW4VqqJEumlGKM/s320/IMG00118-20100326-1738.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br />Good luck to all the Oceans runners!!<br /><br />RyanRyan Sandeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903657760255027174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1880825657944601709.post-41256149718965545872010-03-20T02:21:00.000-07:002010-03-20T02:33:31.424-07:00Salomon Advance Week…I have been staying at the base of Mont Vetoux in France for the past week as part of the Salomon Advance team testing out new gear and shoes… The Salomon S LAB scientists are onto some big things!!<br /><br />The week has been a bit more relaxed than my previous week spent in the Atacama Desert and more importantly I have managed to catch up on my lack food and sleep in the desert. But it has not been a complete holiday….on average we would do a 15km run in the morning (on the slopes of Mont Vetoux…) and then another 15km in the afternoon. This sounds easy but when you are running with the likes of Jonathan Wyatt, Killian Jornet etc it is never an easy run.<br /><br />On the top of Mont Vetoux I got a chance to run in some snow….training for Antarctica!<br />It is a lot harder running in the snow than I expected and it is very hard to read the snow to see where it is hard packed and soft.<br /><br />See pics below by Ryan Scott (Runners World Gear Guy)…..<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3lVqxhI-aMpQXz7g44Ad22np_UdjHKtYxkDy637hs-J8fx5keveVnBTBg0b19y3BIX3AYS3bhAfebK33D805dyGDZdppbw2R-UF3aFKMr7vhE7XNMcvO1HN4-0h_Cc7waU-Pe8haGJLQ/s1600-h/Ryan+Mont+Vetoux+1.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450645035682968210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3lVqxhI-aMpQXz7g44Ad22np_UdjHKtYxkDy637hs-J8fx5keveVnBTBg0b19y3BIX3AYS3bhAfebK33D805dyGDZdppbw2R-UF3aFKMr7vhE7XNMcvO1HN4-0h_Cc7waU-Pe8haGJLQ/s320/Ryan+Mont+Vetoux+1.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-Av79YjGQjDUmjPLsvVHlCP8eTMpoYAbofO4mC0OazP6RUmXYw1nWV_DiXpm1Am7yT1DQwLvMlu0JQ2gRLaw1H3VclaNMoiCNPpqx3BOWv3FXaSVHAlrgJn2vQLp1egzlgSbYRb0YHE/s1600-h/Ryan+Mont+Vetoux+2.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450645573132046050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-Av79YjGQjDUmjPLsvVHlCP8eTMpoYAbofO4mC0OazP6RUmXYw1nWV_DiXpm1Am7yT1DQwLvMlu0JQ2gRLaw1H3VclaNMoiCNPpqx3BOWv3FXaSVHAlrgJn2vQLp1egzlgSbYRb0YHE/s320/Ryan+Mont+Vetoux+2.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br />The last two days I have been taking it very easy as my legs still feel like lead when I walk up the stairs…suppose that is normal after running 250km across the desert the week before??<br /><br />I will be running a 26km race up Mont Vetoux tomorrow and then straight after I will be getting on a plane via Germany to South Africa… so I better stop whining about my tired legs, harden the FAAAK up, run fast and make sure I get on the plane!.. Sounds easy…but I am looking out the window at the mighty Mont Vetoux known to be one of the toughest climbs in the Tour de France… and I know for sure its going to be a brutal 26km but looking forward to it!!<br /><br />Checking out the Tour route.....<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCXKXsm6E7uM9xlwdAgF9Xz4HnhVWrQvnD5qmrY3QIl3QKNRoMAK2PL9dffd_1QmVsN-19YGcuMFGEYA1VZaEm9CgqwcartJyXaF8DR0rxKjlL8y2BNUyRVdbfyQYE0x1MuGUkY3yJJQg/s1600-h/Ryan+Mont+Vetoux+3.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450645919151730274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCXKXsm6E7uM9xlwdAgF9Xz4HnhVWrQvnD5qmrY3QIl3QKNRoMAK2PL9dffd_1QmVsN-19YGcuMFGEYA1VZaEm9CgqwcartJyXaF8DR0rxKjlL8y2BNUyRVdbfyQYE0x1MuGUkY3yJJQg/s320/Ryan+Mont+Vetoux+3.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Chat Later<br /><br />Sandman slowly transforming into a snowman…Ryan Sandeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903657760255027174noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1880825657944601709.post-49602575173393484012010-03-13T13:29:00.000-08:002010-03-13T13:34:11.657-08:00The Atacama Desert Wrap Up!!I have just got back to the hotel in San Pedro….so good to shower and brush my teeth again – the fur on my teeth was getting outta control!...<br /><br />I needed to run a sub 42min 10km on the last stage to finish the Atacama Desert race in under 24hours… We started at 1pm today and I knew I had to go as hard as I could from the start… There were a couple of really steep climbs to start off with and I was behind target pace but then the course headed onto a gravel road and I could up the tempo. I kept looking at my watch to check the time….faaak was I going to make it!!??<br /><br />Then there it was…I saw the finish line…I sprinted in in under 42min and managed to finish the race in under 24 hours and win the 2010 Atacama Desert Race. Three deserts down and now only the “Last Desert” to go in November.... Whooo Hooo!!<br /><br />The last week was an awesome experience; the Atacama Desert is one of the most beautiful places I have run in but the conditions were brutal! The hard training seemed to pay off and I am super stoked with the way things have gone… Off to the awards banquet now and then I fly to France tomorrow for Salomon Advance Week.<br /><br />A huge thanks to my sponsors / “dream givers”; Velocity Sports Lab (Thanks Trev!!!!), Salomon Sports, Oakley, Suunto, Imazine and Hammer Nutrition. My achievements over the past week would not have been possible without you guys, thanks for all the support!!<br /><br />Thanks to everyone for your messages of support…they helped me keep going forward when my legs wanted to stop!!<br /><br />Cheers<br />RyanRyan Sandeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903657760255027174noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1880825657944601709.post-47181673844441695632010-03-12T21:08:00.000-08:002010-03-12T21:09:01.798-08:00The Atacama Desert Race - Stage 5 (The Long Stage - 76km)We had a staggered start today for the long stage of 76km, so the faster guys started at 10:30am just as it was getting really hot. The wait to start took forever and I had a few butterflies in my stomach....every long stage does that to me as it can be really brutal if you are having a bad day.<br /> <br />We started on some more salt flats and I took a hard fall early on leaving me cursing myself not to be so clumsy. This was followed by a combination of more sand dunes, salty coral formations, rock, canyons and some extreme heat.... But I was having a good time passing the slower competitors...some company was good. At the half way point I got a stupid idea that sub 7 hours was doable...I think the previous record was about 8 hours something. So I put my ears down and went for it...there were times I really regretted my decision but another voice in my head said don't be a wuss and just run.<br /> <br />After a bit of suffering I crossed the finish line in 6 hours 57min and I think I may be able to sneak under 24 hours for my total race time depending on how long tomorrow is...I heard it is 10kms. <br /> <br />But more importantly the pizza at the finish is going to be good. Freeze dried meals, smash, stock cubes, Perpetuem, gels, ProNutro, Recoverite have done the job this week but I need some real food now!!<br /> <br />Chat tomorrow<br /> <br />RyanRyan Sandeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903657760255027174noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1880825657944601709.post-88166809516489579872010-03-11T20:59:00.000-08:002010-03-11T21:02:22.954-08:00Atacama Stage 4I woke up this morning with a few butterflies in my stomach as stage 4 heads straight through the infamous salt flats..<br />It was freezing cold again this morning....I don’t do the cold well so I will have to make a plan for Antarctica!<br /> <br />We started off stage 4 on more faaaking sand dunes....I thought I had seen all the sand dunes Chile has over the previous three days. Just before the first checkpoint we headed down a really steep dune into a river with loads of vegetation, for a second I thought I was back in the jungle again. There were seem deep areas in the river which I managed to avoid but a few competitors were not so lucky and I have been hearing complaints of wet i-pod's and cameras.<br /> <br />After checkpoint two I headed through a small village and was greeted by a few dogs snapping at my ankles... Luckily I survived and headed along a 13km soft sandy track to checkpoint 2 and the start of the salt flats. I was expecting the worst going through the salt flats but it was actually not that bad... It was a mixture of more salty coral like terrain and softer salts flats that now and again my feet would pierce through. I survived the salt flats thanks to my Salomon S LABS... and after checkpoint 3 it was a quick 6km to the finish on a jeep track.... As I am typing two dogs are crossing the finish line with a competitor... apparently they followed him across the salt flats...<br /> <br />I finished feeling strong today and I am looking forward to getting the long stage out the way and finishing in San Pedro!<br /> <br />Thanks to everyone for your messages of support!!!<br /> <br />I will keep you posted.<br /> <br />RyanRyan Sandeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903657760255027174noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1880825657944601709.post-39862714841534907232010-03-10T20:59:00.000-08:002010-03-10T21:00:08.521-08:00Atacama Desert Race - Day 3I woke up this morning and it was too cold to get out my sleeping bag....so it took me a while to get going.<br />I was strapping up my pack next to my tent and heard 10, 9, 8.... I made a dash for the start line and we were off.<br /> <br />We started off running through what looked like "ploughed fields of coral".... very slow moving, crunchy underfoot and now and again my foot would get swallowed by the "coral" leaving cuts on my shins. After 5km I moved onto an open stretch of road and it was nice to stretch the legs out again before reaching checkpoint one. The next stretch to checkpoint two was a mixture of single track and sand dunes, I was feeling good and at checkpoint two I thought I was going to be in for a short and easy day.<br /> <br />I was very WRONG...the entire next section (10.5km) was over these "ploughed coral fields"...this is a mixture of hard packed mud and salt - ideal for twisting ankles.<br />The going was slow moving but loads of fun and I got to the last checkpoint feeling great and my legs were feeling strong. <br />It was 11.5km to the finish but it felt like 111kms...it took me 1hour and 35min to get through a mixture of sand dunes and rock shelves....very slow!!<br />It kept getting hotter, the sand kept getting softer and I was having serious sense of humour failure....what was taking so long!? I eventually crossed the finish line feeling exhausted but glad it was over...<br /> <br />To my surprise I was over an hour ahead of the second placed competitor...Apart from the last 5km of the race I felt really comfortable and my legs seem to be feeling a bit stronger. With the long stage lurking around the corner this is a good thing! <br /> <br />I was asked the question what I thought was the hardest 4 Desert apart from Antarctica...My answer after today is Atacama! It has got the hardest bits of Gobi, Sahara and more! But this is by far the most beautiful desert and the scenery is insane when I get a chance to take it in.<br /> <br />Thanks to everyone for your Birthday wishes and messages of support!<br /> <br />RyanRyan Sandeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903657760255027174noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1880825657944601709.post-48812194591461855602010-03-09T20:58:00.001-08:002010-03-09T20:58:32.954-08:00Atacama Desert Race - Day 2...and nearly stage 3 too!Last night I slept a lot better and it felt less cold...but I was probably just exhausted from the first days racing.<br /> <br />We started off the first section of stage two running in the slot Atacama Desert Race - Day 2...and nearly stage 3 too!canyons; the scenery was awesome with a few river crossings. Yes a river in the driest dessert in the world...but I was not complaining as the ice cold water was the perfect recovery remedy my legs needed. There was quite a bit of life along the river with wild donkeys, birds etc. Straight after the first checkpoint we headed up a pass, through an old mining tunnel and then up some more before running along a ridge with panoramic views of the desert. I was told the Atacama Desert course was flat.....going by the last two days this is definitely not the case!! Just before checkpoint two we dropped of the ridge down a massive sand dune....it made Table Mountain look small!<br /> <br />The final two sections were flat, sandy, HOT and faaaking lonely....I was in the lead but I did not know by how much. I could see no one behind me so I decided to put it in cruise control and take an easy run into the finish.... or so I planned! But that only lasted for a few minutes...no pain and suffering was over rated and I decided to push on and get to the finish before it got too hot. The day nearly ended in disaster when I started following the flags for the start of stage three....luckily I realized something was not right and I did not end up wasting too much time. I finished 50mins ahead of the second placed runners so my lead is growing but the race is still in the early stages and anything can happen...<br /> <br />But for now all is good!!<br /> <br />RyanRyan Sandeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903657760255027174noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1880825657944601709.post-60958627756778562862010-03-08T22:32:00.001-08:002010-03-08T22:33:15.191-08:00Day 1 of Atacama Desert RaceLast night must go down as one of the coldest nights of my life.... the consequences of trying to have a light pack and not using a sleeping mat!<br /> <br />It was a good feeling to get started this morning after the previous week’s events and the lead guys set off at quite a quick pace. I was feeling good on the first climb and made a break and ended up running the rest of the stage on my own. My final time was 3 hours and 3min about twenty odd minutes ahead of the second placed runner. From my previous race experiences it helps to have a time cushion after the first day so I am quite chuffed with the way things went. Not to say it was easy out there...<br /> <br />I still can not get the fact that we are running along in a desert in 40 degree temperatures and looking up at snow caped mountains.... there were a few times today when I could have done with some of that snow! The first two sections of the stage flew past really quickly apart from a quick pit stop.... Rob, I could have done with a pooh bag! The third section had a never ending hill which kept on going up... There is not a lot that lives in the Atacama apart from a few Llamas and things got very hot and lonely out there. I finally made it to the check point and from there it was a quick 3.6km to the finish. It’s a big day relief to get the first day under my belt with no issues.<br /> <br />The terrain here reminds me of running in the Gobi Desert except there is not much life and the air has slightly less oxygen! When we are not running in dry river beds, then it is across fields of rock and sand. But all in all it has been a good day at the office in an awesome place..<br /> <br />Off to the tent now to put my feet up..<br /> <br />RyanRyan Sandeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903657760255027174noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1880825657944601709.post-81188896717646596432010-03-08T22:32:00.000-08:002010-03-08T22:33:08.770-08:00Day 1 of Atacama Desert RaceLast night must go down as one of the coldest nights of my life.... the consequences of trying to have a light pack and not using a sleeping mat!<br /> <br />It was a good feeling to get started this morning after the previous week’s events and the lead guys set off at quite a quick pace. I was feeling good on the first climb and made a break and ended up running the rest of the stage on my own. My final time was 3 hours and 3min about twenty odd minutes ahead of the second placed runner. From my previous race experiences it helps to have a time cushion after the first day so I am quite chuffed with the way things went. Not to say it was easy out there...<br /> <br />I still can not get the fact that we are running along in a desert in 40 degree temperatures and looking up at snow caped mountains.... there were a few times today when I could have done with some of that snow! The first two sections of the stage flew past really quickly apart from a quick pit stop.... Rob, I could have done with a pooh bag! The third section had a never ending hill which kept on going up... There is not a lot that lives in the Atacama apart from a few Llamas and things got very hot and lonely out there. I finally made it to the check point and from there it was a quick 3.6km to the finish. It’s a big day relief to get the first day under my belt with no issues.<br /> <br />The terrain here reminds me of running in the Gobi Desert except there is not much life and the air has slightly less oxygen! When we are not running in dry river beds, then it is across fields of rock and sand. But all in all it has been a good day at the office in an awesome place..<br /> <br />Off to the tent now to put my feet up..<br /> <br />RyanRyan Sandeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903657760255027174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1880825657944601709.post-48274110450468522882010-03-06T09:56:00.000-08:002010-03-06T10:59:35.472-08:00Final PreperationsMost competitors have now arrived in the small town of San Pedro and are making final race preparations. I went for a short run this morning to check everything is still working and it hit home - I am finally in the Atacama Desert. It is awesome here and the hotel we are staying has an African feel to it…making me feel right at home.<br /><br />Dean (The African Attachment) and I explored the town this morning and below are a few shots...<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHlSD89DeAejpWpa0ogs1Ewwb3g6P4QfsrLcH4z2KJpa08w6OaRCKnTh1qlK8ecViFGP8o4pzeakwL4SFFBqLa2bTR4724u57_cUOE5-XwKVPPTue0rhQ6l-mXjdxeEPXsyPRvEH2-Xhk/s1600-h/_MG_3016.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHlSD89DeAejpWpa0ogs1Ewwb3g6P4QfsrLcH4z2KJpa08w6OaRCKnTh1qlK8ecViFGP8o4pzeakwL4SFFBqLa2bTR4724u57_cUOE5-XwKVPPTue0rhQ6l-mXjdxeEPXsyPRvEH2-Xhk/s320/_MG_3016.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445595519135052754" /></a><a href="http://1<br /><br />.bp.blogspot.com/_VQrN6N3OA8Q/S5Kk4HU0lqI/AAAAAAAAACk/xMLG-l0MzBE/s1600-h/_MG_3002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixkfqnwZTsgEIf5mKQmqSTCLSht1_WsVhX-QXfvC932KYWBtsdrLj5J3_4MVjlODU4mmA48sE15PmfyVLaktWLJOCvNR3BgqDplCYVvvzOHvwWww5Xzsw9a8YTEpLQ-ybe47vjEaS8ATk/s320/_MG_3002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445596183390361250" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn6BQ2QtRJSRpxfgYn-i9YQBOByYJyFUGyUiXHc1VUYrcaS7tp7Ypn3ugchV8U8LN51CteAUPBZZiWl-6_RvyHEjsr7OsSK7g6IdAKXFxQFrLp8SW7raTFQFCz5tSzVp4KKE4sO3choag/s1600-h/_MG_2978.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn6BQ2QtRJSRpxfgYn-i9YQBOByYJyFUGyUiXHc1VUYrcaS7tp7Ypn3ugchV8U8LN51CteAUPBZZiWl-6_RvyHEjsr7OsSK7g6IdAKXFxQFrLp8SW7raTFQFCz5tSzVp4KKE4sO3choag/s320/_MG_2978.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445596949029157074" /></a><br /><br />All shots by Dean Leslie<br /><br />Competitors have a race briefing and kit check tomorrow morning and then it is off to the Desert in the afternoon to start the race on Monday. I can’t wait to get started now…<br /><br />Thanks to everyone for their messages of support!!<br /><br />Keep you posted…<br /><br />RyanRyan Sandeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903657760255027174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1880825657944601709.post-70515379110376140102010-03-04T15:32:00.000-08:002010-03-04T16:27:27.318-08:00Road Tripping through Bolivia and Chile…I am sure every one knows about the devastating earthquake that hit Chile last Saturday.. my thoughts go out to all those effected by it!! Racing the Planet has decided to continue with the Atacama Desert race which will now be in aid of the earthquake victims. For more details on how you can help please go to : http://www.racingtheplanet.com/store/support-earthquake-victims-in-chile-through-habitat-for-humanity.html<br /><br />Late on Monday evening I was packing and getting ready to catch a flight the next day from La Paz to Calama in Chile, when I got the dreaded phone call that my flight had been cancelled and there may be no more flights for the entire week.<br /><br />Faaaaaak….. the whole hotel started shaking now….. I dropped the computer and ran outside.... I can not speak Spanish but what I understand we are next to the biggest Copper mine in the world and they have just done a major blast there. The house cleaner ladies think it is another earthquake…<br /><br />Getting back to Monday…. I decided to still go to the airport on Tues and take a chance in hope of getting on a flight. I was not so lucky and all flights were cancelled so my only option was to catch a bus to Calama, but to make things worse there was a national three day bust strike starting on Wednesday. Luckily I managed to get the last bus out of La Paz on Tues….. 8 hours to the Chilean border where the altitude was just over 4500m above sea level…and another 17 hours until I finally reached Calama! Looking back it was an awesome experience and I got to see the ENTIRE Bolivian country side and a large section of the Chilean coast line before moving inland to Calama. The bus was very spacious, customs did not confiscate my droewors or Perpetuem and there were no goats or chickens on the bus. The only problem being that the trip took 25 hours!!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPb3APore2tAgWkfB9nkT4waNoLo96zkxpeRa7J7aq9UWgBtp8m4E-j11ECZarQsEGGpF8HT6hU1qMrQGrDpWpW37mngiIP1NHAYiKQJMFYW0IeIyp69wNndo3S6l_lUjOq4kuVr6UOs/s1600-h/2386089724_0ca7ca9655.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 178px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444926417329221538" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPb3APore2tAgWkfB9nkT4waNoLo96zkxpeRa7J7aq9UWgBtp8m4E-j11ECZarQsEGGpF8HT6hU1qMrQGrDpWpW37mngiIP1NHAYiKQJMFYW0IeIyp69wNndo3S6l_lUjOq4kuVr6UOs/s320/2386089724_0ca7ca9655.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmvkos_tltXoTLM_e7ZnrFCtw8uS0B1vHGtBH-fXVUnmT88G8kzHPBGRIoYvzEkbBpjQeD5meXg_Firhgpot-VL_RPUqS166xhw_MBRq5g6hKHkPAv7g6yfZNmxOUjCLGE1Qa71x-btc4/s1600-h/10-738230.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444927278571970018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmvkos_tltXoTLM_e7ZnrFCtw8uS0B1vHGtBH-fXVUnmT88G8kzHPBGRIoYvzEkbBpjQeD5meXg_Firhgpot-VL_RPUqS166xhw_MBRq5g6hKHkPAv7g6yfZNmxOUjCLGE1Qa71x-btc4/s320/10-738230.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br />With the epic bus adventure in the past now… I am in Calama and head to San Pedro tomorrow where all competitors will be bussed out to the desert on Sunday to start the race on Monday. The race is starting a day late due to competitors taking extra long to get to Chile because of all the cancelled flights etc. However we will still finish as scheduled on Saturday…the last stage (stage 6) will start on Saturday afternoon condensing the race a bit.<br /><br />Below are the estimated stage lengths: The total distance of the Atacama Crossing is 250 kilometers / 155 miles. You can see a Google Map of the course on the website. The approximate distances of each stage are below. Note that these are subject to change and that the final course notes will be given to you at competitor check-in in San Pedro.<br /><br />Stage 1: Navigation by Rock = 35 kilometers / 22 miles<br />Stage 2: The Slot Canyons = 42 kilometers / 26 miles<br />Stage 3: The Atacameños Trail = 40 kilometers / 25 miles<br />Stage 4: The Infamous Saltflats = 43 kilometers / 27 miles<br />Stage 5: The Long March = 74 kilometers / 46 miles<br />Stage 6: The Final Footsteps to San Pedro = 16 kilometers / 10 miles<br /><br />I am super excited to be going to San Pedro tomorrow and finally starting the race on Monday!! My preparations have gone well without any major setbacks so I am hoping for a strong race.<br /><br />I will be doing a daily blog to keep everyone posted on how the race is going.<br /><br />Chat later<br />Ryan<br /><br />p.s. It was an earthquake 6.3 magnitude..Ryan Sandeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903657760255027174noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1880825657944601709.post-3920157002584813242010-02-26T07:25:00.000-08:002010-02-26T07:28:17.950-08:00http://www.velocitysportslab.co.za/triathlon.phpRyan Sandeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903657760255027174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1880825657944601709.post-74928772865392933232010-02-23T09:17:00.000-08:002010-02-23T10:00:14.310-08:00Atacama Desert (my third 4 Desert Race) – Then Antarctica in Nov!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6isM-JoaVnQ-k9GUUSy746bo8D6trxp6YD_ujsP95SH8DA7iFlcXNiYSLrLb0jorwOROZPXd06NBPmU29ttv5bWGCsen91hmmxOApVfcEAI3yycjHz2Ta_-yWuba3Y3YAOJ0kYIKBxe4/s1600-h/_MUZ1227.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6isM-JoaVnQ-k9GUUSy746bo8D6trxp6YD_ujsP95SH8DA7iFlcXNiYSLrLb0jorwOROZPXd06NBPmU29ttv5bWGCsen91hmmxOApVfcEAI3yycjHz2Ta_-yWuba3Y3YAOJ0kYIKBxe4/s320/_MUZ1227.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441493127826927714" /></a><br /> Picture: www.nickmuzik.com<br /><br />I arrived in Bolivia a few days ago to acclimatize to the altitude as well as see a bit more of South America. I am staying in La Paz the capital city of Bolivia which is about 3500m above sea level – the air is thin up here! I have been out and about on a few runs and to my surprise the altitude has not been too bad…. Apart from a few hills where it felt like my lungs were about to explode. My main challenge has been running in the busy city dodging people, cars and clouds of exhaust fumes so my Jean de Villiers side stepping skills are looking good. Maybe I could make it as a centre for the Sharks?...but then again anyone could!<br /><br />Running in a busy city has made me realise why I am a trail runner and I am already missing the trails after a few days. There are a few trails here but they are far to travel to and are quite a bit lower than 3500m so I will stick to the high altitude city runs for now. Otherwise I have been taking it quite easy – I have picked up a bit of a head cold so I have not run the last two days but I am sure my body is enjoying the rest. I am felling a lot better today so will be out there tomorrow getting my dose of polluted air.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOZEqX4-84BAv57L7n05MxEGe64PtlNLzcmvHSLGn0b1z-HdsdSPSurtnFXgI6MJ8HehhvAVGG8Fz2Vq32ir582U-BMpZqM-_i3uYflniKqTCQ0rLdqnkDe9D1EawXWIWy0zCaCoX8qQ/s1600-h/la-paz-bolivia-overlook.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOZEqX4-84BAv57L7n05MxEGe64PtlNLzcmvHSLGn0b1z-HdsdSPSurtnFXgI6MJ8HehhvAVGG8Fz2Vq32ir582U-BMpZqM-_i3uYflniKqTCQ0rLdqnkDe9D1EawXWIWy0zCaCoX8qQ/s320/la-paz-bolivia-overlook.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441495139891599842" /></a><br /><br /><br />Otherwise all is good; I will be heading to Chile next week and then start the Atacama Desert Crossing on Sunday (7th March). Training has gone well the last few months and I am starting to get ampt now! This tapering business sucks as I feel like I am just vegetating and wasting time but after a few good months of training my legs could do with a bit of a semi rest.<br /><br />I am very excited about the year ahead as I am hoping to complete the 4 Desert, finishing off with Antarctica in November. I will also be tackling the Trans Alpine 8 day stage race (over 18 000m of climbing!!) in a mixed team with fellow Salomon runner Linda Doke. As well a few local races such as the African X etc. So a huge thanks to my sponsors: Velocity Sports Lab (have a look at my website – new exciting venture backed by mining group Axis House), Salomon, Oakley, Sunnto, Imazine and Hammer Nutrition for supporting me live my dreams!<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixIwSw8iO3dFK2Dfcv5QOjzhIZ1xY4bjN5ruNJSIi_0fQBZK9CvP9mx3HkJ8y0zCgkOZgZeMm7X9OIUK6cC46sml8hxtgdZ-Oh3Vz60nooj5CmHMqsXZ4bb42U3J8mYA7U_rczvEcuPcI/s1600-h/_MUZ0344.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixIwSw8iO3dFK2Dfcv5QOjzhIZ1xY4bjN5ruNJSIi_0fQBZK9CvP9mx3HkJ8y0zCgkOZgZeMm7X9OIUK6cC46sml8hxtgdZ-Oh3Vz60nooj5CmHMqsXZ4bb42U3J8mYA7U_rczvEcuPcI/s320/_MUZ0344.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441491687465417154" /></a><br /> Picture www.nickmuzik.com<br /><br />I will keep you posted on my next few days in Bolivia.<br /><br />RyanRyan Sandeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903657760255027174noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1880825657944601709.post-29618430104614018342009-10-19T06:15:00.000-07:002009-10-19T06:53:49.796-07:00Jungle Wrap UpI am back staying at the same hotel in Alter Do Chao as before the the race and it feels like just yesterday I arrived in Brazil. What an incredible experience the last few weeks has been!! But I am ampt to get back to Cape Town now.<br /><br />The race awards dinner was at an insane venue over looking the Amazon river and everyone had a good party. I heard a few really funny stories but my best was that the one competitor pulled out after a 100km because he was a stripper. He said he had a show to do on Saturday night for 200 girls and started getting crotch rash so he decided to pull out!! You get all types of folks at these races.<br /><br />Thinking back on the race today it feels like a dream or should I say a dream come true. It was a few months of hard training and I really suffered in some of the sessions but in the end it was all worth it.<br /><br />A huge thank you to my two "Dream Givers", Salomon and ProNutro! I did not get one blister in my Salomon S LAB's and my morning dose of ProNutro kept me feeling strong the whole day. Thanks to Hammer Nutrition and Oakley for the product! Perpetuem I need say no more and unfortunately I lost my eyewear on day two in a swap when I took a fall. But there is one super cool anaconda with Oakley Radars on cruising around the Amazon. Thanks to Chris (Physio), Sally (Biokinetisist)and Ian (Coach) - you guys did an awesome job of getting me to the jungle in one piece and feeling really strong during the race. Thanks to Kelly for getting all my blogs, race results etc out to everyone no matter what time of day it was. And then a huge thanks to everyone for you messages of support and encouragment before and during the race - I could not have done it without you guys! Thanks to Shirley and the Jungle Marathon for and great race and experience!!!<br /><br />Over and out from Brazil and I will see you back in S.A. <br />RyanRyan Sandeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903657760255027174noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1880825657944601709.post-56257178570493526762009-10-17T06:39:00.001-07:002009-10-17T07:14:08.574-07:00Finished the Jungle MarathonI have just crossed the finish line of the Jungle Marathon. I survived the Jungle!!<br />It is an awesome feeling to win again and I am super stoked. The 2nd competitor (Salvador of Spain) was just under two and a half hours behind me and Mike from the States behind him. <br /><br />I ran the whole stage today with Mike and we took it quite easy, not that I could have gone any faster. My legs felt TIRED!!... and had no gas in them.<br />Salvador passed us about half way and stormed on to finish about two minutes ahead of us. <br /><br />Running into Alter Do Chao was and insane and the town square was packed with people, journalists etc. I was handed an SA Flag a few hundred meters from the finish line and got instant goose bumps. I had trained really hard for this race and bust my balls in a few training session but I could finally see the rewards as the finish line was approaching. Crossing the finish line I felt my dream come true of winning the Jungle Marathon! So proud to be South African!!!<br /><br />I am off to drink some beer now - its been a month since I last had a beer:) <br /><br />Thanks to all for the message of support - I could have not done it without you!<br /><br />Thanks to my dream givers Salomon and ProNutro! And thanks to Hammer Nutrition and Oakley for their awesome product.<br /><br />The final results should be up later today but we are on Brazilian time so it may take longer:) http://www.junglemarathon.com/2008_en.php?id=C0_101_26<br /><br />Cheers<br />RyanRyan Sandeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903657760255027174noreply@blogger.com9