Exclusive: Ryan Sandes Interview

I recently chatted to trail running sensation, Ryan Sandes over a large glass of orange juice. This is what he had to say.

CF: What’s the story behind your nickname Hedgie?

RS: It all started in school. I used to have quite long hair and then when I was in standard 7 [or grade nine] I cut it short and it just went up like really spikey. People just started calling me Hedgehog. I think in high school and at varsity a lot of people didn’t really know my real name. So they just called me Hedgie!

CF: How did you first get into running? Was it at school?

RS: No, I never actually ran at school. My main sport was rugby. When I got too small for rugby I got more into surfing. Back then I used to go up to the Knysna festival. I had a whole lot of mates going up one year. So the only way up there was to run the Knysna half marathon like they were all doing. But I tried to get in too late. There were only entries for the full marathon open. So I entered that without giving it too much thought and I came in the top 20 [this was in 2006]. I didn’t do too much training for it. I definitely think the bug bit there.

CF: How far was your last run and when was it?

RS: My last run was last Saturday. I ran a race for a sponsor [Salomon] up in Pretoria. It was a 14k trail run.

CF: What advice would you give to a runner just starting out?

RS: Jeez, what you waiting for? Get started! I think take small steps at a time. Building up your mileage too quickly often leads to injury and then people stop running. I think also making sure you have a strong core is important. It prevents a lot of injuries and it helps your running. Then just make sure you have fun. I would definitely advise you to get onto the trail as quick as possible. It is a lot more exciting than running on the road.

CF: Where is the best spot to run in Cape Town?

RS: I might be biased, but I would definitely say around Hout Bay.

CF: Would you agree that you have put the sport on the map?

RS: I think I have given trail running in South Africa a lot of coverage. But I don’t think I have put it on the map as such. I think there are a lot of really good runners around and they have been doing great things for the sport. I want to see the sport grow and the sport needs exposure to do that.

CF: What is next on your agenda?

RS: I just finished the African X and my legs were really tired doing it. So I am taking a bit of a break for the next two weeks and then I am doing a few local races, like the Puffer in August. I am then doing the Trans Alps, which is an eight-day stage race around the Alps in September and then November is Antarctica. My main goal for the year is to win all four of the desert races. I have already won three. I won Gobi and Sahara, that was in 2008.

CF: If you win every race of the 4Deserts challenge then will you attempt it again?

RS: I could attempt to do them all again. But I feel like I have done the races already. There are so many other interesting races out there. I want try and go into more 100 miler once off stage races. Hopefully if all goes well in Antarctica, I will have ticked off the 4deserts.

CF: How did the documentary “Wandering Fever” come about?

RS: I was at school with one of the guys who own African Attachment, the guys who are doing the documentary. I actually saw him before I did the Gobi and he said it would be awesome to film me taking part in this race. We spoke about it, but nothing ever happened. I then came back from running the Sahara and he took more of an interest in my running. I have known Dean [Leslie] throughout my whole school career. It is not just going to concentrate on running, but will focus on my early days and how living in South Africa has changed my perceptions on life and stuff like that. I think it will be quite interesting.

CF: Are they currently filming it?

RS: They still need to get footage from the Gobi and Sahara. I think they will probably end off the documentary in Mont- Blanc. It is a big race in France. It is kind of like the World Cup of ultra-distance trail running. It is 166k’s around the Mont- Blanc. I want to do that next year in August. My main focus next year will be building up to that. After Antarctica I will probably take two months off and then start training in February. I think that is the pinnacle of ultra distance running. There is also a young Spanish guy [Kilian Jornet], he is also sponsored by Salomon. He has won the race for the last two years. He is just in a league of his own.

CF: Do you have a pre-race routine?

RS: I definitely think with the bigger races, I always try to make sure that I have adapted to the conditions. So I always try to get there a week or 10 days early just to acclimatize, but my pre-race routine is nothing too specific. I do like to be on my own a bit before a race. I don’t like to be around too many people. I try to get to the start line as late as possible with just a few minutes to go. I don’t like to stand around.

CF: Do you have a specific eating plan for a race?

RS: Ja, I run on stuff called Perpetuem made by Hammer Nutrition. It comes in a powder, but you mix it up into a pancake batter and you put it in these little bottles. I actually drink that with water. It is very high in calories. It gives you long energy and not that short energy that spikes and then drops your energy levels. It is quite high in proteins and long chained carbohydrates.

CF: Do you have to watch how much water you consume?

RS: Ja, I do. I try to drink on thirst a lot as well. You definitely have to watch how much water you consume. And then also, when it gets hot, a lot of my water I splash on my head. If your heads cool, you don’t overheat.

CF: What do you carry in your backpack during a race?

RS: My backpack for the multi-day races are all self-supporting. You have to carry everything you need to survive for the seven days. The food will be the stuff I run with like Perpetuem, a few gels, and some electrolytes. Then there’s my breakfast, which is normally Pronutro. I eat freeze dry meal in the evening from Cape Storm. I also eat smash - stock cubes and smash. You make a soup out of it. It doesn’t sound great now, but it is all very high in calories. I don’t take too much clothing. I take a pair of tights, compression socks, two t-shirts and a jacket. And then obviously my shoes and stuff like that. In fact I take the bare minimum.

CF: How do you combat sore feet/blisters?

RS: I hardly ever get blisters. I think my feet have hardened up from all the training. I think the best thing for people who know they are going to get blisters is to tape their feet beforehand. I also sometimes put a bit of vaseline on my feet. It seems to help. Some guys have even stuck their feet in methylated spirits. It actually hardens your whole sole. I know a guy actually did that in Namibia and on the second day the whole sole of his foot came off because it was so hard underneath his sock. I wouldn’t recommend that!

CF: Have you had offers to train abroad?

RS: I am quite patriotic. I don’t think I would ever leave South Africa on a full-time basis. It has crossed my mind to go to America or France for a while.

CF: What injuries have you picked up?

RS: When I first started running, I picked up an ITB – Iliotibial band syndrome. It is from doing too much running too soon. I think I was overdoing it a bit because I had never run these races before. I also suffer from sprained ankles quite a bit from spending so much time on the trails. I often have little niggles, but nothing too serious. I have never been operated on.

Well, readers, who wants to compete against this?

Follow Ryan’s adventure on www.ryansandes.com

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