RUNNING TOWARDS ADVENTURE

BY TEMO MPODI

TRAIL RUNNING IN DESERTS AND JUNGLES IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART. ULTRA RUNNER,
RYAN SANDES, SHARES THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF HIS INCREDIBLE JOURNEY – INCLUDING
EXPERIENCES THAT MADE HIM ALMOST RUN FOR THE HILLS…

What fuelled you to become the serial trail runner you are today?
I started running relatively late in life, at university. I love the adventure element of trail running, you have a different experience each time you do the race, so I really enjoy that. There is also a mental element to it; planning, preparing, it’s just not physical. It’s more than just a sport but a lifestyle, my form of meditation. Escaping from everything and being present. It keeps forcing me to evolve as a person and I am growing from it.

How did you become the first competitor to win all four of the 4 deserts races?
I just took the first race, The Gobi Desert Race in 2008, as an adventure, and to my surprise, and many other people’s surprise, I won. Then I decided to keep on entering the races. And after my second win with the Sahara Desert Race in Egypt, I decided to quit my job as a quantity surveyor and have a crack at becoming a professional as an ultra-runner.

You have slept in awkward places. Was this during your trail running adventures?
I have run all over the world, and so I have slept in jungles, on people’s floors, in a barn with animals, next to trails, in caves, literally anywhere and everywhere.

What’s the funniest thing you have encountered during your trail races?
We had an encounter with dogs in the mountains of Lesotho on one of our runs, and I remember thinking this must be the end for us, only to find there were 2 dogs barking and hundreds of sets of sheep eyes fixed on us. I thought those hundreds of sheep were dogs.

Have those moments and places moulded the person that you are in any way, more especially mentally?
Yes, for sure. Remote areas like Madagascar and the Himalayas reminded me of the importance of community. Seeing the close communities families who are less privileged in a material sense, who have to walk 5km to get water, but are super content and happy, this was lifechanging.

What are the mental benefits behind what you do?
It’s such a mental game, it’s important to stay positive. It teaches one to not panic when things go wrong, but rather to find a solution. You learn to cope with things and make the race work and look towards the finishing line.

How do you incorporate sleep quality improvement into your training programme?
Sleep is huge, the more sleep I can get before a big event, the better. In the right environment, bed, right temperature. Eye patches and exercises are also part of my sleeping plan, and getting some light and movement helps. IB