The North Face 100: What does it take?

May 16, 2012, 10:57 am Gill Dear Yahoo!7

On Saturday 19 May 2012, 900 competitors will race the North Face 100 - a 100km ultra-trail running event in the Blue Mountains, NSW. Banzai caught up with professional ultramarathon runner Ryan Sandes, and first time competitor, Sam Tierney, to find out what it takes to tackle this extreme event.

Run

QUESTION 1. How many times have you competed in the NorthFace100, and why did you choose to race it this year?

[RS]: This is my second year at the TNF 100. Last year I didn't have the best race and really battled during the middle part of the race so I am hoping to have a better run this year. I love Australia so I jumped at the opportunity to come back here again.

[ST]: I have never raced the NF100 before and depending on how the race goes, may possibly never race it again! I chose to race the NF100 this year because I wanted to challenge myself and to see what my mind and body are capable of. The Blue Mountains is also a spectacular place to run around.

QUESTION 2. What's been your biggest challenge training for TNF100? What do you expect will be your biggest challenge during the race?

[RS]: I am using this race as preparation for the Western States 100 miler (USA) in June so my main focus has been on that so my preparation has not been very specific for the TNF Aus 100. The start of the race is normally very cold (+-2 degrees Celsius ) and this can effect your legs if you start off too fast. Last year it was very cold for the first 30km and I ended up not drinking enough fluids which caused me to really struggle during the middle part of the race.

Ryan Sandes training in Cape Town

[ST]: I would say probably finding time and people to train with. I am lucky to have a group of friends (shout-out to the Sparrows running club in Canberra!) who are always keen to run at least parts of the long training runs. Mentally it is sometimes hard to find the motivation to keep pushing yourself when you’ve been out for hours and you’re bone-tired and genuinely sick of your own company. I’ve found that those times when you push through that barrier are the most rewarding training sessions though.

QUESTION 3. How long will it take to complete the event?

[RS] I hope to run it under sub 9:45 hours or even a bit faster but anything can happen over a 100km so one step at a time.

[ST] Anywhere from 16 to 18 hours depending on how everything goes on the day. Anything under 16 hours will be a bonus!

TNF100: Training, Nutrition and Beyond Running
Go to Part 2: Training, nutrition and essential skills

Go to Part 3: Ultramarathon tips and life beyond running

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