ANDY SYMONDS WINS UTAT
Andy, UTAT was your second 100k + race, how did it compare to the first one? What do you believe you improved and what still needs improvement?
As per last time, this 100+km race was tagged onto the end of an already packed season. So my preparation for the UTAT was really made up of the combination of races that lead up to it. The three weeks prior to Morocco I took very easy indeed, as I know that the secret to surviving a long day out in the mountains is to arrive as fresh and as motivated as possible! Then the trick is to relax and enjoy J Relaxation is a real key to success as ultra running is about energy efficiency and the more relaxed you are the less energy wastage there’ll be! Next time I go for a long one like this I’d really like to train specifically for it, rather than tag it onto the calendar, with for example longer training runs over the months leading up to it. This could be part of the agenda for 2016!
How did you find the race? What was the most challenging part for you?
The most challenging part was probably managing the food and drink as long sections of the UTAT were through very remote terrain. At times there were several hours between aid stations. However I was brought up drinking from streams in the north of England and it was useful to do the same in the Atlas.
One more step with the inaugural SCOTT els2900 (http://www.els2900.com/ ), but this will be a different experience altogether right?
The Scott els2900 is really about a mountain adventure. I’m switched off competitive mode now until 2016! Summiting the highest peaks of Andorra, scrambling over ridges, a day in the mountains with like minded friends – what better way to wrap up 2015?!