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Trail Blazer: My Life as an Ultra-distance Runner
What does it take to run a six-day race through the world's harshest deserts? Or 100 miles in a single day at altitudes that would leave you breathless just walking? More than that, what is it like to win these races? South Africa's ultra-trail-running superstar Ryan Sandes has done just that. Since bursting onto the international trail-running scene by winning the first multistage race he ever entered - the brutal Gobi March - Ryan has gone on to win various other multistage and single-day races around the globe. Written with bestselling author and journalist Steve Smith, Trail Blazer - My Life as an Ultra-distance Trail Runner recounts the life story of this intrepid sportsman, from his experiences as a rudderless party animal to becoming a world-class athlete, and includes details on his training regimes, race strategies and aspirations for future sporting endeavours. Sports enthusiasts will enjoy the adrenaline-inducing trials and tribulations of one of South Africa's most awe-inspiring athletes, while endurance-sport participants - from beginners to aspirant pros - will benefit from his insights and advice. As Professor Tim Noakes says in the Foreword to this 'However much we might think we know and understand, there are some phenomena which now, and perhaps forever, we will never fully comprehend. We call such happenings "enigmas." Or even miracles. Ryan Sandes is one such.'
321 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 1, 2016
28 people are currently reading
161 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
June 2, 2019
Q:
Life is beautifully unexpected and we never know where our path might take us. (c)
Q:
To my dream givers, you have become my family and there are no words to describe how grateful I am to you for enabling me to live my dreams. (c)
Q:
Wherever I’ve been, my running shoes have allowed me to experience first-hand interactions with local communities and cultures. Running through the Gobi, Madagascar, Chile, Egypt, Nepal and Hong Kong has just been mind-blowing. It’s changed my whole perspective on life, and it’s certainly made it crystal clear that material wealth is not the key to happiness. The problem with the world these days is that it’s driven by greed and ego. It’s such a short-sighted and pointless way to live your life, isn’t it? I’m not going to be able to take any money to the grave with me. (c)
From the foreword:
Q:
In this book, Ryan Sandes introduces us to the crazy. And his story raises questions that seriously challenge our comfortable understanding of what determines ultra-endurance performance and how you train to get there. (c)
Q:
... a complete novice becoming a world-leading competitor in extreme ultra-distance racing within a year of taking his first step as a more serious runner. And then becoming as successful at single-day ultra-marathon trail races, which demand a quite different set of skills and abilities … Everything we know about human biology tells us that the rapidity with which Ryan Sandes progressed from utter novice to world-leading athlete in this discipline simply cannot happen. It is a statistical and logical impossibility. (c)
Q:
The next option is that Ryan has a unique biology, so that even if he is not the fastest distance racer in the race, he tires less rapidly – that is, he has greater fatigue resistance. But this is merely a statement of the obvious, as this is clearly the reason why he is able to outlast his opposition. But this does not help, since we remain in the dark about the exact biological factors that explain superior fatigue resistance. Is it in the muscles and the heart, for example? Or is it in Ryan’s mind?
Or does a unique biology allow Ryan to recover more quickly after each race stage so that he is less fatigued at the start of each subsequent stage and so can again perform better than his competition?
If this is so, to what extent is it a genetic gift or due to more training? I doubt that training can be the factor, as all the athletes whom Ryan races against are among the hardest-training athletes on the planet. You don’t out-train those guys. So training is unlikely to be the sole explanation for Ryan’s performances (c)
Q:
When we developed the Central Governor Model of Exercise, we realised that the fatigue we experience during exercise is a mental construct of our own brains, the goal of which is to ensure that we don’t overdo the exercise and so damage ourselves. As a result, the discomfort we feel is unique to each of us – only we know exactly how we feel during exercise. We have no reason to believe that the sensations our own brain generates to regulate our exercise performance will be exactly the same as everyone else’s. Or, indeed, identical to those of even one other runner on earth.
And therein lies the clue.
Ryan’s success requires that the mental strategies he uses to regulate his exercise performance are different from those the rest of us use. In particular, he must have an astonishing ability never to doubt his own ability, even when running by himself in the solitude of his own thoughts in the world’s toughest environments for days on end.
To a large extent, his self-belief must be innate, since it was clearly already apparent and very well developed in the first few hours of his first multistage race in the Gobi Desert in June 2008. (c)
Inspiring advice for runners from an extraordinary runner who knows how to shoulder a lot of day to day running stuff and more. Fun stuff.
A lot of advice in here can be ealily seen as interdisciplinary.
Takeouts ('Stuff I’ve learnt'):
Q:
The importance of balance in life.
The one great privilege about being an ultra-trail runner is that it gives you a helluva lot of time to think about things. Spending four or five hours running on a mountain gives you plenty of time to ponder the complexities of life. (c)
Q:
Relax a little more – be flexible
... Just go with the flow. (c)
Q:
One grain of sand … and one training session at a time...
One grain of sand at a time leads to the whole dune completely shifting. ...
Thinking back to those grains of sand helped, though. It helped to break it all down into small steps and just focus on getting through one training session at a time. I tried to block the rest out of my mind and maintain my focus on the moment. Small steps – one grain of sand at a time. Basic Psychology 101, sure, but it works. (c)
Q:
Running in sand is an art... (c)
Q:
You are your brain. ... Trick your brain. (c)
Q:
Recovery is key. (c)
Q:
Find a happy place.
If you’re really suffering, take a step or two outside the pain cave and focus instead on the trail you’re running on. The great thing about outdoor sport is the outdoors, and you are inevitably surrounded by natural beauty. Find something in your field of view – an epic lake in the distance or majestic trees in a forest – and really try to focus on that. Keep a positive mindset and keep at bay the ‘what the hell am I doing here?’ demon. Once that thought pattern slips into your head, your whole day is going to get a lot harder. (c)
Q:
Always fill up your bottles (c)
Q:
Reccce your route (c)
Q:
It’s a motivator
As your journal grows with accumulated miles, the actual physical evidence of the hours of effort will be a source of pride and motivation to keep going (c)
Q:
Don’t micro-manage the trail (c)
Hilarious stuff:
Q:
One totally unexpected ‘snake’ belonged to a French competitor who, as it turned out, was also a male stripper. Apparently he had a show booked in Paris soon after the race and had decided to keep his tool-in-trade well maintained during the race. That involved a thorough shave, which unfortunately backfired, as it caused him such bad bollock chafe that he had to withdraw or risk compromising his entire livelihood. (c)
Q:
Sneaky pee... (c)
Quotes I loved:
Q:
It came at me out of the shadows. A snake … longer than I was. It looked like a cobra, but this was not the time for a close herpetological study. (c)
Q:
Because my surname is often pronounced ‘Saunders’, I was mixed up with another swarthy kid whose actual surname was Saunders, and my mother ended up breastfeeding this little imposter for the first day. (c)
Q:
Fortunately, I’ve never been one to be told what I’m incapable of, and I did walk again. In later years I even learnt to run a bit. (c)
Q:
There were even a few parties where I refused to leave without some kind of prize. I think the birthday kids’ poor moms eventually just wrapped something up and gave it to me. (с)
Q:
Nick was a free spirit who didn’t take life too seriously, and I reckon there’s definitely a lot of that in me. (c)
Q:
The story goes that when my dad first met my mom, Nick gave them a bit of a lecture about financial planning – my dad is fairly straight down the line – but they looked at him like he was crazy. (c)
Q:
When I’m out there on my own, running on some beautiful trail, feeling free and at one with my environment, it’s often Nick who will pop into my head. I wouldn’t say I’m the religious type, but I’m definitely spiritual, and my granddad and I have had the odd conversation out there. I definitely feel like he’s watching over me in some sense. Even a couple of times during races, when I’ve been tired and have wanted to start walking on a big climb, I would just picture him standing there telling me to flippin’ sort myself out and keep going. (c)
Q:
I was like one of those little dogs that doesn’t realise it’s half the size of the others and takes them all on. ... For me, it’s always been all or nothing. At least when it comes to sport. It’s the one area where I’ve always been able to express myself. (c)
Q:
You can be as talented as you like, but without putting in the hard yards, you will ultimately not be successful. (c)
Q:
... not stressing too much about the race, and going in with a carefree and open mind, helped a lot too. (c)
Q:
I set myself a goal, but the problem is, it kind of consumes me when I do that. (c)
Q:
... running brought me the same highs as partying, plus it felt healthy and like I was achieving something, and doing something credible and good. It made me feel as if I had a place in this world. (c)
Q:
I remember just lying there at the finish line – it must’ve been for over an hour – feeling incredibly nauseous and with a massive headache. I couldn’t get anything down and was really concerned that the medics would have to put me on a drip, which would’ve meant a time penalty, so I went to lie down behind the tents where no one could see me. (с)
Q:
They started shoving this state-of-the-art narcotics detector – a stick with a nail on the end – through all my running shoes. I could basically throw them away afterwards. Fortunately, they had not had access to this piece of hi-tech equipment when I passed through there the first time. And, once again, realising I still wasn’t an international drug smuggler, they somewhat reluctantly let me go. (c)
Q:
I had a plan. I trained. And I executed. Now all I had to do was apply that strategy to the rest of my life. (c)
Q:
After I’d finished the second day, I was lying in my hammock as most of the field began to come in, including a big group of UK soldiers. They were high-fiving each other at the finish line, only for them to start having fits a couple of hours later. They’d contracted severe heatstroke and had to be evacuated that night. Apparently, some of them were properly messed up. One guy, I later heard, ended up with some form of brain damage. (c)
Q:
I reckon it’s crucial to get to know other cultures around the world. I’d almost put more emphasis on that than school. Over the last eight years I personally have learnt more than I did at any school. (c)
Q:
I feel a lot more comfortable in my own skin and I don’t feel I have anything to prove. (c)
Q:
If there’s one piece of advice I can leave you with from all the ‘stuff I’ve learnt’, it’s this – I love what I do, and so should you. (c)
Q:
This time around, my attitude was to focus on enjoying myself and this spectacular place, and just kind of go with the flow a bit more. Whatever happened, nature would always be greater than me and anything can happen out there. I had to come to terms with that. (c)
Life is beautifully unexpected and we never know where our path might take us. (c)
Q:
To my dream givers, you have become my family and there are no words to describe how grateful I am to you for enabling me to live my dreams. (c)
Q:
Wherever I’ve been, my running shoes have allowed me to experience first-hand interactions with local communities and cultures. Running through the Gobi, Madagascar, Chile, Egypt, Nepal and Hong Kong has just been mind-blowing. It’s changed my whole perspective on life, and it’s certainly made it crystal clear that material wealth is not the key to happiness. The problem with the world these days is that it’s driven by greed and ego. It’s such a short-sighted and pointless way to live your life, isn’t it? I’m not going to be able to take any money to the grave with me. (c)
From the foreword:
Q:
In this book, Ryan Sandes introduces us to the crazy. And his story raises questions that seriously challenge our comfortable understanding of what determines ultra-endurance performance and how you train to get there. (c)
Q:
... a complete novice becoming a world-leading competitor in extreme ultra-distance racing within a year of taking his first step as a more serious runner. And then becoming as successful at single-day ultra-marathon trail races, which demand a quite different set of skills and abilities … Everything we know about human biology tells us that the rapidity with which Ryan Sandes progressed from utter novice to world-leading athlete in this discipline simply cannot happen. It is a statistical and logical impossibility. (c)
Q:
The next option is that Ryan has a unique biology, so that even if he is not the fastest distance racer in the race, he tires less rapidly – that is, he has greater fatigue resistance. But this is merely a statement of the obvious, as this is clearly the reason why he is able to outlast his opposition. But this does not help, since we remain in the dark about the exact biological factors that explain superior fatigue resistance. Is it in the muscles and the heart, for example? Or is it in Ryan’s mind?
Or does a unique biology allow Ryan to recover more quickly after each race stage so that he is less fatigued at the start of each subsequent stage and so can again perform better than his competition?
If this is so, to what extent is it a genetic gift or due to more training? I doubt that training can be the factor, as all the athletes whom Ryan races against are among the hardest-training athletes on the planet. You don’t out-train those guys. So training is unlikely to be the sole explanation for Ryan’s performances (c)
Q:
When we developed the Central Governor Model of Exercise, we realised that the fatigue we experience during exercise is a mental construct of our own brains, the goal of which is to ensure that we don’t overdo the exercise and so damage ourselves. As a result, the discomfort we feel is unique to each of us – only we know exactly how we feel during exercise. We have no reason to believe that the sensations our own brain generates to regulate our exercise performance will be exactly the same as everyone else’s. Or, indeed, identical to those of even one other runner on earth.
And therein lies the clue.
Ryan’s success requires that the mental strategies he uses to regulate his exercise performance are different from those the rest of us use. In particular, he must have an astonishing ability never to doubt his own ability, even when running by himself in the solitude of his own thoughts in the world’s toughest environments for days on end.
To a large extent, his self-belief must be innate, since it was clearly already apparent and very well developed in the first few hours of his first multistage race in the Gobi Desert in June 2008. (c)
Inspiring advice for runners from an extraordinary runner who knows how to shoulder a lot of day to day running stuff and more. Fun stuff.
A lot of advice in here can be ealily seen as interdisciplinary.
Takeouts ('Stuff I’ve learnt'):
Q:
The importance of balance in life.
The one great privilege about being an ultra-trail runner is that it gives you a helluva lot of time to think about things. Spending four or five hours running on a mountain gives you plenty of time to ponder the complexities of life. (c)
Q:
Relax a little more – be flexible
... Just go with the flow. (c)
Q:
One grain of sand … and one training session at a time...
One grain of sand at a time leads to the whole dune completely shifting. ...
Thinking back to those grains of sand helped, though. It helped to break it all down into small steps and just focus on getting through one training session at a time. I tried to block the rest out of my mind and maintain my focus on the moment. Small steps – one grain of sand at a time. Basic Psychology 101, sure, but it works. (c)
Q:
Running in sand is an art... (c)
Q:
You are your brain. ... Trick your brain. (c)
Q:
Recovery is key. (c)
Q:
Find a happy place.
If you’re really suffering, take a step or two outside the pain cave and focus instead on the trail you’re running on. The great thing about outdoor sport is the outdoors, and you are inevitably surrounded by natural beauty. Find something in your field of view – an epic lake in the distance or majestic trees in a forest – and really try to focus on that. Keep a positive mindset and keep at bay the ‘what the hell am I doing here?’ demon. Once that thought pattern slips into your head, your whole day is going to get a lot harder. (c)
Q:
Always fill up your bottles (c)
Q:
Reccce your route (c)
Q:
It’s a motivator
As your journal grows with accumulated miles, the actual physical evidence of the hours of effort will be a source of pride and motivation to keep going (c)
Q:
Don’t micro-manage the trail (c)
Hilarious stuff:
Q:
One totally unexpected ‘snake’ belonged to a French competitor who, as it turned out, was also a male stripper. Apparently he had a show booked in Paris soon after the race and had decided to keep his tool-in-trade well maintained during the race. That involved a thorough shave, which unfortunately backfired, as it caused him such bad bollock chafe that he had to withdraw or risk compromising his entire livelihood. (c)
Q:
Sneaky pee... (c)
Quotes I loved:
Q:
It came at me out of the shadows. A snake … longer than I was. It looked like a cobra, but this was not the time for a close herpetological study. (c)
Q:
Because my surname is often pronounced ‘Saunders’, I was mixed up with another swarthy kid whose actual surname was Saunders, and my mother ended up breastfeeding this little imposter for the first day. (c)
Q:
Fortunately, I’ve never been one to be told what I’m incapable of, and I did walk again. In later years I even learnt to run a bit. (c)
Q:
There were even a few parties where I refused to leave without some kind of prize. I think the birthday kids’ poor moms eventually just wrapped something up and gave it to me. (с)
Q:
Nick was a free spirit who didn’t take life too seriously, and I reckon there’s definitely a lot of that in me. (c)
Q:
The story goes that when my dad first met my mom, Nick gave them a bit of a lecture about financial planning – my dad is fairly straight down the line – but they looked at him like he was crazy. (c)
Q:
When I’m out there on my own, running on some beautiful trail, feeling free and at one with my environment, it’s often Nick who will pop into my head. I wouldn’t say I’m the religious type, but I’m definitely spiritual, and my granddad and I have had the odd conversation out there. I definitely feel like he’s watching over me in some sense. Even a couple of times during races, when I’ve been tired and have wanted to start walking on a big climb, I would just picture him standing there telling me to flippin’ sort myself out and keep going. (c)
Q:
I was like one of those little dogs that doesn’t realise it’s half the size of the others and takes them all on. ... For me, it’s always been all or nothing. At least when it comes to sport. It’s the one area where I’ve always been able to express myself. (c)
Q:
You can be as talented as you like, but without putting in the hard yards, you will ultimately not be successful. (c)
Q:
... not stressing too much about the race, and going in with a carefree and open mind, helped a lot too. (c)
Q:
I set myself a goal, but the problem is, it kind of consumes me when I do that. (c)
Q:
... running brought me the same highs as partying, plus it felt healthy and like I was achieving something, and doing something credible and good. It made me feel as if I had a place in this world. (c)
Q:
I remember just lying there at the finish line – it must’ve been for over an hour – feeling incredibly nauseous and with a massive headache. I couldn’t get anything down and was really concerned that the medics would have to put me on a drip, which would’ve meant a time penalty, so I went to lie down behind the tents where no one could see me. (с)
Q:
They started shoving this state-of-the-art narcotics detector – a stick with a nail on the end – through all my running shoes. I could basically throw them away afterwards. Fortunately, they had not had access to this piece of hi-tech equipment when I passed through there the first time. And, once again, realising I still wasn’t an international drug smuggler, they somewhat reluctantly let me go. (c)
Q:
I had a plan. I trained. And I executed. Now all I had to do was apply that strategy to the rest of my life. (c)
Q:
After I’d finished the second day, I was lying in my hammock as most of the field began to come in, including a big group of UK soldiers. They were high-fiving each other at the finish line, only for them to start having fits a couple of hours later. They’d contracted severe heatstroke and had to be evacuated that night. Apparently, some of them were properly messed up. One guy, I later heard, ended up with some form of brain damage. (c)
Q:
I reckon it’s crucial to get to know other cultures around the world. I’d almost put more emphasis on that than school. Over the last eight years I personally have learnt more than I did at any school. (c)
Q:
I feel a lot more comfortable in my own skin and I don’t feel I have anything to prove. (c)
Q:
If there’s one piece of advice I can leave you with from all the ‘stuff I’ve learnt’, it’s this – I love what I do, and so should you. (c)
Q:
This time around, my attitude was to focus on enjoying myself and this spectacular place, and just kind of go with the flow a bit more. Whatever happened, nature would always be greater than me and anything can happen out there. I had to come to terms with that. (c)
August 10, 2016
Ryan Sandes is one of my idols as I think he is an incredible athlete and put trail-running on the map in South Africa for me. I digged his story as it is simply the story of a normal guy from South Africa with an incredible ability at endurance events. He tells his story in a very cool and relatable way and credit must also go to Steve Smith for putting Sandes' words to paper. His book also gives you a lot of tips for trail-running and endurance sports and those tips have helped me in my last 2 races I participated in. Great book and a must for trail-runners and endurance athletes, and South Africans as well.
July 17, 2016
Ryan's amazing achievements automatically deserve a 5 star review for this book!
The dedication and mental strength to accomplish those race winnings is unbelievable!
I found the book very inspiring and I am ready to put my running shoes back on and achieve some new goals.
The dedication and mental strength to accomplish those race winnings is unbelievable!
I found the book very inspiring and I am ready to put my running shoes back on and achieve some new goals.
May 8, 2018
I REALLY liked this one!
Unlike Dean Karnazes' in his book "ultramarathon man" I instantly took a liking to Ryan Sandes. He feels like the nice guy from next door who's telling you his story. Where Dean keeps repeating just how "ripped" he is and it seeps through the lines just how amaxing he is, Ryan just tells his story with all the ups and downs without seeming self absorbed or arrogant. He does talk about his wins and his losses and what he learned from them.
The chapters that are telling his story from first race to ultraarathon are interspersed by short lists of what he learned along the way and tips for the reader.
Not only did I instantly like the authors personality, but his experiences were really interesting to me. Especially as he went in a newbie himself it really resonated with me and let me feel like I was almost there at those amazing races.
The last part was a bit weaker in my eyes, as there's quite some "and I won" "and I pulled out of the race" moments that seemed a little cut off to me, but most likely it have been too much of a repetition to detail then as much as the first races, as the fact of how to run and what tactic to use and do on stays the same. While the races might feel extremely different to run and experience it might end up as a "and I did the same as the last two races, then there where his again, ..." so I won't detract any stars, and just believe the editor know where to cut.
Definitely b one of my favourite running biographies/experiences so far!
Unlike Dean Karnazes' in his book "ultramarathon man" I instantly took a liking to Ryan Sandes. He feels like the nice guy from next door who's telling you his story. Where Dean keeps repeating just how "ripped" he is and it seeps through the lines just how amaxing he is, Ryan just tells his story with all the ups and downs without seeming self absorbed or arrogant. He does talk about his wins and his losses and what he learned from them.
The chapters that are telling his story from first race to ultraarathon are interspersed by short lists of what he learned along the way and tips for the reader.
Not only did I instantly like the authors personality, but his experiences were really interesting to me. Especially as he went in a newbie himself it really resonated with me and let me feel like I was almost there at those amazing races.
The last part was a bit weaker in my eyes, as there's quite some "and I won" "and I pulled out of the race" moments that seemed a little cut off to me, but most likely it have been too much of a repetition to detail then as much as the first races, as the fact of how to run and what tactic to use and do on stays the same. While the races might feel extremely different to run and experience it might end up as a "and I did the same as the last two races, then there where his again, ..." so I won't detract any stars, and just believe the editor know where to cut.
Definitely b one of my favourite running biographies/experiences so far!
March 25, 2024
A very interesting book about the life of Ryan Sandes. This book is filled with many takeaways, tips and tricks to ultra distance running which are applicable to life. Would definitely read again!
September 15, 2023
Ryan Sandes has a pretty interesting background of getting into ultra running. It was fun to learn about the 4 desert stage races that started his career and how he made the jump to single day endurance efforts. I've also spent some time in Cape Town so it was also fun to know some of the places and cultural references he made throughout the book.
July 7, 2017
I am another massive fan of this (superhuman) fellow South African, and thoroughly enjoyed following his journey to the top of his game. This is a must read for all runners, trail or road, or anybody seeking a hefty inspiration injection. Ryan tells his story very fluidly and easily, and as always, with humility. He always acknowledges his competitors' strengths in adversity, never making excuses for times when he struggled. I will regularly be referring back to the lessons learnt sections at the end of each chapter to enhance my own running!
January 31, 2019
Ryan Sandes shares his personal running journey and it's a quick, enjoyable read. If you're a runner or someone looking for an inspirational, hard-work-pays-off story, you might enjoy Trailblazer. But as far as running books go, it brings nothing fresh to the table.
July 1, 2016
It was interesting, but I wanted more.
September 27, 2016
An excellent and personal story from a trail running hero. He tells about his successes, his failures and leaves us with valuable advice for our own running. Easy to read and highly recommend.
August 23, 2017
Good read
Well worth a read, interesting insight into the mind of a pro athlete and the skills and character required to compete at the top
Well worth a read, interesting insight into the mind of a pro athlete and the skills and character required to compete at the top
December 11, 2017
Really good book from the highest levels of ultrarunning with honest storytelling and a friendly tone...
May 1, 2018
Great read, what an amazing athlete.
July 4, 2020
Really good read on a very accomplished trail runner. Ryan’s book takes you through the very start of his career in trail running, including different sponsorship relationships and nuggets of wisdom in relation to it. Each chapter had great wisdom and tips from Ryan's own experience, that I have taken into my own trail running and training. Amazing to learn that Ryan grew up very close to where I did and went to school in the same school as I did.
September 20, 2020
Absolutely loved this! Super easy read and really inspiring - just want to head out and run more! Some really epic adventures and stories hidden in the book and just really interesting to read about trail running all over the world. Great to see a fellow South African blazing a trail! Love it!
June 27, 2021
If you like trail running this is a great read and insight into Ryan Sandes and his formidable talent and hard work. Great that he achieved his goal of winning Western States after 1 / 2 disappointing years that followed his peak when he seemed to be winning everything.
February 8, 2024
Enjoyed it.
It is crazy how quickly he went from a casual runner to one of the best in the world!
He is going to need a 2nd edition of this in a few years, this was written before he won Western States.
It is crazy how quickly he went from a casual runner to one of the best in the world!
He is going to need a 2nd edition of this in a few years, this was written before he won Western States.
October 7, 2019
Great read. Left wanting more. Wish the book updated itself with achievements after 2015/2016..
April 21, 2020
Easy to read, insightful and awesome to hear once life story to sports excellence. #balanceiskey
November 17, 2020
An amazing story, well told and interesting. What he has achieved is nothing short of mind blowing. I enjoy following this athlete on social media as well
January 7, 2021
As a new trail runner, this book inspired me to get out, set challenging goals and make them happen.
May 27, 2025
Full of inspiring and funny nuggets. Would have liked more applicable tips to the sunday ultra-runner rather than specific tips for Antarctic races.
November 25, 2023
Ryan Sandes is a true legend. Adventurer by heart, humble and hardworking!
I loved reading this, as I’ve done two Racing The Planet races and SkyRun, so could really relate and at the same time learn from his experiences, accomplishments and mistakes. Thank you Ryan!
I was super stoked with his latest UTMB finish that he didn’t withdraw and excited to still see him make podium in the future of UTMB.
I loved reading this, as I’ve done two Racing The Planet races and SkyRun, so could really relate and at the same time learn from his experiences, accomplishments and mistakes. Thank you Ryan!
I was super stoked with his latest UTMB finish that he didn’t withdraw and excited to still see him make podium in the future of UTMB.
March 29, 2017
It was interested to read about some of Sandes exploits, and also interesting to read of his opinions of Americans--super friendly but fairly oblivious to anything going on outside of America. Hah! Probably very true. Some of the book got a little repetitive, but I still liked it. He uses the metric system to refer to distances and weather which is a little confusing for Americans to read (especially the references to weather. Most runners have a sense of what a 5k is a 10k and so forth, but not celsius at all).
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews