Ultra Fiord pre-race interview with 100mile favourite - Joe Grant

Ultra Fiord in Chilean Patagonia is less than 2 months away. Invited Ultra Fiord athlete Joe Grant, fresh from the ravages of the multi-day 'Coastal Challenge' in Costa Rica took a break from charging through rivers to share some thoughts about ultramarathon running and the challenges ahead with his next big trip down to Patagonia.  Here's what he had to say:

(También puedes leer este artículo en espagnol en el sitio web muy informativo: TrailChile) 

Q) You write a lot about running as a being a necessary ritual as much for your mind as for your body. Aside from physically, in what other ways does running bring you well being?

Joe

It's really a holistic practice. Running is for me a way to explore places under my own power and provides a very direct engagement with the natural world. This isn't always the case, but I tend to get better clarity in my relationship to the land around me when I run. Running in the mountains forces me to pay attention to my surroundings, whether it's focusing on my footing on a technical trail, observing the weather and changes in conditions or adapting to the seasons. It's a very complex activity for how seemingly simple it is.  

Q) Have you got any tips about how to best make time for yourself to go running? 

Joe
I run a lot by myself, or with just one other person. I like to take pictures on the run, but other than this I leave the distractions of technology at home. I do really value this time alone and it provides a nice balance to the rest of my life that is much more socially engaged.  

Q) Many of the races you enter such as the Iditarod and the Tour De Geants seem to be on the hard adventure end of the ultra running spectrum. What is that draws you to these type of events, where you are out for so long and so far from home?

Joe 

Ian Corless. All rights reservedCredit ©iancorless.com
more photos at iancorless.photoshelter.com

The biggest draw for me is curiosity to see how my body and mind will fare in trying conditions and places. In both examples, for the ITI and the Tor, I'm drawn to the aesthetic of the course. The ITI is a point-to-point race with a long history. The Tor makes a great loop around the entire Aosta Valley. The distance or difficulty aren't really what draw me to these events, but rather the aesthetics. If the Tor was 160 miles or 400 miles, it would still be appealing as it's just a beautiful, logical loop. 

Q) Ultra Fiord will be the third fully supported 100mile race in South America. (The others being the Atacama Extreme and NF Endurance Challenge). All three of these take place in Chile. With such strong growth in the sport here, how do Chilean people know when it is the right time for them to step up to the longer distances and when to hold back and gain more experience?

Joe

That's a tough question. A lot of it depends on your background, experience and what you want to get out of an event like this. My first official ultra was a 100k in Oregon. It was close to home, looked like a fun event and I had a lot of experience with long distance backpacking and cycling so the distance didn't intimidate me.

If you're coming into ultras from a straight running background, it's probably best to move up in distance little by little. If you already have an endurance background in adventure racing or long distance hiking or biking, your approach could be a little different. It's really just specific to the person. 

Q) For many people in Chile this will be their first time running the 100mile distance. You seem open to the idea that suffering is part of the ultra experience. If this is so, but we still hope to enjoy the experience, what do we need to do to 'suffer well'?

Joe
I don't really like to use the word suffering that much in the context of running ultras, at least not for myself. Real suffering is not something you can do well. Running can be a way to process some deeper issues, but the act of running itself is elective and not something imposed on us. Feeling physical pain or discomfort is inevitable in a long race and dealing with that can be best managed with good preparation. Getting some long runs in before the race will prepare you physically, but also mentally to be comfortable being out on the trail for many hours. It's possible even in discomfort to enjoy the experience.  

Q) What are your thoughts about the route of the race, the scenery you are to pass through and how this will affect your experience?

Joe
From the photos and videos I've seen, it looks like an amazing course. It's wild and remote and the beauty of the course is definitely one of the main draws for me. A good course can really help keep the mind engaged after hours of running and enhance the experience.   

Thanks very much Joe. Looking forward to seeing you in Puerto Natales and very best of luck for the race!