Posted by & filed under 2018, Contender.

Greeting and salutations, my excitement to meet again is gaining traction and growing by the week.

Follow this blog for profiles on the 2018 ENDURrun Ultimate Contenders.

Related: Full blog series | Full list of Contenders

We’re excited to see what Andrew Keeves (Winter) can do in 2018, without giving the field a 30 minute Stage 1 head start!

 

ENDURrun: You’ve trained for Ultimate before. What did you learn that you will build from (or avoid) this time around?

Winter: I signed up for ENDURrun 2017 on a whim so I started the training later than most, but I was pretty pleased overall with how my legs held up. This time around I’ll try to be as dedicated as when I was going for Boston qualifying. I’ll definitely do more hill and trail running (any trails would be more) as I was totally unprepared for the second trail stage.

 

E: Besides training, what will be the same and/or different about this Ultimate compared to your first completion?

W: Well, first off, I’ll show up on time. That seems to be a good way to save some energy for the late stages.

 

E: What is the one piece of advice that you’re glad you knew/you wish you knew before your first completion?

W: Not knowing anything about the courses except the distance and type of race was maybe the best thing for me. Now, when training, all I can think about is the hurt from Chicopee.

 

E: How were you feeling in the days and weeks following your first Ultimate completion?

W: I was really drained. I generally recover quickly after races but this took a couple weeks to get my legs to a point I could run a comfortable 10 or 20k.

 

E: What are your ENDURrun 2018 stories? Motivations, goals, etc.

W: My competitive nature may create its own story. My overall goal is to beat my 2017 time while trying for a podium finish.

 

E: What are you most looking forward to about ENDURrun 2018?

W: To see how much more I can push myself.

 

E: What are you nervous about, if anything?

W: Hoping the job doesn’t get in the way so I can attend.

 

E: Can you share any details of your training? 

W: My training is pretty sporadic but signing up for races keeps me moving toward my goals.

 

E: What is your runner profile? How long have you been running, general mileage, surfaces, etc.

W: I’ve been running and doing triathlons since 2012, I just like being active.

 

E: What is the most important part of the ENDURrun identity that appeals to you?

W: The small, close-knit community aspect, getting to meet the organizers, volunteers and competitors all.