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.