Don’t worry – I won’t be knocking you off the podium!
Follow this blog for profiles on the 2018 ENDURrun Ultimate Contenders.
Related: Full blog series | Full list of Contenders
After a tough DNF last year, Merlin Frey and his toes are back for 2018!
ENDURrun: What is your runner profile?
Merlin: I began running in 2012, I tend to maintain an erratic mileage log. I prefer running on trails of any sort, but compete in a variety of events, preferring 10-15km distances.
What are your ENDURrun 2018 stories?
Due to my substandard training, I will focus on “finish line, not finish time”. My goal is to complete each stage before the cutoff time. (Hopefully ’19 will be more competitive!)
What are you most looking forward to about ENDURrun 2018?
…the main reason I’m back? – the community! (and the exceptional food!)
What are you nervous about, if anything?
August is traditionally a hot month – I don’t perform well in blistering heat.
You’ve trained for Ultimate before. What did you learn that you will build from (or avoid) this time around?
When it comes to running (well, all of life actually) I don’t really follow a disciplined plan. “Full throttle to the fun line” best describes my plan! With a failed attempt in ’17 I’m coming back for yet another season of fun!
Besides training, what will be the same and/or different about this Ultimate compared to your first completion?
Lol! When I competed in 2015…I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into! I was relatively new to running…and naively thought this looked like a fun challenge! So…this year I’m coming back…for the fun! New year, new experience!
What is the one piece of advice that you’re glad you knew/you wish you knew before your first completion?
Actually, I’m glad that I was clueless! – Else I doubt I would have attempted something this challenging, this awesome!
How were you feeling in the days and weeks following your first Ultimate completion?
Hahaha! For a full week immediately after that initial experience – I vowed to throw away all my running shoes! I’m certainly glad I reconsidered that decision!