marathon des sables

Meet Dion Leonard – Extreme Runner and Gobi’s Master

Last updated on Jul 25, 2019 By Thomas Watson

Dion Leonard is an extreme runner and stage race veteran.

He has tackled the Marathon des Sables several times, along with 3 x KAEM (Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon – which he won in 2017), MdS Peru, Gobi March 250km and Global Limits Cambodia (where I first met Dion) to name a few – regularly bagging podium spots for his troubles.

Dion lives with his wife, Lucja – also an extreme runner – in Edinburgh, Scotland. He became an international figure in 2016 when he befriended a stray dog whilst running across the Chinese Gobi Desert, and went on to adopt the dog – named Gobi. He recounted the story in the International bestseller ‘Finding Gobi’ (one of my top audiobook recommendations).

Later this year, Dion is headed to the USA to attempt the audacious ‘Triple Crown’. This is a challenge of three non-stop races of 200 miles or more – namely the Bigfoot 200, Lake Tahoe 200 and Moab 240 races.

In this interview, which was featured in the recently published Stage Race Handbook, I sat down and quizzed Dion on his stage race experiences and preparation.

MEET DION LEONARD

Hi Dion, you’ve run a lot of stage races but are especially known for your affinity for the Marathon des Sables. What was it about the MdS that first appealed to you?

MDS is the iconic blue riband event when it comes to multi-stage races. It’s the best of the best when it comes to runners, organization and desert challenges.

I remember first watching and being captivated by the beauty of the Sahara Desert and thought to myself one day I would love to experience it.

What mistakes did you make in your first MdS preparation?

I’d completed the Kalahari Augrabies Extreme 250km in the South African Kalahari Desert a few months earlier so was well prepared for running in the heat and sand.

What I wasn’t prepared for was the sand dunes and the size of them. At my first MDS on Stage 1 we ran 25km in the famous Merzouga dunes and the wheels came off.

I only finished the stage because my wife Lucja caught up to me as I was sitting in the dunes contemplating dropping out but she managed to convince me to get to the finish line.

It was a massive wake up call, the race continually feels like its punching you in the face and you just have to pick yourself up day after day.

What has been the biggest failure for you, during stage races – and how have you addressed it?

Recently at the inaugural MDS 250km in Peru across the Ica Desert, I struggled with illness.

I battled every day to finish and every night I battled to make it to the start line, it was a disaster, everything went wrong and it became the longest week of my life.

It took me a few days to forget about how my race from a competitive point of view was ruined but to just appreciate the opportunity, beauty of the area and breathe it all in.

You have to adjust your goals during the week as things outside of your control happen and dealing with this quickly will help you get to the finish line.

Meet Dion Leonard - Extreme Runner and Gobi's Master 2 — Dion during MdS Peru, where he struggled with illness. Photo Credit: MdS.

How do stage races influence other aspects of your life, whether personal or professional?

Stage races have changed me completely. I’ve learned a lot about myself and every time I complete a race I walk away a different person.

These races have you spending a lot of time in your own thoughts and whether its work, family or lifestyle I always come back wanting to improve, change or complete something that I haven’t done before.

You’re also in a unique environment for a week with lots of people from all over the world so you get to meet and spend time with people you wouldn’t normally.

I’ve met a lot of wonderful people during stage races and made some friends for life from all over the world.

Is it hard to find time to train sufficiently for stage races?

I don’t know if it’s hard to find the time or its harder to find the motivation. Training is a huge piece of a stage race and when it’s cold outside but you still need to get that run in then it can be difficult to get out the door.

I tend to train a lot more flexibly these days and don’t stick to any generic plans. I combine running with cross training, turbo training, indoor rowing and swimming and that keeps things fresh for me.

Meet Dion Leonard - Extreme Runner and Gobi's Master 3 — Dion with his dog Gobi running part of the Milan Marathon as PR for the release in Italy of Finding Gobi.

What advice would you give to someone preparing for their first ever stage race?

Don’t be overwhelmed. You need to get 3 things right – training, food, and kit. It’s simple and doesn’t need to be expensive, time-consuming or difficult. A lot of forums giving advice really cause more confusion than necessary.

Any ‘secret sauce’ tips / quirky things you do to help you during stage races?

Sometimes the water given to you during stage races is sitting at checkpoints in temperatures of up to 50 degrees and is simply undrinkable. To cool it down, place a wet ‘Buff’ over your water bottles before you put them in their holders and as you run the breeze combined with the wet ‘Buff’ will chill your bottles.

If you’re in the campsite then use the drink bottle nozzle to hang them in the air from a tree or your tent to catch the breeze.

Finding Gobi, Dion’s book about the incredible true story and incredible journey of Finding Gobi is now an International Bestseller with Top 10 in US, Canada, Italy, UK, Australia and New Zealand.

Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @findinggobi

www.findinggobi.com

Main image Photo Credit: KAEM

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Filippo Rossi: the Globetrotting Ultrarunner

Published on April 19, 2018 By Thomas Watson

Filippo Rossi is a globetrotting journalist originally from the Swiss-Italian town of Lugano.

In the last few years, Filippo has thrown himself around the world, running some of the most prestigious and challenging ultras and stage races in far-flung locales.

His medal collection includes Marathon des Sables, Transgrancanaria, Endurance Life Dorset, Ultrabericus, Vulcano Trail and every race in the 4 Deserts series. In fact, in 2016 he completed the 4 Deserts Grand Slam – all four 250km races within one calendar year, consistently achieving top-10 positions.

A seasoned ultrarunner whose pack is always lighter than everyone else’s, Filippo knows how to run far.

The following interview is an excerpt from the Stage Race Handbook.

Meet Filippo Rossi

Hey Filippo, we first met at Racing The Planet Namibia a couple of years ago. What was it about the 4 Deserts races that first caught your eye?

When I first came to Namibia, I already had the Marathon des Sables experience behind me. I was confident about what was going on.

However, the environment of people was completely different. This is what stunned me at first. The idea to meet worldwide people much deeper than what I had experienced before. In terms of racing, of course, I saw a difference in the organization.

Even though 4 Deserts was always very well organized, they missed some facilities that MDS provided automatically.

How has your preparation for stage races evolved from one race to the next?

I must say that after Marathon des Sables I changed completely my vision of training because I changed my trainer.

That happened just before that first 4 Deserts race in Namibia. Since then I radically improved my running style and my consciousness about it, making it possible to train and know what I was doing. During the 4 Deserts Grand Slam, I continued improving this conscious running style that today allows me to train much more efficiently.

What was the biggest challenges, or scary moments, of the 4 Desert Grand Slam?

The challenges were everywhere. Time to recover was never enough.

Races were tough and no discount was made, even for the grand slammers.

The biggest challenge was mental. Keeping the mindset ready for the next challenge.

When I finished Antarctica, I was scared of what was coming next, because I entered a loop.

The scariest moment was during the Atacama Crossing – I really considered the dropping out because of a stomach acidity problem, which I solved just by downing some pills that the doctor gave me. However, the problems still persisted and I finished the run with a lot of problems, compromising the result.

I remember you probably had the lightest pack in the 4 Deserts Namibia race, something like 6.5kg. Can you share what your pack weights were, and how you managed to reduce them so much??

This is maybe the funniest thing you have to do before going to the desert.

Preparing the backpack is an art.

I started at MDS with more than 8kgs and finished this year at the Iranian Silk Road Ultramarathon with just 6.5kg. Not bad. But how?

Simply getting rid of anything that isn’t useful for the race. The food is really tight and minimal for the whole week, which means that you get the calories you need from a very small amount of food.

Then all the small items like knife, lamps and mirrors are really basic, as the sleeping bag, which is no more than 300g. Considering all the mandatory equipment that RTP requires, which is far too much, I was always able to keep the weight low without cheating.

Filippo Rossi: the Globetrotting Ultrarunner 7 — Filippo resting in his ‘camp clothes’ – an ultra-lightweight paper suit!

How do stage races influence other aspects of your life, whether personal or professional?

Stage races changed my life.

I must say that after journalism, my profession, I live for running.

I would love to run any kind of stage races in the world if I just had the time. You live such intense experiences and meet such amazing people that it really touches you.

Personally, it helped me a lot, being stronger mentally and much more consecutive. Professionally also, since my work brings me to risk anytime, I always need concentration and determination, which is also thanks to these races.

Did you get any bad injuries during the 4 Deserts Grand Slam?

Fortunately not, I finished Antarctica just with bad tendons inflammations, but that was fair enough considering the terrain and the hardness of the course.

What was it like running 250km in Antarctica?

Antarctica was surely an awesome experience that I would maybe repeat without racing such a race.

250km run on a loop-range that goes from 1.5km to 3.5km for 10 hours, is far too much, even for the strongest.

This proves you mentally and physically since you’re never on a hard path, the weather changes every minute and the loops are so tiny that you always have to pass people making double efforts. I considered that race as a proof for my head, and the result was perfect since I came 3rd out of 60 people.

Talking about the fact of running in Antarctica, that was priceless. Animals and landscapes were just something unexplainable and I will never forget it.

What advice would you give to someone preparing for their first ever stage race?

The best advice I can give is doing like me: find someone that already did it and let him guide you, especially for the gear. The most important thing is the gear and the food. Logistics make more than half of everything.

Training and mental preparation are important too, but if you go with the wrong pair of shoes or you bring the wrong food (which is always my case, after 6 times), you will not finish or you will just hate the experience. This is what I did: I got to know a guy, who is one of my best friends today, that already did MdS. I asked him, learned from him. He finally checked my equipment and told me if I was missing something. Done. My MdS was a success.

Filippo Rossi: the Globetrotting Ultrarunner 9 — Filippo and I during Racing The Planet: Namibia 2016

Any ‘secret sauce’ tips / quirky things you do to help you during stage races?

For sure anyone develops his own strategies. For me, for example, comfort is everything.

I learned that gaiters are not always useful. If you don’t have dunes, you don’t need them.

Salt tablets are essential as the electrolytes are. I personally take only tablets, avoiding taking liquids that could disturb your stomach with predictable bad-turnings.

Eventually, I would add the shorts. Tights with more pockets are good to bring more energy bars, salts and everything you need during the race without always opening the bags, stopping and losing time and rhythm. It is simple: just take any kind of tights and tell a tailor to sew some elastic pockets (tailor-made). This is a winning strategy if you also want to avoid using a front pack.

Follow Filippo on his Facebook page, or on his personal running blog below:

http://followpippa.gatewaytours.ch/

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Runner Profile – Sarah Sawyer, Stage Race Extraordinaire

Last updated on Jan 31, 2020 By Thomas Watson

Sarah Sawyer makes no secret of the fact that she loves multi-day races, primarily because they combine two of her favourite pastimes – running and travel.

She has completed a number of multi-day stage races around the world, including the Racing the Planet 250km Patagonia in 2017 (1st female), Racing the Planet 250km Ecuador (1st female) and the 4 Deserts Atacama Crossing (2nd female).

Basically, if there’s a stage race in a location she wants to visit on holiday, then she’s on the start line! When she’s not running multi-day races she runs everything from 5ks to 100-mile ultramarathons in the mountains, on trails, on the track, and on road.

The following interview is an excerpt from the Stage Race Handbook.

Meet Sarah Sawyer

What was it about stage races that first appealed to you?

I’m embarrassed to say it was watching James Cracknell’s ‘Toughest Race on Earth’ Marathon des Sables DVD that initially seeded the idea of multi-day racing to me. I’d completed a few marathons and was just starting to dabble in ultras, and to a very amateur inexperienced runner, the idea of running the equivalent of four marathons and one ultramarathon in a week seemed almost impossible to me.

However, the seed was planted and before I knew it I was googling ‘multi-day desert races’. I initially opted for the 4 Deserts Sahara Race (which was based in Jordan the year I ran it) as I’d always wanted to visit Jordan and this race started at Wadi Rum and you ran to Petra, which was going to be some finish line! A number of people remarked that there were easier ways to see Petra (i.e. walk there from your hotel!), however, I can’t imagine there are more satisfying ways to see Petra, knowing you’ve traveled 155 miles on foot to get there!

I had nearly two years to train, so I had a lot of time to get used to the idea and prepare. In an era of materialism (of which I’m guilty of as much as anyone – I know I don’t need 24 pairs of trainers!), I loved the idea of going back to basics for a week and surviving with just what I could carry on my back. Also, I openly admit to being the most organised person in the world so I loved the planning and organising and all the lists that I got to make, that is required pre-race before you even get to the start line!

How has your preparation for stage races evolved?

I think the biggest difference in my preparation has been that I’ve gone from the mindset of being ‘completer’ to ‘competer’. For my first stage race, my starting rucksack weight was 9kg, this dropped to 8kg for Ecuador, just over 7kg for Atacama and then to an all-time low of 6.9kg for Patagonia (and this was despite there being several more items of mandatory kit for Patagonia).

For my first stage race my only goal was ‘completion’, so although I was mindful of my rucksack not weighing too much, I certainly wasn’t obsessive about the weight of it. I took way more calories than I needed to, and I even took a change of top for camp (although I quickly realised by camp 2 that this was a pointless item and it was binned!). As I got more experience of multi-day racing, I learned exactly how many calories I need a day to be able to run well. I also use the bulk of my mandatory calorie allowance on days 1-5 and just go hungry on the rest day, as the vast majority of the running has been done by then.

I remember on my first race in Jordan waking up on the rest day and having two 800 calorie freeze-dried meals to eat, the last thing I wanted or needed! I also sought out the lightest kit where I could, so for example for Patagonia my headtorch and back-up headtorch in Patagonia had a combined weight of just 33g and my waterproof trousers which were mandatory kit weighed in at 79g. I learned that with every item of mandatory or optional kit there are ways to shave a few vital grams off it if you shop around or improvise, which will bring your total rucksack weight down. I also try and multi-purpose items where I can. So for example, I’m a huge fan of Mountain Fuel energy drinks which combine part of my daily calorie allowance alongside my mandatory electrolyte requirements.

6.9kg of equipment for the RTP Argentina 250km stage race

My training has also got a lot smarter. For Jordan, I just did lots of long runs along Brighton seafront with my rucksack – hardly ideal preparation for a race in the desert! For subsequent races, I’ve tried to make sure the terrain I’m training on is more like what I’m going to be racing on, so virtually all my runs are off-road, and when I can I get to more technical terrain such as in the Brecon Beacons. Also, I still incorporate speedwork in my training; if you want to race stage races with the view to hopefully being towards the top of the field, then you do need that speed as days 1 – 4 always tend to be shorter than marathon distance.

How does Pilates compliment your ultra-running?

I’m a huge advocate of Pilates and yoga to compliment my running. I truly believe that without it, I wouldn’t be able to run the distances I do in training and racing and stay injury-free. Pilates has been so useful for strength, conditioning and for a strong core for carrying the rucksack. I use yoga to improve my flexibility and also use hot yoga if I’m going to be racing in a hot climate.

Is it hard to find time to train sufficiently for stage races?

The hardest thing for me for stage races is not the time you need to train for a stage race, but training with your pack. Your runs are slower, the pack affects your running form, and at the end of the day, it’s not natural to be running with a 7+kg load on your back! Because I have quite a strong endurance background, I already have that as my base, and then will just train with the pack for about 6 weeks before the race. I find 6 weeks is the optimum length of time for me to get used to running with the full pack, yet it’s not too long that it puts too much stress on my body. I think there’s a misconception that you need to run really high mileage in training for a stage race. I tend to peak at around 70-80 miles a week and it’s more about the quality of those miles, rather than just churning out lots and lots of long, slow miles.

What advice would you give to someone preparing for their first ever stage race?

Don’t sacrifice on sleep and calories. So, invest in a good quality sleeping bag that withstands temperatures colder than you’re likely to get. And don’t even think about saving weight on a sleeping mat – every race I’ve done I see someone try this and it always ends in tears (and sleepless night sleeps!). Similarly, with calories, races will stipulate the minimum amount of calories you need, but find out how many you need to race well every day. You’re going to be in a calorie deficit, but it’s making sure you don’t cross that line and it impacts your performance, so whatever you do make sure you have enough calories.

Any ‘secret sauce’ tips/quirky things you do to help you during stage races?

Sleep! Never underestimate the ‘power’ of sleep. I’m always in my sleeping bag for 7 pm in multi-day races and normally sleep through to 5 am. I know that if I have enough sleep then I can get up and run well every day.

For more of her personal running blog, visit shetravelssheruns.wordpress.com For Sarah’s running coaching and Pilates teaching, check out www.pilatesandrunningwithsarah.com