Inside the Mind of Endurance Athlete Ryan Crawford

Want to know what it is like to be an endurance athlete?

Our resident ultra-runner Anderson Moquiuti interviewed fellow ultra-endurance athlete and new Aussie Record holder Ryan Crawford about his mindset and recent big win at the Clint Eastwood Last Man Standing Event.

Ryan Crawford, thanks for your time my brother, for those who don’t know you yet, could you please share a little bit about yourself?

My name is Ryan Crawford, I’m a father of two incredible sons, I have a beautiful wife who loves and supports me on my journey. I’ve been competing and challenging myself in ultra-marathon running over the past four or so years.  I have come from fighting and training in the art of Muay Thai for many years prior where I achieved both National and State titles as well as balancing full-time construction work and family life. The transition was relatively smooth because training hard was no stranger to me; preparing for my fights and conditioning the body/mind was an absolute must, so my training just evolved as I did.

I know you have been part of so many races, and before we talk about your latest achievement, can you please tell us a bit about your ultra journey?

Since my ultra-running journey began, I’ve had so many unbelievable experiences.  Every race provides challenges to face and overcome.  Some of my most memorable races so far include my Blackall100 win which set a new course record; BVRT200 MILERS (x2); and my favourite format, Last One Standing (LOS).  My first BVRT200 included some moments where I thought I was broken but having my wife join in to pace me, and share the suffering with me, pushed me to finish my first 200miles in 48 hours and take the win. I returned the following year to claim the Australian record for 200miles on the trail with a time of 42hrs and a new course record, truly an epic personal accomplishment.

I have developed so much as an athlete through all my Last One Standing events (LOS) and experienced some challenging wins at the Clint Eastwood Event, however, my recent achievement of 59hrs and 59 laps, to set a new Australian record, was really special. The Dead Cow Gully LOS win last year in 44 laps was memorable too; I loved the course, being set in such spectacular country. I believe that the LOS events are one of the hardest races in the world as you never know when the finish will appear, and it really pushes the limits. Another recent epic challenge was the Melbourne-based DownUnder 135 which is, so far, one of my toughest tests on a course. It is mainly off-trail and has anywhere up to 13,000m of vert and so many obstacles from nature: creeks, dense shrubbery, hill climbs, and pretty much no track to follow. Unfortunately, it was a DNF for me in this race and I realised how underprepared I was for this type of terrain.  It took me 30hrs to reach halfway (110km) so at this point which had a 54hr cut-off, I was too far behind the clock. It was a great learning experience and with only one finisher and a 22% finish ratio, I can’t wait to return next year to conquer this beast of a challenge. All races are unique in some way, but I prefer the races in raw nature, some really awesome and inspiring moments can be experienced.

How did you prepare yourself mentally and physically for your ultras and especially your last race?

Preparing for ultra-races has been a constant journey of discovery and has evolved every year.  At first, I focussed on conditioning the body for long events which meant clocking up some big numbers each week. At one stage I was doing a marathon every morning before work and running 200+km by the weekend.  This meant early rises – and when I say early, I mean midnight to prepare for the morning routine. I’ve always trained hard from Muaythai, leaving no stone unturned to give myself the best possible chance to succeed, so I just do the same with ultra-running. I firmly believe you have to get used to running longer distances each week and be consistent, so your body learns to adapt. These days I do a lot of events, so I’m usually just rolling from race to race and not needing to do big training weeks. It’s generally just a recovery week then I build back up with running/Muay Thai. I build up the km so I’m always ready for the next challenge.

If I have extended time between events, I will pump up the volume; I like to do a minimum of 160km up to 200km when preparing for big events but it's harder to achieve these numbers if the events are close together. Also, it isn’t strictly necessary as growth and conditioning are a given when participating in an event. Over the years I’ve also developed meditation skills, yoga, and Muay Thai drills that help with mind/body conditioning. There are lots of different training techniques that can benefit long-distance running. The preparation for my last challenge at the Clint Eastwood LOS on August 12th, 2022 was not at all specific towards that format but I felt conditioned and prepared as I had just completed a few events close together as well as completing the BTU100 miler a few weeks prior.  That race is extremely tough going with 8,000m elevation on trails. So my focus was on recovery before preparing the body/mind for the LOS format.  

Do you follow any particular diet or training program?

My diet is 100% plant-based and it has been for the last five years. It’s mainly home-cooked meals, lots of turmeric, and superfoods that help fuel my body. I’m big on the turmeric!  Fresh produce teamed with fruit, nuts, lentils, and beans are great sources of fuel and can be used in so many dishes. Adding turmeric to a lot of dishes also helps with recovery as it’s a great anti-inflammatory. I also love smoothies, they’re another great fuel source as you can add all your favourite superfoods into a delicious drink. I don’t stick to any particular program as such; I just try to consume a lot of great food to promote energy, repair, and recovery.  My training blocks can be different depending on the event and the time frame between races but also what terrain and distance are other key factors.

Alright, so recently, you did something amazing, what you achieved is beyond magical, could you please share it with us?

My recent race at Clint Eastwood (LOS) had a great field of runners, I think over 230 people lined up to start which gave it a fantastic vibe.  I aim to arrive early, set up my gear and tent, and then settle in for some rest. This year’s event started later at 9.00am Friday morning. For those who don’t know the LOS format, it is running 6.7km every hour until no one is left.  No pacers or help allowed out on the course, if you don’t make it back within the hour you are out, if you are not ready at the start line on the final bell or whistle you are out, and if you are the last one left you have to complete the final lap on your own to win. Everyone has different strategies for this type of race to aim to last as long as you can. I just run a nice comfortable pace which allows at least 15-20mins between each lap to allow food intake, change of clothes, rub down with liniment and, as the number of laps increase, time to rest. Sometimes slower laps are good also, so you’re not always sitting down for long periods where you can seize up more. Having an unbelievable crew is definitely a huge help whether it’s massages, preparing food, organising nutrition, finding dry clothes, etc.  The right crew can make huge a difference.

My personal goal for this event was to achieve a new Australian record which stood at 54hrs, 54 laps.  From there I basically set no limits for myself but I feel it’s important to have these as base targets to work towards. I know how brutal the LOS format is; it can jump from easy to soul-destroying in an instant, regardless of how experienced you are.  Once the race begins, everyone starts to set targets as they enjoy the easier laps. Of course, everyone has different goals and mind/body conditioning.  A lot of runners begin to pull out at around the 100km mark as this is a common mark for personal achievements.  Numbers drop again at 100miles, usually down to the final 25 or so.  Once we got to 100miles, it was 24hrs down and the start of a new day which can inject a boost of new energy if you can ride out the storm of mental/physical pain!  Once 30hrs comes around, you have clocked up 200km and it was at this point I was hurting a bit. It was raining and I was feeling flat and not good at all. Given my experience, I was well aware that it was just a low point and the mind is trying to get you to quit; it was at this point a lot of athletes pulled for all different reasons.  To be honest, when I’m in the zone I don’t really notice a lot of what’s going on with the people around me. I tend to become focused on the job at hand and channel myself into focussing on what needs to be done to complete the next lap. My wife has an analogy for this; she calls it making deposits and just doing what needs to be done in the moment. I usually just run at my comfortable familiar pace and enjoy chatting to other runners out on the course if they are a similar pace. There are so many amazing athletes at all levels.  Everyone has a story or a reason for being out there on the day and learning what it is that brings someone to challenge themselves in an event like this is always great to hear about. I have met some amazing people and made some great friends since commencing my journey in ultra-marathon running.

Numbers began to dwindle to the last seven runners or so and basically by this stage I’m hurting but committed. All these runners are super strong but at this point, everyone is digging deep to get through one more lap, then another and another. I also seek the true challenge of what’s possible, and these events are definitely designed to test one’s limits. At lap 45 Barry Loveday pulled out, achieving another terrific result so now it was down to just Kevin and me. I had talked with Kevin earlier about working towards the record, first, we had to pass 48HRS then aiming for a new Australian record as both he and I felt strong and confident. Once we hit 48hrs with 200 miles / 322km under our belts we knew we were so close. We were both in good spirits and running well with no signs of struggle. Kevin continued his pace and so did I. Every couple of laps we would check in with each other and then just keep going.  We came out of lap 54 together with a real sense of comradery and teamwork. The atmosphere was alive with support and excitement for what was unfolding.  The outcome of this event was achieved by everyone who supported both Kevin and me to keep going, lap by lap. Once we completed lap 55, I spoke to Kevin about what to do next and we decided to just continue on and run our own race and pace; from this point I kind of went back into tunnel vision mode and was now just focused on my self and preparing for who knew how many more laps. We continued on, and at lap 58 it was back into the darkness for night three.  As I prepared for lap 59, Kevin, an absolute champion ultra-runner, came over to my tent and gave me the heads up that he was stopping as he was falling asleep out there on the course. I can understand that some laps definitely get sleepy and I even practice sleep running in sections to conserve energy and shut off the mind.  I thanked him for one hell of a journey and set off for my final lap which has to be completed to win. I run it the same as every other lap and on my return and final cross of the line, this awesome community of ultra-runners and supporters cheered me on as I became the Last One Standing at ‘59hrs, 59 laps, 395km. It was a fantastic adventure and like I always say, I found another piece of the puzzle to inner growth and learned something to improve on for the next challenge. This was a long time in the making and it was a special moment with Alun and all the team from AAARacing as they are friends who have witnessed and helped me from the very start of this running journey. I attempted to give a speech, but it would be fair to say my brain wasn’t working the best after 60+hrs. However, it was a really memorable moment and I was stoked to be surrounded by some amazing people who were there to support, encourage and motivate me. Everyone was a winner in my eyes just for showing up and trying.  Sometimes we reach our goals, other times we don’t but if you keep striving to be better who knows where you could go?  I truly believe the only limits are those you impose on yourself. I definitely need to shout out a massive thanks to my main crew and support for this event; my friend Barbara from Dynamite Nutrition who has crewed me before and does an amazing job. I had my other great mate Grant who was next to me and was a big part of this mission.  He participated in the race before returning the next day to help the crew.  Also a big thank you to Matt, Neil, Nicola and so many other fantastic people who helped.  I would like to thank them from the bottom of my heart; their support is never forgotten.

What’s next?

My next race is likely to be the Glasshouse100 miler which I will use for conditioning towards the next big challenge – joining the Australian Team for the Last One Standing World Championships in Melbourne on October 15th. It is a coordinated online event to find the country that can be called LOS. From here I will be heading to Adelaide on November 11th for another huge LOS event. Then I will do a few of my own challenges and work towards whatever is next.

In the process of building your legacy what is the message you want to leave?

The legacy I intend to leave is to show my boys and those around me that anything is possible if you truly want it and work hard for it. To teach them the blueprint to mastering the mind to get through tough times; for me, it’s not just about running, it’s about meeting and overcoming the challenges of life. We all face challenges at some time or another and having the tools and strategies to face difficulties head-on is important. I’m currently in the stages of building my own Muaythai fitness gym on my property, the name of which will be NAK SUU JAI, which means a warrior who fights to protect and defend.  This has been one of my dreams for a long time so I will create something special here and hope it will be a space for others to challenge themselves. I enjoy teaching and leading kids/adults classes and will eventually transition from construction to my dream vocation full time. I also will continue to follow my path towards whatever is possible. I have some big overseas races that I would love to pursue, such as Badwater135, the Barkley Marathon, BIGS Backyard (LOS) in Tennessee and a few others. Will just have to see what the Universe provides.

I want to thank everyone who shows me support both at events or through following and commenting on social media coverage, it really is appreciated, and I never expect it so it always shows me the spirit of people and is great to see. A massive thanks to WILD EARTH Australia for allowing me to come on board and join such an awesome team.  I love the variety of the products and brands; I use all your ultra gear exclusively for my events.  I’ve developed a great connection with the team at Wild Earth and I could not think of a better company to represent.

Not sure what you need to begin your running journey? Chat to our friendly team of Outdoor Gear Specialists in-store or online today and don’t forget to share your adventures with us on Instagram by tagging @wildearthaustralia and #mywildearth in your next post.

About the contributor: 

 Ryan Crawford is an elite athlete on an ultra-running journey to test his own limitations but also help others push their own. Ryan enjoys running the country roads of his local area with his 2x training partners “the dingoes”, his kelpies in the early hours of the morning. When he is not challenging himself in the ultra-world he enjoys spending time with his family and training Muaythai. Follow his adventures on Instagram at @Ryancrawfordthewhitekenyan.