Jonas Buud Post-2014 IAU 100k World Championships Interview

A video interview (with transcript) with Jonas Buud after his second-place finish at the 2014 IAU 100k World Championships.

By on November 23, 2014 | Comments

Oh, Jonas Buud. He’s really taking this second-place thing a little too far, as this weekend he took second place at an IAU 100k World Championships for a fourth time. In the following interview, Jonas talks about whether he stuck to his race plan, what he thinks about finishing second so often, how he’ll spend his off-season, and why his racing schedule for next year may look very similar to this year’s.

For more on the 2014 IAU 100k World Championships, check out our results article.

[Click here if you can’t see the video above.]

Jonas Buud Post-2014 IAU 100k World Championships Interview Transcript

iRunFar: Bryon Powell of iRunFar here with Jonas Buud after his second-place finish at the 2014 IAU 100k World Championships. I say second place and you laugh, Jonas. Why is that?

Jonas Buud: Always second place. First loser for the fourth time.

iRunFar: This is your fourth time here placing second to go with your Comrades and UTMB seconds. It’s a bad habit to have, Jonas.

Buud: I try to change it, but it’s hard.

iRunFar: You ran a really good race yesterday.

Buud: Yes, I followed my plan. It went almost the same as the plan the whole way. So it was a good race for me anyway, but of course I want to win. Someone was faster.

iRunFar: You went out, a couple people went off the front—two runners maybe—and you ran with a large pack.

Buud: Yes.

iRunFar: How long were you running with the group?

‘Buud: I think it was about 55k, I think. Then [Max] King started to increase the speed and the group disappeared.

iRunFar: But you were still running with [Alberico] Di Cecco and [Hideo] Nojo?

Buud: Yes, for 10 or 15k more. Then I went by myself.

iRunFar: Did you think you sped up or did you just keep nailing your splits?

Buud: I saw my split times and I think, Oh, this is a good pace. It will be a 6:30 anyway. They can run faster if they want to be 6:20, I can’t run so fast. I think I followed my plan even if someone was running faster.

iRunFar: Did you ever have any low points during the race?

Buud: Not really, I had almost the same speed. I lost some minutes at the last 5k, but otherwise it was almost the same speed.

iRunFar: Otherwise before that you actually were closing in on Max King.

Buud: Yes, I think he had a little bit of a depression there.

iRunFar: Do you have any idea how close your splits were for the first half of the race compared to the second half because it must have been very close?

Buud: No, I don’t know.

iRunFar: Maybe two or three minutes slower the second half?

Buud: Yes, I think so.

iRunFar: Are you always that consistent? That’s amazing!

Buud: I try to. That’s my type of races. I’m not a fast runner, but I can continue the same speed for a very long time.

iRunFar: You know your ability very well.

Buud: Yes.

iRunFar: Did you run as good of a race as you thought you could beforehand?

Buud: Maybe a little bit better for this course which is really tough. It has really sharp turns. It’s really heavy and tough. I think it was maybe a few minutes faster than expected.

iRunFar: There was a lot of talk about heat and humidity before the race, but…?

Buud: For me it was not so big problem. I used to run good in the heat. I performed well at Comrades in very hot conditions. I don’t think it bothers me.

iRunFar: The heat doesn’t bother you. You ran a fast time. Was that one of your faster time?

Buud: Yes, my second fastest. I have a 6:28 personal best.

iRunFar: Was it 6:31?

Buud: 6:32. It’s okay.

iRunFar: What’s up next for you?

Buud: Now it will be some rest for the rest of the season. In the beginning of the spring, I’ll go to Portugal for a training camp and then Madrid for training camp and then Paris Marathon and then Comrades. It’s almost the same as this year.

iRunFar: You have a routine and you stick to it.

Buud: Yes. Then it will be Swiss Alpine [Marathon] and then UltraVasan—the same.

iRunFar: And then World 100k perhaps?

Buud: Yes.

iRunFar: Can we throw something new in the mix?

Buud: I tried to, but it’s so many races I have to defend all the time.

iRunFar: We know if you’re going to defend you have to have the Swiss Alpine.

Buud: Yes. I must.

iRunFar: And UltraVasan?

Buud: Yes.

iRunFar: I assume you’ll keep coming back to World 100k?

Buud: Yes. I hope so. Now it will be in September next year, I hope.

iRunFar: You’ve run on the Winschoten course in The Netherlands?

Buud: Yes, it was not a good race for me, but I can do better next year.

iRunFar: You’re going to take some rest now. Do you go right back into running or do you ski?

Buud: No, I will run a little bit. We don’t have any snow at home yet. I will do some skiing also this winter I hope.

iRunFar: Do you ski the Vasaloppet?

Buud: Not this year, but I have.

iRunFar: Having done both that and the UltraVasan, how different are they?

Buud: Skiing is more easy. You can go faster by skiing. Running is a bit more tougher I think.

iRunFar: Do you need to carry a weight in the running race as you do in the ski race?

Buud: No.

iRunFar: How did your team do this time around?

Buud: I think we managed to do well. I think we were fourth in the team competition yesterday.

iRunFar: Was that a good result for Sweden?

Buud: Yes, I think so. The second Swedish athlete was 10th which is also good for him.

iRunFar: Was that a surprise for him?

Buud: Yes, I think so.

iRunFar: Congratulations to you and your team, Jonas.

Buud: Thank you.

iRunFar: See you soon.

Bryon Powell

Bryon Powell is the Founding Editor of iRunFar. He’s been writing about trail running, ultrarunning, and running gear for more than 15 years. Aside from iRunFar, he’s authored the books Relentless Forward Progress: A Guide to Running Ultramarathons and Where the Road Ends: A Guide to Trail Running, been a contributing editor at Trail Runner magazine, written for publications including Outside, Sierra, and Running Times, and coached ultrarunners of all abilities. Based in Silverton, Colorado, Bryon is an avid trail runner and ultrarunner who competes in events from the Hardrock 100 Mile just out his front door to races long and short around the world, that is, when he’s not fly fishing or tending to his garden.