We recently interviewed Naked athletes Ian and Fran. Together they travel across the world and share their passion of ultra trail running. Over the years these two have inspired many and are now together taking on the world as a loving couple. They shared with us how they found their passion for running, how they met and why they love to #runnaked. Read the full interview below.
Ian, how did you get into running?
I started running in my mid 40s as a way to reduce stress. You could almost say I was ‘running away’ from my problems. Eventually my passion for the outdoors grew, and I started running ultra distance races.
Fran, how did you get into running?
First I started hiking in the hills, to find some solitude from my busy lifestyle…raising 5 kids, and the principal of a private school. But I quickly moved into trail running and participating in races. This is where I found my passion ultra running.
How did you two meet?
We found each other on Instagram, and became online friends. We discovered we had lots in common, including a love of trail running and travel. We were both single with grown up kids, so we decided to meet in Italy, and share a holiday together.
It looks like a dream to share your passion for running together. what’s your favorite part of running together?
Yes, we have a great lifestyle, and we love it. We enjoy training, traveling and sharing our passion for exploring new places. However the best moments are usually when we share a good laugh together.
What is your favorite Naked® product?
We both personally love the Running Band as it can store so much gear and is extremely versatile. The new HC Vest comes in a close second for those big trail days or races. The Naked products are well made and super comfortable to use. They’re also functional and work really well over any distance.
What inspires you to keep going when everything in your body is telling you to quit?
As you get older, you realize running is more of a mental game than a physical one. Taking part in ultra distances is like life, you can’t just give up when it gets tough, you gotta dig deep and find the strength to keep going.
Tell us about your Andorra trip!
It was an amazing adventure, and the first time we’ve visited Andorra.
The mountains are beautiful, big, and technical, and we had the best time racing again, after almost one year without a real race!
Theres a really strong outdoor culture there, and the local people are really friendly.
Its definitely somewhere we will go again.
What’s next for you two?
We will run the Val d’Aran on July 10th, 55 km in the beautiful Pyrenees mountains located in the North of Spain.
What is your biggest goal you are working towards?
To continue to seek out new adventures, run more races, and encourage people of any age to be active.
We truly believe that it’s never too late to pursue your own goals, whatever they may be.
