We interviewed outdoor junkie and photography bad-ass James Ed to take a look behind the lens on what inspires and fuels the man himself.
Tell us a little about yourself…
Yo, I’m James. some call me Ed because they forgot my first name. I’m 29 with a mental age of 5.
I have lived in the mountains for most of my life, so you could say adventure is in my blood. I tried living in the city for a few years, but the awe called me home.
I am happy to admit that I am fully addicted to adventure and extreme sport. The feeling of being so close to death and insignificant, forces a person to be totally present and in the moment. The worries of life wash away.
I have worked in forestry as a chainsaw operator for the last 5 years. After severely damaging my eye in a chainsaw accident, I had to take 6 months off work. I bought a camera and spent every day shooting and learning the art of photography. This is where the love for creating images was born. I am now a freelance photographer shooting weddings, automotive and product. I could not think of any job I would rather do!
Where did your love of the outdoors come from?
From a young age, my brother and I surfed at every opportunity we could. We spent every summer holiday in Whitesands, Pembrokeshire at our parents caravan. Every day was either spent surfing, fishing or exploring the amazing Pembrokeshire coast.
As I grew up, my passion for extreme sport spread into many different areas. Mountain bikes were discovered and I became obsessed with riding the most extreme, challenging tracks in the UK and Europe. My summers of my early twenties were spent in the Alps, sending the the insanely good bike parks and drinking 9% beer.
What is your nutritional / fitness philosophy?
Don’t eat anything that comes in a packet – Obviously this is extremely hard in todays world, but if you can take heed of that advice and eat natural foods as much as possible, then your body and mind will thank you.
Having spent 2 years as a personal trainer and fitness model, I understand the need for a solid nutritional plan to keep the mountain fitness up and the body in top shape.
I think the biggest problem in fitness is people training for image. Ironically, the people that train for performance often look and feel the best. Changing your goals to performance based, in my opinion will improve your quality of life, happiness, and turn you into a complete beast instead of being a pretty thing to look at with nothing else in the tank to offer.
Don’t be the guy/girl that looks good but can’t even walk to the corner shop.
How do you stay motivated in life?
Big question this one!
I have down days like everyone, but I have developed a battle plan to counteract the negative thoughts and doubt that creeps in on a daily basis.
I believe that motivation is discipline. If you are forced into action, without choice your mind must obey. People as a species are not motivated, as in nature doing as little as possible preserved our energy and kept us alive for longer.
A plan is CRITICAL for progress to be made both mentally and physically. What are you doing every day to improve yourself? Here is a tip, if you aren’t going forwards, you are going backwards. There is no end to fitness, the journey is the end.
What workout routine has worked best for you?
I can honestly say I’m the fittest I’ve ever been right now. I combine calisthenics with endurance, the majority of my cardio is done with extreme sport. I’d also like to add here my daily rituals, as I think they are just as important as the workout.
Day Example:
- Wake – 20 minutes meditation
- 3 minute cold shower
- Stretch + Foam roll
- PM – Surf/MTB/bodyweight session
Workout Example
- Full body dynamic stretch 10 minutes
- 5×30 bodyweight dips
- 5×30 Archer press ups
- 5×30 close hand press ups
- Circuit 1 repeat x 3
- 50 burpees
- 20 surfer press ups
- 20 pistol squats
- 30 TRX rows
- Circuit 2 x 3
- 50 jump squats
- Walking lunge 100m
- 20 squat twists
If you could only ever do one climb again what would it be and why?
I think to be honest, it would be the Matterhorn. It has been my favourite mountain for a long time, and I would be content in knowing I had fulfilled a life long dream, even if I had to stop mountaineering afterwards! Not that anyone will ever stop me getting out in the mountains 😉
What is your diet like? What would a typical day of food look like?
My diet is whole food based with plenty of fruit and veg. As I mentioned earlier, I try to keep it as natural as possible. I have an extremely fast metabolism, so I need to eat a lot just to maintain my weight and energy output. I eat meat, but not every day as I am trying to reduce my footprint on the earth in every way possible, while maintaining a healthy, high functioning body.
Diet Example…
Meal 1
- 125g oats
- 50g whey
- 100g frozen fruit
- 10g coconut oil
Meal 2
- 5 eggs
- 3 slices seeded bread
- 1 apple
Meal 3
- 125g oats
- 50g whey
- Banana
- 10g coconut oil
Meal 4
- 300g pasta
- 200g chicken breast
- As much veg as possible
Meal 5
- 200g greek yogurt
What do you find most challenging about training?
Sticking to a plan. I get bored easily and always want to try and learn new things. Only in the last few years have I actually managed to maintain the discipline to see a plan through and keep consistent. Some days I lack motivation and energy just like everyone I guess!
I find a super strong coffee and some heavy metal usually sorts that out.
You are the UK team leader for Revolution Race what is it you love most about this brand?
I love their positive message and their gear is top notch. I stumbled upon them while looking for some hiking gear, being a bit of a fashion nut I wanted something stylish as well as being high performance.
I have been working with them for about 15 months now, and a few months ago I became UK team leader. I am absolutely loving this position, finding influencers that love to get outdoors and push themselves and their craft. Meeting with like minded people gives me an incredible feeling, something which I am extremely grateful for and hope to continue this lifestyle for as long as I can!
Stay tuned on this sector, big things are coming…
What are some of your favorite outdoor activities outside of hiking?
Surfing is one of my all time favourites, The feeling of paddling out on a sunny day with a stack of powerful waves lining up just fills my heart with joy!
Mountain biking is another big part of my life, this is what lead me to start mountaineering on foot and eventually start climbing and winter exploring.
I am now massively into climbing, abseiling, caving, mountaineering, anything that gives me a massive buzz and scares the living hell out of me!
I also do a lot of spear fishing and free diving. My brother got me into this sport, he is a talented hunter and true man of the water. The feeling you get being deep underwater, the vibrance of life down there, it’s life changing. People travel across the world to swim with dolphins, I get to do it right outside my front door.
Where did your love of photography come from?
As I mentioned earlier, an injury and boredom was the reason I bought my first camera. I am now so grateful for this injury, as it started a shift in my life that would change my whole outlook.
Combining the photography with my passion for extreme sport, it has taken me to some incredible places with some incredible people.
What first springs to mind when you hear the words bucket list?
Waves, Mountains, Caves, Mountains, Mountains, Mountains, more Moutains
Who are your heroes / sources of inspiration?
My Heroes actually couldn’t be further from each other.
I shall start with Eckhart Tolle. For those of you that don’t know, he is one of the most influential spiritual teachers and public speakers in the world.
I won’t go into detail, but a couple of years ago I found myself in a very dark place.
I stumbled across Eckharts famous book, the power of now.
This book, without doubt, changed my life. The teachings are incredible and I would recommend anyone read it, even if you are happy already! It taught me that there was a lot in my life that was wrong, much of it being my outlook and self-love.
2 years later and I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. I continue to read spiritual books and watch podcasts on a weekly basis. The knowledge I have gained from this study has been mind blowing! For the first time in my life, I have found true peace within myself.
My second hero is Jimmy Chin.
Jimmy is one of the biggest names in the extreme sport industry.
He is recognised primarily as a photographer, but he also skii’s to a professional level, surfs, climbs, and sends the most insane mountain routes in the world.
He is my true inspiration, his lifestyle inspires me and I wish to one day follow the same path and be paid to adventure and travel the world, finding the most extreme people doing the most extreme things.
Thanks for having me guys!
I love your work and attitude towards adventure and the outdoors.
Keep doing what you do, inspiring others to get outside and make the most out of life!
See you in the mountains 🙂
Follow James Ed on Instagram @instagram.com/james_ed_ or visit his website to check out his photography services at www.jamesedphotography.com
