We do not deny that there are controversies about it, but referring to the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc 2019 race, abbreviated with its famous acronym UTMB, is to talk about the "mother of all mountain races". That opinion is the one shared by our #RunTester and Runnea Team member, Gonzalo Caballero (@Runzalico). Next August, Gonzalo will run, for the second time, this mythical ultra-distance race with the goal of being a finisher.
This is how Runzalico experienced the UTMB
Two months before the starting gun, Gonzalo Caballero tells us all his impressions, concerns and how he is preparing for this major sporting challenge that involves this mountain ultramarathon in the Alps. And even the trail running shoes he plans to pack in his suitcase. Ahead, no more and no less, than a route of 172 kilometers and a positive difference in altitude of 10,000 meters, which also passes through three different countries such as France, Italy and Switzerland, a spectacle worthy of being told in first person, and in this case, by the great @Runzalico.
After a long injury, how are you managing the return to training and competition? Have you already started to focus your preparation to run the UTMB 2019?
Hello, the truth is yes, I have spent a few bad months at the end of 2018 with the blissful injury but fortunately I am now fully restored after an intense winter in which CORE work and general strengthening in the gym has been the general tonic of my training.
What does it mean for a trail runner, more like an amateur, to run the race of trail races? What is it about the UTMB that makes everyone want to be at the starting line?
Well, for me it is undoubtedly "the mother of all mountain races", not because of its difficulty or technicality, but because of everything that goes on around it. That last weekend of August, Chamonix becomes the mecca of international trailrunning. The best runners in the world want to compete there, and athletes from more than 50 different nations enjoy and suffer together in the middle of the Alps.
It's a race where rivalry, outside of the leading positions, is practically non-existent. We are all rather fellow travelers and it is a joy to exchange experiences with runners of many different nationalities.
To be able to run around the Montblanc massif while witnessing the explosion of nature, to feel the cold of the melting glaciers... I don't know... it's something magical.
Do you follow a training plan advised by a professional, or do you do it in a self-taught way?
Let's say I am self-taught, I do not follow any specific training plan of any professional, but I have read and read many books on training and nutrition, with all that and the experience I have in ultradistance mountain races I design my own plan and adapt it to my needs, if the prepare with a more ambitious goal, if I would put myself in the hands of a professional, no doubt.
It is soon said 172kms. and 10,000 meters of positive elevation gain. How does this translate in terms of effort and how many hours of continuous running does it mean?
The maximum time given by the organization to complete the course is 46:30h. Obviously it is a strenuous effort for which you have to be prepared both physically and mentally. You will spend many hours in the mountains and in addition to the distance and elevation gain you will have to fight against the weather, as this race is characterized by changing, extreme and unpredictable weather conditions.
There is also a lot of walking, uphill, and this, as many ultras runners know, is appreciated, being able to change from walking to running, and from running to light walking makes it more bearable.
What are your initial goals?
The main goal is always to be a "Finisher", reaching the finish line in UTMB is already a victoria. If my training allows me to follow the pace I've been doing so far, this time I'm going to be a bit ambitious and try to complete it in about 32 hours.
I already have the experience of 2016, where I was able to run it as a team with 2 colleagues and friends, we spent about 39 hours to complete the course, and sportingly it has been the most rewarding experience to date. You can read about my first UTMB experience on my blog.
Not everyone has the privilege of getting a bib for the UTMB. How did you get one? Explain it to us!
The system has been changing over the years but basically consists of getting the necessary points in the races adhered to the ITRA that the organization marks you to qualify for the draw of the registration, all of them mountain Ultras where according to the difficulty or distance of the race you get more or less score, in the range of 1 to 6.
In my case I had to get 15 points in 3 races.
For those I was counted the UTMB 2016 itself with 6 points, the Gran Trail Aneto-Posets with 5 points and the Ultra Trail Guara Somontano Sporthg 2017 with another 5 Although I have a long list of ultras in my legs, with a good volume of ITRA races, such as Penyagolosa Trails Hg 2018 (59.2km/3.225m+), 101 Pilgrims 2018 (203.3kms/3.350m+), Ultra Trail Guara Somontano Sporthg 2017 (103.4km /5.225m+), Utmb® 2016 (171.2km/10.250m+), and the Gran Trail Transgoworld Aneto-Posets, in several editions and at different distances, among others.
The qualification system is much discussed and is changing again for next year, where apparently it will be "easier" to get the necessary points as long as you do the "By UTMB" races. For 2020 it will be 10 points in 2 races.
Where do you think the key to being a finisher in the UTMB 2019 could be?
The key is to know how to dose yourself and be convinced that you can finish it. You have to be very physically prepared and, above all, I know I will have to restrain myself in the long and slippery downhills, which after all is what is most muscular wear, it is a very slippery race as far as it goes, and if you get carried away by the competitive vein in those downhill trails you can pay dearly later.
Of course you have to take proper guidelines for nutrition and hydration, and if you take the training done, and only remain to enjoy.
I'm sure that between races you have had the opportunity to talk to other UTMB runners. What is the general perception of the UTMB?
Yes, that's right, I'm going to differentiate 2 big groups, those who love it and want to run it at least once in their life, and the "Haters".
Lately the number of people who criticize and compare it is growing, many of them without having run it, which never ceases to shock me. Many things can be criticized, I have heard that the system is not fair, that it is expensive, that they go to the business.... Let's see, I do not go into these issues, if we focus on what is purely the race, at the organizational level is a spectacle. I have not been in few, and without doubt, so far, is the best I've been.
I do not doubt that there are organizations here that are up to par, but what I will not do is to comment on a race that I have not run, when I have criteria I can do it, it's like if I say that a trail running shoe is bad in this or that aspect without having used it .... or would be consistent, right?
What I have not found anyone who has been there and tell you that it is a bad race, everyone leaves delighted and certainly I would recommend any trailrunner to go through it.
With which model of trail running shoe do you plan to compete in the UTMB 2019? What gains does it give you to face an ultra event of this category?
The Hoka One One SpeedGoat 2, and a spare pair that I will leave, just in case in the Courmayeur life bag. The Hoka One One Mafate Speed 2 in case conditions turn adverse and I need more grip.
It's the ideal shoe for this terrain, runnable trails with lots of long downhill sections, where the great cushioning will preserve my musculature and minimize impacts on my joints. The Vibram Megagrip outsole with its multipurpose tread pattern will be perfect. Finally, the upper, although fragile, is comfortable for me over the miles and does not cause any rubbing. I'm pretty sure that this is one of my favorite trail shoes for mountain running.
What do you respect most about the race?
Honestly, the weather conditions, in 2016 I had to go through heat, cold and a storm at over 2,000 meters, where at times I thought they would have neutralized the race, as the lightning struck too close and I was afraid to grab my carbon poles.
That, and the fear of an injury during the race, are the only aspects that I cannot "control". Any other issue I have to know how to manage, and success or failure will depend on it.
To date, what is the best advice/recommendation you have been given to run the UTMB 2019 with guarantees?
The best advice I have been given by a colleague was:
"Don't get overheated, you know you can, so save your strength for those last 3 peaks and enjoy."
Finally, do you visualize your finish line entry, how would you like it to be?
I already had my dream finish line entry in 2016 surrounded by my family and friends, you can't ask for more. This year it may be more discreet and more intimate at the same time, I don't know how it will be, nor do I know how I want it to be, what I have clear is that I want to step on that finish line again.
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