post -> Iván Penalba, finisher in Badwater 135 for the second time

Iván Penalba already has his second finisher buckle Bathwater 135, a unique race even in its austerity. A very tasteful belt buckle 'cowboy' and a commemorative jersey is all the prize you get for completing its hellish 135 miles.

It doesn't matter if you win like the American Ashley Paulson with an amazing time of 21h44' (the first woman to win), if you finish twelfth like Iván Penalba with 29h48' or finish in last position, 89th, with 46h34', the prize It is the same for everyone, although the condition is that it must be finished within 48 hours (maximum time set by the organization).

In the 2023 edition they took the start in Badwater Basin (Death Valley) 100 runners of 26 different nationalities, of which only 11 did not reach the finish line at Whitney Portal, at an altitude of 2.530m, on the route that leads to the ascent to the highest summit in the United States , he mount whitney.

Iván Penalba died and rose again in the Badwater 135

One of the great favorites was Iván Penalba. The Spanish ultra-distance runner finished in second position in 2022, in his first participation, and in 2023 he started with the ambition and illusion of being the first to complete the 135 miles (217 kilometers) of the most demanding ultra-distance race.

decided to go out to risk from the beginning. Without fear of the scythe that the Badwater 135 reserves for those who make mistakes or do not know how to measure their strength. His Way of the Cross it started at 3 hours of racing, after making several mistakes due to his desire to seek victory.

At kilometer 170, with 45 kilometers to go for the goal, in the most torrid and inhospitable place of the route, his body said enough. She couldn't take another step. She was throwing up everything she drank and ate for hours. Her legs were unable to keep up, but her head and her heart were not in agreement.

Everything made us fear the worst, but Iván and his team did not consider withdrawal as an option: they had to recover, revive and return to the burning asphalt at almost 80º to complete the hardest part of the route. And collect the second buckle and the commemorative shirt, the austere but symbolic award that certifies being a finisher of the Badwater 135.

As soon as he crossed the finish line, with the little strength he had left, he hugged all the members of his team: Carmen Pérez, Joaquín Candel and Oscar Hernández. “They saved my skin. At kilometer 170 he was dead, unable to stand. I was able to resurrect and finish thanks to them ".

the badwater 135 does not forgive mistakes

the badwater 135 does not forgive mistakes; if you commit them, it tears you apart. It is a race that demands excellence, an infinite capacity for suffering and an insane passion for the most extreme ultra-fundamentals. Its 135-mile route through the Death Valley (Death Valley), with the merciless punishment of hellish temperatures (more than 50º during the day and no less than 34º at night), are a torture rack that is very difficult. come out unscathed

Penalty was leader during the first three hours of the race and during that time he was in charge of leading the group of favourites. “It was not an intelligent decision because I took all that effort by myself, because logically they did not give me any relief, but more than because of the effort it was not intelligent because to stay in the lead I did not do my nutritional strategy from the beginning and I did not stop to pee either. until three hours into the race”, explains to 42K the corridor.

Three hours into the race, his body began to give alarm signals: something was wrong, so he got off the hook and slowed down.

“I tackled the first climb and I didn't do it completely wrong, but I was already aware that it wasn't going well. He made the descent very fast, tremendously fast, more than a minute per kilometer faster than in 2022, hoping to hook up with the leading group again and continue aspiring to be on the podium. On the way down I emptied myself completely and I didn't drink enough, which was another mistake, and I finished the descent destroyed. The next climb, which was the really hard one, cost me a lot and that's when I started to have real complications; I crowned as I could and it was then when my body said enough and I collapsed", explains Ivan.

42K: What do you mean "I collapsed"?

Ivan: My body said enough. I had to stop because I couldn't keep running. From that moment another career began for me. I wanted above all to recover to finish in the most dignified way possible. When everything went wrong, my great dream became to reach the finish line and do it with my best smile. The difficulty worsened when night caught me again, which was something I had not foreseen, and which forced me to adapt to circumstances and difficulties that I had not foreseen.

42K: At what point do the sensations begin to alert you that something is wrong?

Ivan: Everything was going well until two and a half hours of the race were completed. Until then I was leading the race, with all the favorites behind me, soldiers at the pace that I set. I tried to find maximum performance from the start and I made the mistake of not stopping to pee during the first hours. I wanted to go faster than I had to and be in first position; going so stressed did not let me think coldly and follow my strategy of alimentation, hydration and urination. I held back the urge to pee so as not to lose my head in the race and that was the beginning of all the problems that came later.

42K: What problems?

Ivan: I stopped wanting to drink, eat and even urinate. My body was retaining fluids and I began to clearly notice that I was not feeling well, so I decided to drastically slow down because I knew I could have a serious problem, especially in a race with such high temperatures. I tried to avoid the collapse but it was too late.

At kilometer 170 he was forced to stop, he couldn't take another step

42K: Already off the hook from the group of favourites, you continued fighting for hours until at kilometer 170 you were forced to stop.

Ivan: The truth is that I don't even know how I got to kilometer 170. That is the most complicated part of the route due to the heat. A burning wind was blowing, a burning wind. I had vomited many times before I got to that point in the race, but that's when I went totally empty after throwing up for the umpteenth time. I stopped because I was no longer able to take a step, there was no other option. Every thing he drank or ate made him vomit. I had to reset and pray so that the body stabilized a bit and allowed me to resume the race to try to finish.

42K: How long were you standing?

Ivan: About an hour and twenty minutes. I drank a little water and a little Coca Cola, lay down and I started praying to stop vomiting. I repeated to myself that I shouldn't be in a hurry, that I should let my body recover and that there was plenty of time to recover my strength and continue to the finish line. My goal from the moment I hit rock bottom was to recover the minimum strength to finish the race no matter what. I have never withdrawn from a test and it is something that I want to maintain throughout my sports career: withdrawal is not an option. One of my great motivations as an athlete is to show that with patience, perseverance and a head, there is always a way to reach the goal, no matter how difficult or impossible it may seem. Everything seemed to condemn me to retreat, but with head and heart we found the way to continue until the end.

42K: Did the ghost of abandonment come to pass through your head?

Ivan: Yes, because I couldn't find a way to solve the problem: couldn't eat or drink anything without throwing it up immediately. With 45 extremely hard kilometers ahead, it was unthinkable to continue if I was not able to hydrate and recover minimally. Fortunately, we had enough patient for the body to recover. I knew I had 48 hours to finish the race and at that point my only challenge was to finish. I am very satisfied with how I managed those terrible moments. Everything was against me, but I tried to be patient and push away all negative thoughts so as not to think about withdrawing.

In the last 10 kilometers he fell asleep running

42K: You had never run more than 24 hours, but to finish this Badwater 135 you had to spend almost 30 hours running. How was that experience of something unknown to you?

Ivan: I had a bad time in the last 10 kilometers because sleep overcame me. I was jogging and walking and my eyes closed without being able to avoid it. Fortunately, I had Carmen by my side who was guiding me and holding me because when my eyes closed she would lean me to one side and stop going in a straight line. In the end, I had to stop and close my eyes for a few minutes because I was not able to stay awake. It was a 5-minute micronap that was great for me and helped me learn that those microsleep can be very useful for long-distance races. I had never done it, but I know that there are ultra-distance runners who use these micronaps as part of their race strategy and I think it is something very positive and that I am going to study for future long-distance races.

42K: What role did the team and especially Carmen play in those delicate moments?

Ivan: Ufffff... Without the team I would not have been able to get past kilometer 170, but the company Carmen in the final part it was decisive to reach the finish line. She she ran with me for more than 130 kilometers (the organization allows support runners, but always behind the competitor) and it was essential for me to reach the goal. He was talking to me all the time and looking for a way to keep my head occupied; even in the final part, when I fell asleep jogging, he invented games to make me stay awake. He never let me down.

42K: Have you been disappointed with the final result after so many months of work and preparation?

Ivan: No. It is true that we were looking for excellence, but the result is positive because despite the adversities we managed to reach the end in less than 30 hours in 12th position. And then you have to value learning, because in a career like the Badwater 135 you never stop learning things. I can't be disappointed because I gave everything I had inside, everything and more, to finish. I would be disappointed if I had even the slightest doubt that I did not do my best to achieve the best possible result.

42K: What positive lesson or learning do you take away from the Badwater 2023?

Ivan: On the one hand, you always have to follow the established strategy, without improvising and without making unnecessary mistakes. On the other hand, that there is always a way out or a solution even if it seems impossible for any difficulty. the badwater 2023 has made me burn into my head that as long as you don't give up, an opportunity can always be generated. You have to run with intelligence and head; the heart is very important in a race like this, but the key is to run with intelligence, with patience, without improvising and, above all, seeking inner balance.

Penalba on Ashley Paulson's triumph: "Women have a greater capacity for suffering and tolerance for pain than men"

42K Were you surprised by the victory of Ashley paulson, the first woman to prevail in the Badwater 135?

Ivan: No. She is an impressive, unique ultra-distance runner. Last year she already made a run and this year she had prepared herself conscientiously to make history. Her victory confirms something that I have been clear about for a long time: in ultra-distance races there are no differences between men and women; What's more, I dare say that women in this type of career have brutal potential because they have a greater capacity for suffering and tolerance for pain than men. In the United States there have already been several absolute victories for women in ultra-distance races. In ultra-distance tests, speed is not the determining element, but resistance and the ability to suffer. In some ultra-distance tests, it may end up being the women who set the bar at the highest and who leave record records. Ashley's example is the clearest proof of a woman who has defeated the best male specialists in the toughest race in the world. Her triumph is very positive for the ultra-fund because she can serve as an example and a claim for other women. Women, without a doubt, can aspire to compete face to face with men in the ultra-distance race.

42K: Do you think about going back to the Badwater?

Ivan: Yes. It is the race of my life. It is the career of my dreams. I thought I was qualified to fight for victory this year but I got a reality check. It is the toughest race in the world and it is not easy to achieve excellence. All the winners are over 40 and I am 31 right now. It may be a long road, but I want to come back as many times as it takes to get the win. And if one day I win, I will continue running it as many times as I can because it is an inhuman race and that is precisely what motivates me and excites me about it. There is no race in the world comparable to Badwater. I will run it again, but I will do it with my head as calm as possible to face the hard moments in a calmer way.

 

tendinopathy y Bathwater 135What can an injury and a career have to do with it? Well, in my opinion, what both are hell.

In the month of July, the Bathwater 135, also known as the race from hell for being one of the toughest ultra-endurance tests in the world (perhaps the toughest) due to the terrible heat conditions (bordering on and even exceeding 50 degrees Celsius) that prevail during the 217-kilometre route.

In the world of injuries, as with ultra-distance running, there are also some that can be considered hell. One of them, I can affirm after many years of experience as a physiotherapist, is tendinopathy, both Achilles and patellar.

Achilles tendinopathy and patellar tendinopathy, injuries highly feared by runners

Tendinopathy is, briefly stated, a tendon inflammation. It is an injury that is greatly feared by athletes, especially runners. And the reason why it is so feared is that to overcome it you have to go through hell; a hell that ends up taking its toll both physically and mentally.

Both Achilles tendinopathy (also called Achilles tendinopathy), which affects the gastrocnemius and soleus tendon, such as the patellar tendinopathy, which affects the quadriceps tendon in the insertion of the tibia, are lesions that they condemn the athlete to dry dock.

In this article we are going to analyze the reasons why it is such a difficult and complicated injury to solve.

Whenever there is a tendon injury, it is a consequence and rarely the cause, therefore it is necessary to find out what biomechanical or training situation has generated this ailment.

Tendinopathy is not an injury that can be determined with date and time when it occurred. It is an injury that It can manifest from one day to the next.; one day you're fine and the next you hurt like hell at the muscle attachment.

Signs that can alert us to a tendinopathy

There are a number of signs that can alert us to tendinopathy. On many occasions it happens that the athlete ignores these signs that clearly may be indicating that the structure is suffering. And those signs are:

1. General tiredness. Rest is the basis of training.
2. Pain in joints used in the racing discipline in which one competes.
3. Muscular weakness in lower limbs.
4. Sensation of muscle pain in the morning that improves after a while with movement.
5. Proprioceptive failure (joint instability) of joints.
6. Pain before exercise that goes away when you train and then comes back.

Frequently asked questions about tendinopathy

When talking about tendons, many questions always arise. One of them is: Why is the tendon such a special structure for a person who runs?; another is: Why does the tendon take so long to recover?

We are going to answer the first of the questions: Why is the tendon such a special structure for the running? The tendon structure is super special for two reasons:

1. It is the structure that will administer the mechanical force of the muscle to the bone to be able to exert movement, being a non-elastic structure.
2. It is a structure with a slow metabolism and little vascularity, therefore, once the immune system is injured, it does not have a large contribution and usually heals worse.

Regarding the question of why a tendon takes so long to recover, we should start by clarifying that the tendon is a structure with a slow metabolism that is responsible for administering loads and that it needs movement to heal; resting and not moving is the worst choice because the tendon needs mechanical stimuli to accelerate its self-care and recover effectively.

In case of resting, the muscle weakens, forcing the tendon to suffer more than necessary and damaging it every time an effort is made for which it is not prepared because it is forced to be the main actor in the movement.

A tendon takes time to heal because the destruction of collagen after exertion is greater than the synthesis of collagen, which occurs about 24/48 hours after exercise. What does this mean? Well, if we do high-intensity exercise every day, we will always be in the process of collagen destruction and we will never reach the collagen synthesis necessary to heal and recover that tendon.

Therefore, after a high intensity exercise we must perform low intensity exercises for the next 72 hours so that the tendon does not suffer. If we add the poor vascularization of the structure, with this type of training we will generate the perfect situation for the recovery of this tendon, since after this time the synthesis is greater than the destruction of collagen, allowing us to increase the intensity of the training for 3 days after the last high training load.

If we are able to respect these 72 hours between high-intensity workouts, we will get the necessary time for the tendon to recover correctly.

But what happens if we do not respect this time? That the tendon is injured and when the tendon is injured it can do so in 2 ways: becoming inflamed or destructuring.

Types of tendinopathies: tendinitis and tendinosis

The first thing we have to tell apart es if the tendon is inflamed or unstructured. If the tendon is inflamed, it is called tendinitis; and if the tendon is unstructured, it is called tendinosis. The latter, tendinosis, is a more serious tendinopathy than tendonitis because the destruction of the tendon can generate complete rupture.

Physiotherapy treatment does not address tendinosis in the same way as tendinitis. In the case of tendinosis, since the complete structure is not there to generate force, it cannot administer loads; In the case of tendinitis, inflammation is often good for activating the immune system, for healing, so it must be respected.

 

Depending on the type of tendinopathy and always evaluated by medical diagnosis with ultrasound and diagnosed by a physiotherapist specializing in sports and sports rehabilitation, we must differentiate which types of exercises are good in each case.

If the injury is inflammation, the physiotherapist must respect it and create a battery of exercises that, after biomechanical assessment through applications such as VALOBANDO, generates a specific exercise plan for each athlete; These exercises will always have to be in the line of doing eccentric work that improves the situation of the tendon fibers.

If the injury is a disorder, the physiotherapist must control the loads and do specific treatment to improve the tendon tissue.

Cold is contraindicated in tendinosis processes since it prevents the immune system from having the ability to heal due to its vasoconstriction. However, in tendonitis processes, it is good to apply ice at the end of the day to get rid of pain after training, since ice has analgesic effects.

Heat therapies are indicated for two reasons:

1. They improve the immune system and blood supply to the area.
2. They heat the tendon to improve the kinematic part of the tendon.

Tips to avoid suffering a tendinopathy

The best way to control tendinopathy is not to cause it, so what should a runner do to avoid suffering from it?

1. Perform specific exercises for each athlete in an objective and effective way evaluated with the VALOBANDO application (we will talk about it in the next post).
2. Go to the doctor for ultrasound evaluation and to the physiotherapist for ultrasound control of the tendons involved in gait.
3. Go to the physiotherapist for treatment using manual therapy and physiotherapy techniques to remove tone from the overloaded muscles.
4. Have a good training program with sports professionals and a good recovery program with physiotherapists specializing in sports injuries.
5. have a good alimeRich in protein and vitamins.
6. Do not ignore the signs mentioned above that could be indicating that the structure was suffering.

The best way to prevent tendinopathy is not to suffer it, but if a tendon injury is suffered, it is extremely important that the athlete knows that he is facing a slow recovery injury and he has to know that this is going to test his mental strength because it is necessary to accept with resignation the necessary time for the total and optimal recovery.

The mental part of a tendon injury is essential for the athlete to be able to return to sports in a healthy way. Tendinopathy has a healing period of more or less 1 year of evolution, and continued treatment is extremely important even if there is no pain, since many times a tendon injury does not imply pain.

The case of Iván Penalba

En BOX55 we have been taking care of Iván Penalba since 6 years ago. Given the extreme competitions that it faces, such as the Badwater 135, we have always feared that he could suffer tendinopathy because for an athlete like him it could be a hell of a lot more than a race like the Badwater 135 (Iván Penalba finished second in his first participation in the Badwater 135 in 2022 toy).

The loads that an athlete supports can come from many parameters: distances, force, impact, speed, terrain and even metabolic situations. That is why it is very difficult to modify and control loads on an athlete like Iván Penalba, who, when he does 217 kilometers at 50º through the Valley of Death, will generate an average of 400.000 impacts.

Bringing the body and in this specific case the tendons to such an extreme load situation requires a lot of training, mental strength and, above all, prevention.

Iván Penalba could not do what he does without a group of physiotherapists who take care of him every day and plan recovery and care sessions for his tendons throughout his season.

You can read other articles related to injuries that concern runners in our blog. If you are interested, you can learn more about low back pain in the article entitled «Low back pain, the good weather injury». If your interest is related to hamstring injury, you can find more information in the article «Hamstring tear, injury to fear». Other items of interest may also be «Tips to prevent meniscus injury» o «3 golden rules to prevent sprained ankles on the trail running».

Carlos Domingo He is one of the great Spanish journalists specialized in athletics. for years his voice sounds on sports radio programs and is also the voice that narrates and brings sporting events to life among which are many track, asphalt, trail athletics events running or triathlon, among other sports.

Carlos Domingo, in charge of the El Tartán radio program since 2007

In addition to being a regular runner for more than 20 years, Carlos Domingo has 18 years of experience in sports journalism and the radio has been the medium in which he has spent a large part of his professional career. During this time he has worked for media such as Radio Marca, Movistar +, Maratón Radio, À Punt or Radio Esport Valencia and has been directing the SCHEDULE the tartan since 2007 (Radio Marca Valencia program dedicated entirely to both popular and elite athletics).

He has been responsible for communication of the Valencian Community Athletics Federation (FACV) and the Royal Spanish Athletics Federation (RFEA) at different stages, and is a versatile communicator who currently heads the communication and marketing area of ​​the leading company in MolcaWorld experiential architecture.

Event presenter and sportscaster

This sports lover is also event presenter and narrator. In this facet he has worked for such prestigious brands as Red Bull, Bwin, UEFA Champions League, the Ponle Freno Races, Valencia CF, Sunderland AFC or the Valencia Marathon and Half Marathon.

To all this we must add that in the world of professional athletics Carlos Domingo has covered as a reporter for different media since 2008 five world championships and seven european championships.

42K From now on it will be the technical clothing brand that dresses Carlos Domingo in his sports narrations, streamings and event presentations. One of the most prestigious voices in Spanish athletics will wear the brand 42K in their broadcasts and narrations of sporting events.

Iván Penalba wants to conquer the Bathwater 135 and be part of the history of the toughest race in the world. In 2022, in his first participation, he finished second and became the first Spaniard to get on the podium.

His great challenge for 2023 is to conquer the Badwater 135, a race he first faced in 2022 and which has become his biggest challenge sports. «I already know what I'm facing and I think I can dream of victory. Last year I ran it for the first time and everything was new to me. It is a race that is not comparable to any other in the world, so the best experience is to have run it to know what you are facing. », explains Iván Penalba.

Iván Penalba aspires to victory and with record time

La Bathwater 135 It is considered the most extreme and challenging long distance competition in the world. Their 135 miles (217 kilometers) They travel through one of the most inhospitable places on the planet: Death Valley (The death Valley), a desert valley found in southeastern California, in the Mojave desert. It is one of the hottest places in the world in summer, with temperatures that during the day touch and even exceed 50 degrees Celsius and at night, in the best of cases, they drop to 34 degrees.

As a curiosity, in the Valley of Death the record for the highest temperature recorded in the world is set: 134 °F (56.7 °C), on July 10, 1913.

In 2022, Iván Penalba became the seventh Spaniard selected to face the 135 miles of the Badwater. She prepared herself thoroughly -including training in a sauna to accustom her body to extreme temperatures- and finished in second position with a time of 24h:02′:57″, behind the Japanese Yoshihiko Ishikawa, who completed the course in 23h:08′:20″ and repeated his 2019 victory.

The Valencian ultra-distance runner made history by becoming the first Spaniard to get on the podium of the race, but he returned from American lands with the dream of returning to Badwater 135 to win and set a new time record (the men's record is held by Valmir Nunes at 22:51':29" and the women's is held by Jamie Donalson at 26:16':12").

«The Badwater It is not a normal ultrafund test; It requires a very particular preparation, both physically and psychologically. It is an extreme race because the temperatures are hellish and any physical activity becomes very difficult. Last year I prepared the best way I could and knew how, but I didn't know exactly what I was facing. This year I already know what I'm facing and what I need to improve in my preparation and approach to the race.", comments the Valencian athlete.

The greatest demand and hardness of the Badwater 135 lies in being able to run for hours on end with hellish temperatures, as Iván Penalba explains. «You have to have exceptional physical preparation, but you also have to work hard on psychological preparation because the hardest thing in this case is not the distance itself (217 kilometers), but the effort involved in maintaining concentration and a competitive pace with a heat that is not describable. And a fundamental aspect to maintain concentration and be able to aspire to victory, as I saw in 2022, is having a very experienced support team.

Carmen Pérez, inseparable companion of fatigues of Iván Penalba

Iván Penalba will have a highly qualified team this year to assist him in his great sporting challenge of the year. Leading the team will be Joaquin Candel, a Spaniard living in Las Vegas who knows the Bad like no one elsewater 135 and all its singularities, both administrative and logistical-sports. And to help you on the burning asphalt of endless roads, you will have the company of two elite ultra-long distance runners: the Mexican Oscar Hernandez y Carmen Perez Serrano.

Both are following a strict training program to be able to provide the help that Penalba will need on July 4 during the more than twenty hours that he will have to run without interruption.

Carmen, Iván's inseparable companion, accumulates extensive experience in ultra-distance tests (both on asphalt and in the mountains) and currently holds the Spanish women's 100 km record (7h:47':14″, mark achieved in the 100 Kilometer World Championship in Berlin 2022), as well as the Spanish records of 6H and 12H.

Joaquín Candel, Carmen Pérez and Oscar Hernández will be the three athletes who will accompany the runner from Alfafar (Valencia) on the ground in the great challenge, but the 'Team Penalba' is also made up of physiotherapists David Valenzuela (Box 55) and Pablo Salvador, physical trainer Sebastian Bialobrzeski, psychologist Pedro Quesada and chiropodists Salva Jesuardo and Nuria Gil.

Iván Penalba's roadmap for Badwater 135

the badwater 135 is the great sporting challenge of 2023 for Iván Penalba and that is why he has designed his competition calendar thinking of reaching his best form until the month of July.

The competition roadmap began on February 25 in the 100 km of Conero (Italy), where he finished in third position with a time of 7h:03':17". February was the first month of his specific preparation for Badwater and finished it with 685,2 km in 26 days (26,5 km/day on average).

The second race of the year in which he competed was the 12 Hours of Sofia (Bulgaria), the first race in which he ran with Carmen Pérez and in which he finished in first position by completing 146,6 km (136,300 kms Carmen). «The 12 Hours of Sofia was the first event in which we competed together and we were able to experience the sensations of work and joint effort. Achieving maximum understanding is essential in the face of Death Valley.", Explica.

Already in April they formed on the starting line of the 24 Hours of Venice, a race in which Penalba also climbed to the top of the podium after totaling 254,03 km (the sixth time he has managed to exceed 254 km in a test 24 hours), while Carmen Pérez finished in the second position of the women.

With the 24 Hours of Venice, Iván Penalba already adds to his sporting record a total of 62 official ultra-distance races, with 9 24-hour races completed.
«I am very satisfied with the performance in the first three months of the year. Everything is going the way I wanted. In the first block of 'training - tests' I have run three official ultra-distance competitions in 49 days, totaling more than 500 kilometers, and I have achieved 3 podiums. In addition, I am also satisfied because in each of these competitions I have done many nutrition, hydration, etc. tests, which will be relevant for the Badwater», Explica.

The roadmap of competitions that will serve to refine the set-up for Death Valley includes the following tests:

• 24 Hours of Ciudad Real. In this ultra-distance test on the track, Iván and Carmen will compete in the 3-hour test.
• Camí de Cavalls 360 (Menorca). A test that runs along the GR 223, a historic path of 185 km that goes around Menorca along the coast. In this test Carmen competes and Iván will be in charge of the assistance.
• 100 km from Passatore (Italy). This test that takes place between Florence and Faenza is considered one of the most important 100 km tests in Europe.
• 6 Hours from Tegueste. This will be Penalba's last competition before traveling to Death Valley.

 

A little history of the Badwater 135

Until 2022 the Badwater 135 was an ultra-distance event little known in Spain (except for lovers of extreme ultra-distance events), but the participation of Iván Penalba and his second place made it famous and gave it an unprecedented role in our country.

It began to be officially contested in 1987. In that first year only five runners started, but since then the number of participants has not stopped growing. Its popularity is maximum among the international community of long-distance runners, which is why it brings together ultra-distance runners of many nationalities in California every year, seduced by the challenge of competing in what is closest to the caldera of a volcano.

In the 2022 edition, 95 runners (63 men and 32 women) formed on the starting line and 78 completed the 135 miles (217 km). Men and women of 23 different nationalities but with a common passion: ultra-distance running on endless roads that run through the Death Valley (Death Valley) under a scorching sun and with daytime temperatures that can exceed 50 degrees Celsius.

In this valley is the bad basinwater, which is the lowest point of elevation (–86 meters above sea level) in all of North America (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) and is where the race starts from. This point is only 136 km east of the highest point in the United States, the Mount Whitney (4.421 meters above sea level), where the test ends at 2.548m. altitude.

Since the start is taken, at 23:34 p.m., you have to fight against extreme heat (at night the temperature does not drop below 217 degrees), but the punishment of the heat is added to a demanding route that means totaling XNUMX kilometers with a Accumulated positive drop of 4.450m. and 1.859m. cumulative decline.

Iván Penalba, kilometer and record breaker

Iván Penalba holds the world record for 12 hours on a treadmill (155,080 km), as well as the Spanish ultra-distance records in races of 12 hours (158,631 km), 24 hours (274,330 km) and 100 miles.

But in addition, he accumulates many more milestones in his sports career that make him a unique athlete:

• The only ultra-distance runner in history to win on 4 different continents.
• World top 3 in ultrafondo by hours in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.
• 3 current national records in 24H, 12H, and 100 miles (until recently he also held the 6H and 60 miles).
• World record on treadmill for 12 hours.
• Winner of the most important 24H track event in the world (Taiwan 2018).
• Best result of a Spaniard in the Spartathlon (2021), the world's most important ultra-distance road race that takes place in Greece.
• 5th place in the 24 2019H World Championship (Albi, France). It is the best result, 270,1 kms, and position of a Spaniard in a world championship.
• 4th place in the 24 2022H European Championship (Verona, Italy). It is the best result, 273,4 kms, of a Spaniard in a European.

42K technical mark of Iván Penalba for the second year in the Badwater 135

42K is once again the technical mark of Iván Penalba and his entire team for the Badwater 135. For the second year, the Valencian ultra-distance runner will face the rigors of the extreme heat of Death Valley with technical garments 42K.

For the 2023 edition, Iván Penalba will use an exclusive technical shirt made with 100% recycled fabric that we will present shortly.

42K You have seen the Valencian athlete (and now also his sports partner, Carmen Pérez) since he began to compete in ultra-distance events.

The physiotherapist David Valenzuela, CEO of BOX55, tells us in this article about ankle sprain, the most common injury in competitive sport and, without a doubt, the injury that trail runners suffer the most from running. This physiotherapy expert explains why it is such a common injury and offers 3 tips, «3 golden rules», to prevent ankle sprains and prevent them from becoming an injury that limits you in sports.

As David Valenzuela assures… running is not just hitting the ground.

Sprained ankle, the most common injury on the trail running

Recently, for the winter holidays, I was in my town, Sot de Chera, a small mountain village just 70 kilometers from Valencia. Sot de Chera is located in the Los Serranos region and has a population of about 300 inhabitants, although during the holidays the population increases and the whole town becomes a kind of traveling circus full of circus activities for the little ones. I have 2 girls, Vega and Gala, so the excuse to visit the town was perfect.

While the girls were having fun in the children's activities, I had the opportunity to chat with Antonio Blanch (“El Sifri” to friends and also known as “El Guerrillero” in the trail world. running) and I asked him about the latest crazy thing he had proposed, since every once in a while he prepares for one of those races that in your head are impossible due to the mileage, the unevenness... Sot de Chera, like a good mountain town, has its trail club running with tradition and its flagship race: La Guerrillero Romeu, a 110-kilometer mountain test in complete self-sufficiency.

It seemed strange to me that "the Guerrillero" did not run the I edition of La Guerrilla Romeu Mountain Festival, since it was a race set in some historical events of our town.

He then told me that his latest "folly" had been The Bandit race, in Tarragona, a race inspired by the Barkley marathons, and in which the participants (35 in total) had to try to complete five laps of an unknown circuit, with a maximum time margin of between 11 and 12 hours per lap. An ultra trail resistance and orientation test only suitable for athletes with great physical and mental preparation.

Despite having the necessary physical and mental strength to aspire to fight until the end, in the third round he had to retire due to three consecutive ankle sprains. From that moment, as expected, we began to talk about what can be done to avoid ankle sprain.

Types of ankle sprains

Many people ask me why ankle sprains are such a frequent injury and the answer is very simple. ANDThe ankle is a very unstable joint when the foot is plantarflexed. (tiptoes). The ankle is designed to be protected by 3 external ligaments and one internal ligament that prevent inversion (turning the foot inward; it is the most common "sprain") and forced eversion (turning the foot outward; a less common "sprain"). .

The ligaments are structures with very little elasticity (from 3 to 10% of their size) and are the security mechanism when the muscle cannot protect the joint that due to fatigue or overload is no longer functional. In addition, the ligaments have the quality of stabilizing and learning to correct themselves in delicate moments, this is proprioception, which is lost when you are injured and you must try to train in the rehabilitation processes and as prevention.

Once you injure your ankle, there are 3 types of ankle sprainDepending on whether it is a strain or a ligament tear, whether partial or total, they are classified as follows:

• Grade I ankle sprain, strain without rupture, is the mildest.
• Grade II ankle sprain, partial tear.
• Grade III ankle sprain, total tear (if it affects all the ligaments it has a surgical solution).

3 golden rules to prevent ankle sprains

Now, what can we do to avoid suffering an ankle sprain injury and be able to enjoy our sport in good health?

Here are the 3 golden rules to prevent the dreaded ankle sprain:

1. STRENGTHEN FOOT MUSCLES. A first piece of advice would be try to go barefoot at home whenever possible (the longer the better). Another tip to strengthen the foot muscles is to exercise on the beach: do circuits of running technique or running on the beach. The unstable base produced by the sand and the exercise on the beach help to improve the musculature of the foot, correcting the plantar arch (bridge) so necessary for the foot to be neutral and to be able to be stable. Also, it is very important do work to strengthen muscles peroneous, which is the muscle that protects from forced inversion (which is the most common "strain" and in many cases results in a sprain).

2. RELAX CALF AND SOLEUS. The gastrocnemius and soleus (or the triceps surae muscle, as it is known in physiotherapy) generate that, due to overload, the foot that is in the aire when the impact occurs on the ground it is too plantar flexed (toe tiptoes), a way of landing in which a lot of instability occurs; If we add to that the fact that downhill terrain implies instability and plantar flexion due to the inclination of the terrain, we have the ideal situation for an injury to occur. A contracted musculature is not functional. The physiotherapist is the solution to your problem.

3. PROPIOCEPTION EXERCISES COMBINED WITH STRENGTH. Its instability exercises combined with rubbers that help improve the strength of the articulation in the degrees of tiptoe that a mountain race demands.

Even if you follow the 3 golden rules, the risk of suffering an ankle sprain is still high because it is a functional weakness of the human body, so much so that anatomical studies already find people who have three peroneal instead of two peroneal as it is the normal. In other words, we are designed to be able to injure our ankles if we play sports on unstable surfaces.

What to do to heal an ankle sprain well?

At BOX55 Sports Physiotherapy we have two clear lines of approach for ankle sprain injuries:

1. RESPECT THE PHYSIOLOGICAL CURING TIME OF A TISSUE. In case of ankle injury, depending on the severity, this time can range from 21 days to 50 days. There are physiotherapy techniques that shorten times and functional bandages can be applied that help to be able to compete. A swollen ankle is not bad, it is necessary for the immune system. But within this period the ligament is damaged and therefore cannot perform its function.
2. PREPARE THE TISSUE FOR FUNCTION. It is necessary to think that a fabric must adapt to the environment in order to perform its function well. For that we need a period of adaptation and cushioning training where impact stabilization is essential.

So let's get out of the tendency to think that the impact phase is what hurts, because during the race there is more time in the flight phase. Forks more important how the foot is positioned in the flight phase to adapt to the ground than the impact that occurs. Because the impact causes the tendon to suffer, but the ligament doesn't even notice.

 

Other articles by David Valenzuela in the blog of 42K

You can learn more about the running injuries and start to prevent possible problems, since they are the main limitation with which you can find yourself. Also, keep in mind the importance of a good muscle bandage, a runner's lifeline that is used to allow, encourage, limit, or prevent a specific movement.

Any athlete knows that injuries are the worst enemy which they can face. Injuries interrupt, stop, hinder, frustrate, despair... Injuries to the running They can be the main limit to making not only the dream of achieving a goal come true, but even being able to follow the path necessary to fight for the dream.

The physiotherapist David Valenzuela, CEO of BOX55, reflect in this article on the injuries in the running as the main limitation that any runner, amateur or elite, can encounter on their way to achieving an objective, a challenge, a dream...

Injuries to the running: the limits to training

“I thought that running was just buying some shoes. I started running because when I do my memories take me back to when I was a girl and ran through the fields of my parents' house.", a patient in the clinic recently told me while we were treating her son for a biomechanical overuse injury.

With him he remembered how his 'runner's headband' prevented him from enjoying his dream for a while, while at that time he was already looking forward to a new starting line, the 10k in Valencia, where his sports season began.

Many people agree in the belief that to start running, all you have to do is buy some shoes and go out for miles in the city, the park, the countryside or the mountains. And, they forget about the injuries in the running that they may suffer.

Running is just buying some shoes?

Indeed, to run it is enough to buy some Shoes of running. It is something within everyone's reach. Running is putting on some shoes, going out into the street and feeling a world of sensations that invade you while you train and the endorphins that you generate make you think that you can conquer the world and think that there are no impossible distances or times.

So, you look for a test that you think is accessible and there you go: new shoes, technical clothing to start running and to the mess. Then there will be another race and then another and another... And if things are not done well, then bad consequences arrive: the dreaded injuries in the running.

And some time after you bought your shoes and started running and competing in races, you find yourself on the stretcher at BOX55 thinking that what started as a dream has turned into a nightmare, a nightmare that prevents you from continuing to enjoy the sport. and of your daily life because there is an injury that does not allow it.

There are several items that must be known to be able to enjoy the sport you love with health, that sport that helps you feel happy because it generates health for you to enjoy life. And it is indisputable that being in shape improves your quality of life in all aspects.

There is nothing more powerful in the world than an idea and you have to keep in mind that you can do more things in your head than your legs can handle, therefore you will always keep going.

You must know your body because when you are growing, the physiological and biomechanical system of the human being gives you a perfect posture, a posture that adapts to growth according to the sport you practice; but this is something that is lost when you stop growing and your bones "weld", adapting to your lifestyle, which for work and personal reasons is unique to each athlete.

That's why there are limits to your training: injuries in the running.

To avoid injuries to the runningPut yourself in the hands of a physiotherapist

What should you do to ensure that your sleep and your health go hand in hand? How can you anticipate and prevent certain injuries in the running? You have to look for a physiotherapist who understands you and who wants to go with you on your adventure, who helps you achieve your dream, who adapts to your pace of life and understands your “madness”.

El physiotherapist is the health professional It will help you optimize your training, Ya que His goal is that you can train without injuries. The physiotherapist does not seek performance, he seeks to make you functional to prevent you from getting injured. The physiotherapist will always advise you objectively thanks to studies that indicate what injuries you can suffer to avoid them.

5 golden tests to prevent injuries in the running

1. The biomechanical study as the basis of the previous work in your training

The biomechanical study is a functional test group that allow to see that static and dynamic muscle deficits you have to start training functionally and generate preventive exercises that can help you enjoy your sport and optimize your workouts.

2. Electromyography as the basis of preventive work to optimize your training

Strength is a very important quality in sport because it improves (positive transfer) the other qualities of the human body such as resistance, speed or flexibility, but focusing on only that quality is a very common mistake. Uncontrolled force is useless. The muscle activation time is more important according to the laws of human biomechanics than the amount of force exerted by a muscle, since an inappropriate lower limb activation pattern generates muscle tears and tendinopathies associated with the load, no matter how strong you are.

3. Ultrasound as a structural basis for training

The tendon is a load-adaptive structure and the great “silent killer”  because it does not warn of problems until, from one day to the next, you cannot even move and you suffer injuries in the running. An ultrasound to see how the tendon is assimilating the impact is very important, since a 10k race involves about 20.000 impacts that the tendon has to absorb and adapt to the load.

4. The study with video-analysis of the gait as a dynamic base of the training.

The gait study helps prevent injuries, since during human development and growth in different lifestyles adapted movement patterns are generated. When we start running they are accentuated, generating biomechanical anomalies that can injure us when we enjoy our sport.

5. The stress test

The most important test that you must perform on your body so that all the others make sense. Knowing how your "potato" works is essential; the heart is the engine of all the qualities and dreams you want to achieve. Nothing is possible without a healthy and strong heart..

Nothing exists without health, so in the next posts we will talk about how to prevent all injuries in the running that can keep us from our dreams.

As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure, but for both, BOX55 SPORTS PHYSIOTHERAPY is here to help you achieve your dreams. You are not what you achieve, you are what you overcome.

Interest in exercise, especially running, has seen a dramatic increase in recent years. As an example, in 1985 it was estimated that there were more than 35 million people who were long-distance runners in the United States. But... have any of them suffered from problems of iron deficiency?
In the Valencian Community, the first edition of the circuit Racancer for the Spanish Association Against Cancer, got 4.500 participants in its first call of 2016, in this year's edition (2018) 14.000 registered are expected.
The increase in physical activity, with undoubted positive values ​​for health, is also generating biological disorders related to it.

Some runners are beginning to experience tiredness, irritability, loss of ability to concentrate, drowsiness, frequent yawning... In short, a state of loss of form for which they cannot find an explanation.

When these runners have had blood tests, the existence of iron deficiency has been shown, which could be at the origin of the symptoms described. In short, anemic pictures that explained the loss of fitness.

Iron deficiency

There are several mechanisms related to long-distance runners, by which an anemic state of iron deficiency can occur:

1. Hemolysis (rupture of red blood cells)

This fact was described for the first time during World War II, when observing dark urine (hematuria) in soldiers after carrying out large marches, which forced the investigation of new materials that cushion the impact of the feet on the ground, avoiding the rupture of red blood cells, hematuria and consequently avoid hemolytic anemias of mechanical origin.

2. Iron deficiency (decreased circulating iron)

It is another circumstance by which iron deficiency can occur (with or without anemia) and whose most frequent cause is excessive loss from sweating. Under normal conditions, as a consequence of the sweating that produces the cellular desquamation, 0,4 to 0,6 mg of iron (Fe) are lost daily. Obviously in any athlete these losses are increased, between three to four times, depending on the level of training, weather and physical constitution.

3. Anemias of hemorrhagic origin

Here in the first place, it is necessary to point out the iron-deficiency anemias of women as a consequence of menstrual losses, to which we must add anemias due to lack of Fe -iron- of male runners.
The most important anemias due to hemorrhagic losses are those of gastrointestinal origin. In two studies, carried out on non-professional long-distance runners, it was observed that out of a total of 56 runners, 50 of them had hemorrhagic losses in the stool. The cause of these hemorrhages is not completely known, but the results seem to point towards the possibility that during physical exercise, there is a decrease in blood flow in the intestine causing small injuries that conditioned these hemorrhagic losses. It was also observed that they occurred more frequently among those runners who took aspirin or anti-inflammatories before the races.
In any case, what matters is to keep running, anemias related to this sport have a relatively easy solution.

The Eliana
June 11th, 2018
Jose Mayans Ferrer
Hematologist doctor

Most athletes who regularly practice running and regularly participate in different popular tests have a special fixation for the collecting technical competition shirts.
For many they represent a legacy with which to review their sports career and remember tests, moments, challenges overcome, etc.
Therefore, taking care of them properly, keeping them with care and respecting them as if they were a precious trophy is a very common attitude among them. What runner does not keep the shirt with which he began to train and take his first steps in the world of racing? running?
Probably, it is the best test to remember the effort expended and, in this way, not to lose heart and continue overcoming obstacles, improving performance.
There are those who keep a collection of 300, 400 or even more. The shirt of the first popular test in which he participated, the first in which he was able to get on the podium, that solidarity test in which he took part, or the one that, due to its demanding and toughness, he feels proud to have completed. A T-shirt can become like a notch on a revolver, a totem that brings luck and protects from misfortune, a balm against decay, or a challenge worth fighting for.

The perfect medium to launch a message

The technical competition shirts They not only provide comfort to the runner. In addition to their specific characteristics, by which the runner feels protected against the fatal effect of the fabric rubbing against sweaty skin or inclement weather, these garments can become the ideal medium to launch a certain message.

Solidarity and sport go hand in hand on many occasions, and popular athletics is very given to turning to certain social causes. There are races that seek to raise funds to help Alzheimer's patients or send food to countries in conflict situations. Some even get to monopolize the attention of the media.
And that is why they become an unbeatable showcase to launch a message or claim. Today they are made technical competition shirts that can be customized. From congratulating a relative's birthday to sending a message of support to a friend or colleague who is going through a delicate situation.
The runner worth his salt will also never throw a shirt in the trash. If it is kept in good condition, he will keep it even if it no longer serves him, as a trophy or as a souvenir. Or, you will choose to donate it to associations that collect clothes for people in need.
It's a good idea to save technical competition shirts of different sizes, since over time it is more than likely that the athlete will lose and gain weight at different stages. That the figure is outlined when it is at a high peak in terms of fitness and that some fat is recovered in times of break, either due to injuries or different personal reasons.
For whatever reason, conserve, pamper and respect the technical competition shirts It is a habit that more and more athletes acquire.

El training it is essential to prepare a good race. However, there are other issues that are decisive to ensure that the experience is satisfactory and the result positive, therefore, if you are a popular runner, you must take into account certain techniques for a good workout and get a perfect race.

Tips and techniques for good training and preparing for a race

• Technical clothing is essential

The runner who already has experience knows how important it is to have adequate equipment, especially when it comes to runner clothing and to footwear. The technical shirt allows your skin to breathe better than wearing cotton clothing. It is also common to see him in leggings because they are more comfortable than the more traditional running pants.

• The right footwear for every road

On the other hand, footwear is one of the most important safety elements of the runner. You should buy the most suitable for each type of soil. If it is a marathon on asphalt you will need a different type of sole than the one you will need if the race is un between of Mountain.

• Do not wear anything on race day

It is important that both the clothes and the sports shoes have already been used on the day of the race. In this way, you will feel more comfortable because the equipment will have already adapted to the runner's body.

• Know the route

When it comes to running in a marathon, it is advisable to know the route before the day of the call. Thus, the runner will be able to measure the effort depending on the difficulty of each section and will better control the times.

• Rhythm control

The calls that are medium or long distance require a control of the appropriate pace. The participant cannot start at a high pace if he will not be able to maintain it throughout the course. It is convenient for you to leave calmly, at a more conservative pace, to be able to accelerate in the following kilometers.

• Hydrate properly

In races of this type there are usually refreshment areas to attend to the participants. However, it is very important that the runner hydrate during the previous days so that his body is in good condition on the day of the marathon.
Moreover, You should not drink water or any liquid before going out, as this will avoid having a bloated stomach or the urge to go to the bathroom.

• Reduce training the days before and rest

A race is prepared in advance and not the days before its celebration. In fact, it is more advisable for the runner to decrease the intensity of the workouts the days before the call to be more rested.
It is also essential that you rest and sleep properly. If your body is well prepared, you can maintain good stress control and the right mindset to face a challenge like that..
Today the running It is very fashionable, but it should be done correctly. Equipment, hydration and nutrition they are essential elements to participate in medium and long distance races. Marathons are races that require proper effort and training.

You have been thinking about it all week, you do not know if you arrive prepared enough for the competition, you do not know if you will be able to hold the rhythm that your ego has set you and that after your lack of confidence, it has been responsible for lowering. You know nothing. You don't know if the last pain you have in your hamstring will let you run in top condition; You do not know if it will be too hot to be able to give it gas without regard; you don't know how your body will react after a hard week of work. You don't know anything and you want everything.

It's your big date, the one you have been preparing, the one that has made you get up early and stay up late, fly and crawl, laugh and scream, mature and evolve. But that now has you immersed in a sea of ​​doubts, your mind looks for excuses if you do not measure up, it looks for reasons to lick your wounds, it seeks to be condescending, it seeks you to take your side so that you are self-indulgent, it seeks to deceive yourself. to yourself.
But no, not anymore, that battle I won a long time ago, today I have to compete and show myself that my mind is controlled by me, and that from the starting shot it will be my ally, because my other self appears, the one who does not care It is cold or hot, whether he has rested or not, something hurts or not, because that self seeks the physical / mental challenge that competition entails. A number does not give you wings, you give them yourself by demanding a minimum of 100%.
You must always have prepared the answer to the question that at one point your mind will launch you to try to convince you: "What am I doing here, suffering?" You do what you like, show yourself that you are competitive with yourself and that you enjoy being it.
When your other self, externalizes beyond the races, get ready, because there will be no one to stop you.

Look for your OTHER ME, we all have ours
 

Guillermo Peñalver: his imagination seeks to pamper the runner.

A sports entrepreneur with very clear ideas. The gradual success ´of his signature and the satisfaction obtained, have generated in Guillermo a debt with athletics. “A new generation of professionals is needed with the motto "Take care of the athlete" so that everyone ends up happy with each test; those who organize it, those who run it and those who sponsor it. "

You have to go beyond the businessYou have to take care of the athlete, understand the organizer and, above all, work with passion. It is not just about making money, with that idea you are not going anywhere. With these premises and a lot of imagination in the face of the crisis, Guillermo Peñalver has created a prestigious brand in the world of popular athletics. 42k running It is today synonymous with quality technical t-shirts. Guillermo is from Valencia and his success is the triumph of the businessman who knows how to adapt to circumstances. Passionate about popular athletics and his work, the crisis took him out of comfort and forced him to reinvent himself, that fashionable concept that can be perfectly applied to this moron from running, as he defines himself. Holy madness. 

A failed padel match started him in the running in 2003 and has never stopped running. His party mates could not attend the appointment and, since he had proposed to play sports that afternoon, he put on some sneakers and went out for a run alone. The result a priori was not encouraging: 3 kilometers in total, stopping three times. However, he liked the experience of coming home sweaty. And since then he cannot remember how many times he has enjoyed that feeling.

Guillermo already worked in the family merchandising company that his grandfather created in 1949. With just over 20 years he joined the business that was later to change his life. It happened in 2010, when Guillermo realized that the t-shirts they gave away at popular races were of very poor quality, cotton garments that generate a towel effect and irritate the skin.

There was no point giving runners t-shirts that they couldn't reuse in their training sessions. And here begins your imagination and adaptation to the crisis. He believes that he has not invented anything, he has only made technical material accessible to popular brokers. That has been his great contribution; manufacture t-shirts that the organizers can afford to include in the runner's bag and take care of the athlete with garments that comply with 3 indisputable laws: breathable, that do not cause chafing on the skin and that do not lose color with the innumerable washes that sportswear require .

Your company has 16 employees, responsible for the entire process, choosing the thread, the dyeing and the design of the collections. Raw materials and manufacturing are Asian, but from spinning to pattern making, the entire process is carried out and controlled in the capital of Turia.

42k running has managed 1.500 events in 2015, in Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Ireland, and even in the United Arab Emirates. Races such as the Madrid Half Marathon, the BBVA, the Massamagrell 15k, the Valencia 10K, the Santa Pola Half Marathon or the Martín Fiz de Vitoria Marathon trust him. For example, for this year's Liberty race you will have to make 13.000 T-shirts. Since she works for club and event organizers, she now intends to offer her products to runners in an exclusive online store that she will gradually build.
To all this, Guillermo continues running in the mornings. At 6:30 in the morning he goes out for a run for an hour, about 10 km. Also nothing. About 50 kilometers per week at a paw and three more based on strokes. Not bad at all for an amateur like him.
He is concerned about the turn popular athletics are taking, where distances and times are no longer respected, where there is a true madness to have our own photo on social reds crossing the finish line of a marathon, whether or not we are prepared for such a challenge. You have to help new runners to avoid animal attacks and the consequent misfortunes. It can't take more than 5 hours to do a marathon because that's insane.
The messages that arrive at 42k running through social reds they show Guillermo and his companions that the path is the right one, although he thinks this business has a roof. That is why you have to help and even pamper the runners. The goal is the professionalization of organizers, timekeepers and suppliers. All very reasonable, maybe going for a run so early really wakes you up, relaxes you and makes you think. We will have to prove it, right?

Text: Javier Lázaro
Photographs: Bárbara Sánchez

Practice running It's fashionable. For many, starting to run may not be too complicated if they have led a life in which they have always integrated a sporting activity, but for the most sedentary it can become quite a challenge. Of course, it is worth considering it, since the benefits it will bring us will be very considerable. Let's see below some practical tips for people who want to start running.

First of all, it is important to check our physical condition through a medical check-up to guarantee that the practice will not entail risks to our health.

Once our correct state of health has been verified, the next step is to acquire a suitable kit. Going for a run is a very cheap sport, you do not need to rent tracks, or buy rackets, balls, or balls that are necessary in other sports. You only need to be properly dressed and footwear.

Get a good technical shirt de running to wear it in summer, and add a windbreaker for winter, as well as some pants running and some tights for when the cold hits.

And of course, buy some good sneakers. running. You can choose them based on multiple parameters, such as your weight or your footprint, but also the terrain on which you are going to practice the activity: asphalt, land, roads…

You can also add countless accessories according to your needs: gloves, hats, compression socks, as well as all kinds of sports electronics devices such as watches with GPS, heart rate monitors, mp3, which can help you improve and make the practice more comfortable.

With the material that you have chosen, it is already a matter of making up your mind and starting with comfortable sessions, so that exhaustion does not take away the desire to go out the next time.

In short, equip yourself correctly, find a nice place and, if possible, good company. You'll soon see how even the popular racing bug will bite you.

Una marathon carries behind months of preparation, but not only in what to workouts or physical exercise it means. The eatingIf possible, it is even more important than the daily routine itself. Here are five basic tips for runner that you have to take into account:

1. First of all, you must consume a big number of carbohydrates to recover as soon as possible the muscle glycogen, the raw material of the broker. Therefore, in particular, both just before and after the trainingYou can have anything from bread or pasta to rice or potatoes. Fruits, legumes or juices are also rich in carbohydrates.
2. To give you an idea, if you weigh 75 kilograms, 450 to 600 grams of carbohydrates per day are recommended. In the days of running intense, you should increase the intake by 150 grams. For women weighing around 50 kilograms, between 300 and 400 grams are recommended.
3. The proteins are other keys to the sports nutritiona. In addition, these must come from 100% organic products, such as meat, fish, dairy or eggs. They are recommended, in particular, to avoid muscle damage, combat oxidative stress and balance energies.
4. Also, to combat the usual iron deposit drops, 15 milligrams per day are necessary. This mineral is found in abundancelimentos, such as cheese, seafood, beef and pork, or green leafy vegetables. We talked about this topic in another post. «Iron in the diet of runners»
5. Good hydration plays a fundamental role in days of intense physical exercise. Therefore, it is important to drink immediately before starting the race (two to three glasses of water) and during its course. A jerrycan on the waist or a backpack camelbacks are great ideas for hauling water.

By following these five basic tips, you will gain health and avoid more serious problems.

If you have been interested in this post, consult our Sports Nutrition section from this link

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The benefits of run with your pet they are numerous. Without a doubt, running with your dog is a stimulus, since the animal likes physical activity. Therefore, it will encourage you to exercise and you will become very attuned to it. In general, running together will help you keep in good shape and improve your health, especially at the cardiovascular level. Your self-esteem and the trust between you and your pet will also grow. You have to take into account a series of tips so that this shared physical exercise is beneficial for both:

1. Wait for the right moment. These runs won't do your dog any good until his muscles and skeleton are fully formed. It can take up to a year for this to happen. Nor should you go out for a run in the hottest hours, since the dog's sweating occurs only through panting.

2. Use the necessary equipment. In addition to a T-shirt technique running that breathes well, you will need an ergonomic harness, a shooting line and a padded and wide belt.

3. Control all health factors. Both your dog's and yours. The activity should not be counterproductive to your physical condition and veterinarians and doctors will be able to advise you. It is important that you also adapt the alimentation of your dog to these exits.

4. Coordinate with your dog. Don't try to pull it too far. Learn to understand their sensations and your movements will combine perfectly.

5. Respect the rules. Finally, remember that you and your dog are part of society and you have to adapt to the rules. Do not run in forbidden places and always carry bags to collect the excrement.

Ultimately, run with your dog It is a pleasure and these recommendations will enhance your experience.

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