70% of people start running on asphalt (I would bet that the percentage is higher), unless you are a hardcore mountaineer and start hitting the shoe in the mountains.
For those of you who don't know me, I'm Lexuri Crespo(@lexurun) and I'm an ambassador of Runnea Academy, Runnea's individualized training platform. I started running on asphalt in mid-2012 and I didn't start because I liked running, far from it, in fact, I had a little bit of mania for it. When I was doing karate and the pre-season came, I hated running, I had a terrible time.... I got tired, I almost always had flatus and I era the last of the group, it was a show. It was when I quit karate that I started to run more continuously. As often happens, I had lost my fitness and I had gained a few extra kilos, so I had to remedy it.
The beginnings were not good and even more, they were disastrous. I would run for 5 minutes and walk for another 5, and little by little until I managed to run for half an hour straight. Eventually I knew I hadn't done so badly. Now what I was doing is called CaCos (walk-run). The good thing about this sport is that if you are consistent the results are noticeable right away, so much so that in October of that same year I signed up for my first race, the Bilbao Night Marathon, that is, the 7km Pirate race.
The asphalt began to hook me, every time I wanted more and my body asked me for new challenges. In March 2013 I did my first half marathon in Santander, I prepared the best I could but at that time I did not know what the series or changes of pace were. I went out at my own pace, one day I ran an hour, another day I ran a half, in short, that's how I was going hahaha!!!!! Fortunately now with Runnea Academy I'm doing much better....
After that, more races came and I have always tried to set myself goals to not get discouraged or stop training.
Asphalt = Love/Hate
Asphalt and I don't get along very well, we have a love/hate relationship, I love you but then I stop loving you... In short, I train on asphalt because I have no choice. It is true that I like to run certain races that I can't erase from my calendar, such as: La Behobia San Sebastian, Bilbao Night Marathon, Santurtzi-Bilbao, Herri Krosa de Bilbao.... I had a good time running, the people who are cheering you on carry you along and every time I lower time is a shot of adrenaline, extra motivation to keep going and keep doing things right. But in reality "I get bored" on asphalt, well, bored bored is not that I get bored, it makes me more heavy.
But since I tried the mountain nothing is the same....
The mountain has that I don't know what, what do I know? I have always been a mountaineer, since I was little I used to go with the mountain group every Sunday to the mountain and although I have had some weaker years I have always liked to climb the Serantes and enjoy its wonderful views. I am trying to instill the same values in my little girl, since she was born she has climbed with me on several occasions.
To me the mountain gives me something that the asphalt does not give me and it is the ADRENALINE, it is a feeling that I love. It is true that I suffer a lot in the long climbs, but just thinking that I have a downhill I get the nerves to the surface. I just think about opening my arms, throwing my body forward and throwing myself "head first" as if there was no end to it. Then there is that feeling of being libre, of connecting with nature, of being alone with the world, with no one around you.
In the mountains I never get bored, I have to keep all my senses alert for what might happen, in fact, my music is always low so I can hear what's going on around me. On the other hand, on asphalt I almost always have it on full blast so I don't hear any sound, I'm a bit of a maniac and I don't like to listen to my footsteps.
My first race in the mountains
My first mountain race was in October 2013, the Serantes Igoera. A race of 13 km +450 m that is run in the "backyard of my house", it is a race that is done in my training area and one of my favorite mountains. I remember that it cost me a lot and that there was a lot of mud, but I enjoyed it like all the races I do. From that day on, my passion for the mountains increased and I began to set myself bigger challenges.
They began to arrive 23km races like the Apuko Igoera or 20km races like the ones they did in the Bizkaia Kopa Trail and little by little I have been realizing where my great passion lies.
I like races of more than 20 km, where I can enjoy and where I don't have to start running from minute 1.
My maximum distance has been 34km, I decided that after having Izaro I wanted to do a marathon, but last year when I did it I didn't feel ready to run 42km. But this year I feel strong, I'm almost back to my pre-pregnancy fitness and I feel confident to do this challenge.
The Runnea Academy trainings are helping me a lot and I'm trying not to skip any training to arrive with strength and confidence to the race.
And what makes you feel the asphalt or the mountain?
Read more news about: Running News
