Ep 31 Val d'Aran by UTMB special and keeping race sharp
· Trail Running Ireland Podcast
Eoin Flynn is just back from the Pyrenees, where he worked at Val d'Aran by UTMB, the first European UTMB World Series race outside Chamonix. He talks to UTMB founders Catherine and Michel Poletti and the local race director at the finish line in Vielha. Then René Borg explains how to stay sharp and fresh through a busy summer of racing.
At the finish line, where every finisher rang a bell, Catherine Poletti talks about the family spirit of trail running and why UTMB wants World Series races close to where runners live. Michel, who ran the 55 km the day before, explains why running makes him feel alive and gives advice for UTMB Mont Blanc: train hardest in July, ease off in August and only jog in the last 10 to 14 days. The race director, interviewed in Spanish with Eoin translating, thanks his 600 volunteers and asks runners to send feedback. Eoin says the first edition came close to being cancelled by local health authorities days before the start, and that the 100-miler was tough, with a high dropout rate.
René warns that the most common racing-season mistake is training too hard between races. He describes the textbook build-up and how to manage it when the base isn't there. Between races, aim to hold fitness: use toned-down familiar sessions or Lydiard-style wind sprints, and protect the aerobic base with easy zone 1 running. They discuss using July and August races as training for autumn targets, controlling pre-race anxiety, and Rob Heffernan's advice to skip the long run the day after a peak race. René's final message is to stay flexible from day to day.