en Español

ALL ABOUT SANTIAGO´S SPORT LIFE

MAY 2008

Spokane´s abyss by Santiago Sanz (14-05-08) JUST ONLY 113 DAYS 

It´s five to six and I jump from bed, really that was not a deep sleep night but I feel euforic. This is one of my favourites races and the course can be defined as wonderful. First of all my resting heart rate and ohlala, 38b/min. My bomb seems to be in shape. 

Yesterday I landed in Spokane at 8:20pm and arrived to this amazing city really rest. After Indianapolis I slept for a while in my room maybe the frustation feeling due to this stupid wrong turn in the course help me to sleep well and get relax. 

I had a nice flight with my friend the speaker “Rob Powers” who invited me to dinner in a french restaurant in Denver´s airport. I told him “You know Tom? Tomorrow I´ll set a new course record in Bloomsday by fourth consecutive year” he just answered me “Holly shit, of course you´ll get it”… 

Alter get dress and get ready all my stuff for the race I move to breakfast located in the hospitality room. I find there that fantastic woman which every year get ready a delicious breakfast to all the wheelchair racers, kenyan runners,… She ask me “How´s my great racer?” and I answer “Trying to wake up but really happy to see you once again”, she serve´s me a great coffee but also emphasize me that if I need it strongrer (European style) she´ll do it, I begin to smile. 

I need to eat a lot today so I take two strawberry bagels and also I spread on it some straberry jelly, of course, with this delicious coffee which I drink with nice friends the canadian Clayton Gerein and my big friend Edwin Figueroa (USA). It´s a nice moment to be with those big boys and also I really enjoy it with those rays of sunshine touching my face, once again we have a nice Spokane´s morning and who doesn´t like to race with those conditions? At that moment Tom Cameron (wheelchair race director) seat with us and he ask me how was Indiana race, he smile´s because he know´s I got lost in that race and I like his 2009 proposal “Santi you need to kill the demon in that race next year like you did in Bloomsday in 2005” (In 2004 I had a mechanical problem with the chair and I couldn´t fight for the victory), I answer him “I don´t know what I´ll do next year but I´ll come back here sure”. Tom began to speak about his trip around Spain with his wife two years ago and he say´s to Clayton that was a fantastic trip around spanish coast (Malaga, Almeria, Alicante, Valencia,…), I can see in his eyes a real admiration for the spanish culture and he finishe´s with a simple “I love Spain”, I just think for a moment “I would like that Tom know my family in Spain”. 

Million question arrive´s and Tom ask it with nonstop, Are you gonna set a new course record by fourth consecutive year? (After the race he would say to best ever history woman racer Jean Driscoll “Here is the boy four consecutive course records, Who can do it?”, I would say Jean that my main goal now in this race would be a second master than her 31´23´´ and we began to smile). I answer Tom with a big self confidence “Of course, You´ll get your four Bloomie record” and Tom say´s “This is my boy”. 

It´s ten to seven and I decide back to my room I have fourty minutes before the wheelchair check in. I rest in my bed while begin to speak with my friend Saul. It was ten months ago when I saw him last time and he´s like I say a friend forever. 

I have carried for his two months baby “Paul” a PUMA sport shoes and he begin´s to tell me that everything rolls perfect in Austin, I say him “next year I´ll go there to know my friend Paul”. 

We follow speaking during half hour and just time to move to hall to do wheelchair check in. The weather is so cold and the termometer is around 7 degrees so I need a long warm up to get the best muscular conditions for the race. I want to begin my warm up at 7:45am.

When I have all ready to begin my warm up I realice that I forgot my velocimeter in my room, I´m a really methodic racer and use to control my 5Km pace in every event, also I know that for set a new course record (32´44´´), I need to push at Doomsday hill around 10Km/h. 

Once again I push to my room and the elevators are so busy because too many runners are gonna race in Bloomsday, it make´s me feel nervous, in that point I meet the great racer and better friend (if it´s possible) Amanda Mcgrory, a big hug and I tell her “Nice to see you again Amanda” and I move fast to my room, take the velocimeter and back to the hall. 

I have all my staff ready (gloves, helmet,…) and it´s twenty to seven so let´s go. I get out from hotel to begin warm up and is “fucking chilly”. For feeling this event, you need to go Spokane, there´s an amazing and great atmosphere with thousand runners in the streets of this little but wonderful town, some of then tell me “you look so fast”. I need to keep focus on the turn I need to do to arrive to start line just for warm up in the first part of the course.

After 500m I take this left turn and begin to push in this uphill street to the start line,for a moment I think that world best wheelchair racers have pushed around those streets Jean Driscoll, Louise Savage, Saul Mendoza, Paul Nitz, Clayton Gerein, Rick Reelie, Mustapha Badid, Candance Cable,… just an increasing adrenaline feeling grow´s inside myself. 

I arrive to start line and begin to warm up, it need to be a really progressive warm up, I have fifty minutes til the start of the race which will be at 8:40am, the best thing is explore the first mile which connect the start with this down hill where we´re gonna coast at 40 miles. When I´m in my first five minutes push I see my teammate Saul Mendoza, he´s unbeatable in this event and has won ten times this event, today we can give again another double victory to Team Eagle like we´ve done in last three editions.

First fifteen minutes I just study my feelings, it´s not easy to recover from a race like I did yesterday in Indiana and of course from those five hours flight,… I think I feel great and no back painful or tie arms seems to be in my body.

When I´m close to the half hour of warm up I do my first down hill really fast and I reach more than 38 miles, then I push that uphill so slow because I don´t want to get injury in this Km with 7% slope, there I see Jhon Duda (Tanzania) and the mitic Jhon Korir (Kenya) who has won Bloomsday like me in three editions.

When I arrive to top of the hill I begin a faster warm up and my heart rate grow´s til 140-150 b/min. I´m in the final step of the warm up and I would like to begin sweat, I think the bomb is barking strength and I begin to think in a new course record. 

When I arrive to start line I give my warm up jacket to a volunteer and I move to the grip. Due to yesterday I didn´t race the time trial I´m located in the second line behind the american Steven Toyoji who tell me “good luck”. I feel confortable instead of low temperature but a great rays sunshine touch my face and make me feel warmer but I don´t stop moving my arms, the warm up was long and productive, I want to push fast since the beginning.

Tom place every racer in his/her place (today 51 racers) and he announce “three minutes to go”, is in that moment when time to enjoy is getting closer. Every racer know that those “hell” hills are gonna kill us but for me this event is something wonderful which I cannot describe with my laptop.

I follow moving my arms in every moment and I listen “One minute to go”, the public begin to loud and clap their hands and it´s something amazing, I feel I´m gonna do things well and of course I know that I arrive to this event in my best shape. “Thirty seconds guys”, is the key sentence, that one which introduce you in the abyss that only a racer/runner know´s , that one which allow you to analyze every millimeter of your body and listen your heart barkes, it´s a pleasure and anguish feeling. I pray all gods for they pity of me in every crazy downhills and I think in Pilar which is the pillar in which is support all my sport career, this course record is for you my life…

“Last hour” Santi got his 30^th victory in the cold Grand Rapids (Michigan) (10-05-08)  JUST ONLY 117 DAYS 

Just tour and a half minutes ago Santi has crossed the finish line in Grand Rapids 25Km, Albatera´s racer not only getting his 30^th victory in his sport career although setting a new and third consecutive course record, improving his 1h02´53´´ of 2007 til 1h02´18´´.

So happy after race

“I´m really satisfied with my perfomance today, the cold was so intense in every moment and the temperature was 6 celsius degrees. I´ve finished much better than last year and my pace was constant in every Moment”, said the racer by phone.

Amazing times 

Partial times every 5000m were spectaculars:

5Km 11´48´´ (last year 11´30´´) 

10Km 23´42´´ (last year 23´00´´)

15Km 36´06´´ (last year 35´54´´)

20Km 49´00´´ (last year 49´12´´) 

Half Marathon 51´44´´ W.R. (last year 52´03´´) 

25Km 1h02´18´´ (last year 1h02´53´´) 

Somebody could do it better? 

We´ll keep you inform and a few hours…

Interview from Baltimore (Maryland) (8-05-08) JUST ONLY 119 DAYS 

It´s 2:00pm in Spain and we call Santi to speak with him for a while. Our racer has woke up one hour ago (8:00 in Baltimore) and has already finished his breakfast. Now he´s resting in the apartment where he live´s in the “Goucher Collage” campus where he has all what he want´s, just calm and great places to train. With a strong coffee in his hands answer to all questions.

1.      How was trip from Spokane to Baltimore?

“UHF” it was a full day. I woke up at 5:00am and at 8:00am I took a flight to Denver and it was two hours trip then I took another to Baltimore which was three and a half hour flight and arrived there at 5:30pm to Baltimore. When I arrived to my apartment I just completed an easy push and after a great shower and a light dinner it was time to sleep. I was simply dead.

2.      We supose you´re totally satisfied with your perfomance in Bloomsday, Have you already recovered of those big races in Indiana and Spokane?

How I didn´t race to much during winter I had some doubts about my perfomance for those spring events but I´ve shown in Bloomsday that I´m in a higher step than 2007. 

I think that I´m fully recovered from those extremely hard races and weekend flights but I´m also training a lot in Baltimore and I need to sleep a lot for my “intrasessions” recovery. My schedule is really confortable and I don´t train til 11:00am and the second session is at 6:00pm between both sessions I have time to rest. On Saturday I´ll be in my 100%.

3.      A new victory in Grand Rapids (Michigan) would be the 30^th in your sport career, Are you gonna celebrate iy on Saturday if you win?

Sincerely I haven´t too much time for any celebration but after the race we´ll have a lunch with the patients of Grand Rapids Rehabilitation Hospital and then I´ll pick a flight to Phoenix where I´m gonna train some weeks. For me is an special number and it means that me and all my technical team has worked great.

4.      How the next weeks are going to be?

As I told you after Grand Rapids I´ll move to Phoenix, in that place the weather is so hot as I like it and I´ll train normally for a month. I´ll find the longed rest after the first competition step.

5.      What´s your goal for Boulder race on 26^th May  (Memorial Day)?

I don´t have any chance to win in this race because I´ll race in open man class, I mean, those open racers don´t have any arms afection but I hope to do great because the course is extremely hard with “killing” hills and my future motivation goal is win to those racers because as I say you set your own limits.

Santi is getting ready for his training session and he tell us goodbye, if Albatera´s titan is fresh in Grand Rapids the 30^th victory is guarantee.

Interview done by Pedro Victor Sanz (media and press manager of Santiago Sanz)

Santi won in Indiana and Spokane in less than 24 hours (6-05-08) JUST ONLY 122 DAYS 

It was a nice back to international events and once again Santi won in Indianapolis and Spokane in less than 24 hours.

The big disaster in the “Mini Indi Marathon”

Santi landed last Friday in Indiana arriving from Atlanta where he finished a short stage training during all week.

On Friday evening with a terrible weather (rain, wind and with only 12 celsius degrees) Santi trained close to the start line of the Indianápolis Half Marathon, just for see that his wheelchair rolls perfect and be ready for the event which would begin on Saturday at 7:25am.

Santi began to race with amazing feelings, he just wanted to know how was his shape for the “Lilac Bloomsday” which would be celebrate it´s 32^nd edition on Sunday morning just 3700Km from Indianapolis in the “Inland territories” (Spokane, Washington).

First important reference was located in the 5Km and Santi leading a group of six racers pass it in a time of 12´50´´. Santi took away from the group and he began to push constant finding a nice tempo and getting inside the mitin Indianapolis speedway, where was located the 10Km and which Santi complete in a time of 24´58´´, which was a new world record pace (Santi set a new world record in the distance 52´23´´ in the World Championships celebrated in Lisbon last March). By that time Santi knew that he was in a nice shape and that he could doing again the world record in the metropoli of huge companies like (Rolls Royce, Ford, GM, …). When Santi got out from the speedway he took a wrong turn and got out from the course just realizing of it one Km later “it was such a disaster, in every intersection I need to ask where to turn, it was amazing in this huge event”. 

Our racer was not the only one who got lost and finished winning in his class but he didn´t want to make any declaration to media after finish the race and he moved really upset to the hotel, also he didn´t attend the awards ceremony “it wasn´t fair not only to me even to all racers who suffered this stupid situation”.

After resting some hours in a hotel he took a plane and land in Denver and from it another one which finally arrived seven hours later to Spokane (Washington), a town located 3700Km from where Santi race on Saturday morning. Santi was really dissapointed with this incidence and he was really convince that would set a new course record in the top May race “Lilac Bloomsday” that with it´s crazy uphills and scaring downhills make of this course the best one for Santi.

Santi got out all his fury in Spokane 

On Sunday morning (+9 hours in Europe) the weather was really cold in the city located just in the border with Canada but sky was fully clear. Santi complete an hour warm up and he was ready to fight for the victory and by four consecutive year for the course record.

The big north american athletics party began with 47000 runners at 8:40am and Santi lead the group since the beggining with also spectaculars pace mile by mile.  

He reached 67Km/h (41,7 miles) in the first downhill and he just hurt all his rivals in the third Km in the “cementery hill”, a 600m hill with an average of 5% slope, that was the point where Santi took away “Mi heart was barking at 185b/min and I was trying to keep my concentration in every moment”, said the racer.  

Santi atack with so much power the final and harder step of the race “Doomsday Hill” and finished with an amazing pace his 0,72 miles with an 6,5% average slope. 

By four consecutive year Santi set a new course record in the event (33´50´´,33´04´´,32´´44´´,32´14”), just something never saw in an american event, also he improved his 2007 record by thirty seconds “Today everybody was really happy for this victory, there were people who doubt about my perfomance this year and I have showed then that I follow improving every year and that I´m in my best ever shape in this olympic year”, said the racer. 

Long trip once again 

Santi moved today to the East coast again to Baltimore (Maryland) where he´ll stay training some days before racing next Saturday in the “Old Ken River Bank Run” 25Km which will be celebrated in Grand Rapids (Michigan) and where Santi has won in last three editions that he has race, Could he set again a new course record (1h02´53´´) done last year? If Santi win´s that race will be his thirty victory in a road event.

Santi win´s in Indiana and Spokane in less than 24 hours (5-05-08) JUST ONLY 122 DAYS 

Our racer has won both races and also has set his four consecutive course record in Bloomsday.

We´ll keep you inform in a few hours...

A Santi fully adapted move´s today to Indiana to race tomorrow  (2-05-08) JUST ONLY 125 DAYS 

Our racer landed on Sunday in Atlanta and he has been training in Snelville (Georgia, USA) since that moment also he has done some adjustments in his racing chair because he´s in Eaglesportchairs factory,which sponsor´s Santi who is part of “Eagle Team” since 2005.

Perfect aclimatation

Santi has followed a special program for his aclimatation in America. At 6:30am he wake up and after a complete breakfast he complete his first training session.

At 11:00am he cook the lunch due to he has a middle distance runner diet, then a knapp and back to train at 4:00pm.

 Dinner at 8:00pm and back to sleep at 10:00pm.

“There wasn´t an incidence during week” said the racer yeaterday by phone.

Speech in Centerville elementary school

Santi attended yesterday morning a meeting with students of 4^th grade and he explained then how does he train, the staff he uses and the most important, they should fight for what they dream.

Competition weekend

Our racer move´s today to Indiana to race tomorrow in the “Mini Indi Marathon”, the largest Half Marathon in the US, just after race he´ll take a flight which will move him to Spokane (Washington) to race on Sunday in the prestigious Lilac Bloomsday of 12Km (for more info read new of 26-04-08).

Bad weather in the North of the US

The rain probability for tomorrow in Indiana is too high and also will be a cold morning (around 6 celsius degrees).

In Spokane on Sunday the temperature will be also colder (around 4 celsius degrees) but the rain probability is lower.

Our racer said reffering to the weather “I´m training all week with my winter clothes and I don´t care about weather because I just do my job and this is racing with good or bad weather”.

We´ll keep you informed…

APRIL 2008

We introduce the OLYMPIC VICTORY TOUR (21-04-08) JUST ONLY 137 DAYS 

27 cities during last 4 years, 14 countries, 4 continents, 8 medals with the National Team, 13 world records, 7 times world champion, 27 victories in road events, 15 records in road races and we just need the GOLD IN BEIJING to touch the sky … we introduce you the OLYMPIC VICTORY TOUR, a recognition to our fans, sponsors and people who work or has work with Santi during last four years:

-          Eduardo Grimal, manager (Seasons 03/04, 04/05,05/06)

-          Luis Lioi, manager (season 06/07)

-          Jose Manuel Fernandez, coach (season 03/04)

-          Gabriel Brizuela, coach and biomechanic

-          Susana Segrelles, training assistant

-          Javier Soro, doctor

-          Delia Sandoval y Ana Orts, phisiotherapist

-          Aurelio Rubio, law and juridic assistant

-          Pedro Victor Sanz, media and comunication agent

Our racer had a meet today in PUMA and pick up all new collection that the german company has designed for the promotion of the OLYMPIC VICTORY TOUR in his american tournament which begin´s next 26^th April and we´ll also introduce in a few hours.

We´ll keep you inform…

Speech in University “Miguel Hernandez” (Elche, Spain) (16-04-08) JUST ONLY 142 DAYS 

Our racer explained yesterday the physiologic bases of his nutrition program during a 90 minutes speech in the Faculty of Sport Science in the University “Miguel Hernandez” (Elche, Spain).

Tomorrow our racer will attend again to this University to the “Journalist week” which will take place in the “Aula Magna” from today til tomorrow and there will be athletes like Xapi Ferrer (F.C. Barcelona), Daniel Plaza (Gold Medal in Barcelona 92), Isabel Fernandez (Gold Medal in Sydney 00)… Santi will make his explanation at 4:00pm. 

This event will be close by the “Sports country Secretary” Mr. Jaime Lissavetzky. 

You´re invited.

Two weeks for begin American events (13-04-08)  JUST ONLY 145 DAYS 

Our racer told us yesterday “I´m really excited to back race. I´m in a wonderful shape and I want to win again”. 

Whe a racer say´s it is due to everything rolls perfect and this is because his more than 200 sessions complete in twenty weeks. 

First stop “Eagle factory” 

On 26^th April he´ll move to the USA and spend some days in Eaglesportchairs factory (Sneville, Georgia) just to get a timetable aclimatation and for doing some adjustments to his racing chair done by experts like Barry Ewing and Marty Friedson. “Since I race in Eagle Team I use to do some stages in Snelville. It work´s to me”, said the racer. 

Long tournament 

The spanish racer will begin to race in some events which will make move him around seven different states. His May´s schedule is already close and he´ll race in four ocassions. “ The plane and a room hotel are the only thing you see for some weeks”, said the racer. 

Great stadistics 

Santi has race in 28 events in America since 2003 and has won 17. He hope´s to improve those numbers this year and get his 30^th road victory. 

We´l keep you inform…

Santi reveal´s his goals on TV (9-04-08) JUST ONLY 149 DAYS 

Our racer answer so many questions in a regional sport TV show and he confirmed his big motivation to get the gold medal.

Before Beijing the racer will race in some american events but he say´s, not too many, this year the main goal is the Olympics and the personal opinión of his coach and doctor is to race for value the training program.

Better than ever

The racer said that his winter program was great and his perfomance is better than last season so that could be an interesting point of view for a succesful end of the season.

Schedule close

He´s already negotiating some races but his shedule for the summer is nearly closed and his priority is train more than race, although he says´s that his shape at the end of June will be great “I´m gonna race 4/5 times in May and I´m gonna analyze my perfomance in every event to do some adjustments for June”.

After Beijing

Santi answer to the question What about after Beijing? “I´m gonna train for the 10000m two or even three yeras and then is time for the marathon, this distance is my own talismán and it will be great”.

Generation relay

Santi said that after finish his sport career he hope´s to help some young racer with his experience because they´ll be the future in Spain. 

The racer will follow training at home til end April and then he´ll move to the US for begin his american season.

We´ll keep you inform…

April begin´s racing (5-04-04)  JUST ONLY 153 DAYS 

Santi back to race yesterday after three weeks off just after get his World Champion tittle in half marathon in Lisbon (Portugal). 

The strong wind present in the Turia´s athletics stadium was a big problem to get a good time because Santi was convince that he could be close to the two minutes and finally he finished in 2´06´´20, at the end he said “ I came today to Valencia to test  a mecanical point in the chair and know we need to think about it and analize what I can do for summer events and the Olympics. It was a nice training session and sometimes is really important to race for value how the racer assimilate´s the training program”. 

Santi won´t race again til May when he´ll begin the american tour, so now is time to follow training and set his own course records in a mounth. We´ll do public his races Schedule at the end of April. 

The racer has some social events during April and on 26^th he´ll flight to Atlanta, where he´ll stay for some days before begin racing. 

We´ll keep you inform…

MARCH 2008

Lisbon´s abyss by Santiago Sanz (30-03-08)  JUST ONLY 159 DAYS 

What a hell is that sound? I just wake up quick to turn off the alarm. I have sleep great and cannot believe that is six thirty. I need to be hurry because in fifteen minutes I want to be breakfast to charge my batteries byt no worries, everything is ready, the chair, tools, bag,… just one more race,  but, what a hell? This is the World Champ. 

While I´m getting ready I feel my body full recover of all the week sessions. Yesterday I decided to train in the evening because I arrived to Lisbon at midnight on Friday and that easy push show me that short trip from Alicante til Lisbon was not exhausted.  

I go to breakfast with my brother Javi and we find there all what I need to get a good perfomance (toast, fresh cheese, honey and the most important strong coffee). 

I´m not really hungry (then I wouldn´t agree with this decisión) and I decide not eat a lot. Two toasts with fresh cheese and honey, orange juice and a delicious cafe au lait. 

In this table I meet with all national team and with the technical members Gabi and Antonio Ranchal, both were athletes and they know what to tell us before the race. 

At seven thirty I move to my room and just the last quick review, we are gonna meet in the hall in fifteen minutes. 

When I go down the hall I see around fifty racers, the vast majority of then begin today the competition season. I stay with Gabi a few minutes and we speak about the race. I say him that is too soon for a good perfomance and in spite of everything rolls great my shape is not really good and also the new course is not good for me. The strategy is really easy, push hard from the beginning, I don´t have nothing to lose and I need to follow training for american events. 

We jump to the bus which is gonna drive us to the start line, I meet there with a lot of swiss guys (Marcel, Beat, Manuela, Heinz), we feel a little bit nervous due to the delay and I even more because I don´t wear my watch. 

I follow listening music and I think that around twenty to nine (it was supose to move at eight) we move to the start line close to Belem. 

There´s no time to loose, I undress my tracksuit and jump into the chair, giving to my brother my water bottle. I´m the first racer warming up in a great zone with more than a K and just beginning to move my body. The first lap I begin to push with Masazumi Soejima who will finish in third place in open man class but I´m really focus on a good warm up and I don´t want to be over 130b/min during the 10000 meters that will take me this warm up. 

I feel the hot and humidity conditions presents in the lusa main city and just decide to stop to hidrate myself and turn off my MP3 to “listen” my body. 

Every meter I push make´s growing my adrenaline and the “battle” is close. Just only 15 minutes for the start and the officials move us to the back zone of the start. I see there Gebre and Charles Kamathi and they run as fast as our F1 of the athletics, I can see also famous faces like Adere, what a slender figure has this women and what about the portuguese Eduardo Henriques. 

In the last part of the warm up I begin with some hundred meters accelerations in this bumpy road where I feel so much the vibrations. I meet with Javier Conde and he speak about it “Santi this is a clear bumpy surface” and I just move my head. 

I begin to sweat and I enjoy this fantastic moment, my heart rate reach in some accelerations 175b/min and two minutes later I see Gabi and my brother and order then some water and give to the Antonio´s good one my warp up jacket. “All the best” say to me, they know as me that my perfomance is a mistery  

Gabi stop Rafa and me to make some pictures, I feel proud of my coach in this moment, good teacher, better person and a wonderful researcher in biomechanist and training theory, that is what has move me to the top level. I need to do my best. 

“One more acceleration guys”, I do it with Alina Ivanova and she run´s as fast as me. 

I push to the start line and they´re placing every racer. I´m in third line just behinf Alexandrino another Gabi´s racer. I´m  fully focus on the race and begin to move my arms with balistic movements. Just thirty seconds to go and I feel like a race hourse, restless and hoping to push fast, I can listen the public who is in the start line to watch an excellent race. 

I close my eyes, breath hold for seconds, I feel every part of my body, just adrenaline travel across my veins, I´m in the abyss and enjoy this steemed moment…

World Champion in Half Marathon (17-03-08) JUST ONLY 172 DAYS 

The Albatera´s racer won yesterday the IWAS World Championships Half Marathon celebrated in Lisbon (Portugal) in a new course totally flan which was designed to make official new world records.

Last year Santi did the faster ever time 50´28´´ but it was done in an unofficial course because the high differences between start and finish line and it happen again last September in Lisbon in the Half Marathon which Start in the Vasco Da Gama bridge and where Santi finished in a 50´04´´ time. Last weekend in his first international event of the season he finished in 52´23´´ (new world record).  

Bad shape

Santi  said last week that his shape was not really goog because he began to train last 26^th November and he only has completed a basic training program focus in the endurance  and strenght improvement and he didn´t train the specific tempo which is the basic training for this kind of events, that was the reason for what on Saturday after the session done by the racer in the National Stadium we spoke with Santi and he told us “the new course is not good for me because there are not hills but I´ll try to push as faster as I can”.

Crazy first 5K

First 5K were just fase and Santi lead his group with the austrian Thomas Geierspichler drafting him. The first time referente was 11´45´´ under Santiago´s world record. 

Main atack

In a six racers group the event arrive´s to one of the main points of the course around the 10K, it was a 400m carbestones uphill. Santi atack in the beginning of the hill and he got an advantage of thirty meters but it wasn´t enough to took away and until sixteen Km he didn´t make the final movement.  

Last atack

Since Santi race in long distances events he has an opinion “ You need to work a lot to make it succesful”. It happened in the 16K just at this point he took away and began a battle with his body making barke his heart at 180 b/min.

The racer crossed the finish line totally dehidrated but his coach Gabriel Brizuela, his brother Javi and the spanish cheff the mission Antonio Ranchal were waiting him in the finish line. He needed more than a minute to speak something in a dry mouth conditions.

The racer said after get his 27^th road race victory “Everything rolls perfect and I got my goal of get the World Champion tittle with a not really good shape”. 

After the podium and the antidoping control he back home and arrived to Albatera at 1:30am.

Albatera´s titan get the passport for Beijing (11-03-08) JUST ONLY 178 DAYS 

Santi began to race this season last Saturday and it couldn´t be better, finishing the 800m of the Catalunya´s Track Meet Clubs Championships in 2´02´´41. 

The limit for attend to Beijing was 2´03´´ and Santi said last week that it was difficult to race in this time because his best winter time in the distance was 2´04´´77 (Canberra, January 2007) and before April he had never race under 2´03´´.

Training in LLeida

The racer moved last Friday to Lleida (six hours driving) and at 9:00pm he complete an activation training session in the Lleida´s athletic center under really cold weather conditions.

Perfect lap times

Santi wear a new equipment in Igualada designed by PUMA and it was so lucky for him, finishing the last lap in 58´´5 seconds.

After finish the race his brother Javier confirm the great new “You got it”, the racer who said that strong wind made really hard get the limit was really satisfied “Now we musn´t make any kind of adjustment in my training program to get the limit and I´ll follow working hard to be in a great shape in the spring american races”. I need around hundred more sessions to be in a good shape”, said last Saturday the racer.

Ready for World Champs

Next Friday Santi will flight Lisbon (Portugal) to race in the Half Marathon World Champs. Santi won last year this race but his opinión is really conservative and he say´s “last year I began the season really soon in October and I arrived Lisbon with more than 250 sessions but this year I began to train in late November and I just arrive Lisbon with less than 200 sessions. I´m really motivated and I´ll try to do my best but my shape is not really good and for me is just a preparation event for next races”. 

We´ll keep you inform…

Santi begin´s competition schedule next Saturday (4-03-08) JUST ONLY 185 DAYS 

Next Saturday our racer will begin to race in Catalunya´s Track Meet Clubs Championships but he follow´s focus in the main season event which will be the Olympics and for this reason he´ll try to get the limit in the 800m.

After three really hard months Santi said yesterday after his evening session “I´m ready for the action. I´m not in a really good shape due to I´m so faraway from the Olympics and I preffer go step by step and avoid injuries. During last two weeks I´ve done  forty sessions training three times a day. I´m so much motivated for doing well in Half Marathon World Champs which will take place in two weeks in Lisbon (Portugal) but I nedd to get my passport for Beijing this weekend. I race really confortable during last season under the two minutes barrier and my goal for Saturday will be race close to the two minutes because the limit that Spanish Federation obligate for attend to Beijing is 2´03´´.

In next picture we can see Santi just before set a new world record in the distance (1´56´´26) in the classic Meet in the Heat (Atlanta, USA) on 1^st April 2007 and in the left we see the bronze medal in Athens Dean Bergeron (Canada).

The racer will move to Igualada on Friday and during the week he´ll do the necessarely adjustments to race on best conditions in his first season event. 

We´´ keep you inform…