The Wilder Interview: Pau Capell
Spanish ultra runner, Pau Capell, has been at the top of the Ultra-Trail World Tour (UTWT) rankings for over two years. In 2019, he beat 2,299 competitors to win the gruelling 171 km Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) in a record-breaking time of 20 hours and 19 minutes. In the years leading up to that famous race, he bagged a hat-trick of wins at his ‘local’ ultra, the Transgrancanaria, in 2017, 2018 and 2019, along with victories at Eiger Ultra Trail, Mozart 100 and UTWT Patagonia Run.
Pau’s rise to the top of the UTWT rankings has been rapid, having only started trail running in 2012, after suffering a serious knee injury playing football. As part of his recovery, doctors urged him to run in the mountains to strengthen his muscles, and he fell in love with the sport. He won his first trail event less than a year later.
In preparation for a busy 2021 race calendar, Pau spent two weeks in January at a high-altitude training camp in Iten, Kenya – home to some of the world’s best middle- and long-distance runners. We reached out to Pau to talk about his time in Kenya and his upcoming races.
Wilder: Why did you decide to come to Kenya and train in Iten?
Pau: I decided to train in Iten because I wanted to improve my velocity. Races today are running a lot faster, and I think it’s totally necessary to do a season with speed to have a good pace to compete in the races.
Can you describe a typical day of training in Iten?
On a typical day we woke up at 6.30 in the morning, started training at 7.30 for one-and-a-half or two hours. After that we had breakfast, rested, and at 3 or 4 in the afternoon did the second training of the day. Normally it was an easy run, for about one hour, or 75 minutes. And then we rested one more time, had dinner and slept. This is the typical routine of the athletes, but I couldn’t always follow it on some days because I had work to do, like filming or photo shoots. So it was complicated to fit in my rest during the day.
Was the style of training different in any way to your usual routine?
Normally I train for more hours – three hours in the morning, two hours in the afternoon, plus some strength exercises. So this is totally different to the routine of the Kenyan athletes. I train in the mountains and they normally train on flat routes, or on undulating terrain, so it’s very different. I also do a lot of cycling and spend time in the gym. They focus mainly on running and only occasionally do some other exercises.
Photo © Roger Salanova
Who were your training partners, and how did you find training with a group of Kenyan athletes?
I really enjoyed training with them. Every day I trained with a group of four athletes. I learnt a lot off them, and they taught me their running style, how they improve, and do fartlek training, etc. So it was a good experience with them.
What was it like meeting and running with Eliud Kipchoge? Did he give you any advice?
It was good – I joined him on an easy run one afternoon. He is the best in the world, not only because he is the fastest, but because he has a special attitude. The first time I met him I felt something different … I don’t know what the feeling was, but his attitude is totally different. He is really nice and we spoke about running, UTMB and breaking 20, and also his record of 2 hours. So we had a good time together.
Did you struggle at all training at high altitude?
I think that you need time to be there – to have a good acclimatisation at this altitude. You need two weeks, more or less. The time I spent there was complicated, because the moment I felt best in my training, I had to fly out the following day. Maybe next time I’ll be there for a month, to have time to acclimatise and enjoy the training more.
What are the main lessons that you learnt from your time training in Kenya?
I learnt that sometimes training with people is better than training alone. For example, for the Kenyan athletes, it’s really important when their fellow runners are improving. So your partner is pushing you to improve, and this is good for the group. In the races you are running alone, and the other athletes are your competitors, but during the training it’s different. They are your friends and they help you to push more everyday. This is something that I think we need to learn in Spain and across Europe.
You have a busy race calendar in 2021. Is there a race that you are most looking forward to this year, and why?
For sure it’s the UTMB – the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc. It’s my main race of the year. I will compete a lot before this race, but all my focus is on the UTMB. It’s the most important race in the calendar, and in the world.
You’ve been running ultras for many years now. Which race has been your greatest challenge?
Again I would say the UTMB. It’s the most important race in the world. I won this race in 2019, which was my dream. When I started to run, I imagined running in the UTMB and winning it, and I finally did it in 2019. So that was my greatest challenge.
What advice would you give to any beginners who want to start running ultra marathons?
The most important thing is to enjoy it. This is a very typical word, but it’s totally true. When you are enjoying training and enjoying competing, you get results. You also have to have a good plan for your week, because it’s important to train but also to leave time for family, friends and children if you have them. You can train for 40 hours a week, but if your life is in a bad place, you will not improve because your mind is distracted. So you need to have a good calibration of your life and your training. Having your family and friends with you, and being healthy, is more important than your training.
@paucapell // paucapell.com
Banner image © Roger Salanova
