We interviewed Cristofer Clemente, a trail runner who is among the world’s most outstanding athletes in Trail Running.
In 2015, he begins to stand out in the top positions of this discipline, achieving the runner-up position in the Ultra Skyrunners World Series. In 2016, demonstrating a great desire for improvement, he wins with a wide margin the same world championship.
In 2017, he was called up by the Spanish team that reached the first position as a team in the Trail World Championship IAU-ITRA (Italy) with Cristofer Clemente being the second to reach the finish line just 1 minute behind the first place.
This exceptional athlete trains every day in his favorite sport in La Gomera motivated by the contact with nature and the sense of freedom he experiences on each of the many routes he can travel around the island.
Question: What is Trail Running about?
Question: Why La Gomera?
Cristofer Clemente: I have been to many places, and I have seen that La Gomera has very good trails for this sport, well signposted, with the security that you are not going to get lost, with contrasting landscapes, with different typologies that allow its practice for runners of all levels. La Gomera encourages you to improve, as it is a demanding sport. People need to know this island and its landscapes through its trails.
Question: What is your favorite route?
Cristofer Clemente: I really like technical routes, with a lot of difficulty and the island has plenty of them. I try to do a lot of coastal runs, it is true that you tend to always go to the mountains, to the greenery, but the coast has spectacular sunsets and sunrises. It is a visual gift for anyone who likes to walk or practice this sport.
Question: What advice would you give to a runner who wants to come to the island?
Cristofer Clemente: Here the trails are very well marked, also in terms of distances, they have to take into account the elevation changes and the temperature changes. Be aware of the distance to be covered to carry good hydration. It is an island to enjoy, for lovers of Trail Running “La Gomera is the place.”
Question: How many hours do you train?
Cristofer Clemente: 18 to 20 hours per week, luckily living in the islands, the temperature does not limit the training, even from dawn until dusk here you can train. Mountain race lovers love to go running with a headlamp and here the quality of the skies allows you to enjoy spectacular landscapes when you reach the summit.
Question: What is a typical training session like?
Cristofer Clemente: I leave my house in San Sebastián de La Gomera and can take many trails, for example, going up to Degollada de Peraza, going down La Laja, then choosing to go up towards El Cedro or Alto de Garajonay. La Gomera has the advantage that you can go along the coast or in the mountains, there is a lot of variety. My training is not like what others do, it is true that I have tried it but I didn’t like it, mine is to run directly on the terrain, tough circuits, leaving my house and being in contact with nature. There are faster days and slower days. And it has worked for me. I have not been trained as an athlete since I was a child, but I started training to lose weight and feel better and I got hooked on the mountains, going up and down my trails.
In this sport for me, 70% is mental and 30% is physical. Mentally you motivate yourself, controlling how your body is doing, telling yourself “come on, you can do it.”
Question: Any technical advice for going up or down hills?
Cristofer Clemente: To go up you have to go like an old person, short steps, not exceeding your heart rate, you should be able to maintain a conversation. And to go down you have to control your stride, which should also be short and steady, as if on tiptoes, like a dance, which allows more stability, with the body leaning forward.
Question: What about footwear?
Cristofer Clemente: Footwear should be specifically for mountain running, not running shoes for asphalt or walking. The island has very varied terrain, degraded rock, limestone, leaves, gravel. Sometimes the trade winds blow, moistening the ground and you have to have appropriate footwear.
