1. When did your interest in the sport begin and why did you choose mountain races?
Since I was a child I loved to run . I remember that when I was 7 years old, sometimes I would put on an athletic kit that they gave me and I would escape at night when my parents were sleeping and I would run through the streets of my town in Teruel.
I was excited when I watched the Olympics on TV and I always played races with my friends or we played tag or cops and robbers.
It was always clear to me that I wanted to dedicate myself to sport.
From the age of 10 to 16 I competed in athletics, especially "cross" . I was lucky to be able to share my passion with my father, who sometimes trained with me.
Although I tried other sports, futsal, basketball, badminton, racquetball, taekwondo, it was running that I liked.
I studied CAFYD and Physiotherapy in Madrid , and although I did not compete, I did continue to run. Even at 29 I joined the barefoot fashion and started running barefoot through the streets of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria , where I have lived since 2008 after finishing university.
I did Crossfit for two years, but it wasn't until I was 30 in 2013 when I ran my first mountain race in the Media Circular Extrema de Moya , which I was 10 minutes late for because I fell asleep.
The most fun race of my life, because I was overtaking people from the beginning. I started the 413th and finished the 72nd. In his hurry he was not wearing a watch or anything. That's when I got hooked on this world.
2. What are the most important challenges and objectives achieved in your sports career?
Without a doubt, my first victory was the most emotional , winning the Meridiano Half Marathon on the island of El Hierro in 2014 and repeating the victory there this year.
That year my second position in the Transgrancanaria Starter 30 km was also very emotional.
Last year, after a bad year with an injury in 2015, I managed to finish 5th in the Copa de Canarias .
And this year has undoubtedly been the best, I have stayed 2nd-3rd throughout the year in the Cup, but due to injuries at the end of the season I barely finished 5th again.
Participating in the UTMB (OCC) this year has been spectacular as well as being able to enjoy the entire event with many friends from Gran Canaria and even Teruel.
3. In addition to being a runner, you are a physiotherapist. Do you follow any guidelines for eating, warming up, etc. that can help our readers avoid the dreaded injuries?
Well, the truth is that being a physio I take great care of the details. I follow an alkalizing diet supervised by my nutritionist David Rodríguez , since the high volume of exercise that I do acidifies a lot and this type of diet helps me to counteract it as well as providing me with all the micronutrients I need such as vitamins and mineral salts . It is something that I recommend to everyone and especially to athletes.
I force myself to sleep at least 8 hours and take naps whenever I can.
In addition to the diet, I also take the supplements that I need at all times, advised by a good kinesiologist friend .
I work on running technique daily to warm up and I do specific strength work and proprioception at least twice a week.
As for stretching, I do something similar but much more efficient, such as fascial training twice a week , it's a very new concept.
I also work daily on joint mobility of the foot, ankle and hip, in addition to strengthening the foot, I work barefoot, I use minimalist shoes on a daily basis and very wide forefoot shoes to train and compete.
At the moment I use insoles from my podiatrist Ernesto López Artiles only for training and competition, but I plan to remove them when I have completely corrected my foot.
And of course I visit my physio periodically to unload my muscles and every time injuries warn me.
4. As a supporter of the alkaline diet, Alkanatur antioxidant alkaline water is gaining more and more followers within sports, people with an important influence, such as your case, can you tell us about your experience in this regard?
I have been testing the Alkanatur Drops Jug for four months now and the sensations are very good.
To begin with, traditional bottled water hardly has mineral salts , and this is already noticeable in the taste and in the sensation of "empty water", because when you drink a lot you begin to feel that it falls heavy in your stomach . This sensation does not appear with antioxidant alkaline water and is appreciated. And the taste is good.
I feel more hydrated , as I feel less thirsty and I haven't heard about cramps and dehydration symptoms for a long time, both in training and in competition.
I feel more energetic on a day-to-day basis and I could even say that I rest better and recover better.
And all this with filtered tap water with your jug , I find it incredible, thank you very much for the great work you do in Alkanatur
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(*) WARNING: Based on available scientific information. The mentions have not been evaluated by EFSA. Our water is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.