Recently returned from Reunion Island with a fine 4th place in the prestigious Diagonale des Fous trail , Diego Pazos is not only one of the best trail runners in the world. Originally from Lausanne with a master's degree in forensics , Diego is also the initiator and organizer of the Montreux Trail Festival, the first edition of which took place this year. In this interview, we get to know our favorite "butterfly" runner better, who shares with us his tips for success on all fronts.
ALGORIGIN: DIEGO PAZOS, WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
DIEGO: I was born in Lausanne and grew up in the Lausanne suburbs, in Chavannes-près-Renens, and I have extraordinary memories of it! I've lived in Lausanne for several years now, so I'm a pure local product?
A: WHEN DID YOU DISCOVER TRAIL RUNNING?
D: I first discovered trail running on the Internet in the summer of 2011, when I saw Kilian at the UTMB 2011 with a magnificent sunrise at the Col de la Seigne. Seeing these extreme adventurers, as I called them, really motivated me to take the plunge and take on this gargantuan challenge. Then, at the end of 2011, my first trail race, the Sainté Lyon, 70km at night, was a great experience before my first real trail season in 2012. Then I was taken by the passion, I discovered unsuspected qualities in myself and I progressed at the same time as my morphology changed, adapting from a stocky frame to a rather slender body. In 2016, being able to represent Switzerland at the world championship was also something special; it's always a special moment to be able to represent your country in a sport, whatever it may be.
A: WHAT IS THE STORY OF THE BOW TIE?
D: The bow tie is a bit like having my wife and loved ones running with me. I already wore a lot of them before our wedding, but it's kind of the symbol of our relationship, and I decided to run with it since our wedding in June 2015. For the record, the bow ties I wear are the ones my friends gave me for my bachelor party, so they have a double meaning for me: Love and friendship!
Over time, it also became a lucky charm?
A: YOU'RE NOT JUST A GREAT ATHLETE. TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO ON THE SIDE!
D: Alongside my work and training, I started organizing the Montreux Trail Festival, a race like no other that truly combines music (to the rhythm of Queen in particular, because Montreux was Freddie Mercury's favorite city) and trail running. The best example is the festive format called Freddie's Night, which offers entertainment and light shows along the entire route!
Bringing new impetus to trail racing, uniting an entire region since the long course of 164 km and 12,000 m + is a real Tour of the Vaud Alps and showcasing my playground, where I spend most of my time when I prepare for international competitions. This region of the Riviera and the Vaud Alps and our beautiful canton of Vaud deserved a showcase like this for lovers of nature sports. Our mountains are beautiful and much more technical than people think... This festival of races (7 formats on the program) is a bit like the organizing committee, original, young and dynamic?
Come and discover this ultra festive atmosphere during the second edition from July 26 to 29, 2018 ( www.montreux-trail.ch)
A: ANY ADVICE FOR HANDLING EVERYTHING HEAD-ON?
D: It's a bit like a puzzle, you have to put all the pieces together correctly but it's really not easy, between my trips to Bern for work, my work day and my training at lunchtime, my evenings have often been devoted to the Montreux Trail Festival but for me the most fundamental thing is my family balance. Consequently, I listen to my wife as much as possible so that we can free up some romantic time, I also need it for my sporting balance! And in all of this the arrival of the baby will turn everything upside down but for the better I'm sure... Setting priorities is the basis in life, does it allow you to move forward?
A: HOW IMPORTANT IS YOUR DIET TO YOU? DO YOU FOLLOW A SPECIAL NUTRITIONAL PLAN?
D: Nutrition is extremely important in an athlete's life. I would tend to say in everyone's life, but some people are not yet aware of it or do not want to see it that way. And yet... as an athlete, I do not follow a specific diet, but I try to vary my diet as much as possible, to eat a balanced diet and to respect certain key principles. I am not in favor of specific diets, I am a "flexivore" as Takinoa would say and I am convinced that you can eat healthily and in a balanced way while really enjoying yourself.
It's all a question of habit, once we have found this balanced routine, we can allow ourselves to make deviations, especially for all the end-of-year meals that will come but naturally, we will return to this basic balance by resuming good habits once these deviations have been digested? I have always followed my personal instinct, not established but inspired by several very interesting readings on the contribution of nutrition and its influence in our life in general.
From now on, thanks to Algorigin, I will be able to monitor my nutrition a little more closely, mainly to ensure that I do not have any deficiencies with the hours of sports I practice. Ensuring that my health is in good condition is essential if you want to last and especially if you want to achieve your goals or realize your dreams.
A: SINCE YOU HAVE BEEN MONITORED BY ALGORIGIN, HAVE YOU NOTICED ANY CHANGES/IMPROVEMENTS IN YOUR DAILY LIFE?
D: I take spirulina and recently AFA klamath , algae with wonderful properties. I feel that these products allow me to meet my needs for essential nutrients. These nutrients are sometimes no longer available in foods found in stores, which are supposed to contain them. Because the latter are no longer of good quality due to mass production, the green picking of fruits and vegetables or the untimely use of pesticides.
On a daily basis, these supplements allow me to rebalance my needs, but it is also during my competitions that I feel the benefits. In addition, the results are to be expected in the medium to long term, we do not see a difference overnight but gradually unless we are at our lowest when we first take them, in which case, we would see results quite quickly. It is about betting on our future health.
A: WHAT DO YOU FEEL ARE THE BENEFITS OF ALGORIGIN PRODUCTS?
D: A well-documented production, sensitive to the environmental challenges of the coming years and which does not rely on mass production but rather on a qualitative production of spirulina for the well-being of consumers. This seems trivial but yet in our society and especially in the agri-food sector, these notions are all too rarely respected! In addition, it is a young and dynamic team, attentive?
A: WHAT ARE YOUR NEXT GOALS AND UPCOMING PROJECTS?
D: After this wonderful Diagonale des Fous, my last challenge of the year will be the Ultra Trail Cape Town, on December 2 in South Africa, then lots of new surprises for 2018, including a big personal project and some superb races. Will you know more in the coming months?
LEARN MORE ABOUT DIEGO PAZOS:
– His age: 32 years old, soon to be 33 on November 28, 2017
– Nationality: Swiss, Spanish
– Sport: Ultra Trail
– Profession: Master’s degree in forensics at the School of Criminal Sciences of the University of Lausanne and currently Specialist Collaborator at the Swiss Federal Police in Bern.
– Family: Soon to be a dad and the happy husband of a beautiful Maya
– Awards:
- 4th Diagonale des Fous in 2015 and 2017
- 6th at the 2016 IAU Ultra Trail World Championships
- 1st Eiger Ultra 2016
- 1st 80 km Mont-Blanc 2016
- 4th CCC 2015
- 11th UTMB 2014
- 3rd Verbier St Bernard in 2012
- Victories at the Trail de la Galinette, Ultra Trail Marao, Trail des Paccots (27km), Vallée de Joux (35km), Humani'trail (27km) and numerous podiums
- You in 3 words: Joy of life, smiling, perfectionist
– Website: http://diegopazos.ch/
