Sky Runner

The greatest trail runner of all time

I define myself as a lover of mountains. I like competing, but, above all, I conceive sport as a way to discover landscapes both inside and outside you.

- Kilian Jornet

Ultrarunners already know of Kilian’s mythical conquests of the hardest trail races.  Non-runners in need of a bit of context: he ran up Everest.  Twice.  In a week.  If you can’t quite picture his speed up and down mountains, this 1-minute video gives you just a sense for what he does:

If you want to see more, check out the trailer for Inside Kilian Jornet.

Kilian was the one who originally triggered my interest in both ski mountaineering and trail running, now two of my favorite activities.  His manual Training for the Uphill Athlete has been my guide and his book Above the Clouds has been my inspiration.  I admire his competitive dominance in my favorite sports.  More than that, his love is infectious.  Kilian reminds me how much I love running and how much I love mountains.  Sure I’d love to ski and run as fast as Kilian (if you ever see it happen, look for a genie; I’ll have two remaining wishes).  But I’ll settle for getting to see the same places.  The mountains are beautiful and I get to spend far more time in them than Kilian does on the same races.  He is as much as anyone my running hero, but he is also a humble man who still approaches the mountains with wonder and awe, making the mountains themselves the heroes of his epic story. 

I’m particularly glad that Kilian is able to answer my questions today because just this past month he survived an avalanche on Mount Everest’s West Ridge (for context: not the easy way up Everest) that carried him down over 150 feet of the Hornbein couloir. He is both alive and living life to the fullest. So to try to answer the question of what makes him go, I’m honored to hand this edition of Vale Tudo over to adventurer Kilian Jornet:

Reflecting

What is one thing that you know to be true about fitness that no one else agrees with?

I wouldn’t say that no one else agrees with, but probably things that are underestimated are the role of extreme stimuli (kind of life or death situations) in adaptations, but it is something I wouldn’t prescribe.

Training

What is just one exercise that you love?  Hate? 

I love long days on technical terrain, great aerobic exercise, muscular and mobility and fun for the mind. I don’t hate any but short interval training is the most boring to get into.

Fueling

Could you share one recipe? 

Not really a foodie, but I think that potatoes are great. Boiled or in the oven with some herbs and let it cool for 12 hours (to have resistant starch). Protein, probably egg.

Supplementing

What is the most overrated and underrated supplement? 

In general, supplements are overrated. There’s no scientific evidence of most of them with a few exceptions (caffeine, nitrates, bicarb, beta alanine…) and you can find most of them in real food too (beetroot, coffee…).  Also for general health (especially northern countries or if spending most of your time inside) vitamin D and sun exposure.

Measuring

What metrics do you use to measure progress? 

Daily: general feeling and mood, training measures (time, distance, elevation, rate of perceived exertion, heart rate variability). Then I measure some specifics in some sessions (lactate, muscle oxygen saturation, ketone, glucose…) and every few months blood test and metabolic test.  I think in general to do metabolic test and blood test is a good way to detect problems beforehand.

Recovering

How do you bounce back from workouts? 

Basically focus on sleep, good training load (not too much and good recovery between the stimulus), stress (work, social and couple relations…) environment, hydration, good nutrients and eat the calories you burn).

Mentoring

What’s the best fitness advice you’ve ever received?

Not to think about races and results but about progress.  That was from my early coach, who came from ski mountaineering and alpinism.

Connecting

Any current projects that readers might want to follow?

To take interest on climate change and learn from experts, check out the Athlete Climate Academy.

Closing

In closing, could you please share two truths and a lie?

• Three months after I broke my fibula I wanted to test how my leg was handling before going to trail running races.  I did a 170k run from my home.

• In the 2007 skimo world championships in Champery, in the last downhill of the long distance race I fell while I was second and broke my leg.  With the adrenaline of the race I managed the pain and kept my position to the end.

• When I was young I ran and won Mont Blanc marathon, a 42k race in the Alps, drunk. I spent all the night on a party and went straight to the race. The first half of the race was horrible.