He doesn't like spotlights. Avid reader and very reserved, the universe of Eneko Llanos (November 30, 1976, Vitoria) revolves around his family and triathlon. "He is very shy and introverted but has a huge heart and a great inner peace that infects all of us who are at his side," explains his wife, also triathlete Ruth Brito, while playing with Jon, the couple's son.
Llanos, who participates today for the thirteenth time in the Ironman World Championship in Kona (Hawaii), is an atypical athlete who has been listening to the same question throughout his career . How can an 'ironman', with the brutal wear and tear of facing 3.8 km of swimming, 180 km of cycling and 42.2 km of running, be a vegetarian? "Well, I have been for ethical reasons since I was 17 years old. At that time, although there was not as much information as now, I began to become aware of animal abuse. I considered trying it and until now. From time to time, I still find some doctor who tells me that it shouldn't be but they are the exception. I have done quite well, really. "
Although, at the beginning, he drank milk and eggs, "I am reducing them to the fullest" and is increasingly closer to embracing veganism . "I do not have a 100% vegan diet but I eat mainly vegetables and I do not taste the meat, or the fish. Friends ask me if they don't ask me for a good steak and I always say no, not even a piece of the best Iberian ham I see it and I don't feel like it. I don't have a hard time being a vegetarian! "
The Vitorian confesses that he has never followed "the guidelines of any nutritionist, nor has anyone given me a specific diet." Also that all the tests and medical tests performed reveal that he is on the right track. "I have all the needs covered . I have no iron deficit or anything."
Does your diet vary somewhat depending on the intensity of your sports activity? "The truth is that not too much. Maybe if I train harder, I put some more load of hydrates but little else." He says that, whenever he can, he tries to prepare the food at home: "So I make sure that there are always three fundamental components on my plate: a correct hydrate contribution with whole or white pasta or cereals (I'm not too strict with this because when I train hard I need to add calories); seasonal vegetables ; and, finally, the protein part is covered with legumes or soy derivatives, such as tofu or seitan. I eat sweets when I feel like it and, occasionally, I have a glass of wine or a beer, as long as I'm not in competition time. "
In the days before the sports events in which he participates, he tries to avoid "raw vegetables, legumes or fruit, especially 48 hours before, in case they cause me a gas or digestion problem and I consume more hydrates, especially rice that it's easier to digest. "
In the race, for example in an 'ironman', "shot especially of gels that, in the end, are composed of maltodextrin, dextrose and fructose, hydrates and little else. Also of isotonic and what the organization gives in the supplies ".
KONA
Llanos arrives at Kona full of illusion. "I feel very good. This year I won at my house, Vitoria, with my best personal brand in 'ironman'. The truth is that I am not very looking back but rather enjoying the moment but I think I am the same or better that 10 years ago, not only for the physical but, above all, for the psychological. " To prepare, he spent the month of August held with his family in Sands Beach Active, Lanzarote. "It is the ideal place to recreate the conditions of heat, wind and humidity that I will face in Hawaii."
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His full maturity allows him to face the test with full confidence in himself. "I am not going with a clear objective. My last good race there was in 2008. From there, I have had a lot of problems and I have not been fully satisfied with my performance. In 2015, it worked out well although I suffered a lot in the race to I just want to stay at ease, finish with good feelings without caring too much about the place in the standings because it depends on the other 50 guys who will compete against me. "
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What does Kona have that distinguishes him from the rest? "Beyond being the Ironman World Championship, the simple fact of being in Hawaii already attracts attention. The sea, the lava ... the visual appeal is brutal. Above, that's where it all came up. It's a test with a lot of history. All the great ones have passed through there and it is a reference for the sport such as Wimbledon or the Tour de France ".
PHYSICAL PROBLEMS
It was precisely in Hawaii that Llanos encountered a ghost that has haunted him for years: "There appeared my stomach problems that made it very difficult for me and that limited my performance a lot."
The triathlete narrates how, in the swimming and bike tests he was fine, but "towards kilometer 8, 10 or 12 of the running race, my stomach was blocked, I felt very full and trained very flattened. I could not continue because, not assimilating well what I ingested , I got a terrible 'bird'. So it is that sometimes, I had to walk or even retire. "
After three years of crossing the desert and testing without valid results, Llanos found the solution to his nightmare on the other side of the world: " It was very hard . They did not give it until, last year, they did some tests in a laboratory from the University of Merlbourne (Australia), specializing in athletes. "
To find it, they recreated an 'ironman' between four walls where they analyzed how his body responded to this extreme situation: "I had to roll for three hours in a heat chamber and they took me samples until, when I reached the race in the treadmill, I clicked again. "
His opinion: "Everything was going well. There were no intolerances but they told me that I had to retrain my stomach to learn how to handle the liquid and food in those stressful situations . How? Eating a lot and going for a run with a full stomach to learn how to work with a lot of volume. "And it worked:" I went in June and, in November, I won in Arizona. "
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Recovered from her physical problems and stronger mentally than ever, Eneko Llanos enjoys a second youth and wants to enjoy it to the fullest. "This is not just about winning but learning to overcome the difficult moments that come your way. Knowing how to keep fighting to overcome adversity, a learning that serves you for life . "
Long distance is your vital school. "It has a part of self- improvement , of learning, of growth ... To me what hooks me is that, even if you take many years, every day you learn something new about yourself, to know yourself better and to evolve."
Today he will spend eight hours alone with himself, bringing body and mind to the limit of his strength. "What do I think when I compete? Eight hours go a long way! There are times when I am completely focused on the test but others go out of my mind. I think a lot about my family, my wife and my son ."
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