- If you don't mind, let's go without swinging: in what physical shape are you right now?
- If we take as a basis the long distance in the triathlon, which I do, then I swim 100 meters in about 105 seconds, but I need to 10-15 seconds faster, I run a kilometer in 5.30-5.40, and I cover 90 km on a bicycle in 2 hours 40 minutes.
These numbers are far from the desired results, but there is an explanation for this.
The past year was difficult ... But at the same time, I pull myself up 20 times, which I could not do since studying at a military school.
Although some colleagues, whom I motivate by my own example, did more in domestic competitions.
- Has winter made adjustments to your functional state?
- Basically, no.
Extra pounds appeared - this is natural, you had to go through this period.
I am the same person as everyone else.
I face the same problems as ordinary amateur athletes.
Therefore, before the next start, you will need to lose about 6 kg.
But I feel quite comfortable.
The first start on May 22 in Gelendzhik - Ironstar 113 as part of the team.
Anastasia Krapivina will swim, I will ride a bicycle, and Maxim Vylegzhanin will run.
Therefore, I have more responsibility to them, and not because of the overall result, as the guys will cope with their stages.
But on Sunday I did a long workout on a machine with a good heart rate and was satisfied.
I leave the winter in a comfortable state.
- According to your social networks, it can be assumed that your main discipline is running, not cycling.
- No, now it's still cycling.
I will have two individual starts - Ironman in St. Petersburg and Half Ironman.
At this point, I want to tighten up swimming and running.
Until then, I'm concentrating on the bike.
And he gives me more pleasure than other types.
- Is it related to age-related changes?
- Not.
For me, two important components are motivation and a coach.
Surprisingly, the best Half Ironman result I set in 2019.
If I had not received a fine, I would have met it in five hours, and the time on the bike was 2 hours 34 minutes.
Therefore, there are definitely still five years for high results.
The question is about readiness and stress resistance, since my main work, of course, takes too much energy and is a priority.
As for the second component, I have a great coach - Maxim Kryat, who heads the Kazakhstan Triathlon Federation.
We have been working with him for a long time, and in 2015, under his leadership, I even managed to improve the result on the Ironman, covering the distance in 10 hours 41 minutes.
During this time, he got to know me well and became not just a mentor, but a psychologist.
Therefore, it is a pleasure for me to do this, there is motivation.
Yes, there is no way to go the full distance yet.
But I like the team competitions where I can promote Udmurtia.
I think from this point of view, the year should turn out to be interesting.
- So, you gave up your dream of performing in the Ironman finals?
- Not.
I am very ambitious and I want to get to the World Cup.
Frankly, it will be easier to do it by changing the age category to "50+".
So far I am 47. As head of the region, I will hardly have time to get into the top four in the "younger" group.
To do this, it is necessary to overcome the "iron" distance of nine hours, which means that in the offseason, train at least 14-16 hours a week, and closer to the beginning of the season - 20-25 hours.
In my work, this is not possible and is not a priority.
After all, I am engaged in triathlon for health, in order to be able to switch my head and be more effective in my main activity - governing the republic.
- In 2016, you said that people are disingenuous when they say that it is difficult for them to find 20-25 hours a week for training. So your opinion has changed?
- No, but it's very difficult. In my opinion, I was the only one to go the Ironman distance, being the head of the region. My friend, the governor of the Kursk region, Roman Starovoit, did this some time before the appointment. It's not about hours, it's about efficiency. And my coach helps me a lot in this. But for me, triathlon and sports are not a burden. I love to swim, run, ride a bike. This is a rest. It balances and complements the entire life cycle. I always look forward to training and even combine them with work. For example, on Sunday I had a three-hour training session, during which the deputy chairman for health and I took stock and outlined plans. When I took up my post, on the first floor in the administration I converted the medical office into a gym, in which work is constantly in full swing.
- Ironman in Klagenfurt 2018 is still the toughest of your amateur career?
- The hardest and happiest.
Although those who are far from triathlon do not believe me.
In total, I spent 11 hours and 30-something minutes.
That year was very stressful for me, I made the decision to withdraw four times.
In addition, there was an emotional component.
My elder and close friend Stanislav Govorukhin believed that I was doing nonsense, and when he came to support me in the elections in 2017, on the contrary, he advised me not to give up.
This became an incredible motivation for me, I experienced absolute, crystallized happiness.
After the hardest cycle stage, I ran and smiled.
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Publication from Alexander Brechalov (@brechalov)
I remember this day well, July 1, because at the same time the national teams of Russia and Spain identified the best in the 1/8 finals of the World Cup.
The running track passed through the square with restaurants.
When our team missed the first goal, everyone started cheering me on.
But on the second lap, I noticed that the Spaniards sitting there were noticeably sad.
My friend also joked that if we speed up, we will be in time for the penalty shootout.
And what do you think?
We finished at the very moment when Igor Akinfeev hit the second 11-meter.
Therefore, in the aggregate in Klagenfurt, I experienced great emotions that gave me the motivation to work further.
- Was it easier in 2019?
- No, from the point of view of preparation it is even harder.
I went to Half Ironman in Nur-Sultan in bad shape, overweight, disassembled, passed it, but then showed the best result at the start in Zelenogradsk.
It is these overcomes that demonstrate your capabilities and resources, make you use your time efficiently.
And the result gives more emotions and positiveness.
- Professionals during the races think about the result, listen to their body. For amateurs, psychology is more important, because there is always the temptation to get off. What type do you consider yourself to be?
- It's hard to believe, but from the start I have five or ten hours of sincere happiness. I get high from every second, and it becomes sad when everything ends. I remember another episode in Klagenfurt. The finish loop crosses the exit from the transit zone, where athletes change gear between stages. As I run, an elderly couple appears in front of me. On the backs of both the inscription "50 years together." And it penetrated me so ...
And there was also a moment on the second lap of the bike distance in the same place.
A steep climb, a decent "pull".
I was not thinking that the finish was coming soon, I was just wondering how I would overcome it, because my strength was running out.
And along the track, there was a strange green-suit cheerleader who hooted like Icelandic fans at a football Euro in France, creating an incredible atmosphere.
I even wanted to ride this distance again.
Therefore, overcoming in me causes only delight and happiness.
- Can you imagine that at 70 years old you will pass the full Ironman distance or at least half?
- Absolutely, I don't rule out anything.
My good friend Leonid Boguslavsky, who turns 70 in June, will run his fifth Ironman with a serious injury.
But I do not limit myself to sports, maybe I will do something else.
But for now, the goal is to qualify for the world championship.
Therefore, I will not give up until I reach it.
- You have already achieved a lot in triathlon. Have you ever thought about the fact that you need a new challenge?
- A bit of a provocative question.
To be honest, there is a slight decline in motivation due to the fact that in the main activity, far from everything that we would like is obtained.
More energy and emotions go there, and something needs to be sacrificed.
But the coach and I agreed that we should not get hung up.
I believe that the body itself will feel when the time comes to reboot.
Or maybe it will turn out as in 2019.
In mid-July in Nur-Sultan, I overcame the "half" in 5 hours 46 minutes, and literally two weeks later in Sochi I was already quietly training.
This means that the body has adapted.
Therefore, I do not set any rigid horizons in front of me.
It will go, it will be easy - I will continue.
- Do you admit that after a triathlon you want to try yourself in a new sport, for example, to conquer several eight-thousanders, satellites of Everest?
- Not yet, although they didn’t offer anything, including a rock climber, they wanted to make me.
But I prefer playing sports.
This year, by the way, turned out to be special, because it collected all possible injuries.
Therefore, football disappears, but in basketball I can quite see myself.
Moreover, I am still a fan.
In the mountains, I don't feel any dynamics yet.
I need serious overcoming multiplied by movement, high tempo - in a word, rock and roll.
Therefore, when friends tell us that they overcome an inch per minute in the mountains, it becomes sad.
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Publication from Alexander Brechalov (@brechalov)
- Professionals say that after a long race you need at least a week to rest. You do not have this time by definition. How do you manage to recover so quickly?
- This is the installation, everything comes from the head.
If you persuade yourself that you are incredibly tired, such a state will be.
Of course, you shouldn't play basketball the next day, and otherwise I never set aside any special time for rest.
For example, on May 22, after the relay in Gelendzhik, in the evening I have an important event in Krasnodar.
And I am happy with this prospect.
Yes, sometimes it does.
At such moments I try to get away from the team so that they don't feel, but I still continue to work hard.
By the way, I can't get up late.
I wake up at 8:00 - and already the feeling that half a day has been missed.
- Does the team of like-minded people suffer from your numerous trainings?
- Why?
Now everyone sees each other mostly only on screens, but the pandemic.
But I realized that in this situation, some may become addicted to alcohol.
Therefore, everyone needs to be distracted.
I recorded a video of pulling up seven times and instructing the men to train in three directions: pull-ups, planks, and push-ups.
When we remove the restrictions in the summer, we will definitely compete.
For many, this has become a challenge.
Of course, I do not impose anything, but I think that you need to keep yourself in shape.
- Can you afford to go outside unaccompanied to conduct a workout?
- Yes, it’s a common thing for me to go out into town alone.
Another question is whether the security will keep up with me.
(Laughs)
Yesterday, for example, I walked around the square and asked what people think of me.
I'm so comfortable.
Although in training there are also funny cases.
When he first headed the republic, he came to the pool.
I swim and notice that there are too many people sitting on the side.
Then he asked the coach what had happened, they told me that everyone had come to see me.
There is exactly a kilometer around the residence, everyone knows that sometimes I run here.
Sometimes someone can join me, take a photo, ask a question.
So I met a grandmother who is engaged in Nordic walking.
Now she always meets me, sets tasks and gives me valuable advice.
- It is not often that you can meet the head of a region who is so seriously involved in sports. Does your example motivate the inhabitants of Udmurtia?
- Some are motivated, others - on the contrary.
If a person is already sitting on the couch with a beer and criticizes me, then my training will only annoy him.
But, fortunately, the absolute majority makes them look at themselves from the outside.
They often write that thanks to me they went to the gym, they say thank you.
Personal example is the shortest way to achieve a goal.
And I am happy to participate in republican starts along with ordinary residents.
And someone is very pleased to overtake the head of Udmurtia.
One guy even wrote on social networks “It was a cool start in Votkinsk.
And yes, I did Brechalov. "
He was not even embarrassed by the age difference, which was almost 20 years.