It took longer than expected, but finally Carlos Mayo has reached the level that he was showing in lower categories. The last great diamond of the Spanish fund, who hung five European medals as a sub-23, has left behind the injuries that kept him in the dry dock for almost two years. He returned in a big way on March 8, proclaiming himself champion of Spain in cross country with authority and opens on Sunday in a half marathon in Valencia with the aim of becoming the second best Spaniard in history after Fabián Roncero and, incidentally, snatch from his friend Toni Abadía the honor of being the fastest debutant (1:01:15).
–How was the preparation?
-Very well. It is true that I passed the covid in October and I had to go ten days without training, but I only had a fever one night. The rest of the preparation was perfect: the times were good and the feelings better than ever.
–When did you make the decision to try out a half marathon?
-I had already planned to do it when it was going to be held in October, and although it was an important objective then, it was within the preparation for the European cross country, my main goal. Since then things have changed a lot and now it is not that it is the main objective, it is that it is the only one.
–How was the mileage of this preparation?
-In Bronchales, where Toni Abadía, Camilo Santiago and I were concentrated for five weeks, I did two weeks over 190 kilometers: one of 192 and another of 191. The longest distance was 30 kilometers.
–It has practically moved the volume of a marathoner.
-You may not need so many kilometers to run an average, but you have to take into account my characteristics. Preparing 10km I have moved between 160 and 180 kilometers per week, and had to give a new stimulus to the body. Before I did that volume in eleven sessions, doubling four days, and now I have done it doubling only two. I’ve also done longer series and shootings.
–He said it comes with better feelings than ever.
-It is difficult to speak without competing. While training, I notice that the form is very good, even better than in the Spanish Cross Championship, but I don’t know how to value it because I haven’t put my body to the limit in competition. Someday training yes I have given him a cane, but it is not the same and you always have the doubt. On the contrary, I arrive more eager and rested.
–What goal do you set for your debut?
-It is impossible not to think of a brand, although it is unknown since I have never faced the 21 kilometers at the top. Anything that is not less than one hour two (1:02) will not satisfy me. If I go below 1:01 I would be very happy, because that will be the initial rhythm and goal. It would be a brutal result, because only Fabián Roncero (59:32) and Chiki Pérez (1:00:58) have achieved it.
–He will try without hares.
-Javi Guerra is going to be the one who sets the pace for the Spanish and we will go in his wake. He has said that he is here to take a bite out of his brand (1:01:38), so I will try to be as close to him as possible to understand each other and give us a good time.
–The next objective is the Games, but the minimum in 10,000m is 27: 28.00, a mark that only three Spaniards have achieved in history.
-The minimum seems quite complicated even at my best. I hope to take advantage of the ‘world ranking’, more affordable, to be in 5,000m or 10,000m, although I hope I can do the minimum and forget about calculations.
–Would you rather be at 5,000m or 10,000m?
– Right now I am not to choose. Preparation is usually compatible with doing both, and although the specific sets are different, it is not a very abrupt change. In addition, by calendar, as it is normally the 10,000m Spanish Championship at the beginning of the season, there is usually time to put all the meat on the grill in the 5,000m.
–Is the Carlos Mayo that he promised at U23 already here?
-I need to have competitions to materialize my feelings. In the Spanish Cross Country Championship I was at my best, and if the Laredo 10km and the 10,000m Spanish Championship could have been celebrated, I would not have disappointed, but I still need to prove it. Valencia is a very beautiful setting to do it. It was hard that the season was cut short when I had achieved the most difficult thing for me: to overcome all the training load of the winter without injuring myself. I think I have found that balance again.
Toni Abadía, the great attraction in the marathon
The group led by José Luis Mareca in Zaragoza is called to be the protagonist on Sunday in the marathon and half marathon in Valencia. If the spotlights in the 21km point to Carlos Mayo’s debut, in the 42km the attention falls on his teammate Toni Abadía. One of the dominators of the Spanish fund in the last Olympic cycle – 10km plus mark and ten times national champion – the Aragonese makes the leap to the distance of Filípides. Its 27:48 in 10km and 1:01:15 in half marathon (the best premiere ever) invite us to think about a future, and why not, present brilliant for Abadía in marathon. “Because of his times and training, if he adapts well to the marathon, he could drop from 2:10, and even if he looks good he will shoot as much as possible,” explains Mareca. Abadía’s coach believes that his pupil “is worth a great mark, but the marathon is sometimes unfair with what he has trained and the sacrifice.” The veteran coach, like the athlete himself, prefers to “be prudent” when considering a record. His partner Carlos Mayo, on the other hand, expects him to do “between 2:08 short and 2:08 long.”
Abadía will go out with the hare group at a pace of 2:09:30, and if these omens are confirmed, it would achieve the Olympic minimum for a marathon (by ranking, right now, it would also have a place at 5,000m and 10,000m). He would be the ninth Spaniard to get it, and the already very expensive ticket to Tokyo in the 42km would go even higher. If the Federation’s criteria are not modified, Javi Guerra (2:07:27) and Daniel Mateo (2:10:53) would already be pre-selected as champion of Spain and ranked tenth in the last World Cup. In case of doing the minimum for a marathon, Toni Abadía would choose between one of the three tests, confirms his coach to this newspaper.
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