Interview with Diego Pazos, our favorite “butterfly” runner

Recently returned from Reunion Island with a beautiful 4^th place in the prestigious trail of the Diagonale des fous, Diego Pazos is not only one of the best trail runners in the world. Originally from Lausanne with a master's degree in forensics in his pocket, 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 runner better " butterfly " favorite, who shares with us his tips for success on all fronts.

HAS : DIEGO PAZOS, WHERE ARE YOU FROM? ?

DIEGO: I was born in Lausanne and grew up in the " suburb » Lausanne, in Chavannes-près-Renens, I have an extraordinary memory of it! I have been living in Lausanne for several years, so I am 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 on the UTMB 2011 with a beautiful sunrise at the Col de la Seigne. Seeing these extreme adventurers as I called them really motivated me to take the plunge and get started this gargantuan challenge. Then, end of 2011 first trail race, the Sainté Lyon, 70km at night, a great experience before doing my first real trail season in 2012. Then I was taken by the passion, I discovered unsuspected qualities 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 significant, it is always a special moment to be able to represent your country in a sport, whatever it may be.

A: WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THE BOW TIE?

D: The bow tie is a bit like having my wife and my loved ones running with me. I already wore them a lot before our wedding, but it's a bit of a symbol of our couple and I decided to run with it since our wedding in June 2015. For the record, the bow ties that I wear are the ones that my friends gave me at my bachelor party, so they have a double meaning to me : Love and friendship!
Over time it also became a lucky charm?

A: YOU'RE NOT ONLY A GREAT SPORTSMAN. TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO IN PARALLEL !

D: Alongside my work and training, I started organising 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 hometown) and the trail. The best example is the festive format called Freddie's Night which offers entertainment and light shows along the entire route!
Bringing new momentum to trail racing, uniting an entire region since the long course of 164 km and 12,000 m + and a real Tour of the Vaud Alps and to show off 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: A TIP TO MANAGE 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 noon, 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 ourselves from the beaches as a couple, I also need it for my sporting balance! And in all of this the arrival of the baby will come to shake everything up but for the best 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 PARTICULAR NUTRITIONAL PLAN? ?

D: Nutrition is extremely important in the life of an athlete. 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 particular diet, on the other hand I try to vary my diet as much as possible, to eat a balanced diet and to respect certain major principles. I am not in favor of specific diets, I am " flexivore " as Takinoa would say and I am convinced that we can eat healthily and in a balanced way while really enjoying ourselves.
It's all a question of habit, once we have found this balanced routine, we can allow ourselves to make exceptions, 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 instinct personal, 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 follow my nutrition a little more closely, mainly to make sure that I do not have any deficiencies with the hours of sports that I practice. Ensuring that health is up to par is an essential point if you want to last and especially if you want to achieve your goals or realize your dreams.

To read: Diego Pazos wants to cross Switzerland

A: SINCE YOU ARE FOLLOWED BY ALGORIGIN, HAVE YOU NOTICED ANY CHANGES/IMPROVEMENTS IN YOUR DAILY LIFE? ?

D: I take some organic spirulina and recently from the AFA Klamath , algae with great 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-long term, we do not see a difference overnight but gradually unless we are at our lowest at the time of the first doses, in which case, we would see results quite quickly. It is about betting on our future health.

A: WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF THE PRODUCTS FOR YOU? ALGORIGIN ?

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 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 great 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
– Job : Master's degree in forensics at the School of Criminal Sciences of the University of Lausanne and currently Specialized 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/