![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.oxyburn.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Marta-Oxyburn-213x300.jpg\")
<\/p>\nA one-on-one with Marta Poretti, one of Italy\u2019s top ultradistance athletes, whom we interviewed a few days before the Transgrancanaria 125k (8,000 m elevation gain).<\/p>\n
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Her 2017 got off to a fantastic start, with a second-place finish at the Winter Trail Monte Prealba 52k in the Brescia area and a victory at the 6 Ore di Pastrengo, on the Veronese shore of Lake Garda: She is Marta Poretti, one of Italy\u2019s top athletes specializing in ultra-distance mountain races, and an Oxyburn Ambassador for many years. \u201cI ran on Monte Prealba and in Pastrengo to test myself ahead of the Transgrancanaria 125k, a race I\u2019ll be tackling starting at 11:00 p.m. on Friday, February 24\u2014just a few days from now. They were two very different races, but I had a lot of fun. In Pastrengo, I followed the group at the start, but ended up taking a wrong turn and losing several minutes\u2026 but then I managed to make up the time, thanks in part to a really fun course\u2014slippery and full of mud due to the heavy rains in the days leading up to the race\u2026\u201d <\/p>\n
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You can already see Marta\u2019s philosophy here\u2026 an athlete who finds \u201cfun\u201d what others see as an obstacle, a problem, or a real struggle\u2026<\/strong> And that\u2019s why, putting \u201cher\u201d Grande Corsa Bianca aside for now, Marta decided to participate in this year\u2019s 125k ultra in Gran Canaria<\/strong>: \u201cYears ago, I ran the 82k Transgrancanaria, with 4,300 meters of elevation gain: I liked the course, so this year I decided to try the 125k version with 8,000 meters of elevation gain…though I\u2019ll admit I\u2019m just going to compete, experience a new adventure\u2026 and treat myself to a few days at the beach in winter, even though the forecast, unfortunately, calls for rain. I think the competition is too tough for me to aim for a podium finish, but I\u2019ll be there and I\u2019ll fight right up to the finish line!\u201d<\/p>\n You have a true passion for the mountains, since you run<\/strong> and bike<\/strong> there, in addition to skiing<\/strong> and climbing<\/strong>: \u201cAbove all, I consider myself a mountaineer and a runner,\u201d Marta<\/strong> explains, \u201cbut the fact is, I love the mountains and doing sports at high altitudes. Whether it\u2019s summer or winter doesn\u2019t matter… as long as I\u2019m at high altitude. And, of course, doing sports in the mountains is a great workout for the heart, lungs, and all the muscles in the body.\u201d <\/p>\n A few days ago, Daniele Alimonti won the 1,000 Miglia di Atene<\/strong>, but the fact is that ultra-distance races are becoming more and more common, just as the number of athletes participating in them is growing: are they heroes or madmen? Neither one nor the other, according to Marta<\/strong>: \u201cSome people call us \u2018crazy,\u2019 but I believe it takes extraordinary mental strength as well as a certain amount of intelligence\u2014even just, for example, in knowing how to manage your energy throughout the entire race. But I always think that if a race exists, it means it can be tackled and finished<\/strong>. Sure, maybe you cross the finish line and, looking back on the race, realize you\u2019ve covered a truly enormous number of kilometers\u2026 but I don\u2019t feel crazy at all: I can do it, and I do it\u2014nothing more\u2026\u201d <\/p>\n <\/p>\n But what does it take to run an ultratrail of that many kilometers?<\/strong> \u201cFirst of all, you need a deep sense of self-awareness: you have to know how to manage yourself, especially in times of crisis, and know how to endure the pain… When you run for so many kilometers, and for so many hours, something always hurts\u2026 always! For me, the most \u2018stressful\u2019 part of a race, for example, is getting my gear ready and the waiting\u2026 once I\u2019m off, though, I just think about running\u2026\u201d she says with a laugh.<\/p>\n And what about clothing? \u201cClothing is essential in races like these,\u201d explains Marta, who has been running for years in Oxyburn-branded graduated compression<\/strong> gear. \u201cIn ultradistance races, it\u2019s essential to wear technical clothing in layers, so you can add or remove layers easily and quickly. In addition to a hat and gloves, I always wear Oxyburn shirts and pants\u2014often three-quarter-length\u2014both for the massaging effect and for the excellent breathable technology, which allows me to stay dry and warm for hours on end.\u201d <\/p>\n Let\u2019s leave Marta to her pre-Transgrancanaria<\/strong> preparations with one last point-blank question\u2026 any hints about your 2017? \u201cWell, I don\u2019t know,\u201d she replies slyly, \u201cI don\u2019t like the bodysuits you need for triathlons\u2014they don\u2019t make me feel like myself.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A one-on-one with Marta Poretti, one of Italy\u2019s top ultradistance athletes, whom we interviewed a few days before the Transgrancanaria…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":71543,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-71541","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-senza-categoria"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.oxyburn.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/marta-poretti-300x200.jpg\")
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