The Catalan athlete who ran non-stop for five years

BarcelonaHe bottle flip challenge, he fidget spinner or the dabThese were some of the trends that emerged ten years ago. It's still unclear why they lasted so long. Now we're talking about avocado toast, açaí, and runningAlthough this last point has been present in Catalonia for longer than people might think. Just ask Celia Balcells, who started running as hobby And now she does it professionally. "At first, I'd run five or ten kilometers and end up completely exhausted. There was a climb that I now do in two seconds, and back then it seemed impossible. However, it was very satisfying," she recalls. "This was the last year before going to university. When I went to study in Lleida, even though there aren't many mountains there, we went running every day. That's when I met Arnau Cases, who introduced me to the world of performance and..." trail running "He was involved with the Catalan national team and explained to me what I had to do to get there. From then on, I started running more seriously," he explains.

The athlete from Santa Coloma de Queralt improved little by little, without becoming obsessed but with great consistency. She still remembers with a laugh the first "important" race she participated in. "The first important race was the Trencacims. I had already done some races around my town, but this was the first big one. It was a Catalan Cup event, the year after the pandemic. I ran with a mask and everything. I did 23 kilometers with a backpack, food, and water, almost like I was on a hike," she explains.

This was the first step she took to begin building her path in the trail runningA path that, at times, seemed to falter. In December, she developed a Morton's neuroma, which caused her significant pain in her foot when she ran. "I decided to finish the season anyway. I could run, but one of my toes hurt. When I stopped after competing so much, it all came crashing down on me. It was a tough few weeks, and I was quite sad," Celia shares, although she affirms that it wasn't the most dramatic moment of her life.

With this problem resolved, she now only has minor sciatic nerve pain, which is bothering her when she trains. This minor injury has forced her to do something she wouldn't have considered before: rest. "Three weeks ago, I started with pain in my glute that then spread to my groin. The physiotherapist told me to stop running for a day. Three years ago, I wouldn't have done it, but now I do. I've learned that if you keep putting pressure on your body, it can get worse, so I'm trying to manage it better," she explains. Now he's started with a new coach who's helping him manage his boundless energy and making him rest at least one day a week. "For five years I ran 365 days a year, never missing a day. Since January, he's made me add a cycling day," he explains.

He is happy with little (or much)

Despite not being able to dedicate 100% of his time to trail, Since she works as a personal trainer in the afternoons, she has a very clear goal. Her humility, simplicity, and exuberant energy have led her to focus on achieving something much more fundamental than winning a Zegama or an Ultra Pirineos: being able to run happily. "My goal is to be able to run for many years. For me, it's still a hobby. Competing is a bonus," she explains. "I'd like to be among the best for many years, but without needing to be number one. I don't need to win a Zegama, but I do need to be close to the elite to be able to run the races I truly enjoy," Celia concludes, leaving a thought hanging in the air. Because sometimes less is more, and true happiness lies in the little things; being better doesn't mean enjoying life more than others.