FILIPPO, FROM FOOTBALL TO TRAIL RUNNING, DREAMING ABOUT RUNNING TOR DES GEANTS
Filippo Moirano is a trail running athlete, a former professional football player, manager of a famous grocery store in Biella, “Lo Spaccio”. This interview begins with a classic question: Who’s Filippo in two words?
Filippo is a bit of all this you just said, even though I have to say that I am no longer a football player, since I stopped completely. Filippo is definitely a Trail Runner, even if I haven’t run for a long time, I started again 5 years old. The luck was coming from another sport that gave me solid physical foundations on which I could then start training when I approached trail running. Instead, work is something that takes time away from my sport. During this racing season and partly in the past my work has taken a lot of time away from training and sports in general.
Q. How did you approach trail running?
After having stopped playing as a semi-professional in football, I continued to run but in an unstructured way. I was running mainly to accompany my girlfriend (she had to run for health reasons). After some time I asked her whether instead of training on-road or using the treadmill she wanted to try running on trails. She agreed and from there the next step towards trail running was done. In two weeks I ran my first trail running race, 23km with 2000m D +. I made it, I was really happy because I had managed the effort very well. It was natural for me to run and I decided to go for longer distances. I ran the Trail Monte Casto 46K after 2 months of training, I met Marco and Cristina, TRM, and developed the passion thanks to their expertise.
Q. This year you have achieved an important podium, 3rd overall of the prestigious Piedmont Trail Challenge Circuit. What races did you run and what made you successful?
The races of the circuit were 4:
Trail Monte Soglio 70km, Trail del Motty 40km, Trail Monte Casto 46km and Trail Oasi Zegna 50km.
However, this circuit was not in the initial plans, either mine or that of the TRM coaches Cristina and Marco. The intention agreed with the two coaches was to take advantage of the races as training sessions because this year, due to my father-in-law’s health problems, I did not have much time to train and to compete. But then in the first race of the circuit I ranked among the first 20 athletes and also the second one went quite well. So at that point, we thought it could have been a good idea to compete for the circuit’s podium. Here I’m, 3rd of the Piedmont Trail Challenge Circuit.
Q. How many times a week you train, where and how you organize your workouts?
My program (TRM TRAINING PLAN) includes 5/6 training sessions. Two years ago I was training 6 times a week but this year and last year, for family and work reasons, I had to ask Cristina and Marco, TRM, to readjust my training plan according to different needs. I usually train early in the morning, before going to work, during lunch breaks or when the shop closes in the evening. It depends on the type of training session I have to perform, other than the personal commitments of the day. A winning strategy for me, as I said before, is the inclusion in the training plan of a greater number of “training races”, precisely to make up for the impossibility of running certain distances during the week.
Q. How do you manage nutrition?
I’ve always been lucky enough to know how to handle it. When I met the TRM Team they gave me advice about sports nutrition that I still keep following today. If I really decide to lengthen my race distances maybe I will need not just some tips but also a nutritional plan, but for the moment I’m fine.
Q. What are your plans for 2020 in terms of trail running races?
I will certainly run Lavaredo Ultra Trail 120K because I was drawn again, and honestly, I am happy to be able to do it again. Last year everything went almost well, and I want to repeat the experience and try to improve my personal best. In fact, this year at a certain point I had a big problem with the heat. Thanks to Cristina’s, TRM, invaluable assistance, I managed not to withdraw, but it wasn’t easy at all. I’m sure I can do better, a couple of hours less, so I’m happy to challenge myself again. Then I’d like to run the UTMB 170K but it doesn’t depend on me and I wait for the draws in January 2020.
Q. What are your dreams in the drawer as a trail runner?
My dreams in the drawer? I don’t feel like talking about victories because it’s a goal too far sincerely. Again, I have only been on the trails for 5 years. Rankins? Sure, my goal is to keep improving, as I am doing now or even better. I am super competitive and I give my 100% every time. My goal is always to rank in the top 20 in competitions with a large number of participants. In some of the races I manage to achieve the top ten. My special dream in terms of races is to run the Tor Des Geants 330K. I was already drawn last year but I couldn’t train for it. I have many friends who have raced the TOR and I would love to measure myself with this challenge too. I have good endurance and physical structure, it is certainly a race within my reach. In addition, during an Endurance Trail Running Stage with Marco and Cristina I did a reco on many parts of the race track I feel ready to run it.
Thanks Filippo, it was a pleasure to have had the chance to listen to you, live your passion. Good luck for 2020, and for the TOR waiting for you!
WOULD YOU LIKE TO IMPROVE YOUR PERFORMANCE IN TRAIL RUNNING? CHOOSE NEW CHALLENGES WITH THE TRM TRAINING PLANS
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