Blazing a Trail
Mother of four, Alexandra Vanstalle, started running to lose her baby weight and now trains for trail runs of over 100km. As part of the organising team behind the 300km ALUT trail run, she tells us how she became an athlete and why trail running is good for the Algarve.
Alexandra was born in Oerias near Lisbon, but her mother came from Monchique and so she spent many childhood holidays in Manta Rota in the Algarve.
After studying in Lisbon she worked in a Mexican restaurant and that led to the opportunity to go to Mexico and she lived there for a short time and met her British husband. They moved to Boliqueime just outside Loulé, when she was 21, but found it too isolated, “Like an Island.”
Her life changed dramatically when had her first son and she started to find the Algarve suited her and her growing family, with good schools and a relaxed way of life. It was after her fourth baby that she decided she wanted to lose weight and she started running around the municipal park which was next to her house.
“I thought I was going to die, I was spitting my lungs out, my heart was coming out of my mouth, I thought one more step wouldn't be possible. Then I grew to like the feeling of achievement it gave me. I tried an extra loop of the park, despite the pain I felt proud of having accomplished something and I was losing weight.”
Then a friend mentioned a group called Corridas a Sexta Feira (Running on a Friday) on Facebook. “Every Friday they have a meeting and it was coming to Loulé so we wondered if we would be able to do the 10km run.”
“That is how it started and every other week I would try to meet the group. At the start, I was literally walking and would look at the fast ones at the front. With time I moved up to the fastest group on these runs and started hearing about races.”
Alexandra was very nervous on the day of her first race and still doubted whether she could achieve the standard. Despite her doubts, she found that she was keeping up. At one of the races she heard about people doing the half marathon in Lisbon and she saw people signing up who were running at the same pace as she did.
“I still didn't believe in myself but then a fellow runner Sr. Cabral encouraged me. He was a 60-year-old super strong mana and still my friend today. He told me I needed to work hard for six weeks. He trained me and this journey probably wouldn't have happened without him.”
Remarkably only four months after she started running she completed the Lisbon half marathon, running alongside Sr. Cabral over the 25 de Abril Bridge “I felt super proud. On the starting line, I did not know if I could finish. In my head, there was always doubt.” She aimed to do two hours but she did 1: 50 hr running alongside Sr. Cabral, who paced her.
From there she met more people who were doing trail running races and joined ATR, (Algarve Trail Running Association) which organises the high endurance Rocha da Pena race, described by organisers as taking place; “in the dry weather and heat of August in the Algarve, which creates the greatest difficulties for athletes.”
Alexandra competed in the 50k run in stifling temperatures; “It was silly I can see that now. Last year 600 people ran it. People from the top of the sport came to Portugal to get points. It is the hottest and highest trail run in the world.” She completed the run in 10 hours 30 minutes which was over the allowed time of 10 hours but still felt proud that she finished.
Last year she did the Trail Ultra with the ATR which range between 43-65 km. Her latest adventure is to train for a 111kms endurance race. To prepare she runs between 50 and 70 km a week, mixing a long run at the weekend with 12 or 15 km during the week mixed in with some high-intensity strength, uphill or speed training.
The ALUT (Algarviana Ultra Trail) is 300kms from Alcoutim to Sagres and the baby of the ATR association. The first race was in 2017 and 70 people took part in the second in 2018. The 2019 edition will start at 16:30 on November 28 in Alcoutim. It is a fantastic event to promote the association but also the Algarve, Alexandra says; “it shows that the Algarve is not just golf and beach and it gives the local economy a boost in November which is a quiet month for tourism.”
The promoters say; “This event aims not only to promote sporting practice and especially the trail running in the Algarve, affirming the region as an area of sporting excellence….. its main objective, through sport, to contribute to territorial cohesion, to boost the less favoured economies of the Algarve and to combat the effects of seasonality and interior desertification.”
Runners have a 72-hour limit and many run through the night and may rest for only 20-30 minutes to eat and then keep going. Alexandra gets a huge buzz from being part of this experience. “Although I am not doing the running it is super emotional to see the ups and downs and see people at their limit looking like they can't continue and then they recover and finish.”
Despite all the training Alexandra also find time for a day job! After experiencing personal and professional difficulties in 2015 she came across an opportunity for training in image consultancy, despite being unsure at first she soon discovered; “I had found my passion, there was no return. Here I am now, happy and in love with what I do!”
She can help clients find the colours that suit them, give body language coaching and quite regularly goes into their wardrobes to help them find their best look. “ You should be your best business card and I can help you be the best of you.”
It is ironic that in her business life Alexandra finds ways of helping people communicate with others, but running is ultimately an individual sport. “ In these times people are always on their phone or trying to watch something but I find running is about spending time with ourselves.” This modern.-day superwoman looks set to continue to trend-set and trail-set for the foreseeable future!
