THIS WAS
#MILESOFTRUSTMAPFRE
Our eight featured runners have concluded this journey of effort, trust and personal achievement by facing an event that will mark a before and after in their athletic pursuits: the marathon.
And so it was; no one told them it would be easy, but they were sure that by trusting each other, together they would reach the finish line. They themselves decided how far they wanted to go, but, while it was their dream, they needed to have an objective that would set the course for the whole adventure. Our coaches, Pablo and Germán, never doubted for an instant that they all could make it. Each training session was one more reason not to give up, one more step to reach the finish line, where all their loved ones were waiting for them with open arms cheering, “You did it!”
This was #MilesOfTrustMAPFRE, not an end but a to-be-continued of this athletic journey that has created more than just results—it has created a family. Thanks to all of you who have followed us, supported us and given us the confidence we needed to achieve this.
COACHES
Pablo Lucero, 42, founder and coach of the BcnMadTriatlón sports club for over 10 years. Without a doubt, his life goals have always been marked by risk and achievement because he always wanted to become a firefighter. Beginning when he was just 8 years old, up until he was 23, Pablo competed in cycling, he also took up soccer and, several years ago, he dove into Triathlons. This passion for sports has led him to complete triathlons, marathons and 100k trail runs. He also has dreams yet to realize like crossing many more finish lines in his life, traveling, and learning about other cultures, because no one should ever stop dreaming! A firm believer in motivation and positivity, Pablo picks up his pace whenever a Maroon 5 song comes on.
"I hope that the greatest marathon of my life is yet to come"
Germán Madrazo, 46, entrepreneur, founder and owner of a specialty running store in Texas. The embodiment of motivation, he has always wanted to be a professional athlete and speaker. Sports were a big part of his life from early childhood: by the time he was 4, he was already on a swim team. You could say that sports are his life! And that life as an athlete starting at just 4 years old would lead him to cross the most important finish line of his life at 43: competing in the 15k Cross Country Ski event at the Olympic Games in PyeongChang.
Germán still has many goals left to tackle, such as running the Boston Marathon or the Marathon des Sables, or skiing the Vasaloppet in Sweden or the Norwegian Birkebeiner... Nevertheless, there are other goals in his life beyond sports: inspiring, motivating and being a top motivational speaker. And speaking of motivation, the Top Gun Anthem and Highway to Hell are his favorite songs for practicing any sport.
“We live to fight another day”
OUR
STARS
Presenting our eight stars who will challenge themselves in #MilesOfTrustMAPFRE.
Four Spaniards and four Mexicans will put their own limits to the test while our coaches, Pablo and Germán, will inspire and train them to face a mutual challenge:
running the first MAPFRE digital marathon.
KNOW THEIR STORIES
Adventurous, gutsy, confident and, above all, with tons of energy. They have clear objectives and know exactly what they
want to improve in themselves.
A sports goal is also personal growth.
Will they make it across the marathon finish line?
We think just one race will be too little for them.
They trust in their capability to break down barriers and move forward every day, one step at a time.
What about you?
“We are the average of the five people we spend the most time with—choose wisely”
As a little girl, Celia saw herself studying medicine so that she could become an oncologist. However, as life often puts us in situations much different than those we have in mind, she is currently COO at Marcon Industrial. Celia admired many people who got her started in the world of sports but affirms that she still has many goals left to accomplish, such as finishing a marathon and an Ironman. (Celia, there’s nothing you can’t achieve!) In addition, she has many other aspirations that have become her life’s dreams, such as writing a book or creating her own online course. The biggest marathon in her life was getting through her postpartum period. Kudos to her for that! When Celia listens to 100 Metros by Amaia Montero, motivation floods her body, but listening to Pursuit of Happiness by AOKI is the shot of energy she needs to lace up and give it her all while working out. Prove to yourself that you can do anything!
“Quitting is not an option: life is awesome and living is urgent”
César, at 49 years old, is the Client Manager at MAPFRE Spain. Ever since he was a child, he has felt a calling to the world of communications, which is why he wanted to pursue a career in journalism. But his life took a turn when he was just eight years old, and he decided that it was the ideal time to study and work at the same time to get ahead. He started out in the world of sports playing on teams: he played handball until he was twenty-five years old. Some time later, due to a traffic accident, he had to take up a sport that would help him to move forward. César decided to try running to regain trust in his ability to practice sports despite his difficulties in recovering from his spinal injury, and it was in this discipline that he found just what he needed to get motivated. A half Ironman is the greatest goal he has achieved, although he is determined to complete one together with his son, in addition to his aspiration of running a marathon. Listening to AC/DC and Sabina, César hits the pavement with everything he’s got and is ready to reach the finish line to prove to himself that he can do it. We are with you!
“The only limit is the one you set for yourself”
Paulina dreamed since she was a child of being a teacher and educating children, although she ultimately pursued a career in the world of marketing. She started playing sports at the age of fifteen when she got involved in track and field at school. She has always been surrounded by people who have inspired her, such as her brother, who initiated her in the world of running. Her two great athletic achievements have been running two marathons, as well as a half marathon with a seven-month-old baby. Now that’s dedication, Paulina! She still has many goals to accomplish in her life, such as traveling with her whole family and seeing her son grow up healthy and strong, as well as teaching at the university, running a marathon as a mother, and writing a book. (No dream is impossible Paulina!) The greatest marathon of her life has been being a mom during the pandemic while also working and taking care of her home. She gets pumped when The Script’s Hall of Fame is playing, but when she hears Calvin Harris’s Giant, she goes full throttle until she reaches her personal goal. Paulina, let’s go for it with confidence!
“Always do your best, honor your words, don’t take anything personally, and don’t make assumptions”
Since she was a little girl, she could see herself dancing ballet with Swan Lake in the background, and Roxana, originally from Mexico, has always felt sports were her way of life. By elementary school, she was already competing in the 100 meters because she loved the feeling of speed in her body. Some time later, she also started playing basketball. Her greatest athletic goal was to complete an open water crossing and a Sprint Triathlon. So exciting! However, completing an Olympic Triathlon, climbing the Pico de Orizaba, finishing a marathon, and skydiving are some of the dreams she still has ahead of her (and that she will no doubt fulfill). The marathon of her life was the open water crossing because, at first, Roxana was training for a half marathon and suffered an injury that forced her to stop. She ultimately found in swimming an escape route that made it easier for her to do sports despite her injury. And she did it. She really did it! With Queen’s We Are The Champions, Roxana has everything she needs to give it all she’s got for every mile. We are ready to witness your victory!
“Don’t give up!”
David is a 40-year-old quality tech from Ávila. His childhood dream was always to become a police officer, although teaching was another of the options he considered (and fulfilled). Sports marked a before and after in his life. Thanks to Paco, a dearly departed friend of his parents for whom he had a lot of affection, he was able to join the Basketball Federation of Castilla y León as a referee. He says that one the biggest goals he has achieved in sports was to be a referee in the First National League, as well as finishing the Transgrancanaria 30 km Starter, of which he says: Reaching the finish line is priceless! But he still has more goals, such as traveling and finishing a marathon in the Canary Islands. (He’s in the right place!) Nevertheless, he considers the greatest marathon of his life to be that he was able to pursue a university degree while working at MAPFRE. More than a marathon, he considers it a life lesson. With Pont Aeri’s Flying Free playing on his headphones, David is ready to prove to himself that with trust and hard work, there is no impossible goal and no unattainable dream. This is just the beginning!
“Major results require major ambition”
An emergency medical technician with many dreams to fulfill, Esmeralda is one of the protagonists of our #MilesOfTrustMAPFRE campaign in Spain. A few years ago, she decided to make a 180º turn in her life and dedicate herself to the world of health care, while she logged miles in all of her goals. She is happy to consider herself a runner because she finds the escape she sometimes needs whenever she laces up her sneakers and takes to the streets. The current world situation and her job forced her to put the brakes on racing, and she was unable to run the half marathon for which she had been training for some time. She thinks she has to start training from scratch to regain trust in her ability to finish a marathon, and here she is. She’s all set to go with Tom Odell’s Another Love playing on her headphones and ready to take down anything standing in her way. This is just what she needs to regain her confidence!
“No excuses. Get out there and do your best, but above all, have fun”
Fulfilling his childhood dream of dedicating his life to the audiovisual world, Antonio, or “Chusky” to his friends, has achieved this lifelong goal. He is an editor, producer and camera operator, and his work on a 2017 film was yet another of his goals accomplished. He started playing sports when he was only twelve years old, practicing soccer, as well as more disciplined sports such as boxing and Thai boxing. However, as time went by, he decided that he was more into endurance, that he wanted to beat his own records and push his own limits and confidence, and so he turned to cycling, swimming and running, even practicing “canicross” and sled racing. And here is his greatest sporting feat so far: a 200 km mushing event in Norway with 8 dogs and a sled for 20 non-stop hours! In addition, he has three marathons in one year, a four-day cycling race, 500 km, and 10,000 m of elevation gain under his belt. Chusky still has many goals to accomplish–the biggest one right now is becoming a father. He gets ready to hit the road with the song Waitin’ On a Sunny Day by “The Boss,” Bruce Springsteen. Let’s do this!
“Never walk away from the fight”
Pablo, 29 years old, lives in Mexico and has a degree in Business Creation and Development. Ever since he was a little boy, he dreamed of being a pilot and being able to fly, imagining himself inside all the planes that flew over his head! And he succeeded, because with confidence and determination you can always get to the finish line. Nevertheless, life took him down a different path. As a child, Pablo participated in lots of athletic activities until he ultimately turned to football, which led to him playing in division one. Way to go, Pablo! He aims to fly high with his goals (pun intended), and the next ones jotted down in his notebook are to reach the summits of Pico de Orizaba in Mexico and Tacora, in the Chilean Andes. The greatest marathon of his life was when he had to move cities, leaving behind his life, everything he had grown up with, and not being able to see his mother every day. With his batteries all charged up and ready for anything, Pablo is going to give it his all, especially if he is listening to Set by The Martinez Brothers, so… Let the games begin!
TRAINING
Setting realistic goals for ourselves before starting to train will help us not to lose motivation when we see that the times we had set don’t work out or that we can’t complete the scheduled training. It is possible to enjoy a marathon.
Realistic goals
Watch video
Choosing what gear to use during the marathon takes at least a little bit of time. Clothing should be comfortable and breathable and shoes should be appropriate for your stride length, stride frequency and weight. Do not forget to apply petroleum jelly in high-friction areas: underarms, groin area, toes... And the most important thing: don't wear anything new that day. All your marathon gear must be tested beforehand during training sessions to avoid any unnecessary discomfort.
Marathon gear
Watch video
Thanks to the development of tools that allow us to quantify workout loads, we can estimate the level of exertion expended in each training session. We have to focus on the parameters of volume, intensity and density. By quantifying, we will look for the most appropriate stimuli to generate positive fitness adaptations while avoiding excessive stimuli that can lead to injury. In short, we can have much more control over our level of fitness, fatigue, and rest, as well as the balance between these factors.
Workout loads
Watch video
"The more miles, the better." "Every day to the max.” Does this advice sound familiar? It’s really incompatible with seeking optimal performance for your goal. Rest is necessary between intense workouts, and coaches can tell when you need it thanks to the load quantification tools available to us. We need to rest to supercompensate and assimilate the training sessions, and this will depend on your objective. In addition, we have to learn to listen to our body, because many times it sends us warning signs that we do not want —or know how— to listen to.
Rest
Watch video
NUTRITION
Know the warning signs that you should stop during the marathon.
A healthy and balanced diet is essential. It has a major influence on your physical performance. What are foods are optimal?
An inadequate intake of electrolytes can lead to symptoms such as muscle discomfort, headache, fatigue, irregular heart rhythm, impaired physical performance… Replenishing them is essential.
Carbohydrates are responsible for providing our muscles, organs, and brain with the energy necessary to sustain their activity. Storing them in our muscles is key.
It is very important to stay hydrated when doing sports and to avoid becoming thirsty, as this is an indication that a certain level of dehydration has occurred.
MOTIVATION
So many runners lose the ability to recognize their own achievements because they are so focused on the goal of reaching 26.2 miles in one day that they forget that they already set a personal record the day they ran 15 miles.
Find out what The Wall is and how to tackle it.
Only when you are very clear about where you are heading, can you overcome the monotony of your everyday tasks because you have a direction that will lead you to your goal.
Knowing why you do something commits you to the project: it gives your actions meaning, direction and purpose.
Motivation: a state of mind that we train so that, even if you don’t feel inspired or in the mood to run, you can get out there and give it your best effort.
CHALLENGES
Step by step, one mile at a time. This is the secret formula to pursuing a goal until you reach it. Seems simple, right? But there needs to be a lot of effort and trust backing it up to achieve each goal.
This is #MilesOfTrustMAPFRE and we at MAPFRE are committed to standing by the side of each person who wants to reach the finish line, helping them like never before and giving them the confidence they need to achieve it. No matter their physical or personal condition. No matter their objective.
Get ready to complete each monthly challenge. Download our app KM OF TRUST here:
Register for the chance to win great prizes by entering the classification rankings.
And don't forget to share the challenge when you complete it and mention us on your social media!
