Pablo Dapena will debut at Long Distance in the World Cup in Canada

Last year he gave the jump to the MD highlighting the victory in the Triathlon Buelna and this season is consolidating as one of the best Spanish triathletes in medium distance

The Galician triathlete Pablo Dapena will debut in Long Distance in the next of Pecticton, in Canada, under the distances 4 + 120 + 30. Last year he made the jump to the MD highlighting the victory in the Buelna Triathlon and this season he is consolidating as one of the best Spanish triathletes in the middle distance, with his victory in Vitoria, the second place of Orihuela and the subchampion of Spain in Pamplona.

Last year you debuted in MD and little by little you are growing with better results. How has this change of distance from the Olympic distance been?

If I tell you the truth it has been a progressive change ... Not now because I am preparing the long distance world championship and if or if we have to put more kilometers but I think Olympic and middle distance distances are perfectly compatible with the same workouts, I speak, at least in my case.

I have not varied greatly my mid-distance training with respect to the Olympics ... obviously the bike, which requires a little more solitary preparation and add a little more volume but in terms of swimming and running, I have practically tracing volumes and Olympic series.

Despite being focused on tests without drafting ... these are also shining in Olympic distance and sprint, how do you combine these two types of competitions? (with and din drafting)

Having not varied much training from one distance to another I think I feel competitive. Yes I notice that I have lost a bit in swimming and speed in running, but I notice much stronger on the bike and more consistent for an Olympic 10k than before, but not for an 5000m that I feel I am going off point at all times. 

You've been two years with very good results at the national level in MD tests. Have you considered competing for the Ironman 70.3 circuit and trying to qualify for the World Cup?

I have raised it and it is a question that everyone asks me but today I do not have financial support that allows me to pay the license first and then choose races to compete and try to qualify for the World Cup.

I look competitive, in the media that I have played, I have overcome or I have been short of beating people of much level who has participated in World Championships of 70.3 or Ironman, the results are there, but without economic support to be able to cover expenses this becomes unfeasible.

And in a few weeks, Long Distance debuts. When did you decide to take this step? In what have your workouts varied for the Pecticton World Championship?

Well, this came out on behalf of the Spanish Federation when they called me for this Championship. Obviously I could not say no, because a World Championship is a World Championship but the distance imposes, they are not 4h as a means are almost 2h and something else and I do not know if I will arrive just, but well motivated at this new distance, although debut in a world ... is not the most appropriate, haha.

In that they have varied ... then to simple features in reducing some session to make others longer and in removing a day of swimming from what he usually did.

 Before Pecticton, are you going to run a test in preparation?

I ran 2 weekends to help my club, El Cidade de Lugo Fluvial, and I went without preparing it and in the end it came out almost better than if I prepared it ... hahaha.

It was Sprint Spain Championship where I finished 5º in the test and 4º Spanish and the European Championship of Clubs by distance relay supersprint where we managed to finish in 3ª position

You are a training partner of Javier Gómez Noya, he announced a few months ago that it would be possible for him to compete in an Ironman at the end of the year. Would you accompany him? Do you have the queen distance jump in mind in the short term? 

I have told a lot of people, today, to do distance Ironman does not call me, I would not enjoy, I would not like to finish a test and have a feeling during 3-4 days of hatred to the sport for the crush I have gotten myself ... Some will bother you, I do not know, it's my humble opinion, I always said that at least I'll do to know how it feels, I do not know when ... but I like the medium distance, it's a feeling of wanting to go fast at all times mixed with resistance and I think I've found my site and it fits me well. 

In a couple of years ... we'll see ...

You have been training and competing at a higher level for many years. Do you have any special thanks?

Thanks to brands that help me today in the best way they can:

- Specialized Spain, Viator, 226ers, Coreevo, Brooks and Aquaman