Interview with Judith Corachán: "I am in the best moment of my sports career"

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The Catalan triathlete is making the best season of her career, with four wins (Challenge Salou, Zarautz, La Rioja and Half Vitoria) in the first part of the season. 

The 24 of July of 2016 Judith Corachán achieved victory in the triathlon of the Outdoor GAMES en AndorraFrom that moment until today, more than two years have passed where she has been the best Spanish triathlete in all the competitions she has done and finished. The last Spaniard to reach the finish line before Judith in a medium distance triathlon was Ainhoa ​​Murua in Zarautz 2016.

In these two years its growth has been exponential, with podiums in Ironman 70.3 (Lanzarote and South Africa), victories in the Challenge circuit (Peguera y Salou) and triumphs in some of Spain's most important triathlons as Zaratutz, Bilbao or Vitoria.

In total sum 20 Media Distance competitions in these two years between national and international competitions where he has totaled 8 wins y 12 podiums, I feel top 10 in 19 of them and as we have previously mentioned the best Spanish triathlete in all. The only thorn is his two DNF in the two Ironman that has run, but we are sure that the third will be the winner.

In addition to all these achievements, we must also highlight its historic participation last year in the Ironman 70.3 and Challenge World Championships, where until now it has been the first and only Spanish to compete in both. This year he also had a place but resigned to them for having other objectives.

He is currently training in the Pyrenees with your coach Alvaro Rancé to prepare the end of the season. We have talked with her to tell us how she is doing this year and what her next goals are.

Good morning Judith, first of all we want to congratulate you for the great season that you are having, especially for the last four triumphs in only a month and a half

Thank you very much. The truth is that I am very happy about it. It is the prize for hard work and regularity shows that a good career is not the result of chance.

Although I have to say that I myself have been surprised of my great performance in these four races so in a row, knowing to save all the obstacles and setbacks that always arise.

You started the season soon, in January at the 70.3 in South Africa. What was the reason for starting on these dates?

If you want something, it's going to cost you. I ended up with a bittersweet taste of the 2017 season due to the withdrawal in my debut in Ironman (Calella) and I was strong and eager to continue training and especially to continue fighting for that long distance.

We raised the Ironman of South Africa as the main objective and being in April, I should continue working in winter. The 70.3 was the test to see how we were at this time of the year and a touchdown before the Ironman.

The suspension of the Triathlon of Bilbao caused you to run the Challenge Salou, a test that you have not yet been able to run despite being close to home. How did you feel?

Very good. The Bilbao thing was a hard blow because that race is very important for me personally, but it was the perfect excuse to run Salou that I really wanted. Not only because it is close to home and could match many friends but because I really like the area.

I wrote to the organization and they quickly accommodated me in their event and also showed me their enthusiasm for doing so. I am very grateful for the treatment received by Juanan and Piluka, I already wanted to go back to coincide with them, which I did not do since Peguera 2016.

 Despite the fast bike circuit that does not fit my characteristics so much, it was a very important test for me because I wanted to see how I was in shape knowing that an important racing cycle was starting.

There was also a lot of national and international level and I wanted to fight to be ahead. Although, honestly, I did not think I would be able to get the victory with Laura Siddal as favorite and rival that I already know well. But I went for everything, I came out very strong and the best thing is that the forces were responding. I was able to keep the rent running that I had achieved in the other two sectors and bring me a very rewarding victory.

Later after Salou you returned to Zaratutz for the fourth year in a row ... and this time climbing to the top of the podium. How was your career there?

Phew! Zarautz is the test in which I think the 365 days of the year, inevitably, it is the one that takes away my sleep, for better or for worse. And winning it was a dream that I believed it was a reality and for which I fought all year.

 I prepared it thoroughly, I took care of every last detail of the race until the last moment. Despite a stupid fall in the T1 that upset me and bruised me a little, the forces joined me and I was able to reach the T2 enough to enjoy the atmosphere that is always lived in Zarautz, for me the best national triathlon. In addition, my family came to see me and it was very exciting.

And then two more wins, in La Rioja and Vitoria. In the four races you follow a "similar script", you are in the leading group in swimming and in the first kilometers of cycling you are left alone leading ... to the finish line. How are those kilometers of cycling always alone, with hardly any references? What do you do to stay focused throughout the segment?

Yes. It's the same script because it's my trick. I have to make the most of my strong sectors. Although I'm running better and better and I feel competitive in the race on foot, unlike before, I want to take advantage of the bike to run with margin.

I know it's never going to be like that but, as long as I can, I will. Well, it is very long and agonizing to feel that you want to increase distance in the cycling sector but always with the uncertainty of how the others will go and whether they will catch me sooner or later, but it is part of the race. You suffer a lot when you do not have any kind of reference or distraction, but I always try to think positive even if the sensations are not good and do not stop motivating me mentally.

I do everything, play with numbers (calculate kms, rhythms, watts, distances ...), think about other things and look for some distraction ... it's not easy!

Every year you compete several times in the Basque Country, what makes you repeat each season there?

For me they are the best races by many senses. I could make you an endless list: good treatment and welcome by the organization, careers very well prepared in all aspects, the best environment in terms of public and runners, good economic rewards and many satisfactions at a sporting and personal level that make me repeat whenever I can in all of them.

In 2014 you achieved the silver medal in the Spanish Championship of MD in the Ecotrimad, competing one on one with Aida Valiño. What has changed from that Judith to the current one?

Phew! I remember. And I did not even know Aida or almost any of my rivals. And in particular I love Aida. I looked at her the day before hallucinated knowing that she was the favorite and thinking I would feel. jejejej

Well, a lot has changed. I arrived as a total stranger, I even had to endure and be embarrassed because the speaker called me "spontaneous" at the start line for being the only elite without neoprene.

I think that was the anger that gave me that great triumph. I said, I arrived without pretensions of anything, nor imagined getting into the top10, honestly. No neoprene, no goat, without knowing the distance (it was my second half).

I went far behind the water because of not wearing a neoprene, and surprisingly, on the bike I kept overtaking people, me with my road bike, and on top of the girls I knew were favorite. The surprise was to arrive at the T2 and see Aida just starting to run.

 I was so motivated to go ahead on the km8, passing first step back and seeing the hallucinating face of the speaker who believed that I had slipped somewhere and even hesitated with the microphone. But Aida is a lot of Aida and reached me in the last kilometer living a spectacular end with sprint in goal.

I still could not believe what I just got. It was the beginning of everything. I have changed a lot, but I tell you that there are things that have not changed. I'm still the same, I have not taken my feet off the ground since then but I still have the wings and I'm still the same innocent girl that showed up that day wanting to go unnoticed but wanting to prove that it was worth a lot.

I also tell you that many times I regret not having got a neoprene for that race but ... things should be like that.

You have an unbeatable season, but there are still several months to finish the year. What are your next goals?

Yes. The truth is that it even impresses me to look back and see what I have achieved. But it still impresses me more to look forward. hehehe It remains the hardest and the longest.

 I'm going to look for a new challenge, and the hardest one so far. I will compete in Embrunman. Give respect only say it. Not only because of the hardness of the test but because after the two failed attempts in the long distance for stomach problems, conditions a lot.

 I do not hide from anything and that's why I say it, but I must admit that I do want to go to enjoy this test, without pressure, without expectations of anything and fight to get through the finish line.

Photos. Marcos Photos / Mikel Taboada