Really happy to have started this new season with big changes for me this year.

As announced on my social, I have signed a contract with Joma Sport for the next two years, as a trail running athlete. This allows me to focus on running and keep chasing my dreams and do what I love in a more professional way. A good support in sports is crucial to be able to evolve and grow, therefore I am really grateful and happy to work with Joma!

Despite this, and despite having the opportunity to fully focus on my training, I have started the winter battling with a virus (Mononucleosis) that is annoying quite a lot now. I am often sick, and doing workouts has become a real challenge, I need to reduce a lot the intensity and keep finger crossed every time I train, and wait to see how my body reacts. It’s been a winter with one month completely off, and then when I thought I will be over, I regularly found myself with temperature and tiredness. Very frustrating and sad for an athlete. The most frustrating part is that after eight months I am still battling with it. But together with my coach we tried to find a way to still train and try to minimize the effects of the virus.

After few races that I had to cancel due to temperature (Half Marathon in march and Tenerife Blue Trail by UTMB), I was finally able to be at the start line of Istria100 by Utmb. Being somehow healthy at the start line was already a big achievement and I was really happy to run, come away with a win and course record, and most of all, recover well after the race. Recovery has been the most tricky part during these months, I can maybe race and do a workout, but the problems start rising the days after.

So after Istria, we decided that I could race again the weekend after at a big classic in mountain running in Italy, the Dolomiti Beer Trail, in Pedavena.

I knew it was a risk to race two races in a row, but we did it on purpose to test my body.

(spoiler: today I have temperature and feel shit :( ) . The race was hard, I felt not 100% healthy and I actually don’t know if it was a good move to race. But we are learning on the way, and I really hope I will be able to recover soon. Sometimes I think I should take a longer break from training, but with this being my job now, it’s not an easy decision to take.

Anyway, at Dolomiti Beer Trail I finished the race in third place, after a slow uphill, slower than last year, I could gain some minutes in the downhill and secure my spot at the podium. It was hard and my mind was playing with my body, as always, but I managed to finish strong after a battle with the fourth girl.

I chose this race because the organizers are always very welcoming, the level is always high with some of the best athletes in Italy and you can test your self in a good parterre.

Despite being my slowest time on this course, :(, I am really happy to have brought another podium to my sponsor Joma and Suunto and keep growing together!

Next blogpost I will share with you my calendar for the upcoming months!

So stay tuned!