A few months earlier, at the end of 2020, Munoz He had finished thirtieth in the Valencia Marathon that qualified for the Oregon 2022 World Cup. To do this he needed to match the mark of 2 hours 11 minutes and 30 seconds, but that morning in Spain the man from Chubut needed 2 hours 9 minutes and 59 seconds to cross the finish line and achieve one of his greatest goals: to compete in Eugene, the birthplace of athletics.
The time has come, the story has appeared
Eulalio Muñoz arrived in the United States with a 32nd place in Valencia in a time of 2h 11m 56 and after an exhausting preparation that had stages in the Patagonian cold and in the high altitude of Cachi in Salta.
“I prepared myself in Esquel during the winter and in the last 25 days we went to Cachi, in Salta, to train at altitude and I think it paid off. It was quite a demanding preparation.”Muñoz explained in dialogue with Ámbito.
“The height helps us, especially because of the weather. In Esquel everything was covered in snow and it was impossible to train. We choose the height because later it is easier for us to run at sea level, it’s like we gain an extra lung. It favors us”counted.
“Coco” carried the Argentine record of never having been able to cross the finish line in a World Cup, but that did not deter him and he not only finished the race but also did so in record time for the country’s brands. But the man from Chubut, with the tranquility and humility that characterizes him, explained that “I went to Oregon with the idea of fulfilling one of my dreams, which was to represent the country in a World Cup. Always the idea is to run as fast as possible, get as far forward as possible and I tried to do that. I went out to run from the beginning but in the end I fell a bit but the truth is that I was very satisfied with what I did, especially after my start to the year, which was not so good (he had an injury), ”he explained.
“It was a good race that showed me that I am recovering the good level that I had been bringing in recent years”he was excited afterwards.
Oregon, and more specifically Eugene, is the cradle of Athletics, which is why for many participants this World Cup was not just another. But for Munoz that did not mean extra pressure but he took it as a motivation. “It was dreamed”remarked
Reaching the top is not easy in a country like Argentina, where amateur sports are relegated and need external help to survive. Nevertheless Munoz He highlighted the help of Enard (the maximum high-performance entity in the country), which covered the travel expenses to the World Cup and its sponsors (Nike, Herbalife Nutrition and the Municipality of Esquel, among others) who always support him in each trip he makes.
Finally, the 27-year-old athlete praised his current coach, Rodrigo Pelaezand his first teacher, andrea lacera, who were, and are, very important in sports and in life. He also spoke about his future plans, which has the Buenos Aires Half Marathon on the horizon: What is coming is to continue representing the country. This year I will be in the Buenos Aires half marathon, which is the South American one, on August 21.
“I don’t try to plan a lot but I prefer to live from day to day and see what is happening. I can give you many ideas of what I plan to do later on, but if I don’t go through the steps one by one, it would be like putting pressure on myself. You always dream of representing your country. Somehow I have already done it and I dream of continuing to do so. I come from running a Marathon and in less than a month (On August 21) I am now representing my country with great pride and enthusiasm. I hope it stays that way for many years.”desire.
Don’t wake him from this dream
Munoz he grew up in the countryside and there his strange nickname for the name he bears was born. “Coco”, explained the athlete, it occurred to his father when he saw him that he really enjoyed getting up early and being with the chickens and singing with them at five in the morning. “Cocorocó screamed and then my dad started calling me Coco and it stayed forever. It has nothing to do with my name, that I owe it to my dad’s best friend and that I like more than the original, because he has all five vowels”remembers with nostalgia and smiling Muñoz.
Like most Argentines, “Coco” liked soccer, a sport he practiced until 2012, when a friend invited him to a race and his life changed forever. By the work of fate and almost like a game, Munoz He started running and never stopped. “A friend invited me to a race in Gualjaina and I won it. It was 12 kilometers. Later I ran a half marathon at the age of 16 in Esquel and they highlighted the good weather I had done. From there I fell in love with this, I internalized the secrets of racing and what at first were dreams little by little became realities. I am happy to have chosen the best sport in the world”, she said and affirmed.
With the growth of competition, Munoz he was forced to leave his payments and move to Esquel, an abrupt change despite the short distance between his town and the city of Chubut. But it was not the only change since in Argentine Patagonia the cold is cruel and hostile and the races are usually held in temperate climates. But that does not make him change “Coco” who defends his base position, although he clarifies that it is always good, too, to spend a few days in temperatures closer to those of the competition.
“Here in the south the temperatures are controversial because the races are usually held in hot climates and we are at a disadvantage in that aspect. But each region has its pros and cons. We will always have rain and snow here, so I don’t have much of a problem with that. I wrap up, go running and try to focus on my goals and that’s what gives me the motivation to get up early, when everyone is asleep and train “assured.
Long distance races are usually very mental. The runner spends more than two hours running alone with all his fears and ups and downs that may appear. But Muñoz assures that the Marathon is won long before starting it, with the training sessions. And for that he highlighted three characteristics that a long-distance runner must have in order to progress: “They are the responsibility, perseverance and attitudes of each person. Those three are the most important for me, not only for sports, but for any activity in life.”answered.
Near the end, the Argentine athlete left a message for the athletes who are beginning their journey in an amateur sport that in Argentina can be very frustrating most days. “To those who are just starting out, I would say that this takes time, that it is not from one day to the next. Everything is possible, we can all achieve our dreams. You have to surround yourself with positive people who push forward with the same good vibes, it always helps for everything to go well”he indicated.
Finally, and in response to the query of this medium about what that boy would think who sang along with the chickens in the town and who began to run in the cold of his town when he saw him cross the Oregon finish line in record time, Munoz I do not doubt: “I wouldn’t believe it. But I would ask the same thing that I ask now: ‘don’t wake me up from this dream'”.
Source: Ambito
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