After a forced stop at the beginning
of the season due to an injury, Thierry Gueorgiou is starting to make
the first steps towards the good shape. The Portuguese Orienteering
Blog spoke to him and sought to understand how this mishap may
constrain a season that, indeed, hasn't started yet.
You were one of the most noticeable
absences in this early season in Portugal, mainly after having
announced your participation at the Portugal O 'Meeting. After all,
what happened?
Thierry Gueorgiou (T. G.) -
Well, around the New Year's Eve, I was training in Alicante like most
of the last years at that time of the winter. During a night training
at competition speed, I hit my big toe against a root. That was
painful but I was still able to complete the last 10 minutes of the
training. After that, I couldn't walk anymore and my toe became dark
blue. The next morning, I visited the hospital of Alicante, and the
X-ray showed my big toe of the right foot broken in several pieces.
The game was over for some weeks.
How did you follow, from home, the
Portugal O 'Meeting? What do you think about the victory of Aaro
Asikainen? And the second place of Frédéric Tranchand?
T. G. - During the POM, I spent
several hours at the gym, biking, rowing, or double pulling, and a
couple of times I would follow the live video of the competition at
the same time on my phone. Of course, it was great to see a Kalevan
Rasti orienteer succeed. Aaro has always had a big potential and
still has a lot more to show, I think. I hope he can keep up with the
flow during spring. And I also enjoyed the performances of Fredo [Frédéric Tranchand] and
Lucas [Basset]. Each year, they get closer to the very top, and I am very much
looking forward to training with them again. For sure, they will want
to show me I am an old man, but I will do my best to show them that
nothing beats experience!
Speaking of yourself, how is your
recovery going, and what are the main challenges you face in this
process?
T. G. - Well, I have faced some
similar injuries a couple of times during my career (stress fracture
labelled in 2005 and 2012). Thus, I know the way and the key word:
patience. It is still a long time before the important races of the
season and my aim is to be ready for Tiomila in May. I have started
to run three weeks ago in an anti-gravity treadmill with only 20% of
my weight and now I am starting to run in the forest again with a
first Training Camp in Alicante where I only use the soft dunes
terrains. There will be more Training Camps coming soon (Madrid,
England, Scotland) with tougher running surfaces. But the most
important just now is not to see the whole staircase, but to
concentrate on the next step. As I said, it is a lot about being
patient and showing mental strength. Even though, I think the
toughest period is behind me and I can't really complain, since there
are injuries which take longer to heal. And there were a lot of
interesting sports events to watch on TV anyway...
How can this troubled starting
disturb and constrain the whole season?
T. G. - All the time, even if I
couldn't run, I had a map from Scotland with me when I was training.
Just to keep in mind why I was doing this. With all the alternative
trainings I've done, I think I kept a good fitness level, but it will
take some more weeks to get the specific running muscles in good
function again. Running in forest at the moment feels like being
Bambi on ice. As I said, it is about showing mental strength, and
positive talking now - thus, I doubt it will affect my competition
season and I will be ready when it will matter!
What are the next steps in your way
returning to your best shape? Being out of the Portugal O' Meeting,
usually your first "check point" of the season, what will
the first race, where you will evaluate your moment in a more
seriously way, be?
T. G. - Of course, if I could
have chosen, I would have prefered to start my season with the POM,
but anyway there was a tendency of competing too much too early the
previous seasons. At least, now I feel super fresh to read a map and
will try to keep this eagerness as long as possible. My first races
might be in England at JK, if everything goes according to the plan.
But it is the Tiomila I have had in mind mostly during the rehab for
the day I want to start to compare myself.
The World Championships. What
emotions does the idea awaken in you?
T. G. - Like always. It is what
takes most of my thoughts and I always try to figure out how can I be
best prepared. Also, I know the end is close, which makes me even
more motivated.
What are the big goals to the WOC:
renewing the title of Long Distance and recovering the titles of
Middle Distance and Relay? (Please, say something about each one of
these races)
T. G. - Well, it always seems
easier to write it than to do it... The Middle Distance is my
ultimate goal, I have been struggling since 2011 and I think I will
be quite motivated the 4th August, but the key will be to find an
offensive but controlled balance - using the energy of the last
years, without overplaying. As the Long Distance is the last race, it
will be "all-in" and the terrain seems the most interesting
as well. For the Relay, even though we lost our Relay master to the
enemy, the youngsters are pushing hard and we might have another good
chance.
Given the hypothetical scenario of
three gold medals in those three races, will you put an end in your
career?
T. G. - Hypothetical as you said
and a hard question. Of course, it would be tempting. Orienteering
for me has always been a perfect mix of the joy of doing something I
really love (read “daily life”) and the performance as well (read
“result board”). All this is deeply interconnected and it is hard
to say which one leads on. I have always thought that the results
should not affect any important decision and it should be more about
an inner feeling. If not, it is hard to feel relaxed while competing.
One last note, a wish to all
orienteers from around the world in this early season.
T. G. - Stay strong and healthy
to enjoy every single moment with a map in your hand - there is no
better feeling of freedom!
Joaquim Margarido
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