Athlete:
Pavel Toropov
PAVEL TOROPOV
Translator
What does your standard training week involve?
70 – 100 miles of running in total, depending what I am training for. I try to do two sessions of track work outs – shorter and longer intervals. I am also a big fan of long hill repeats. My main runs are long runs with lots of hills, plus core sessions three times a week.
Where is your favorite place to train?
I love doing track work, especially with a good group of people, but I also enjoy high altitude training, running far and high up in the mountains.
What is your favorite 2XU garment? When do you use it and why?
Ghost Singlet – light and breezy. I use it all the time, for both racing and training.
What is your favourite training accessory?
I try to run in the most minimalist possible style, the only equipment I use is a running backpack with a water bladder and a GPS watch.
What has been the toughest experience in your career and what did you learn from it?
Running Gongga 100km, a high altitude race in China, with a lung infection. After the first half with the leader pack I had a horrendous second half, trudged to the 9th place, and then got so sick that I could not run at all for two months. Lesson learned – do not run with a lung infection.
What’s the most common training mistake you see on the circuit? Any sugges;ons on how to avoid it?
Not giving yourself enough time to recover. This is certainly the case with me.
What motivates you to train and race harder?
I love to run and I love doing well in races, so motivation is never a problem.
Describe your diet/meal plan leading up to a big race:
I follow no specific diet, just trying to use common sense and eat healthily.
How do you balance your training and racing life with life outside the sport?
I am lucky, I am a freelancer and my work time is very flexible, but being away a lot takes its toll, especially on relationships. The solution is to surround yourself with people who understand your lifestyle and your values. Another problem is often being absolutely exhausted after training, and then having to translate. However I have to accept whatever translation jobs come my way, so I can’t turn them down.
What type of nutritional supplement do you find most helpful (either for training or competition)?
I take gels during a race longer than 50k, but that’s it.
Best and worst thing about being a professional athlete:
I am not a professional athlete, semi-professional more like it. Best – you get to go to great places to compete, worst – an injury or an illness makes a big hole in your life, which nothing else can fill.
In five years time, I'll be:
No idea, honestly.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
- MSIG 50km Hong Kong – 1st place, second overall in the series
- Yishan 100km trail challenge (China) 7th place