Vitaly Shkel: “I appreciate Kilian Jornet's great fight”.

Elena Laletina: You are dark-horse of speed ascents, aren’t you? Just within several years from unknown Vitaly Shkel you became the Champion of Russia in skyrunning and one of the strongest contenders for Mount Elbrus speed record. When did you start to participate in International Elbrus Race? Which part of your soul led you to this start? The Excitement? Curiosity? Ambition?

Vitaliy Shkel:

My first start in International Elbrus Race was in 2009. I won 4-th or 5-th place among the athletes who run from Azau, my result was 4 h 42 m.

I came to Elbrus on 2008, worked as a mountain guide from North of Elbrus. Besides of guiding strted to train for fun. Later on met a trainer (Vasiliy Chernov, cross country skier, Moscow) who help me add system to my training. As result – won Amangeldy Race at Almaty (Kazakhstan) at December 2009

The strongest motivation to the training I got in the International Elbrus Race 2010, when I lost almost one hour compared to Polish runner (Andrzej Bargiel), when Andrzej showed that not just quick walking, but the real  running is possible during Elbrus ascent. This year I met Dmitry Danyljuk (World class sportsman in Athletics and the former record holder in the marathon), who now also helps me in the training process.

 What makes me go race on Elbrus? It's hard to say. A lot of reasons. One of the main is to sum up results of training period. Elbrus race - it's like an exam and, in any case, would  I win or lose, I do make conclusions, gain experience, understand better every of small details (from the training graphic till food and equipment). And You know there is no SMALL details indeed, they all matters, especially when one is pushing his limit… From other hand I love the training itself, but it is difficult to force myself to train 5-6 hours per day without a good stimulus. And for me, there is no better motivation than coming race. So everything is interconnected….

How do you train? How long in advance you starts training? Who helps you with exercises in Caucasus?

-How do I train? It all depends of the period. Now I am resting – just 1-2 hours per day of bike or light jogging. Then I continue with increasing – that’s the base period. Closer to the competitions, I am  starting to work at the level of the PANO, IPC, in the race tempo. All cyclic sports training have the same principle, only techniques are different. A lot using an exercise bike in the base period. The volume varies from 20 to 30-35 hours per week. The maximum volume this year was in March, total 115 hours of which was 90 hours running (903 km with a vertical set of 30 km, trained in Almaty), the rest on the exercise bike.

 Specifically for International Elbrus Race, I changed nothing in training, only tried to train on Mount Elbrus – I have got that opportunity thanks Abdulkhalim Olmezov who help me with accommodation in refuge at 3700 m

What advice can you give to those who are just getting ready for Elbrus Race? How to train functionally? How to choose the equipment for the race? What to eat during ascent? Any medicines?

 It all depends on the level of acclimatization. If you are a beginner, just start to move more, no matter how - running, swimming, biking, gain the volume, gradually build the base for future activities. The main task for the novice-to prepare your heart and circulatory system. For example, the lengthy hiking is very well suited for this. And then look at what you are going to do - if to run in the mountains, then you need to include the work on rough terrain in their training, Hill or ravine can be found anywhere (for example, in Moscow I like to train in the Krasnogorsk forest, where the terrain is plenty). The main principle - from the simple to the complex. THe amount of race speeds (PANO), takes a small percentage (5-10) of total training. The rest are is workout in "comfortable" aerobic zone.

 The experienced athletes need the opportunity to train in the mountains. And if the competitions taking place in the highlands, especially. Or at least the hypoxic training (in hyperbaric chamber.

 Nutrition and pharmacology. It's all individual and depends on the level of training. I use an additional pharmacy very rare. Sometimes I drink multivitamins, herbs, honey and other bees products. While training more than 2 hours I drink gipotonik or isotonic. I've never used the drugs from ban list.

What were your main impressions from the VIII International Elbrus Race? Did you get pleasure from such hard work?

 The race ... Fighting on the edge of my capabilities, when there is not a one millisecond to relax, only the goal to do the best… I can say that it was not the most important for me, if I'll be the first or the tenth. It was important to work on all 100 percents, to reach my limit. And only after the finish, when I realize that have done it on the edge, I got a real pleasure.

When I ran together with one of the world's skyrunning leader (Kilian Jornet), and he was running at his limit too, it makes me double happy! Not because he was not able break away, but from the understanding that I did everything correctly and we both are at the same high level here. But these thoughts come after the race...

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Whom would you like to compete with in the Elbrus Race next year?

 In the following autumn race, as in any other race, I would like to compete with the best athletes in this sport.

I heard, you run up from Azau to Barrels faster than 1 hour during the training, (faster than Bargiel?). And what’s about the upper part of the route?

My best time from Azau to Barrels  is 1hrs 02 min in training, and 59 min 50 sec from Barrels to Pastukhov rocks top, and 1 hrs 45 min from Maria Hut (~4100-4200m) to Elbrus West top.

How did you ran up - you and Kilian Jornet? Who leads on? What did hurt you the most: fresh snow, wind, cold? How the rival literally "close to you" did affect you?

 -We ran the entire race together with Kilian, from the start to the finish. From Azau to Prijut 11 I leaded mostly, some places we run in parallel. After the Prijut we changed each other as leaders a few times - it was a lot of snow. The memorable moment for me: when running near Prijut, I pulled out a flask, drank, and then tried to insert it back, but could not insert. Kilian helped me from the back, insert it in the pouch. That act said me a lot. He is a very strong athlete, he is a person who is always ready to help. I appreciate Kilian Jornet's great fight.. 
 About snow and wind… - during such a Race You hardly pay any attention at it…

Are you planning to participate in speed climbing at the very high mountains (7000, 8000)?

 - I plan to participate in high mountains races. But this is rather the financial problem.

What is your brightest dream?

- To run up the Everest.

Elena Laletina (Russianclimb.com) talked with Vitaly Shkel.

photos by Andrey Gromov