Interview with Yuri Borzakovsky: amateur and professional running. Yuri Borzakovsky: biography, photos and interesting facts Russian runner, Olympic champion, world and European champion, Honored Master of Sports of Russia

Birthday April 12, 1981

Russian runner, Olympic champion, world and European champion, Honored Master of Sports of Russia

Graduate of the Moscow State Academy physical education. Champion of Russia among youth (1997) in the 800m, winner of the World Youth Games (1998), multiple champion of Russia in the 800m (1999-2009), Russian record holder in the 400 and 800m among juniors (1999), European and Russian record holder in the youth 800m (2001), world, European and Russian youth record holder in the indoor 800m (2001), Russian record holder in the indoor 600m (2010), 800m ( 2001), 800 m indoor (2001) and 1000 m indoor (2008), European Cup winner (1999), European junior champion (1999), two-time winner of the European Winter Championship in the 800 m (2000 and 2009), European youth champion in the 400m (2001), winner of the winter world championship in the 800m (2001), Olympic champion 2004 in the 800m.

Borzakovsky's main distance, at which he has competed at the world elite level since 2000, is 800 m. His distinctive tactic is to stay the first 500 m behind the group, and then pull ahead thanks to his extremely strong sprinting qualities.

At the age of 19, Yuri performed at Olympic Games ah 2000 in Sydney, where he reached the final race, but became the sixth. In 2001, he became the world champion in the hall, and at the 2003 World Championships in Paris, he won the silver medal, losing 0.03 seconds to the Algerian Jabir Said-Guerni.

Yuri achieved his biggest success at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, becoming the Olympic champion, beating South African Mbulaeni Mulaudzi and world record holder Wilson Kipketer from Denmark in the final.

At the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, Borzakovsky again won a silver medal, losing to Rashid Ramzi from Bahrain.

At the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Yuri took 3rd place.

At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he finished 3rd in the semi-finals and thus did not qualify for the final. He himself explained this by acclimatization and mistakes in the pre-Olympic preparation.

Member of the Russian national team since 1998. He plays for the All-Russian Federal District "Dynamo" (Moscow region). Lives in Zhukovsky (Moscow region). Married, has two sons.

Awards

• Order of Friendship - for a great contribution to the development of physical culture and sports, high sports achivments at the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad 2004 in Athens

As a boy, he became a football player, and became the world and European champion in athletics. This winter season the most talented Russian runner Yuri BORZAKOVSKY misses - he will not go to the March World Championships in Birmingham. But he dreams of becoming the best in Paris in August.

the first gold medal Ira's wife helped him win the world championship. For this, he taught the young wife the culinary wisdom that he is fluent in. Now the governor of the Moscow Region, Boris GROMOV, is building a whole stadium in Zhukovsky “under Borzakovsky”, and Yura will not have to travel to Moscow for training every day in his “nine”.

Yura, at the age of 19, in infancy for an average athlete, you already ran in the Olympic final. When did you get into running?

Everything happened by accident. At the age of 10, he went to play football at the sports school of his hometown of Zhukovsky. Two weeks later was the first competition. I thought - in football, it turned out - on the run. Came second to the finish line. Was very happy and decided to stay.

Do you regret football?

In training, we often play football. In the game you move and do not notice a huge number of accelerations, you get less psychologically tired. Football helps running.

How did your parents react to your sports activities?

Fine. They are simple people. Father is a driver, mother is a janitor.

By today's standards, you got married very early. Where did you meet your wife?

Irina and I went to the same kindergarten. Then they parted, the parents changed their place of residence. True, we learned about this only at the age of 16, when we met again and remembered our childhood. After this meeting, we never parted. I started taking care of her. And three years later they got married.

Do you remember when you proposed?

We walked together, as usual, around the city. Then they came home. And something inside pushed me. I decided to tell Ira: be my wife. She immediately agreed. It was after the Australian Olympics. I then fulfilled my task in Sydney - I got to the final. On positive emotions after the wedding, I won the 2001 winter world championship. And in May last year, a boy was born, named Yaroslav.

And who is the head of your family?

The wife says I am. But sometimes it shows the opposite. It happens that Ira is wrong about something, she is aware of this, but she tries not to show it to me. He says: I'm older than you, so I'm right. She is indeed a year older. But, when you need to answer for something, she says: you are the eldest in the family, you sort it out. (Ira later deciphered: “Married means a husband, he is the most important!” - V.R.)

As a child, he fed the whole family

What does a young wife do besides raising a child?

She is a needlewoman, a seamstress by profession. Maybe for the sake of pleasure, sew a dress or a suit for himself. Before the birth of her son, she managed to work as a secretary. Now a housewife. And even earlier she was engaged in athletics, she ran. Now, too, in order to keep fit, he sometimes goes out into the forest for a run.

A small child probably does not let you sleep at night, do you often have to get up?

To be honest, they let me sleep. I don't get up. Everyone understands that tomorrow I have a hard workout and I have to be in shape.

Do you live separately from your parents?

We live with my mother-in-law. After victories at the World and European Championships, they promised me to improve my living conditions. But for some reason this process was delayed. And my coach, Vyacheslav Makarovich, arranged a meeting with the governor of the Moscow region. We came and talked about our problems. Boris Gromov gave me a three-room apartment. Now the construction of the house is nearing completion. By the way, a modern stadium for athletes will be built in Zhukovsky. We went to work on housing, and got a whole stadium in addition - great! There is already a project, a place has been cleared, by the summer, perhaps, they will have time to lay a path.

Who cooks at home with your wife?

In the kitchen now either the wife or the mother-in-law is in charge. I do not want to brag, but I can also make a lot of different dishes. I like to cook cabbage soup, for example. When I was not married and lived with my parents, I often had to cook. My mother and father are at work, and I also have a younger brother and sister. As the eldest, he cooked dinners and fed the whole family.

Athletes are usually into cars, are you an exception?

Yes, I love driving. But unlike my brother, I don't like to dig into them. Thank God my car doesn't break down.

And what model?

Learned to ride on the "eight". After the European Championship, money appeared, the old car was changed to the “nine”.

What sports plans do you have for this year?

We decided to skip all the winter starts with the coach. We want to better prepare for the main start of the season - the summer World Championships in Paris.

But what about the "Golden League", where the winner receives several tens of kilograms of gold. No desire to become a millionaire?

To be the first, you need to win all the summer starts of the Golden League. To do this, you need to give everything to the fullest. Keep peak shape for three months. I'm still young for such loads. At some stages, of course, I will participate. But we must remember that ahead of the championship in Paris. And next year, the Olympics. I think it's a little golden Olympic medal more expensive than a pile of gold bars itself high standard.

Yuri is not an alien

They say that Borzakovsky recovers faster than other athletes after physical exertion and his heart does not work like others. And the reason for this is his naturally slow pulse. For a comment, we turned to the president of the Sports Medicine Federation, Lev Markov.

Yuri's heart is very good from birth, besides it is very trained. It pumps oxygen better than rivals, and helps the runner to use his strength more efficiently on the distance. As for the pulse - it's rumors. He is not an alien, as some people think. And the fact that on the eve of the starts Yuri had a cold, but went out and defeated everyone, should not be surprised. The reason is simple. When a person is sick, all the reserves of his body are mobilized. And they help to quickly adapt to new loads. The body, as it were, turns on additional power and works to the maximum! But only if a person has a very healthy heart.

Head coach of the Russian national athletics team since 2015.
Former Vice-President of the All-Russian Federation of Athletics.

Yuri Borzakovsky was born on April 12, 1981 in the city of Kratovo, Moscow Region. After school he graduated from the Moscow State Academy of Physical Culture. Started athletics at an early age. During this period he was able to achieve impressive results.

Borzakovsky is the holder of titles: Champion of Russia among youth in the 800 m run, winner of the World Youth Games, multiple champion of Russia in the 800 m run, Russian record holder in the 400 and 800 m runs among juniors, European and Russian record holder in the 800 m run among youth, world record holder, Europe and Russia among youth in the indoor 800 m, Russian record holder in the indoor 600 m, 800 m, 800 m indoor and 1000 m indoor, European champion among juniors, two-time winner of the winter European Championships in the 800m, European Youth Champion in the 400m.

Borzakovsky's main distance, at which he has been performing at the world elite level since 2000, is 800 m. The athlete's distinctive tactic is the ability to stay the first 500 m behind the group, and then pull ahead thanks to his extremely strong sprinting qualities.

At the age of nineteen, Yuri Mikhailovich competed at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, where he entered the final race, but was seventh. In 2001, he became the world champion in the hall, and at the 2003 World Championships in Paris, the athlete won silver medals, losing only 0.03 seconds to Algerian Jabir Said-Guerni.

Yuri achieved his biggest success in his sports career at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, becoming the Olympic champion, ahead of South African Mbulaeni Mulaudzi and world record holder Wilson Kipketer from Denmark in the final.

At the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, Borzakovsky again won a silver medal, losing to Rashid Ramzi from Bahrain. Two years later, at the World Championships in Osaka, Yuri took third place. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he finished third in the semi-finals and thus did not qualify for the final heat.

In 2009, for the second time in his career, he won the gold of the European Indoor Championships, and in 2011, at the World Championships in Daegu, he became the third in the 800-meter race, losing to world record holder Kenyan David Rudisha and Abubaker Kaki from Sudan. In 2012, for the first time in his career, he won the European Summer Championship in Helsinki.

The athlete played for the Dynamo sports society. On July 23, 2014, Borzakovsky announced his retirement, but assured that he would remain in athletics as a coach and leader. On February 6, 2015, Yuri Mikhailovich was appointed acting head coach of the Russian national track and field athletics team, and two months later he was approved in this position. He is also Vice-President of the All-Russian Federation of Athletics.

On December 6, 2019, Yury Borzakovsky filed an application addressed to the first vice-president, acting president of the ARAF, Yulia Tarasenko, about his desire to leave the presidium of the organization and resign as vice-president.

Presidium of the All-Russian Federation of Athletics December 11, 2019 accepted the resignation of Yuri Borzakovsky from the post of vice-president of the organization. At the same time, Borzakovsky will retain the position of head coach of the Russian national athletics teams.

Athlete height: 182 cm; weight: 72 kg.

Sports Achievements of Yuri Borzakovsky

Olympic champion (2004). Participant of the Olympic Games (2000, 2008, 2012).

Silver medalist (2003, 2005) and bronze medalist (2007, 2011) of the world championships.

World Indoor Champion (2001).

Bronze medalist at the World Indoor Championships (2006).

European champion (2010 - team, 2012 - 800 m).

Silver medalist of the European Championship (2002 - 4x400 m relay).

European Indoor Champion (2000, 2009).

Champion of Russia (2004, 2007-2011, 2013 - 800 m; 2005 - 1500 m).

Silver medalist of the championships of Russia (2000, 2002 - 400 m).

Russian indoor champion (1999, 2001, 2004 - 800 m, 2006 - 1500 m, 2008 - 4x800 m relay).

European Cup winner (1999, 2002).

Winner of the European Indoor Cup (2008 - relay race 800x600x400x200 m).

Four-time Russian record holder.

Records:

Personal records: 200 m - 22.56 (1999), 400 m - 45.84 (2000), 800 m - 1:42.47 (2001) NR, 1000 m - 2:15.50 (2008) NR, 1500 m - 3:40.28 (2005).

Indoor personal bests: 400m - 47.06 (2008), 600m - 1:16.02 (2010) NR, 800m - 1:44.15 (2001) NR, 1000m - 2:17.10 ( 2009) NR 1500m - 3:41.53 (2006).

The highest positions in middle-distance running are firmly occupied by runners from Kenya, Ethiopia, and North Africa. Rarely is a European able to break even into the top ten runners in the world. The more significant are the achievements of the athlete Yuri Borzakovsky, European champion, Olympic triumphant and multiple winner of world championships. However, the fans appreciated the athlete not only for awards: each race with his participation became a real thriller, in which the final denouement was always postponed to the last seconds.

Master of the Finish Sprint

Inexperienced fans believe that in running disciplines everything depends solely on the physical condition of the athlete, and that any race is just a speed contest. However, it is the tactical struggle between athletes that occupies an important place in middle-distance running competitions. In this regard, Yuri Borzakovsky was an unsurpassed master and a real athletics grandmaster.

The athlete, once a successful long-distance sprinter, had a magnificent explosive speed.

Not wanting to get involved in a tense struggle in the main group of rivals at a distance, a native of the Moscow region preferred to calmly run 500 meters behind everyone, and then, having overcome the last turn, turned on his excellent speed and pulled ahead from behind the backs of discouraged competitors.

Thus, Yuri Borzakovsky achieved a bright victory at the 2004 Olympics in Athens and won all his awards in the same way. Together with a mentor, he carefully studied the capabilities of his future rivals and very accurately determined the pace of his run at a distance and the decisive moment for the last spurt.

From football to athletics

Yuri Borzakovsky was born in the Moscow region in 1981 in the small town of Kratovo. His parents are ordinary people. Mom worked as a janitor, and my father turned the steering wheel on a garbage truck. Yura was named after Gagarin, since he was born on the day of cosmonautics.

An active energetic boy could not sit still, he loved to play football and constantly disappeared in the yard. IN athletics Yuri Borzakovsky, whose biography could have turned out differently, came almost by accident. Arriving at the stadium, he saw a company of boys who played football, and, having joined them, signed up for their company in the section. Yuri attended training with pleasure, progressed at an incredible speed and at the age of twelve he even earned the nickname "Kenyan".

By the way, exactly Kenyan runners were the boy's childhood idols, he admired their incredible physical characteristics and knew by heart the achievements of the best athletes.

Finding yourself

Fantastic physical data allowed Yuri to try his hand at a fairly wide range of running disciplines. By nature, a good heart perfectly supplied oxygen to the body, providing endurance. The runner was also well developed physically: almost 50% of the mass of his legs were pure muscles.

Thanks to his excellent speed, he ran excellently over long sprint distances and even competed in the 200 m. various options, Yuri Borzakovsky stopped at medium distances. Speed ​​endurance, coupled with an excellent finishing spurt, allowed him to prove himself in the best way in the 800, 1000, 1500 meters.

Junior exploits

It was at a distance of 800 m that Yuri Borzakovsky won his first serious international award. The native walls helped him in this. At the World Youth Games held in Moscow in 1998, he won the gold medal in the 800m and added a silver medal in the 1500m.

In the domestic arena, Yuri Borzakovsky was also unstoppable. He became the national champion among youths at a distance of 1500 m and won the junior tournament, taking part in the 400 m race.

Nevertheless, even then it was clear that the most promising prospects for him open up precisely at the eight-hundred-meter race.

The Rise of an Athletics Star

The heyday of stayers, that is, specialists in middle-distance running, comes with age, as these grandmasters from athletics gain skill along with experience. However, Yuri Borzakovsky, an athlete with outstanding physical data and outstanding intelligence, began to win quite early. At the age of 18, he became the winner in the adult championship of Russia, then in the same year he won the European championship among juniors.

A year later, Yuri Borzakovsky reached a serious international level, having won gold at the European Indoor Championships. Having updated his personal record in the summer, he confidently won a ticket to his first Olympics, which was held in Sydney in 2000.

In those years, it seemed that the hegemony of African athletes in the middle distance was established forever. Since the days of the legendary Bolotnikov and Kuts, European stayers have practically not had any achievements at a serious level. However, Yuri Borzakovsky gradually became the real star of the continent in athletics. After yesterday's junior at the age of 19 managed to reach the final of the Sydney Olympics, competing on equal terms with the best, they started talking about him as a possible winner of the next Games in Athens.

Major career win

Pre-Olympic seasons, Yuriy Borzakovsky gained momentum and consistently won major tournaments. In 2003, he made his debut at the World Championships, where he stopped one step away from gold. It is noteworthy that many experts did not say that the African runner won, but that Borzakovsky lost the well-deserved gold.

At the Athens Olympics, he was already considered one of the main contenders for victory, despite the presence of such giants as Wilson Kipketer, Mbulaeni Mulaudzi.

The final of the 800m race became one of the most spectacular television broadcasts of the Athens Games. Yury Borzakovsky chose his favorite tactics and kept behind the backs of the main competitors for most of the distance. However, at some point it seemed that the athlete took the last spurt too late. 50 meters before the finish line, he hopelessly lagged behind his competitors, but Yuri rushed like the wind, and literally half a meter ahead of eminent rivals at the finish line.

Life after the Olympic victory

Having won the Games in Athens, Yuri Borzakovsky firmly entered the elite of athletics and gained a truly stellar status. However, the hardworking athlete did not slow down and still worked hard in training to achieve new victories. In 2005, he became the second in the World Championship, two years later he took the bronze medal, losing to his rivals in a slow tactical final.

A few months before the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Yuri Borzakovsky (running, 800 m) showed his second result in one of the commercial tournaments. He was in great shape and was considered one of the contenders for victory, but in the capital of China he was in for a failure. With difficulty overcoming the qualification, in the semi-final race, Yuriy showed only the third result and did not even go to the final.

He himself explained his defeat by unsuccessful acclimatization and miscalculations in preparation for the Olympic Games.

After the fiasco in China, Yuri Borzakovsky performed at the very high level. In 2011, he managed to take the bronze medal at the World Championships, despite the fact that by that time a generation of talented and hungry athletes had grown up.

The outstanding athlete completed his active career in 2014, but did not say goodbye to the sport, switching to coaching a year later.

The Olympic champion of Athens met his wife Irina back in kindergarten. Having met after fifteen years, they decided not to be separated anymore and got married at a fairly young age. By the way, his chosen one was also previously involved in athletics.

Since then, they have had two sons, the eldest of whom is also involved in athletics and has already won youth tournaments.

Yuri Borzakovsky: I always liked to run and win

About running: simple and at the same time incredibly complex, amateur and professional, accidental and fateful.

800m finish, Athens Olympics, I'm 12 and I'm watching the broadcast on TV. He became a legend then and remains so to this day. Leaving behind a lot of records and podiums, he did not sink into oblivion and did not fade into the shadows, but continued to develop in the direction without which he can no longer imagine his life. Today he is not only an Olympic champion, but also Main coach Russian national athletics team -

We recently got to meet him and chat about amateur and pro running, running podcast with Nike+ Run Club, developing athletics in our country and about a dream that must certainly be transformed into a goal in order to come true.

Why do people choose to run?
- In my opinion, running, in principle, has recently become more and more popular. It is fashionable to be in trend, to participate in races, to run in the morning. IN last years we are catching up with Europe in the development of the running direction by leaps and bounds. This is probably happening because people have changed in terms of mentality and approach to sports. This cannot but rejoice. A healthy lifestyle is in almost everything: everyone strives to be slim and beautiful.

- Are there any running habits of Europeans that we are far from?
- Probably, it concerns the audience more. The London Marathon was recently held, everyone watched it, there were a lot of spectators, even the queen came out ( smiling). This is a huge support for those who ran. I think that we will soon come to understand how important the audience is at a distance.

How did your running history begin?
- My story started strangely. I got into running at the age of 10, when I came to practice sambo. It was a two-story children's and youth sports school. On the second floor there is a sambo section, on the first floor there are two halls: tennis and athletics. I was studying on the second floor and saw how the guys on the first floor were playing football. Thought it was the football section. I love football, and all the guys there were acquaintances from neighboring houses and yards. So I decided to sign up there. Our training went like this: we ran cross-country for about 5-10 km, then we did gymnastics and stretching, after that we played. This happened every day, and I think that it is right for a child to realize himself in the highest sport through team sports. A couple of weeks later, the running competitions were held. It was surprising for me: how is it, after all, we are football players? I ran 600 meters and took second place. I liked running and I liked winning smiling). After that, I began to engage in more purposefully running. At about the age of 16, I won the Russian championship for the first time and then I decided for myself that I would run professionally.

I was called Yurka the Ethiopian all the time in sports school. I was offended, I liked the Kenyans more.

- Did you already think about the Olympics?
- It was 1997, summer. Then there were the Golden League competitions (now the Diamond League). I watched on TV with my mouth open at Wilson Kipketer, he broke the world record that year. It was my idol in the 800 meters. After that, I set myself the goal of becoming the first at the Olympics. I kept a training diary and there I drew an Olympic podium from three people. When I was drawing the pedestal, I put myself first, Wilson second, and German Nilsson third, who eventually also became Olympic champion in 2000. In 2004, this drawing was practically realized. I became the first, Wilson became, however, the third and instead of Schumann there was the South African Mulaudzi. Then my dream came true, which I painted seven years ago. I was called Yurka the Ethiopian all the time in the sports school. I was offended, I liked the Kenyans more ( laughs). Actually there is something to remember. So gradually I came to professional sports.

So it all started with a dream?
- My dreams gradually became my goals. Throughout sports career I set a goal for myself and didn't stop until I reached it. As an athlete, I have achieved all the goals that I set for myself.

- How to start running at a more conscious age?
- I think we should start with walking. To begin with, walk a few kilometers, from 5 to 10. Then gradually switch to running so as not to injure your ligaments. If you suddenly start running with excess weight, it will be fraught with problems. If you start with walking, then it will be right, the body will begin to get used to it. If someone immediately allows weight or training to run, then again I will not advise running a lot, for a start about 2-3 km. You can also combine running and walking, gradually gaining pace and volume. But the most important thing is that all this should bring pleasure and not be a burden, then this is amateur running, you must love it first of all ( smiling).

Do you think a competitive moment can motivate a person to start exercising and how much?
- Of course, the competitive moment is very useful for everyone. And for the amateur, and for any athlete. There is, of course, a downside, but I think that it will not affect amateurs, it is more about professionals. Someone in training runs certain segments at a certain speed, but in competitions he cannot, due to psychological pressure. Amateurs do not have such speeds and such a burden of responsibility, so I personally have not yet seen a single negative result from an amateur athlete who ran faster in training than in competitions. It's because of the adrenaline and the atmosphere.

- Is it possible to say that amateur running is a challenge to yourself?
- Participation in such starts is a competition with yourself and, if I may say so, it is a kind of motivation to catch on to a stronger opponent when you run at a distance. If this training process, then, as a rule, you train alone or with friends, and usually you are approximately equal in your level of training. And at the race, 10, 20 thousand people gather together, the strongest of the strongest run in front of you, because of this, additional motivation appears.

The mental attitude is very important for both professionals and amateurs. How to tune in for a serious distance?
- You must always purposefully go to the plan. If a person tunes in to a marathon, then he must understand that he is ready for this. In no case be afraid of this, go to the start, knowing that you will do your job as easily and simply as you could go to the store for bread. Of course, in addition to this, you need to correctly distribute your forces, and this can only be done through a well-organized training process. It is easier for amateurs in this regard, for professionals it is different: someone has acclimatization, someone falls into a hole. They are already working hard.

As for amateurs, it is paramount to have fun. Yes, if you run a marathon, then these are peculiar sensations, but I think that you will get the maximum pleasure when you cross the finish line.

- How do you feel about the fact that people run with headphones?
- The first reason why people run around with headphones is that it distracts, on the one hand, on the other hand, you don’t hear your breathing, you don’t know how hard you breathe, it’s inconvenient for you to control your pulse. So there are two things here. If you control your pulse and breathing and at the same time have time to listen to music, then one does not interfere with the other. But professional athletes never use headphones. At the warm-up only, maybe sometimes. At one time, I didn’t even use them during warm-ups, maybe only during cross-country. But the music restored me, not turned me on.

How do you feel about trail running? How much do mountain runs help prepare for road races?
- Many athletes who transition from trail running to road running feel relieved ( smiling). It’s just easier to run along the highway: there are no slides and it’s much easier to change lanes. I have a friend whom I infected with running. At first there were 10 km, 20 km, then a marathon, then 70 km, 110 km somewhere in the forest. He also suffers from this, just it is easy for him to switch from one surface to another. For such people there are no obstacles, at any distance and with favorite obstacles. We must strive for this, the main thing is to do everything gradually.

What can help you breathe properly?
- I would advise you to run on the pulse. Everyone has his own, my maximum was 180 beats per minute, someone has 220. You need to run to the threshold if you are doing some kind of work, but in no case should you exceed the anaerobic exchange threshold (ANOT), then it will be comfortable. TAN is exceeded only if you do some kind of developmental workout. As a rule, amateurs ask trainers or find training programs on the Internet, for example, the NRC app - Nike+ Running Club. A podcast with my workouts was recently released there, you need to do everything clearly according to the plan, but focus on your individual speed.

- What should not be neglected during a running workout?
- Both amateurs and professionals need to do a good warm-up before training. Stretch your joints so that you are warmed up, it is better to stand for 5-10 minutes, twist your knees, ligaments, feet, arms, legs. And accordingly, when you have already run the cross-country, then at the end of the workout you need to do a good hitch. Because stretching relaxes the muscles after running. Stretch carefully. If the training was normal, then the muscles are very easy to stretch, if intense, then you need to be careful, as the muscles are in tension. Before and after running, you must definitely stretch, then there will be much less injuries.

- What else would you advise runners to include in training?
- In fact, yoga is very good, it is also a kind of stretching. Those who love yoga can include it in the training process. In addition, you can include some games: basketball, volleyball. But within reason, so that it is not traumatic. For example, I combine running with football. I love to play football, I participate in various amateur tournaments. Sometimes I run cross country on Friday, and on Saturday I have a tournament. Last Saturday, I also had a tournament, but I felt that I did not give my all in training, so I came home, changed clothes and ran another 10 km. This is fine. If it’s already hard for a person to run, then you can switch to something else, to physical activity. You can run and do OFP. Here you need to type the form due to switching.

- What mistakes can people make when choosing equipment?
- I advise you to run in specialized shoes that are needed for running long distances. I've been running Nike Pegasus all my life, but I recently tested the latest model, the Nike React. It seems to me that it is ideal for those who want to start running. Soft foam, good return - what you need. But, of course, everyone has their own, focus on their individual characteristics.

- What about equipment?
- You need to focus on the air temperature, based on this, choose the form in which you run and understand at what intensity you run. If cross-country, then you can wear a regular windbreaker, leggings and a T-shirt. If it’s an intense cross-country, then you need to dress lighter, but at the same time understand that when you run to the finish line, you must dress in dry and warm clothes.

- How not to eat before the start?
- In fact, you don’t need to eat a lot before running, somewhere in 2-3 hours you should not eat, because it will take a long time to digest. You don't have to eat meat, but you need something light. If there are important competitions, then it is better to remove meat from the diet in general for three days and switch to carbohydrates, because they will give more energy. I advise you to eat as much as possible in the morning, in the afternoon, as much as possible, of course, eat less fried food. Light dinner and end the day with kefir.

- And how to recover at the finish line?
- The best recovery is sleep. Also different drinks, multivitamins. Each body is individual. But best of all is sleep and restorative procedures in the form of a bath or sauna. Bath very well restores.

- this is my life, my pleasure, my drug in a good sense of the word. He is always with me, wherever I am, since childhood, and he will be with me until the end of my days.

- Do you follow competitions?
- Yes, sure. In particular, I watched the London Marathon, I was very interested in how Mo Farah would run, he was third. Of course, it was hard for him at the end. I follow his preparation on Instagram. He is a competent athlete, I like his tactics of preparing for starts. We must take an example from him. He is a pro in his field and a great example. I even go to other competitions, most recently they held competitions at the sports school where I grew up. There are some very young guys there. We are trying to revive and support youth sports. I can go to any competition, so I always welcome it. I try to attend a lot of sporting events, despite the fact that the busyness is colossal. I try not to refuse anyone, and let those who I refuse understand me, because I still have my work.

What does running mean to you?
- - this is my life, my pleasure, my drug in a good sense of the word. He is always with me, wherever I am, since childhood, and he will be with me until the end of my days. Why? Because I love running, that's my everything.