Sugarloaf Trailblazers #2: En Route to the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship

Claudia Urrea is a 21-year-old student living in the small town of Begues, Spain. During the week, she studies Marketing and International Business in Barcelona. But on the weekend, she can be found running at track events and traversing local mountain ranges. 

Competing in sports has always been an important part of her life, but eight years ago, she almost lost it all. 

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“I’m happy and proud of myself for the simple fact of being alive,” she says. “Eight years ago, I went through an eating disorder, and doctors said that if I kept doing that, I wouldn’t be able to even walk.”

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At that time in her life, Claudia had just lost her grandfather, and her best friend moved away to Mexico. Also, she competed in gymnastics, a sport that can be fraught with body image issues. 

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“They want you to be small and thin… and I was neither one, so I felt out of place and tried to establish some control over the only thing I could actually control, my weight,” she says. Soon, Claudia was eating only 300 calories a day and exercising more than ever. She distanced herself from loved ones and her relationships suffered. 

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But then, Claudia started running, and it quickly became her safe place. She has since recovered and whenever she’s feeling overwhelmed or anxious, she goes for a run to clear her mind of negative thoughts. 

“Changing my mind was the first challenge I faced,” she says. “Now, at every training or race, I try to control my thoughts and give the best I have. I run because I can, because I’m alive. I don’t need another reason.”

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Claudia has been running track for nine years, specializing in the 800 meter and 3,000 meter steeplechase. Sadly, a devastating accident at nationals put an end to her long jump career. “They said I wouldn’t be able to run as I used to, because of my knee. But I knew I would, even if it took 5 years, as it did,” she says. 

"I run because I can, because I’m alive. I don’t need another reason.”

After years of rehabilitation, Claudia returned to the track and had success, winning regional and national competitions. But something felt different. She’d lost her motivation for the sport. 

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“Running in circles didn’t motivate me anymore. Also, I started comparing myself with other girls,” she says. “Even some people on my team said I would be better if I was skinny. I went crazy looking at my chrono, and I got obsessed with times, so I decided to stay away from that.”

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Claudia’s boyfriend invited her on a trip to the mountains. They went on long hikes and did some trail running. “Trail running made the knee pain disappear, as well as all of the problems I was having. It was a kind of therapy,” she says. “I love feeling so little compared to the mountains. I love the thought of being alone on top of something that’s way bigger than me. It makes me feel powerful and small at the same time.”

Trail running provides Claudia with an escape from judgment, criticism, and expectations. “When I go for a run, it’s just me and the mountains. Nobody is listening, nobody is watching, and nobody is judging. There’s no pressure and no reason to be embarrassed or ashamed. It’s a way to feel at home by getting away from it,” she says. 

“I’ll run for my father, my family, myself, and for what others said I couldn’t do… I’ll show everyone I can.”

Claudia just completed her first half marathon at the Garmin Epic Trail and finished fourth in the 20-24 age group, securing a slot for the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship. She’s never been to the US before and is excited to visit Maine. 

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“I’ll run for my father, my family, myself, and for what others said I couldn’t do… I’ll show everyone I can,” she says. “I still train and race on the track, but here I am, about to race at a Trail Run World Championship... It's the first time in such a long time that I really feel alive.”

26 years ago, Brian Welsh suffered a heart attack during a run. “My chest started getting tight, as if an elephant was standing on it, and then I felt an ice pick in my back,” he says. 

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Blood tests revealed that Brian had Hashimoto's Disease, a chronic autoimmune disorder that affects the thyroid gland. “The doctor couldn’t believe I was still walking around. Your TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) should be between 0.4 to 4.0 mIU/L. Anything above 4 and you're officially sick. Mine was 148. It was the highest he’d ever seen,” Brian says. 

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Many people told Brian that he was “destined to be fat forever.” But six years ago, he discovered the ketogenic diet and made big changes to his lifestyle and eating habits, allowing him to lose 70 lbs and decrease his body fat from 35% to 18%. 

With his newfound fitness, Brian decided he wanted to revisit a lifelong dream of becoming a triathlete, doing an Ironman, and competing in an XTERRA off-road triathlon. That’s how he ended up at XTERRA Magnolia Hill. He didn’t want to sign up for the triathlon just yet, but the trail run seemed like something he could do. 

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“But there was a catch. I'd never done a trail run before,” he says. “I bought a pair of trail running shoes, ran a total of two miles in them on suburban grass, and thought, ‘Eh, these will do.’ And off I went.”

“For a long time, it didn't seem I would be anything close to fit ever again. I never gave up."

Brian’s first half marathon trail run was an experience. Despite some issues with cramping, he still made it to the finish line, met new friends, and learned some valuable lessons about proper hydration along the way. 

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As a competitor in the 55-59 age group, Brian describes himself as “an old man who doesn’t feel old.” 

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“The truth is my best sporting days are behind me. At this age, I won't be setting any new personal best records,” he says. “But, for a long time, it didn't seem I would be anything close to fit ever again. I never gave up. Always be your own advocate and seek improvement. Life is an awesome gift. Use it.”

One of Brian’s friends gave him a great piece of advice that he plans to take with him to Maine. “He said to think of how far I’ve come, and consider any finished race as a celebration of my fitness. I’m really looking forward to doing some celebrating at the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship.”

"Life is an awesome gift. Use it.”

Sugarloaf Trailblazers is an ongoing series, with edition #1 here and more stories to come from those preparing to take their place on the starting line of the XTERRA Trail Run world Championship in Maine, USA.