“A sound mind in a sound body.” Who hasn’t heard this phrase? I find it so true... I admit that when I was little, I didn’t quite understand it, but now I’m sure: mind and body are always connected. As expected, the theory also applies to sport; in fact, it is evident in capital letters. I could prove it to you myself, but David Bueno, the protagonist of this article, does it better.
He is an industrial engineer and a “sports fanatic.” That’s how he introduces himself when I ask him to tell me about himself. He lives in Gavà, is thirty-four years old, and has practiced so many sports that he makes me feel as though I’m wasting my time. Basketball until he was twenty-five, paddle tennis, mountain and road cycling, running, salsa, bachata, rumba, Afro dance… He has completed duathlons and a few triathlons, and his goal for next year is to do an Ironman. For the uninitiated (like me), an Ironman is a triathlon consisting of 3.8 kilometers of open-water swimming, 180 kilometers of road cycling, and 42 kilometers of running. All to be completed within a maximum of 17 hours. Nothing much.
Physical challenges lasting as long as David’s make me think about endurance. How does the body cope? “There’s a very solid foundation, which is training. Without training - and without the right mindset - you can’t achieve these things.” I’ll take his word for it. He assures me that it also has to do with the goal you set for yourself and your commitment to that goal. This resonates with me especially. Like everything in life, I think, although it’s hard to admit. And he continues: “You can’t compare yourself with elite athletes; for me, it’s a hobby. But in the end, we always give it our all. We approach it as if we were professionals.” Well, there you have it - now you know the secret.
The mind, it’s clear, is an essential driving force. “The excitement of achieving these challenges is what pushes me day after day to prepare for them.” But how long does this preparation last? David tells me that he usually starts four or five months beforehand, depending on the competition. Wow, almost half a year. That’s a lot of advance planning. “It’s complicated,” he admits, but he remains steadfast, powered by his excitement. “It’s what makes you train harder and better.”
Another point to consider with competitions like these is the individuality they involve. In my case (that of the writer), sharing sport with a team is what motivates me most to practice it. Even so, listening to him, I understand that everything has its advantages. “It’s you with the bike, you with your feet, you with the sea. It’s personal growth, and it depends exclusively on you.” And this naturally gives him a “sense of fulfillment” with himself that, unless I’m mistaken, makes all the work beforehand worthwhile. “It’s a situation proportional to what you are capable of facing.”
David tells me that he has learned to clear his mind, and I ask whether he would compare it to meditating. “Of course.” He says that sometimes he can spend hours and hours on his bike without realizing that time has passed. That doesn’t mean he never has intrusive thoughts. During long races in extreme weather conditions, for example, while he is alone, his mind questions what he is doing there “when he could be at home, relaxing.”
But sport makes him happy. “For me, it’s the push; it gives me energy for everyday life. Without sport, I wouldn’t be able to give 100% at work or in my social relationships.” I completely understand his obsession when he adds that competitions aren’t the only thing driving him to live this lifestyle; rather, it’s everything surrounding sport. His friendships, for example, with whom he goes on routes, shares ambitions and routines, and organizes new challenges.
All right. Let’s get to the point. He uses Salssa pouches. “And the truth is, what I like most is how easy they are to consume. They go down very well, and when you can’t get anything solid into your mouth, these gels are incredible.” We don’t want to overdo the compliments, but we do love confirming that the pouches work. “The flavor is very good,” he says, “and the size; especially for cyclists, because we have to carry things on our backs.” Oh, and their natural ingredients. David used to suffer from stomach problems, which would flare up after consuming the same gels during long races. Not anymore.
And that’s it, I’m off. Trust Salssa, but above all, trust sport. And if anyone is still looking for reasons to give it a try, listen to David: “You can start for your health, but let it bring you happiness.”
