E-ROCK TEAM: ATHLETES' OPINIONS | Claudio Boschini

CLAUDIO BOSCHINI: COACH AND ATHLETE, TWO IN ONE.

Sometimes it takes time to develop your passions: this is demonstrated by the story of Claudio Boschini, born in 1974, a sales clerk who turned his passion for sport into a career. Today, after 15 years of experience as a runner and 8 years as a triathlete, in addition to specific courses as an Athletic Trainer, Personal Trainer, and Biomechanical Expert, Claudio is an athletic trainer with over 50 athletes under his belt. And he continues to train for his next goals, which for several years have been focused on triathlon.

As a young man, he was very lazy, spending all day on the couch and not doing any kind of sport. He started cycling at 24 (he's now 48), doing about three rides a week, and from there he also began participating in some granfondo races. Later, having started working, Claudio no longer had time to cycle, so in 2005 he took up running as an amateur.

"In 2010, I ran my first marathon, in Florence. I still remember it vividly: after the 35th kilometer, I was in crisis, shocked and exhausted, but the feeling when I crossed the finish line was truly indescribable and unique. I don't think I'll ever forget it." For Claudio, the marathon is so beautiful and thrilling that he's run 18 to date and still feels a powerful emotion every time he crosses the finish line.

But satisfaction, as we know, is a drive to improve, to try to push beyond one's limits. What happened after that first exciting experience is what he himself explains: "After the Florence marathon, I started working with a great coach, Sergio Chiesa, and in four years I improved my personal best in this type of race, going from 3:20 to under three hours by just one minute, which is still my best time." How he approached the other sports he now practices is a normal and natural process of developing his endurance soul. He began cross-training, training on the road to avoid injury, and then took up cycling again, where he himself is amazed: "I even learned to swim!!" Within a few years, in 2014 he participated in duathlons, and from there, the path to triathlon was paved. And the question about the most important races he has won to date is a must: «Definitely the Elbaman Ironman Extreme in triathlon, and the marathon under three hours at the 2013 Turin Marathon».

How the idea of ​​turning his passion into a career and putting his experience at the service of others as a personal trainer and coach came about is interesting in describing Claudio's profile. After a period of intense training, friends and acquaintances began asking him for advice on improving their performance, and so, little by little, the idea of ​​studying and participating in various training programs began to take shape, such as the Athletic Trainer Course, the Personal Trainer Course, and finally the Biomechanical Expert Course, a component he is very interested in and believes is essential to achieving certain results.

But when it all kicked in, Claudio recounts it very well: "Then one day I placed an ad on Subito.it offering my services as a coach and athletic trainer, and from there, somewhat unexpectedly, I started coaching." Simple, right? Now he coaches 50 young people, all students preparing for long-distance races, from 40 to 120 kilometers. Coaches also have their own track record. "I also had the honor of coaching a mountain running icon, Marta Tresoldi, whom I helped prepare for the 120 km Lavaredo Ultra Trail, which she obviously completed successfully."

And we arrive in 2017, when his friendship with e-Rock Team was born, having met him through triathlon and friendships with the Bergamo community of endurance athletes. "I joined the team because I see it as a group of friends who share a common passion. We have meetings and get-togethers together: they're a group of friends as well as athletes." An extraordinary company with which he shares many of the same values.

But does Claudio consider himself more of an athlete or a coach? How does he manage to reconcile these similar yet different passions in terms of commitment and time commitment? "I consider myself more of an athlete than a coach. Coaching is very different from training. I never train with my athletes: for example, when they run, I follow them on my bike, but on Tuesday mornings I teach a strength class at the Pala-Grassobio. My workouts, on the other hand, are done early in the morning, during lunch break, or in the evening." He, like many of us, has to make sacrifices for everything he has, but as usual, I do them willingly because it's passion that drives me.

And then a few ideas pop into his head. Claudio's goal as a coach is to open an indoor training space, "but not a gym like the many out there, something different." His goal as an athlete is to continue running and competing in stunning landscapes, taking part in some of the toughest Ironman events in the world: "This year I'd like to participate in the Eagleman Extreme Ironman in the Gran Sasso National Park on July 23, 2022, and I'll also prepare to participate in a marathon during the winter." He doesn't follow any specific diets, but is supported by a nutritionist: "I eat a bit of everything, maintaining a varied and balanced diet." We end our chat while Claudio zips up his training bag, revealing a Rock Experience piece: "My favorite piece is definitely the NANNAZ trail running shorts with the Japanese carp graphic that I use for road running: comfortable, breathable, and highly visible." Good luck with your training, Coach Claudio.