Podcast Guest “It's a long road” is runner, ultramarathoner and 7 world record holder Aleksandr Sorokin.
Lithuanian Aleksandr Sorokin was born on September 30, 1981 and began his sports career as a Canoe Kayak athlete. A shoulder injury forced him to stop and after a long time, in 2013 at the age of 31, he made the big decision to turn his life around, starting to run, initially to lose extra pounds and change his eating habits . In recent years, Sorokin has worked hard to climb to the top of the world ultra-distance stage.
On August 29, 2021, the Lithuanian ultramarathoner broke the elusive 24-hour world record of the legendary Yannis Kouros, held since 1997, covering 309.4 kilometers at an average pace of 4:39 per kilometer!
He holds 7 world records in track and road such as 100 miles on road with a time of 10:51:39, 100 miles on a stadium with a time of 11:14:56, 6 hours with 98,496 km, 12 hours on road with a time of 177,410 km ., in the 12-hour track covering 170.309 km. In 2022 at the European 24-hour championship he broke his own world record covering 319.614 km, running at an average pace of 4:30 km. The last world record is that of 100 km in May 2023 with time 6:05:41. Sorokin in this race ran 100 km at an average pace of 3:39 min/km, which means 10 consecutive 10 km races in a time of 36:34 each, or 4.7 consecutive half marathons in a time of 1:17:09 each or 2.4 consecutive marathons in a time of 2:34:18 each!
In 2017, he also won our own Spartanathlon of a distance of 246 km in a time of 22:04:05.
We will have an interesting conversation with Aleksandr Sorokin, after we will refer to moments of his rich and world-record sports career, he will talk to us about his nutrition and strengthening, about his future plans and about other equally interesting topics both around from his personal life as well as from running in general.
Podcast Interview Highlights “It's a long road” with Aleksandr Sorokin:
15:15 How did one person go from being an overweight smoker and drinker, with an unhealthy lifestyle, all the way to breaking some of the world's most difficult endurance records?
18:25 Then you quit smoking and quit drinking? Also eat healthier?
18:42 You start running only to lose weight?
19:13 Why are you running? Which is the main reason you are running? What do you love about it?
19:47 And what made you ultra-runner?
20:15 How is your daily routine?
20:48 Is it true you say that your lifestyle is “Run, eat, sleep, repeat”?
20:56 What do you usually do eat on a daily basis?
22:06 How many hours do you sleep per day?
22:27 In terms of cross training what kind of exercises are you doing?
23:12 Do you consider the strength training as Vital for Marathon and Ultra-Marathon runners?
23:40 Do you ever get injured? And how does a runner like you feel during these inactive periods?
24:32 Do you follow a specific nutrition plan and especially before important races?
24:52 So what's fueling your body when you are running these extreme distances and especially at these extreme paces?
25:45 How often do you eat and drink (for example during a 24 hours' race)?
26:55 Is it true that during your big races you prefer eating trash food?
27:05 Do you also use caffeine during your races?
27:20 Some people may ask, how is it possible to eat and drink so much and still move and run? Is this something that has to gradually be trained and of course its linked to your fitness?
28:02 How is non-stop running for 24 hours and especially with an average pace of 4.30 min/km
29:09 Do you ever stop, for example to go to the toilet?
30:02 You smashed Yiannis Kouros World Record by almost 6 kilometers in a 24 hours' race by running a total of 319 kilometers. Where and when did that happen?
31:09 Generally, how is your strategy when you run 24 hours? I mean you are starting faster and then gradually slowing down or you are trying to have a stable pace?
32:11 Who supports you during the races?
32:47 You must have huge mental strength. To concentrate all these hours of running and to keep pushing. What are your thoughts during all these hours?
33:56 Mentally do you get tired or thinking to quit?
34:10 In 2017, you won the prestigious Spartathlon in Greece, is that correct?
35:15 How was the experience running in Greece and do you ever think of running Spartathlon again? Or generally in Greece?
36:47 How was your experience in the camp in Kenya?
37:27 Why did you go there?
37:43 If I am not wrong, I saw a video where you say that for one specific week there, you ran more than 300 kilometers. Is this true?
39:19 And which is your heart rate during a run like this?
39:40 How is a usual training week for you?
40:21 How many kilometers do you usually run each week?
40:42 Do you train every day?
40:55 How long is one of your long runs? And which is usually the pace you have? It's the pace of the race?
41:45 One thing that stands out about you is the massive training volume. We see that you run so many kilometers every week. Is this essential when we are talking about Ultra Marathons?
42:47 Do you ever run just a marathon?
43:25 Which is your PB?
43:30 What, in your opinion, is your biggest accomplishment as a runner?
43:56 Do you ever wonder if we really have limits?
44:24 What makes you superhuman, and what keeps you going?
45:00 Do you have any hobbies? How do you spend your free time?
45:15 What shoes do you wear?
45:41 What about trail running? Do you like it?
46:27 Is coaching something you are planning to do in the future?
47:03 Do you ever think of writing a book?
47:36 What's next for you?
48:13 What would be your advice about setting and achieving goals?
48:50 Before we close this episode do you want to say something last to all Greek Runners who listen to this Podcast?
https://contribee.com/ultrarunner-sorokin
Aleksandr Sorokin Facebook
Aleksandr Sorokin Instagram
######################
Mountain routes of Voritsi 31 August 24, Heraklion Crete
######################
Buy book Everything is a road
Physical book
Audio Book
Free shipping within Greece, using the word olaeinaidromos
#######################
You can find the Podcast t-shirts through the site www.olaeinaidromos.gr or from the following link:
T-shirt – Everything Is Road
Sleeveless Road T-Shirt – Everything is Road
T-shirts are All Over Print, you will each be able to have your own name on the back, while the material used will be the best for runners, with technology Dry-Fit and Cool Max.
————————-
Everything is a road:
Facebook Page
Instagram
website: https://olaeinaidromos.gr