It was just over a month ago, just enough time to hone an explicit preparation with a clear goal: “Start with four, finish with four and cross the finish line together, ideally with a time of 6 to 7 hours”. The start will be given this Saturday at 23:00. The Saintéxpress, one of the events in SaintéLyon, measures 44 kilometers.
Deadlines already identified
If the long distance is an unknown event for the majority of the group’s members, Dimitri Fillon is a steady man.
Last May he notably completed the Volvic 110 kilometer event: “By quitting football, I wanted to find another activity, individual, with the desire to discover myself, on an intense effort”.
Dimitri Fillon, who passed the Saint-Etienne training center before returning to Charente, expects exceptional suffering during the event: “When it’s cold there, it’s striking, it’s really the unknown and it can be complicated to deal with”.
A feeling of freshness and discomfort reinforced by repeated reminders on a demanding course. See the 926 meters with positive height and the 1450 meters with negative height. A good way to measure the form of Dimitri Fillon, licensed in the Segonzac club, who is multiplying the goals over long distances, with the highlight being the Diagonale des Fous in 2023.
A common dream for the four men, but with different deadlines. The other three in the band hope to participate “in two to three years, increasing in force and lengthening distances over time” project Grégoire Dubré and Mathieu Maghfori, while Sylvain Fabrègues proceeds step by step: “We’re already going to the Paris marathon on April 2, we’ll take stock afterwards”.
A tailor-made preparation
Making the decision to embark on the adventure late, the group of friends could count on the support of Stéphane Charles and Bertrand Corre, the co-managers of the Stadium store, to get bibs and also some valuable information.
Bertrand Corre contested the longest distance of this SaintéLyon in 2016. And the least we can say is that the javelin specialist has excellent memories of it: “Already the context at night is hyperspecific. The first image that comes to mind is this snake formed by the flashlights of thousands of participants. When you go up to Forez it’s masterful. We also did it with a group of three friends , that’s a plus. When one has a slump, the other morale picks it up. We finished the last kilometer very strong, with tears not far away..
In order to fully experience the event and reach the starting line in good condition after all, the quartet prepared by emphasizing muscle strengthening to cushion the fall. But also by participating in local trails. The last few days have been characterized by recovery and composition of the package under the banner “GS Gentlemen’s Club”the association created a few months ago by these enthusiasts.
