Paavo Nurmi’s races today on channels. Live broadcast from 17:00.
FLAGSTAFF.
The giant cacti familiar from Western movies are left behind as the four-lane highway begins to rise towards the city of Flagstaff, located at an altitude of 2,100 meters, in the northern part of the state of Arizona.
The view starts to become very familiar the closer you get to your destination.
In practice, there is only coniferous forest around, and no wonder, because Flagstaff is one of the highest built cities in the United States. The spring heat of the Arizona desert changes to a temperature of only about five degrees in the morning in Flagstaff.
You can see runners preparing for the season on the streets of the city From Jakob Ingbrigtsen from
The door of the detached house on the edge of the golf course opens at nine in the morning. Reigning European Champion Top Raitanen28, steps out first into the chilly and windy morning.
Steeplechase runner Raitanen clicks the garage door open. Just a moment later, the others follow Eemil Helander22, and Mustafa Muuse22, wearing workout clothes.
Topi Raitanen is the 2022 European champion in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
Last summer, Eemil Helander won the European Youth Championship silver at 5,000 meters.
Mustafe Muuse is just aiming for an international breakthrough.
Flagstaff is a familiar place for the whole trio. For Raitase, who is already camping in these landscapes for the sixth time, the city of 67,000 inhabitants has become an important base before the start of the competition season.
– It’s like coming home, a very Finnish place, sums up Topi Raitanen in an interview with Urheilu.
– The most important training camp of the spring will be held here. This is also usually a sign that the competition season is approaching when the plane ticket says Phoenix.
The trio does their morning exercise on a remote road located about five minutes’ drive away. The landscapes are wonderful. In the background of the training route are the San Francisco Peaks, whose peaks are still covered in snow.
Three different personalities under one roof
Eemil Helander is clearly the calmest person in the whole group, while Raitanen is the group’s father figure who looks after his younger colleagues.
Compared to these two, Mustafe Muuse is a different country. From the mouth of a young man of Somali background, who was born in Turku, talk comes out non-stop. The smooth-talking Muuse keeps the mood high with his stories.
The trio lives under the same roof during the entire camp period. Each person contributes to the collective spirit of the group.
– I feel that this five-week camp period is pretty much the maximum in this group, Muuse says and smiles widely.
Just before the start of the morning’s first training session, Muuse notices that he has left his training shoes at home. The native of Turku quickly jumps behind the wheel of the car and accelerates the powerful electric car to high speed on a quiet road.
– This is how it is going to be with Muuse. It always hurts and happens, laughs Raitanen.
This time, the Finnish trio is cooling off along the stretch of road lined with horse farms without their coach Janne Ukonmaanahoawho returned to Finland a few days ago.
Raitanen and Ukonmaanaho have formed a close coaching team for eight years. The duo’s jackpot was seen at the European Championships in Munich two years ago, when Raitanen’s long streak made him European champion.
Muuse and Helander joined Ukonmaanaho’s coaching at the end of last year. Although the Raitanen-Ukonmaanaho duo has a strong profile in Finnish athletics as a two-man team, Raitanen received the news about the growth of the coaching group with joy.
– It has also been something that Janne and I have been waiting for. We have already practiced in a group last year, for example, here in Flägäri. I can help them and they can help me all the time more and more, says Raitanen.
Newcomers learn from Raitase
Helander joined Ukonmaanaho’s coaching team at the end of last year. At the same time, he coached the youth from Jyväskylä throughout his career Ari Nummela died of a long illness.
Helander had followed Raitanen’s and Ukonmaanaho’s collaboration for a long time, so it was easy to find common ground. In addition, Helander had trained in the same style as Raitanen for a couple of years.
In Ukonmaanaho’s coaching, Helander hopes to be able to increase the number of training hours, which would also bring an increase in running kilometers in the future.
Muuse feels that he and Helander can learn a lot from Raitase also about things outside of sports – especially about self-marketing and the financial side.
– You don’t just have to run, you have to manage and take care of all other things as well. I feel that the most we can get from Top is that he knows how to be a full-fledged athlete in every area, says Muuse.
Flagstaff Boarding House
In Flagstaff, Raitanen, Helander and Muuse can only focus on training, as a top athlete should.
The Finnish trio has also sent an Estonian colleague to the training camp who has acquired the training of a chef Kauar Kivisti too, who is also responsible for the food supply of the household of four. Along with his own training, Kivistik’s task is to conjure up delicious lunches and dinners.
– Yes, it’s a damn big thing. Carbohydrates are our fuel, so you can eat a lot during the day. Even though you like to cook at home, it’s a different thing to cook for a large group twice a day, says Raitanen.
After this, Muuse arrives in the kitchen.
– Should we just say that I made these dishes for us? On the other hand, isn’t there a saying in Finland that you can’t trust a skinny cook? At least that’s true for me, says Muuse and makes the whole group laugh.
Even before dinner, the trio has one important task to solve in the backyard. Muuse, Helander and Raitanen play every night about taking turns doing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen. The sport is golf on a par 3 fairway opening from the back terrace of a detached house.
– Now guys grab the balls and let’s find out who is today’s worst player, sums up Raitanen, golf club in hand.
– The winner does not matter in this game. The main thing is that it’s not the worst, continues Helander.
– At least I’m the best dishwasher in this group, Muuse blurts out.
– Or at least you did the most washing during this trip, says Raitanen.
Five deer living in the forest of the golf course have also come to watch the playful race. Hitting first, Raitanen’s swing immediately shows that he is not playing for the first time.
Helander’s opening goes to the left side of the puck, while Muuse completely misses the ball. Even on the second attempt, the hit is not perfect, but the ball bounces all the way to the green.
In the end, Raitanen and Muuse play the fairway one stroke over par. So the evening’s counter turn goes to Helander, who played a triple bogey.
Raitanen and Muuse have earned the right to be credited for at least one day.
Paavo Nurmi’s races today on channels. Live broadcast from 17:00.