Five days before Yassine Diboun was scheduled to run a little more than 62 miles, climb more than 9,000 feet of elevation, and do it all in 90-plus degree heat in another country, the last concern that floated to his mind had little to do with any physical challenges.
It was Spanish.
“I don’t speak a lick,” he laughed.
Diboun, an experienced ultrarunner and 2012 Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run finisher, is scheduled to run his first international race at the Fuego y Agua 100K on Sunday in Nicaragua. And while Diboun didn’t include Rosetta Stone in his training regimen, the Portland resident has done just about everything else he can to better his odds on foreign soil.
“I’ve been running in extra layers — lots. I’d start sweating and every time I’d start to unzip the jacket, you gotta zip it back up,” said Diboun, recounting his winter training methods in the Pacific Northwest. Fuego y Agua will likely be the hottest ultramarathon Diboun has competed in, with an expected race-day temperature of 91 degrees in Moyogalpa, the starting point for the race held on Ometepe Island.
His last race, the Pinhoti 100 miler in Alabama, punished runners with unseasonable November temperatures in the 80s and high humidity. Diboun ran the course in 18 hours, 2 minutes, landing him in third place. The performance qualified him for Western States, which begins in Squaw Valley, Calif., and is considered the country’s most prestigious 100-mile trail race. Last year Diboun notched a 12th place finish at Western States.
But with the Pinhoti 100 fresh in his memory, Diboun said he’s also been spending time in the sauna to acclimate his body to the heat, his top concern for Fuego y Agua. “The heat, the humidity, it’s going to be one of the hardest things to handle,” Diboun said.
Amy Sproston, the 2012 International Association of Ultrarunners 100K World Champion and also a Portland resident, ran Fuego y Agua’s inaugural race in 2008. She finished in 13:12 and holds the 100K women’s record for the course. She gave Diboun some insight into the course, and expects his biggest challenge to come in the first climb that includes a grove of Ardisia ometepensis trees, which have extensive root systems that jut out of the ground.
“The ‘jungle gym’ section has a lot of mangrove-type trees. It’s only a couple of miles or a maybe mile long, but there are a lot of roots to deal with,” Sproston said.
Sproston said Diboun shouldn’t have too much trouble tackling the climbs once he’s through the “jungle gym.” Overall elevation gain for the race is steep, as runners tread over the island’s two volcanoes, Maderas and Concepción.
“The climbs are not that bad. It’s spread out over several miles, and there are a lot of flats in between the climbs,” Sproston said.
Diboun also doesn’t have to worry about some of the challenges Sproston encountered in the inaugural race, which included only a few aid stations and a poorly-marked course. Both noted race organizers have improved support as the race has grown, and the race’s mission — to bring responsible ecotourism to Ometepe Island — is a bonus for participants. In the altruistic spirit of the race, a clothing drive to benefit locals was planned by organizers. Diboun collected items for the drive and was taking an extra suitcase filled with toys, shoes and clothes.
“There are a lot of philanthropic activities planned. It’s nice to be part of an event that’s not just a race,” Diboun said.
Come Sunday, though, the only activity Diboun will be focusing on is putting one foot in front of the other.
“When you get into a 50-miler or a 100K, it’s more of an art form. You have to get crafty and ration your energy but not as much as for a 100-miler. It’s a fine line,” Diboun said.
Spanish or not, Diboun has prepared as best as he can to toe that line.
To find out more about Yassine Diboun and the Fuego Y Agua, visit www.yassinediboun.com and fuegoyagua.org .
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