Opinion – In the Race: Drauzio Varella’s lessons for the amateur athlete

“Rodrigo, could you write a text about Dr. Drauzio Varella’s mandala?”

The order came from the boss. I said yes, but I wish I had said no.

I explain.

The athlete Drauzio Varella is one of my biggest references in the sport. Yes, because in addition to being an extraordinary doctor, a great writer and an exemplary citizen, Drauzio Varella is an inspiration as an athlete. An idol that captivates for what it has in common, and not for outstanding results. And writing about it is a huge responsibility.

But I don’t want to get ahead of myself. Let’s start from the beginning.

The news is that Dr Drauzio won, last weekend, the mandala of the “Six Majors” — an award for every athlete who completes the six most important marathons in the world: Chicago, Boston, New York, Berlin, London and Tokyo.

The feat takes on special contours because, in this mandala delivery round, Dr. Drauzio was the oldest athlete to receive the award. He completed the 42km of the London marathon, the last one that was missing from his collection, at the age of 79 years, 5 months and 1 day old.

What does this have to do with me? Dr Drauzio doesn’t know, but his book “Running: The Exercise, the City and the Marathon Challenge” was my bedside reading when I decided to run my first marathon.

It was Dr. Drauzio who explained the importance of discipline, and how routine is more decisive than willpower. The runner gets out of bed because he is used to it, because shoes and clothes are already separated and because he doesn’t question whether to run or not. There’s no time for doubt. Relying only on willpower, without a method or a routine, is an invitation to return to a sedentary lifestyle.

I learned from Dr Drauzio that feeling lazy was normal. After all, it’s hundreds of thousands of years of evolution of the human species programming our genetic code to save energy instead of wasting it. “Has anyone ever seen a jaguar at the zoo taking a run after lunch to lose its belly,” he wrote.

It was Dr Drauzio who said it was okay to have a glass of wine or have a family lunch on the eve of an important race. We are amateur athletes, and the most important thing is to keep to the routine and enjoy the race. The amateur’s prize is to cross the finish line physically well and happy.

Dr Drauzio taught that giving up a race is never an option for the runner, but sometimes it is a necessity. The next day life starts again.

In one of the most striking passages in the book, Dr. Drauzio describes the emotion of crossing the finish line of a marathon alongside his daughter. I remembered the text when I ran the last 200 meters of the marathon holding hands with my 4-year-old son.

Congratulations on the achievement, Dr. Drauzio. Every runner knows it’s just a medal, but it’s not just a medal. And much more. Who knows, maybe this is the inspiration I needed to run after my mandala?

PS: I take this text to greet the incredible Denise Amaral, who won her third mandala in London. She has run 161 marathons, 27 times in New York, 6 in Tokyo, 4 in Berlin, 4 in Chicago, 3 in London and 3 in Boston. Another huge inspiration for any runner.