More than an athlete, Virginia Finol is a true warrior. There is no strength sport that can resist it. She is a three-time Spanish Powerlifting champion, practices Herri Kirolak or Rural Sports and has participated in renowned crossfit competitions such as the French Throwdown, the Amsterdam Throwdown and has just placed second in the Masters +35 category of the CrossFit Lowlands Throwdown.
This Venezuelan living in Pamplona is, as you can see, a warrior who seeks above all to have a good time doing what she likes most.
Discover this powerful PicSil athlete.
Congratulations on placing second in the CrossFit Lowlands Throwdown in the +35 category. How do you feel after this victory?
I still can't believe I finished second in the Lowlands. Before going we knew about the WODs and we knew that they were favorable because they did not include any exercises that I am particularly bad at, so I was very happy because I knew I was going to enjoy each WOD. That was my goal, to enjoy each WOD and try to improve the 7th position in the qualifier.
What objectives did you have? How have you prepared?
My goal for any championship is always to try to improve the position I did in the qualifier. In this case I came in seventh and my goal was to finish seventh or better. My preparation is led by Alex Fernández (Head Coach of CrossFit Runa) and as it has been a goal for months, he has been in charge of adjusting it to reach the best possible level. Furthermore, as we have been knowing where some WODs were in advance, we have been able to work on some weaknesses to get better.
How was the competition?
At the end of the first day, I felt completely satisfied. I placed sixth in the 1,600m race and second in WOD 2 (sprint and sandbag). With that I could go home, which already seemed incredible to me.
On the second day, I won a WOD with Thruster and Muscle Ups. And I finished the day in second position. Talking to my husband that day in the afternoon, we both agreed that it didn't matter finishing second or fifth, that the job was more than done (winning a WOD was something I didn't expect). So the third day was to enjoy.
As I already said, I came second because the championship was favorable. If they put me in a WOD with a pool, a longer race, or a WOD with heavy OHS, the result would have been very different. Despite the final result, I have come away with work for the coming months. There is still much to improve.
You have not officially participated in the Open but you have done some WOD. How do you see the evolution of the exercises in this competition and your own evolution as an athlete?
It seems good to me that they are becoming more demanding, as for example this year has happened with strict HSPUs. It would be nice if we saw more exercises like this, like strict muscle ups. This evolution is normal, since the level is higher each year among athletes. The current level has nothing to do with what we had 5 or 6 years ago when I started.
My evolution has been slow but sure. Taking into account that I am already 38 years old and I started CrossFit after I was 30, I am very satisfied with the small steps I am taking. I would have liked to evolve faster, but for that I should have started at age 20, or have more time to improve my weaknesses, but I am realistic and my goal is to improve but also enjoy.
What do you think of the new classification modality for the Games?
It doesn't affect us master athletes (much less me since I'm not even close to that) since the system has not changed. But regarding the change of elite athletes, I do think it is being a bit confusing and that there will be many differences. Maybe I miss that there are minimums (as in other sports) to be able to qualify and so that the best really arrive, which is what we as spectators want to see.
But, this is a season of “adaptation” so it is too early to give an opinion, I believe that 2020 is when we will really see “the new Games” and we will be able to give more judgment.
Who do you think can win? Do you think someone can surprise us at the Games?
I think everything is already distributed. The few competitions that have been held where Mat Fraser and Tia-Clair Toomey have participated have won, sweeping, so I don't expect any surprises. And if there is, I would like Annie Thorisdottir to win the Games again.
Which athletes should be followed closely?
Apart from the classics: Fraser, BKG, Vellner, Tia-Clair, the Dottirs,...
On the men's side, I really like Willy Georges, I see him as a young Fraser who still needs to evolve but who is showing a lot (in the 2018 Games he already won some WOD). We'll see what he's capable of this year.
In the women's draw, Jamie Green has had several very good years (she won the 2017 Open, was second in Dubai in 2018,...) and it may be interesting to see her progression this year and if she becomes a threat to the Icelanders and the Australian.
You are a CrossFit athlete in the Master category and also a Powerlifter. How is your day?
Now I have put Powerlifting on hold, but one day in my life…. The month before Lowlands went something like this:
I get up at 6 in the morning, I have a coffee with some carbohydrates and protein and I train at 7. I don't usually get to 1 hour of training because at 8 I have to go to work (I am a classroom and guided activities monitor – functional, cross training,…) and I have a powerful shake (cereals, protein, peanut butter, almond milk) for breakfast on the way.
Around 10 I am free again, I go home and try to sleep for 10 or 20 minutes, I have lunch (2 grilled eggs, with avocado and fruit) and I go to the second session around 12, here I already invest a little more than 1 hour and a half. Let's eat (my favorite is a vegetable stew that weighs almost 1kg when put on the plate hahaha) and work all afternoon (snack similar to lunch). If I'm lucky I go back to sleep for another 10 minutes before or after eating. I leave work late (9:30 p.m.), so I go straight to dinner (example: a tomato, beet, quinoa salad and a 4-egg omelette with vegetables), Netflix and sleep.
My diet is led by Iñaki Dominguez , who in addition to being a nutritionist is a CrossFit competitor and knows very well how tired I am, what supplementation is good for me, etc. I have always had it a little my own way but for about 9 months I have been stricter and the results are being seen in the performance.
And in times of competition?
It doesn't vary much, there is a little more hydrate because there is usually more wear and tear (the training is usually more demanding).
What is the difference between crossfit and powerlifting training?
When I competed, actually, I trained CrossFit and between 15 and 30 days before the Powerlifting Championships I did more strength sessions and less CrossFit. One of the reasons for leaving was precisely that, that it was no longer enough for me to do that, I was going to need to dedicate myself much more to Powerlifting if I wanted to continue evolving. So I had to choose, and I am clear. CrossFit comes first.
What do you think of the level of Spanish athletes? And what about the competitions in Spain?
In Spain the level is rising a lot lately. On the men's side we have Alexander Anasagasti (Fittest 2018 and 2019) who will go to the Games this year and people who are now starting to look more like Fabian Beneito or Asier Sánchez who are at the Sanctionals level. Among the women there are also new faces who are coming in very strong like Helena Carratalá (who has already been in several Sanctionals) and Silvia García (who will be).
It seems to me that the competitions in Spain still have a lot of work to do. One of the biggest problems I see is that they are not designed for the athlete or the public. That is something that they do take great care of outside of here. An example so that it is understood: I competed in December in Amsterdam and I was not cold, and I competed in December in Spain and I got bronchitis from the cold in the pavilion and the warm-up area.
It is not easy to organize a competition, it is not cheap and it also involves many people (volunteers) dedicating their free time to make it go well. In that regard, anyone who gets involved in this deserves my respect. But if it is done well elsewhere, why not here?
What do you think of the Fittest in Spain performances? Do you think they have options to stay in a good position?
I think they already know where they are (at least Alexander, as he himself comments in the interview ) and that the goal is to enjoy the experience, give it everything and go as far as possible.
For Sara Alicia it is not the first time, so she probably has things gained (where to stay, where to eat or buy quality food,...), while Alex will have to experience all of this for the first time, and in this type of event the experience is noticeable.
Do you see yourself at the Games next year?
NO. Literally impossible. Only the 10 best master athletes in the world come to the Games. This year not even Elia Navarro has managed to enter that Top10. I am very aware of my level and I am very far from that Top10.
What are your goals for 2019?
After CrossFit Lowlands, I am taking a few more relaxed weeks of training, but for the next 6 months my idea is to try to qualify for the Amsterdam Throwdown (November 22-24) and I think we will do the Open in October. Although the Open is not a goal, it is a competition that I have never been good at, so I will do it more as an opportunity to see my evolution and detect things to improve.
Outside of CrossFit I have an important goal for me which is to do a stone lifting exhibition during the Sanfermines in Pamplona. I have a very deep respect for the Herri Kirolak , and I would like to do it well (it is not so much about the number of lifts I do but about doing them with the correct technique, that they are beautiful).
