Quick Facts
Athlete Introduction
Full Name
Aidan Tanti
Country/Nationality
Maltese
Short Bio
I was always into sports since I was young, and like most kids, I started playing football until the age of 11. Later on, I had a go at Handball, where I had two spells between the age of 15-18 and again from 22 to 30. During the latter period, I managed to make it to the Maltese National team and represented Malta in various International competitions. Towards the end I started transitioning to long distance running more and more, until ultimately I made the switch.
Athlete’s Stats
Discipline/Category
Long Distance Running
Personal Bests
15:13 – 5Km
31:56 – 10Km
1:10:20 – Half Marathon
2:23:59 – Full Marathon
Career Highlights
Highlights
Most memorable moments to date are, representing Malta in the off-road running championships, Canary Islands and Annecy, France. The level in those races is extremely high and to race against top athletes is something that I always wanted. However, the latest one is the Full Marathon in Valencia, where I spent loads of hours training for it, to finish it in 2:23:59.
Awards
Currently fastest O35 Full Marathon Maltese.
Training and Mindset
Training
I train about 12-14 hours a week, mostly running. However, lately I’ve been adding cycling sessions due to a persistent injury, and core/strength sessions as well. Most of the running sessions are z1 runs with a couple of speed sessions / threshold sessions on specific days.
Coaches/Teams
Has Kesra / Evolve Endurance Club
Motivation (quotes/thoughts/mindset)
There are various different ways I motivate myself, however my main motivation usually comes from people that doubt me.
Personal Touch
Hobbies/Interests
Most of my hobbies revolve around sports. Road cycling, swimming, football.
Inspirations
I don’t have anyone in particular, however I love an underdog’s story. Someone who was given no chance at all, and somehow managed to find a way and make it to the top.
Questions
About Their Running Journey
When and how did you start running?
It all started when I turned 25, I always liked athletics and one day I decided that I want to do a Half Marathon, so I applied for the Malta Half Marathon. I had no clue what I was getting into and leading up to the race I only ‘trained’ around 120 kms in 6 months and all my sessions where at target pace (5min/km).
Do you remember your first race? What was it like?
Yeah, looking back at it now, it was terrible. Went out too fast at 4:45 min/km and after 12km my legs started to shut down. Walked and ran for most of the second part of the race. I remember asking myself a lot of questions during the race, What are you doing here? Why are you doing it? Why don’t you stop?, but somehow I kept on going and still managed to finish exactly in 1:45, which was my goal.
Side note, lessons were not learnt as I did the same exact thing in 2016 and 2017 until eventually I decided to follow an online training program in 2018.
What motivates you to keep running even on tough days?
As stated above, what motivates me the most is that people doubt me or look down on me from time to time. Also, I always want to do better than my last race, so when I don’t feel like running (and believe me, it happens a lot), I start thinking about that finish line feeling when the target is missed.
Training and Preparation
How do you prepare mentally and physically for a big race?
I am not someone who gets excited before a race. Experience taught me that you’re going to have good and bad days whilst training, so I keep as calm as possible and stick to the plan or if needed adjust it slightly. I know what I can deliver so I keep focused and when race day comes, I’m always confident that I can achieve my target time. Physically I make sure to not miss out on any sessions unless I’m injured, and taper down close to the race as my coach asks me to do.
What role does nutrition play in your training?
Very important, usually 3 months before an ‘A Race’ I start reducing Junk food (not that I eat a lot), sweets and alcohol, and switch over to a well balanced diet which includes a mix of carbs, protein and veg. This helps me recover and refuel in the best way possible so that I’m ready for my next training session, especially during a high intense period.
What’s your go-to pre-race meal?
I usually have a specific 2/3 day diet leading up to a race, however I am not going to disclose it here ;). When it comes to pre-race, it really depends on the race. If it’s a short one, I’ll go for toast with peanut butter, jam and honey. For longer ones, HM or FM I add a banana and dates along with the toast.
Personal Records and Achievements
Which race or event has been the most challenging for you?
I would say the Full Marathon. As a race I can’t say that it was the most challenging, however training leading up to the race was tough especially because I have been nursing a foot injury for quite a while.
What’s the toughest course or trail you’ve ever run?
Toughest race by far was the Transpelmo SkyRace in Dolomiti, Italy. The distance is 19 km which is nothing out of this world, however elevation was 1600 up and back down. Uphills and downhills were brutal, running for a long time on a mountain’s edge. Took me 2h30min to finish it, more than the Full Marathon.
What’s your dream race or bucket-list event?
One day I really would like to do UTMB. However not yet as right now my main focus is on Road racing.
Mindset and Motivation
How do you deal with self-doubt or mental blocks?
I don’t self-doubt myself a lot, or if I do, I always tell myself that this is not a life or death situation, so if I fail, it’s not a problem, I’ll make sure that next time I don’t.
How do you balance running with the rest of your life?
I plan ahead during the weekend on how the next week is going to look like. Plan includes what time I am going to train? Where? and what the session is going to be. We all got jobs, families and other stuff to do but if needed I wake up very early or train late to make sure not to miss training.
What advice would you give to runners struggling with motivation?
Push through it. It happens to all of us, so you’re not on your own. Also, I tend to look at different ways to train if I’m not motivated (cycling, swimming, hiit).
Community and Impact
What’s the best part about being part of the running community?
Best part is that although it’s an individual sport, you make a lot of friends through this sport. I’ve got to know some very nice people through the running community.
How do you encourage others to start running?
People tend to start and stop because they think it’s not for them. However, most people start on the wrong foot, thinking that they have to push to the limit straight away to be successful. I would suggest looking for running groups and joining them, sign up for a race and do some research online on how to train if you don’t want to be coached. Once your body starts getting used to running and you’ll start seeing improvement month on month, you’ll probably stick to it.
Do you have any favourite running events you recommend to others?
If you like being in nature, and road running is not for you, look for trail running. We’ve got some beautiful spots and races on the island.
Message
My final message is going to be that it’s never too late to start running. Make sure to do some research before you start, as for someone to improve, he/she doesn’t need to run fast in every session to become better. Running keeps you fit and you’ll meet a lot of new faces along the way.
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