Interview with Paolo Bellomo and Sara Galimberti

On the occasion of the launch of the new adidas UltraBOOST Uncaged limited pack with Colour, which added the tones of red, black and white to the classic grey colourway, we decided to meet those who use these shoes in the best way possible: the captains of adidas Runners.

The 31-year-old Paolo Bellomo, marketing manager passionate about travelling and running, and Sara Galimberti, 24-year-old professional athlete always ready to challenge her limits.

In this exclusive interview they tell us what running means to them, and how it helps them to exorcise everyday problems.

Discover all the exclusive contents about UltraBOOST Uncaged on: www.oneblockdown.it/ultraboostuncaged

1. What are the characteristics a running shoe must have for a perfect performance?

Sara: My running shoe is the perfect fusion of style and performance. It must be able to give me the energy of impact with the ground back and must make me feel good after every run.

2. What do you like about the UltraBoost Uncaged? And what differentiates it from other running shoes?

Paolo: Stable, responsive and flexible, Ultra Boost Uncaged is my ideal shoe. I love the freedom of movement it gives me.

3. Three things you can’t do without while running. 

Paolo: Running is a crazy sport just because you can do without all (or almost). It takes three things to leave home and start burning kilometers: a t-shirt, shorts and shoes. Personally, I am a minimalist runner: I don’t carry the smartphone, don’t listen to music and rarely use GPS and heart rate monitors. It's just me and the road, the rest doesn’ t count.

4. What do you think of while you struggle to reach a goal?

Sara: The mental aspect of running is what makes it so special. The first kilometers are crowded with thoughts about work, calls you forgot to make and commitments you have been postponing for too long. Then everything starts to lose importance, the mind goes blank and there's only me: my breath, my sensations, the smells and colours that surround me. The race for me is one of the only times when I can fully enjoy the present, without thinking about what I should have done in the past and what I'll do in the future. It is my personal "here and now".

5. Do you prefer to run alone or in a group?

Paolo: I love to combine the two approaches. All runners are tied together by the desire to work hard to improve and then somehow they are always united in solo releases. Two runners that meet always greet each other, and in that there is a profound sense of sharing. Running alone is a personal and intimate experience, while running in group, as I do with adidas Runners, allows me to share the effort and gives me the opportunity to meet new people, laugh, have fun and learn something more about the life of each of them.

6. Your favourite itinerary in Milan?

Sara: I prefer to avoid traffic routes, traffic lights and cars. The Vettabbia park is perfect when I run alone: few people and kilometers of countryside to explore. When I am with adidas Runners, I like to run at Sempione Park because you can always follow new paths and to differentiate the workout, but also City Life and Gae Aulenti offer some truly beautiful metropolitan views. Some friends from the community still hate me for the last session on the steps of Gae Aulenti square!

7. Tell us about adidas Runners. How does it feel to be the captain of a community with which you can share the passion for running?

Paolo: Someone before me said that "Happiness is only real when shared". Adidas Runners is just that, a group with whom to share a passion, even outside of the evening workout, perhaps during the events, workshops and parties. Sharing the effort helps people to overcome their limitats more easily and find out their potential. Our strongest runners are an inspiration to those who have just begun, while beginners are able to overcome the initial difficulties because they do it in company. Running in a community means to get to the end of an exhausting workout, look up, see a friend in the same conditions, and burst out laughing. Fatigue and fun, this is adidas Runners.