CCC Finisher at UTMB Mont-Blanc 2026, Tijana Pljeskonjic trained with Arduua and Coach David Garcia throughout nine months of consistent preparation, building the strength, endurance, race strategy and confidence needed to complete 108 km and around 6,000 metres of elevation gain through the Alps.
When Tijana started training with Arduua in January 2026, she already had big ambitions and plenty of determination. What she needed was structure — and someone who could help her decide which goals really mattered, balance training and recovery, and prepare specifically for the demands of a 100K mountain ultra.
That became a close collaboration with David, with the training continuously adapted around her lifestyle, travel, available terrain and development as a runner.
“David took a great interest in my motivations and psychological process, so from the beginning it felt like a partnered journey.”
The preparation went far beyond simply building endurance. Together they worked on pacing, strength, nutrition, race strategy and mindset. One of David’s most important lessons became a mantra for Tijana: in an ultra, the race starts towards the end.
In the week before CCC, when doubts started to appear, David reminded her to trust all the work they had already done. That message stayed with her throughout the race.
“We have done the work, we have the muscle memory, the tank is more than full.”
After around 25 hours in the mountains, including a long and difficult night battling extreme sleepiness, Tijana reached Chamonix and completed CCC.
Looking back, she is very clear about the importance of the coaching relationship:
“Working with David for months was the key to all of this. I don’t think I could have made it if I kept working alone and with my mindset and training methodology from the year before.”
For Tijana, CCC was not only a finish line. It was proof of what can happen when determination is combined with structured training, long-term preparation and a strong coach-athlete partnership.
And it is only the beginning of the next chapter.
– Tijana Pljeskonjic, Team Arduua
Read more about Tijana’s preparation, her collaboration with Coach David Garcia and the 25-hour journey through the Alps in the blog Road to CCC: Tijana’s Journey to UTMB Mont-Blanc 2026.