Ty Draney, Ronda dels Cims 2013 copyright iancorless.com
Ty Draney has been racing for over ten years in trail and ultra races, however, this is his first time racing in Europe. To say he is starting at the top, certainly in terms of difficulty is an understatement. He is prepared though and as he says, if all goes really well he may finish in one and a half days, or if things prove a little tough, it may be three. To be honest, he will be happy with something between the two I am sure.
Just five days to go to the 2013 Transvulcania La Palma on the island of La Palma in the Canaries. Without doubt one of the racing highlights of the 2013 calendar. It is a who’s who of ultra running and here is the current confirmed line up for May 11th.
Make sure you follow all the race build up by Talk Ultra. I will be uploading images and commentary to Facebook, Twitter and this website. In addition, I will be conducting pre race audio and video interviews.
On race day we will keep you informed of all the action, phone connections allowing. Rest assured, we will be providing all the information and excitement as this iconic event unfolds.
Emelie burst onto the running scene in 2012 with a 2nd place at the Three Peaks in the UK. Throughout 2012, taking one step at a time, Emelie progressed through the Skyrunning calendar with consistent top 3 placing’s. She crowned her 2012 season off with a Skyrunning World Championship and a stunning win at San Francisco 50. Speaking from her home in Sweden, I catch up with her just before her 2013 run season starts. Cinnamon buns are in the oven and the hot chocolate is steaming on the table…
IC Welcome to Talk Ultra
EF Thank you Ian.
IC We all have followed your progress in 2012 and it has been a quick progression in the sport, but many ask, what were you doing before?
EF I have been a student for some years. Whilst studying I have lived and worked in Swedish and Norwegian mountain resorts.
IC You have mentioned work, I’m interested. By work I am assuming you don’t mean skiing or running?
EF Baking. I am a baker. In fact, I am actually baking bread right now.
IC So this is why you always post photos of you and food on Facebook. You have a secret passion.
EF (laughs) I love good bakery!
IC You love bakery but you also love Nutella if my memory serves me well?
EF Yes, I love Nutella too.
IC So you are a baker but you also worked in hotels too, I assume you must have been doing sport during this time. You are an accomplished skier, is that your sporting background?
EF Skiing is my sport as well as climbing and some running. But I only started running in the last 4 years. I run mainly in the mountains. I love being outside.
IC What was it at the end of 2011 that made you decide that you would come away from your home and start to basically to race around the world.
EF It was my Swedish brand ambassador for Salomon who asked if I would join the Swedish Salomon Team initially and then Greg Vollet, Salomon Team Manager, asked if I would join them for a weeks training? After that a decision was made that I should try some international races. I have just progressed. I wanted to take each race at a time. I didn’t want to put too much pressure on.
IC It has been a meteoric rise for you, Three Peaks was a low-key start in the UK and you got 2nd place. At Zegama, it was your first proper mountain race against an international field. You had no hiding place. But despite that pressure, you performed tremendously in what was a new experience for you.
EF Yes, a new experience. Actually, I was a little disappointed. I hadn’t run much before Three Peaks and Zegama. Of course I was happy to do well but I could have done so much better. I learnt I need to start running before racing.
IC Funny, you say you should run before racing. Seriously, you did no running before Three Peaks? What had you been doing?
EF I had a weeks running in April with the Salomon Team but when home I was doing SkiMo (Ski Mountaineering) or I just ran a couple of miles to University each day. So I wasn’t doing much. Certainly not to race. I do ski with heavy ski’s to add resistance and that really gets you fit and strong.
IC One thing that becomes apparent with mountain runners is that SkiMo plays a big part in winter prep. For example Kilian Jornet, Nuria Picas, and Philipp Reiter amongst others spend months during the winter doing this. Skiing really does transfer across well. Is it just great endurance training or does is provide other strengths.
EF Endurance is key. It is great uphill training too and the speed in SkiMo is great. The speed going downhill is great for downhill running. You learn not to be afraid, it builds confidence.
IC What is apparent is that you can go downhill really quickly. You have already gained a reputation for this. You put this to great use at Pikes Peak when at the summit you had a 10 min deficit but you pulled it back on the descent and got the win! What is that enables you to run downhill so quickly?
EF I love the speed and freedom. I love fast! You don’t need great power. During my life I have always been moving in technical terrain, which gives me confidence to recognize different kinds of trails and decide the correct route. I am not afraid. It’s a combination of no fear and confidence.
Trofeo Kima 2012 copyright Ian Corless
IC I think back to Trofeo Kima in 2012, you said before the race that you wanted to just have fun! You even took sandwiches…. On one of the toughest courses in the Skyrunning calendar!
EF I did
IC Admittedly you didn’t get time to eat them… the course was too hard. But I love the mentality. You wanted to enjoy it. I love that balance that you bring to your sport. You want to do well but ultimately you want to have fun. You have struck that balance so well. At Trofeo Kima you ran with Nuria Picas and then Nuria pulled away but you weren’t bothered, however, that competitive edge came in at the end when you could sprint for 2nd place. You put the ‘speed’ you love to good use then.
EF It’s a combination for sure. I want to have fun and I like to win. Running is great fun, for sure, my life is running. It’s liberating, it’s a big part of me. I must enjoy it. I need to enjoy what I do. Competition is great, I love to feel strong and I do love to race. Winning is great and once you have won, you think, I would like to win more but I need to keep balance.
IC I feel fortunate to have witnessed most of your races in 2012, the exception San Francisco when you won. I saw you on multiple podiums. But I also saw both sides of you… the fun person and the racer. For me, the race of the year was Cavalls del Vent. You are great friends with Nuria and Frosty and pre race you three hang out together. You laugh, giggle, drink coffee and even when racing you are great friends having a laugh. At Cavalls, all three of you battled in tough conditions. As it turned out Nuria won and Frosty was 2nd but for you 3rd was not a disappointment. It was your first long race. Did you feel intimidated by the distance?
EF I wanted to try a longer race. If you have never tried then you don’t know what it feels like. I needed to push myself. I actually started at Cavalls quite fast and I lead for almost half the race. I felt super strong. I could eat, I could drink, it was cold but I could manage it. In the end when Nuria and Anna passed me, I was mentally tired. Just super tired in my brain. I couldn’t push even though I wasn’t tired. Running uphill with Anna I couldn’t go with her. It was very unusual. We probably only had 40 mins to the finish of the race and Anna screamed at me “Come on Emily, push”. But I was just tired. I learnt something in that race.
IC What did you learn, what did you take away from Cavalls?
Cavalls del Vent copyright Ian Corless
EF I think I need to work on my mind and my physical. I need to connect them and I need to be stronger. It was my first long race and it was much longer than I had ever run before. To be honest, it is good to run with others too. I learnt that maybe running with others is better than running alone.
IC It is interesting what you say about running with others and talking. That is one thing that Kilian likes. I noticed it at Cavalls, he always seemed as though he wanted some company. In that race it was Anton Krupicka. Of course when it comes to the end, he runs away for the win. I guess time passes so much easier and quickly with company…
From Cavalls you went to La Templiers in France, which starts in Millau. It’s a big race in France. You raced Nuria and Lizzy Hawker. Nuria once again won. But you really gritted your teeth and outsprinted Lizzy for 2nd.
EF Yes it was satisfying but that race was problematic. I had stomach issues and I had to stop six or seven times. So that took energy. Plus I couldn’t eat. I felt I could have done so much better. I could have run with Nuria but I don’t know if I could have won? At the end I almost felt rude sprinting past Lizzy…
IC Racing is racing Emelie and Lizzy would have done exactly the same so don’t feel guilty.
Lets move to the final of 2012. Ultimately your best race, not only a stunning victory but a nice payday too, eh! (First prize in the Ladies race was $10,000)
EF Yes! a nice payday.
IC San Fran, funny, so many races have had difficult and tough with bad weather. It was no different here. Do you perform better when the conditions are like this?
EF Maybe not better but I am used to harsh conditions and I don’t worry.
IC San Fran was a great win. Talk me through it. Pre race I actually predicted you wouldn’t win because I thought you maybe had a little too much time skiing after Templiers. However, you proved me wrong, I hang my head in shame; I should have had more confidence in you. Talk me through it.
EF I wanted to start with Lucy and Maud Gobert. They are famous for being fast starters. I tried to keep up with them but very early on I thought I can’t go this fast… I was a little scared. Normally it is ME that starts fast. I slowed down. I felt confident and I was feeling okay and then two American girls passed. I then thought, wow, have I not run enough and have I had too many buns and hot chocolate (laughs) After about 20k I could see them again and I started to reel them in. I passed Lucy; she wasn’t having a good day. When the American girls picked up pacers I passed them too, this was about 30k into the race.
IC Early on then?
EF Yes, I still felt confident. I was not tired and I was looking forward to keeping on running at the same pace. Just before I picked up Anna Frost, my pacer, I passed Maud Gobert who was leading the race. I was now in the lead! I thought, I can do it… I had started the race slower and it was working. It was a great confidence boost. Anna was such a great pacer. We had such fun. She kept telling me “you can win”. It was great to be at the front, leading. It was fantastic. At the finish I was almost nervous, I had never won a long distance race before. When you think you can win, you really want it and then the nerves strike. I had a perfect day out.
IC It was a stunning win and a great way to end an incredible 2012. Can I ask, you say you started slower, it payed dividends in the latter stages, do you think that is something you will now transfer to other races? Maybe patience is good and you should hold back?
EF Yes and no. Sometimes I just want to run the way I feel like and not have tactics. I wonder to myself if can go fast all race without slowing, so why start slow (Laughs) Greg Vollet would not agree! He thinks I should start slower.
IC Shhhh we wont tell Greg. Greg, if you are reading this, she didn’t say that!
EF (Laughs)
IC I understand, lets say for example you are racing Nuria and Anna; you would rather be with them instead of watching them run away. Better to be with them and then you can adjust your pace accordingly, it may well be that you are running easy?
EF Yes, maybe.
IC What is on your 2013 calendar? Tarawera kicks off the year but that will be a low-key start as you are doing a relay. So will Transvulcania be the first big race?
EF Yes, I am not ready for 100k at Tarawera yet. I have planned to do some run coaching holidays and then I will go to Transvulcania La Palma. Transvulcania will be my first ‘proper’ race of 2013.
IC Superb, it’s a wonderful course and it will be great to see you racing Frosty and Nuria and some other great competitive ladies. Another classic battle lies ahead. After that, where do you go? Zegama?
EF Yes, Zegama.
IC Zegama is two week later and is a Sky marathon so will the remainder of the year be decided after these two races or do you already have 2013 planned out.
EF It’s almost planned out but I need to be flexible and I need to listen to my body. So I will change races if I need to
IC Can you tell us what your plans are?
EF I have several races in Sweden, mainly half marathons. Then I want to do Mont Blanc Marathon and the Vertical Kilometer, I will follow these two races with the European Champs (Skyrunning), I may even do Ice Trail Tarentaise.
IC Will you do UROC for the final of the Skyrunning Ultra champs?
EF Yes, I hope so. It will be my first 100k. It will be more distance than I have run before, so, I need to feel good but if I do, I will run.
IC An exciting year ahead and all those races are pretty much Skyrunning events. Exciting.
Trofeo Kima copyright Ian Corless
I have some questions from fans for you, is that okay?
EF Sure
ICJames Stewart asks, “Have you had a VO2 test?”
EF No, I have not. I’m not interested. Maybe some day.
IC I guess in principal a VO2 test doesn’t matter, you are running well and you can run quickly. That is all we, and you need to know.
Cavalls del Vent copyright Ian Corless
IC Who would you like to race in the future?
EF I would love to race against so many, I enjoyed racing Lucy at San Francisco. Maybe it would be nice to race more of the American runners. They are very good and they have a different approach. I’d also love to race Ellie Greenwood.
IC If you do some races in the US, particularly Speedgoat and UROC then that wish may come true. I think Ellie is doing Speedgoat 50k.
Daniel Caulderon asks, “What is your nutrition plan?” Not sandwiches at Trofeo Kima and not cinnamon buns with hot chocolate.
EF I don’t have a nutrition plan. I recommend that you listen to your body. I always eat what I want. But I do eat lots of vegetables, beans and salad. But I love hot chocolate and cinnamon buns too!
ICJill Suarez says, “I want the recipe for Nutella Brownies”
EF Shall I tell you the recipe now?
IC No, email me and we will add it afterwards.
RECIPE
2 eggs
2 dl (0.2 l) sugar
5 big spoons of kakao
A small spoon of vanilla sugar
Very little salt
100 g butter
1 dl (0.1 l) Wheat
A little coffee
Stir the and the eggs and sugar very gently ( no whisking!)
Things to add in the cake: everything you like! I prefer nutella, walnuts, m&m´s or chocolate pieces.
Then add all the ingredients, put it in the owen at 175 Celsius. 15-20 minutes depending how you like the consistent to be like!
Enjoy!
This was what I eat during my first mountain marathon! Nyam nyam!
Apparently best served with Almond Milk….
Emelie, I want to finish and once again thank you for your time. It’s a pleasure to spend time with you. You are one of the most ‘smiley’ people on the ultra scene. What you do in racing is reflected in your smile. You love it and that is great to see. Have a fantastic 2013 and I am so looking forward to catching up with you in the mountains during the coming year.
Philipp Reiter makes me laugh… he makes me laugh lots! 21 years old, the world is ahead of him and he embraces each day as though it was his last. His passion for life and running is matched by his appetite for the ‘buffet’ at our hotel. Boy can he eat!
In 2012, he emerged on the ‘world’ stage by clocking up a series of top 10 places and wins that only a fool could ignore. He won the Salaomon Four Trails ahead of Thomas Lorblanchet and Francois d’Haene. He teamed up with teammate, Iker Karrera at Trans Alpine and won. He suffered a little at Transvulcania, ran strong at Trofeo Kima and dug deep at Cavalls del Vent.
After Trofeo Kima I asked him what his aspirations are for the future….
“I want to be the new Kilian” he replied.
Today, just before we headed out on to the beach to take the photos that you can see in the post, I questioned him again. His answer today?
“I want to beat Kilian”
He has just spent the last two to three months ski mountaineering and this weekend he lines up at the 83km TNF Trans Gran Canaria to take on a competetive field that includes teammate, Ryan Sandes. With no running in his legs is it possible to perform over 83km on tough trail? Philipp thinks so.
On the trails yesterday, Philipp flew off like a man possessed. It was hard to believe that he hadn’t run… no small stops to ease himself in. No, not at all. He bounded and leaped down the trail as though some binding shackles had been removed.
“When you take the skis off and run, you feel so light. It’s incredible. It’s a joy to run” said Philipp in my 30+ min interview scheduled to be aired in episode 30 of Talk Ultra on March 8th.
“The break from running freshens the mind, it’s a good thing, I love sport, I love cycling, I love going to the gym, I love variety. That is what is so exciting about what I do”
You can see the logic. Look at his peer group; Kilian Jornet, Nuria Picas, Emelie Forsberg and so on… they all turn from trails to snow in the winter months.
This coming weekend will show us how Philipp’s form is after months of no running. But ultimately the 83km on Saturday are only small and tiny steps on what will be a very interesting 2013 season.
A full set of images from today are available HERE
You can listen to my interview with Philipp on the next episode of Talk Ultra. It will be available for ‘free’ download on iTunes, Libsyn and talk ultra.com.
It was a cold night in the mountains… the hot temperatures on the coast at lunch had disappeared. Wrapped under four blankets and still fully dressed during the night we emerged to a glorious new day.
As the sun rose so did the temperature. It wasn’t really hot but hey, it was warm enough. A couple of hours on the trails to allow me to capture images, that is all I needed. I love the light in the mountains. It’s warm and at this time of the year the sun is low in the sky providing some strong directional light.
Gran Canaria has some incredible trails and when you put Ryan Sandes, Philipp Reiter and Trailschnittchen Julia Böttger on them and only good things can come of it.
Philipp was like a wound up cork, he literally hasn’t run for 3 months. He has been skiing. It didn’t affect him, he shot up the trail immediately and we chased. What followed was a series of memorable moments on some incredible trail. Here is a highlight but you can see all the images HERE.
Our morning fun over we left for the coast at midday. A leisurely lunch of fresh seafood and salad with views of the beach. The break over and another short journey, we arrived at what can only be referred to as a palace. Our hotel for 2 nights, the H10. In incredible hotel.
Ryan Sandes did a talk and presented a video of his Fish River Canyon run. It was a really enlightening and informal chat… I have to say, Ryan came out with some great quotes:
“My first marathon was like a teenager having sex… It wasn’t pretty!”
“I enjoy the mental aspect of ultra trail races. Immense highs and lows. I’ve learnt lots about myself. But it’s about enjoyment. I really respect those runners that take twice as long to complete the race than I do…. But, they get better value for money!”
“Lots of foot prints on the trail, do you follow them or do you make your own?”
So as our first day draws to a close it’s time to make the most of the H10 hotel and take advantage of a wonderful dinner laid on for us by the management.
Not even a 4am start could dampen the spirits of the participants of the 9th edition of The Coastal Challenge in Costa Rica.
Leaving the Best Western in San Jose some 100+ racers, crew and staff made the 2.5 hour journey to the coast and the start of the first stage at Quepos. A total distance of just under 34k this day was billed as an ‘easy’ day to allow the participants to adjust to the heat and humidity. Believe me, they needed it…
Quepos is a small town on the coast of Costa Rica and the arrival of several buses was certainly a point of interest, pre-breakfast in this little town. Runners congregated at the start and prepared for the challenge ahead. Filling packs, getting bottles ready and nervously laughing.
At 0900 they left the town and the first 10k was on road or pathway. Unusual you would think for a rainforest race? But a flat 10k of consistent surface is maybe just what all the runners needed to ease them into the day ahead. As expected Dave James hit the front and stayed in that place all the way to the finish.
Dave James dominating the race from the front
I had gone to checkpoint 1 at 10k and then left following the course and ultimately would make the journey to the finish line under my own steam. My plan was to get into the jungle and then capture the runners as they approached.
Coming from a cold winter in the UK the heat and the humidity hit me straight away. Within minutes I was soaking wet and remained that way for the whole day. The front runners seemed in control but very early on it became apparent that if you pushed too hard it was going to be a tricky day.
Follow the pink ribbons
The course was a mixture of rocky fire trail and jungle. Apart from the heat the most notacable thing was the noise from the canopy. Millions and millions of insects created a chorus that was deafening.
As the course progressed and we descended down to the river, a metal bridge facilitated a safe crossing and checkpoint 3. From here it was just 6k to the finish.
The Coastal Challenge team was already busy laying out peoples tents and arranging luggage so that it was ready for our arrival.
I have to say I was pleased to see the finish line. The heat really drained and as runners arrived you could see the stress and the impact on faces.
“This is the easy day” one lady said.
“Yeah, tell me about it… today is gonna be so interesting” replied another.
Cool campsite on the beach next to the river
With a river to cool off in and food available the recovery process immediately starts. The runners, the team and the location is excellent. What more could you ask…
When the running is done, the relaxing begins
Dave James finished in 1st place in just under 3 hours (tbc)
T Dris had an excellent run to pull back into 2nd place. He had early gone off course in the day and when he passed me he said he had run an extra 6k! A top 10 finisher at MDS he has now 46 mins behind James.
In 3rd J Lupez finished just a handful of minutes behind Dris.
A recipe for success – the world’s top athletes, a dream location, three challenging events.
Two important firsts are announced by the International Skyrunning Federation today: the 2014 Skyrunning World Championships will include the ultra distance for the first time and Chamonix, the most iconic outdoor sports arena, will host the events at the end of June, 2014.
January 30, 2013
Chamonix, France, offering the most famous and spectacular mountain panorama, will stage the second Skryunning World Championships at the end of June, 2014.
Three distances will be disputed:
– The short, steep Vertical KM – 1,000 metres skywards – by night. A timed race, it will test your VO2 max to the limit.
– The Mont-Blanc Marathon – the 42 km course starts in Chamonix and finishes at 2,016m altitude, gathering 2,511m elevation gain and 1,490m on the downhill, this beautiful trail offers some of the best scenery of the Mont Blanc massif.
– The Mont-Blanc 80KM – an exclusive, new course to be inaugurated this year, it features a challenging 6,000 metres of vertical climb along ridges, over snow fields, crossing into Swiss territory and traversing glaciers in a point to point loop from the town of Chamonix.
The races are open to both individuals and teams. Individual World titles are at stake in each discipline as well as a combined title, based on the best results of two out of three races. Countries will be ranked according to the best results of three men and one woman in all three disciplines.
Held every four years, the Championships represent the second edition since the inauguration of the ISF in 2008 and the first time that the ultra distance is included.
In occasion of the first Skyrunning World Championships in 2010, winners of the individual titles were Urban Zemmer (Italy) and Laetitia Roux (France) for the Vertical Kilometer®; Kilian Jornet (Spain) and Laetitia Roux (France) for the SkyMarathon®, and the combined titles went to Nicola Golinelli (Italy) and Laetitia Roux (France). The country ranking was headed by Italy, followed by Spain and France for a total of 13 nations.
The bid for the 2014 Skyrunning World Championships has been awarded to the experienced and highly competent local organiser, the Club des Sport Chamonix, which manages year-round major international sports events.
Marino Giacometti, ISF President, commented: “We’re proud to present the World Championships in Chamonix and, with the support of the Club des Sport, we’re confident the events will be a perfect showcase for skyrunning and draw the best in the world for some intense competition.”
In 2013, the Vertical KM and the Mont-Blanc Marathon will feature on the Skyrunner® World Series calendar for the first time, an occasion to gather the world’s top athletes and thousands of participants for a preview of what is to come in 2014 – a competition to set your heart racing – starting right now!
Programme, race and entry details will be published at a later date. In the meantime see herefor details of the 2013 events. Subscribe to our newsletter for all the news and follow us on twitterand Facebook for updates.
Imagine an Island in the Indian Ocean: mountains, rainforest..a population passionate about trailrunning, a race going on it’s 20th edition. We are on the Island of La Réunion, A Trail Running Island – enjoy !
IAN CORLESS 