Kaspersen (28) won one of the world’s most prestigious mountain races on Friday, the CCC (Courmayeur/Champex/Chamonix). She did that superbly – with almost 40 minutes down to second place. – I don’t think it has fully dawned on me. It has been a dream for a long time, she says to news. But the feat did not come without drama in charging. The Tromsø runner considered withdrawing days before the race around Mont Blanc in the French Alps. SENSATION: Here, Kaspersen runs what she describes as her dream race, and the highlight of her running career. Photo: Ian Corless / adidas TERREX – I had some muscular problems the day before the race and wasn’t sure if I could start. I decided the day before in the afternoon, says Kaspersen. – Not optimal The ultra race she won on Friday is over 100 kilometers long. It runs from Courmayeur in Italy, via Champex Lac in Switzerland to Chamonix in France. The trail goes over mountains and through terrain with an ascent of around 6,000 metres. During the race, she had to take in a lot of nutrition and had, among other things, put snacks in her running vest. – Candied pears, cola bottles and sour pacifiers from the small goodies shelf are my favourites, says Kaspersen. She was able to squeeze in the sensational race alongside a hectic everyday life as a doctor in Ålesund. There she works full-time on a rotating basis. – It is not optimal with sports investment that you have a full-time job on the side. It is mostly the restitution that goes beyond. Kaspersen’s running commitment started properly in 2015. She believes that the combination of medical studies and work has been the biggest challenge along the way in her sports venture. – There have been periods that have been challenging. Exam periods, among other things. There, I have made hard priorities that have gone beyond sports. She admits that it fluctuates a lot if you are going to bet, with all that entails. – It’s a short way from heaven to down, she says. Former national team player Multi-artist is perhaps a word you can use to describe Kaspersen. Because it is not only on terrain and over a doctor’s table that she can excel. The 28-year-old has several age-specific national team matches in football, including for Norway’s J19 team. – I worked hard against it at one point, but then I got fed up. NATIONAL TEAM PLAYER: Kaspersen invested in football for a long time and played for the club team Fløya. Photo: Privat The last national team meeting she was part of was in 2019. In 2015, she fully invested in running. – Running has always been a bit close. I took a chance on it. It has worked and I can’t say I regret it today. I did not imagine 7-8 years ago that I would run 100 kilometers in the mountains. Yngvild Kaspersen’s ultra running tips 1. Get enough nutrition – Sugared pears, cola bottles and sour pacifiers from the small goodies shelf are my favourites. If you’re going to run long distances, it’s important to get enough nutrition along the way. – If you ask ten different runners, you will get ten different answers about what they eat along the way. I prefer snacks, it makes it more pleasurable to ingest sugar, says Kaspersen. She also drinks sugar water, and has fried potato boats with her to get extra salt. 2. Build capacity over time Kaspersen started investing in running around seven years ago. Gradually, the trips have become longer, and she now thrives best on mountains and terrain – from the half-marathon distance upwards. She recommends practicing what you want to be good at. You have to build the capacity to be on your feet for a long time, and out in the mountains for a long time. But she is more of a fan of continuity over time rather than many long sessions that increase the risk of injury. 3. Lower the risk of getting injured – Do a little less so you don’t get injured and sick. Then you can add a few long trips here and there. The most important thing is to avoid getting injured, so you don’t end up with long periods where you don’t get to train. 4. It’s in the head Kaspersen says that of course you have to be in good enough shape physically, but that the big challenge is to work mentally on persuading yourself to finish. – It’s fascinating how much you manage to push yourself. It is hard to run for so many hours, and so many meters of altitude, but you can do more than you think. The most important thing is not to stop, and to get enough nutrition. Next dream race Now that the victory in the dream race is secured, Kaspersen plans to take it easy over the autumn and enjoy the victory. – What makes the victory in this race so cool is that I won an entrance ticket to another race that I really want to participate in, says Kaspersen. With the victory in Chamonix in her pocket, she has a guaranteed place in the Western States 100 miles which will be held in California next June. It is one of the world’s biggest ultra races that is very difficult to qualify for, and there are many who fight for the opportunity to participate. – I think that is the next dream race, she says.
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Lege (28) played on the national team – took a sensational victory in a 100-kilometer race – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcast schedule
