Whereas Spain’s Azara García has stormed to victory in lots of races, she’ll be lining up for her first 100 miler on the 2022 UTMB. Within the following interview, Azara talks about how she’s approaching these 100 miles in another way from any race earlier than, the knee surgical procedure she had earlier this 12 months in addition to her restoration from it, and why being seen as a girl racing laborious path races is vital for the following technology of path runners.
For extra on who’s working this 12 months’s UTMB, take a look at our ladies’s and males’s previews earlier than following our UTMB dwell protection beginning on Friday.
[Thanks to Álvaro Postigo for the translation!]
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Azara García Pre-2022 UTMB Interview Transcript
iRunFar: Meghan Hicks of iRunFar. I’m with Azara García. It’s a pair days earlier than the 2022 UTMB. Hello, Azara. Hola.
Azara García: Hola. Hola todos.
iRunFar: You will have been to the UTMB pageant earlier than however a shorter distance. What’s it like to face close to the beginning line of your first 100 miler?
García: [through translator] Nicely, she’s very nervous and it’s a giant problem for her. Particularly after the previous surgical procedure in February so she’s very, she doesn’t understand how she’s coming right here. I imply, not very, she doesn’t have loads of kilometers for that distance, however she’s very assured. I imply, she’s nervous however she’s assured as a result of she ran, the longest distance is 135 kilometers, Transgrancanaria, however this distance is extra like a problem for greater than the physique, the mind. The thoughts.
iRunFar: You will have run races which can be actually lengthy earlier than. Transgrancanaria, Lavaredo Extremely Path, Extremely Pirineu. You understand, constructing as much as the 100-mile distance, does that, having accomplished these tough issues provide you with confidence in like the ultimate 40 kilometers of UTMB will go okay?
García: Sure, it’s essential to have run these distance as a result of it offers you confidence and you know the way to handle the race and all the issues you may have. And he or she’s assured concerning the distance as a result of she is aware of she will be able to run longer distance.
iRunFar: iRunFar has seen you race many occasions earlier than and you’re a, you’re a entrance runner, you’re a reasonably aggressive racer. Do you anticipate, to not give away your race-day technique, however do you anticipate to assist set the tempo on Friday and Saturday?
García: [laughs] She’s modified rather a lot this 12 months. It’s been many adjustments and particularly the coach is the most important one as a result of she wanted to alter for this distance the best way she was working. So now she mentioned totally different runners can and we skilled rather a lot within the stations to be relaxed, to eat and be relaxed and assume extra within the race than she was very explosive and he or she didn’t handle very a lot the race with a mind. Extra like how do you say, the center.
iRunFar: Explosive. Yeah, okay working with the center. That’s actually good. Perhaps to make use of your metaphor, much less of a storm and extra of like a sprinkle. You’re at all times going to be a storm.
García: Tough to alter. Her character is sort of a storm.
iRunFar: Okay, you talked about your surgical procedure and earlier than we had been on digicam, you confirmed us a bit of scar in your left knee. What occurred?
García: Yeah, after Lavaredo she had this drawback. Yeah. She wanted to cease then as a result of she had this drawback there. I don’t understand how do you say in English, it’s this tendon that brushed the bone right here.
iRunFar: Is it the iliotibial band? The tendon that goes like this. [gestures at leg]
García: Sure, it’s a quite common damage. So they fight very totally different remedies earlier than the surgical procedure and nothing works. In order that they determined to open and clear very nicely all that, the knee. And after that she labored very laborious to, I imply her thoughts was come right here to UTMB, the whole lot was nicely and now could be forgotten. She’s been working Might, June in Austria, and July Romania.
iRunFar: My final query for you. I watched on social media final winter as you labored to be an advocate for Spanish ladies’s runners and making an attempt to get the Spanish media to cowl ladies the identical as they cowl males. That’s, , a factor that’s type of close to and expensive to me, too. I’d simply love to listen to your ideas on, , right here at UTMB, it’s a race that every 12 months a couple of extra ladies take part in, however nonetheless many extra males. I’d love to listen to your ideas on how we proceed to carry extra ladies to races like this.
García: She mentioned at all times the identical, it’s at all times the identical. I imply for the media, for the manufacturers, girl wants to look within the media and the races. And not less than they want the identical as males, not less than the identical. However in some races like this occurred yesterday right here, the protection was, it was going to be 10 elite males and 5 ladies. And at all times the stability shouldn’t be proper. I imply, not less than they need the identical. In order that they have the identical alternatives for the manufacturers, for the media, for the ladies that are available. I imply, the younger women want the reference. In the event that they don’t present the ladies in media and press, within the manufacturers, these youngsters received’t be a sport girl sooner or later.
iRunFar: So illustration is simply actually vital. That’s what you’re after.
García: Yeah. She desires to depart a flat path for these youngsters. These women are coming now so that they don’t must struggle like her to have a spot in between all the lads. You understand, all the lads within the races. I imply within the society on the whole. So she’s preventing not less than she’s preventing. Not all of the elite ladies, they aren’t all collectively on this case, however not less than a few of them are preventing to have a base for the ladies.
iRunFar: Nicely, thanks for that, and thanks additionally for the interview and better of luck making your first 100 miler.
García: Thanks very a lot. The subsequent 12 months she guarantees she’s going to speak in English.
iRunFar: And the way about me in Spanish subsequent time.
García: Sure.
iRunFar: Gracias.
García: Muchas gracias.
