Emelie Forsberg continued her domination of the 2015 Skyrunner World Series ultra calendar with her win this weekend at Ultra Pirineu. In the following interview, Emelie talks about how she felt in running her longest race in a few years, what sort of races she’s looking toward next year, and where she might finish out her 2015 running season.
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Emelie Forsberg, 2015 Ultra Pirineu Champion, Interview Transcript
iRunFar: Bryon Powell of iRunFar here with Emelie Forsberg after her win at the 2015 Ultra Pirineu. Congratulations, Emelie.
Emelie Forsberg: Thank you.
iRunFar: You had yet another win this year. Did you feel good out there?
Forsberg: I felt really good, as I expected, until nine hours. And then I really needed to dig deep.
iRunFar: So you felt recovered from The Rut then?
Forsberg: Yeah, I felt recovered. I felt really easy in the beginning. In the uphills I felt good. It’s just that I’m not really used to pushing that hard after eight or nine hours. I knew it was going to be hard.
iRunFar: You had some good competition through most of the race. Tell me about your racing with Mira [Rai] and Núria [Picas].
Forsberg: I’m very happy with my race. I felt like I could control it even though, from 40k Núria caught me and we were running together which was awesome. It was really nice to catch up with her and we were running maybe for 20 kilometers together. Mira, she was always a bit behind, but we saw her and sometimes she came up to us but then she dropped back. Then Mira and Núria were going behind a bit, and that’s why I say I could control the race because I could play a bit with my speed and decide when to run with them, so I felt really good then. Then Núria fell behind and it started to be around 90k and I got really tired. Then Mira and I were running for maybe 5 or 6k together. That was really nice. I was just staying behind her and saved up some energy. Then in the last uphill I started to take it.
iRunFar: Sounds like you and Kilian [Jornet] had the same exact race, maybe not plan, but played out the same exact way being together at Vents del Cadí at 96k. You had the rocket ship up to Saint Jordi?
Forsberg: Yes, I wouldn’t call it that. I was there. I was starting to be so tired in my head. My watch stopped working because the battery was out. I looked at my big and it said 4k to the next aid station, and the uphill would never end. I was just like, I’m lost! I’m lost! I had no one. I was almost going down to see if there were any other runners. It was really hard there.
iRunFar: You make it look easy because you’re always smiling out there…
Forsberg: Up to 90k.
iRunFar: And then, tough.
Forsberg: Yes.
iRunFar: That’s funny because before the race we were talking a little bit and you were talking about how you might want to change up your focus a little bit next year. Maybe having toughness after 90k, does it still make you consider doing some 100 milers next year?
Forsberg: Yes, because it’s a different mindset. This year I’ve been… it’s about my training, too. I train short quite often because I know that up to eight hours you can get away with doing short distances, and then I do long mountaineering days. It means that if I’m going to do a 100 miler, I need to put some more hours running. I haven’t decided to go to 100 miler or to do Sierre Zinal and these kind of faster races. I think both can be really nice, and I think I want to try either of them next year.
iRunFar: So maybe change things up next year—maybe not see you at the same races you’ve been concentrating the last few years? Your running season is not quite over yet?
Forsberg: Yes. I haven’t decided. No, I will do some… maybe if I find some nice Italian sky races because I really like to explore new areas.
iRunFar: Maybe Limone and some stuff around…?
Forsberg: Maybe not Limone because I want to enter a yoga course for 10 days and it’s during, but I will enter some others because there are many, many.
iRunFar: Yeah, so yoga, something you concentrate on. Do you do much during the middle of the season?
Forsberg: I do it every now and then. I get really focused on it for some weeks, but now I’ve been doing it for quite long. I do it almost every day or at least a few times a week, and it feels really good. I would like to learn more about it.
iRunFar: The 10-day course is for your own personal use? It’s not for you to become an instructor?
Forsberg: No, I cannot do that yet. You need to have a lot of knowledge I think.
iRunFar: And probably time. You’re pretty busy.
Forsberg: Yes.
iRunFar: Congratulations on a great race yesterday and a great season. You won the Skyrunning World Series.
Forsberg: Yeah, I’m really happy with my season.
BONUS QUESTION
iRunFar: A bonus question for you—you have so many fans wherever you go, and they’re all supportive of you, but who are your most supportive fans?
Forsberg: I think my mother and my sister and my grandmother, too.
iRunFar: Is it fun to know that they can watch you all over the world?
Forsberg: Yes, and it’s really, really nice, and I know that they love following me on the races.
iRunFar: Alright.
