Iceland

Elisabet began training with Mile 27 in June 2012 when she was preparing for the CCC race which is part of the Ultra Trail Mont Blanc series. Since then she’s never looked back and has gone on to compete in the 100 mile UTMF in Japan as well as other races.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN RUNNING ULTRAMARATHONS?
I raced my first ultra in 2009. It was only 55k, Laugavegur Ultra in Iceland, but it was a big challenge for me back then.

HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INTERESTED IN THE SPORT?
I started to run for fitness when I was about 18 years old and finished my first marathon when I was 20. I discovered trail running a little later on in 2007 when I entered a 33k trail race in the north of Iceland. After that I thought it would be awesome to run longer trail races and ultramarathons to discover new places and nature.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE RACE SO FAR?
Laugavegur is my favourite race in Iceland, the beauty of the course is one of a kind. The ever changing weather in Iceland makes it unique each year. I recently raced UTMF in Japan and that must be my best race ever. It was my first race over 100 miles and I never felt bad during the race. The course is incredible with all kinds of terrain. A lot of runnable hilly sections and flats but also the steepest and most technical climbs and downhills. Everything was a bit different from what I am used to and that made it a crazy fun experience and adventure.

WHAT IS ONE OF YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS FROM A RACE?
I have a lot of good memories from different races. I think my first ultra experience was quite memorable because I thought that it would be impossible to run much longer than the marathon distance. During my last 10k of that race I started to believe that there are no limits of what the body and mind can do together.

WHAT DO YOU FEEL HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST ULTRAMARATHON ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR ?
My sweetest and most memorable finish was when I completed the TDS race in Chamonix in 2011. It was my first time running beyond the 100k mark and the course was crazy technical for me. The race itself was also a big experience with a lot of ups and downs, but I managed to finish it in just over 24 hours.

WHAT IS ON YOUR RACING BUCKETLIST?
I don’t have a special bucket list, but I always think about the next big race I want to finish. Now it is the UTMB. Tor des Geants is a race I would love to do in some years.

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT FROM ULTRAMARATHONS? WHAT HAVE THEY TAUGHT YOU ABOUT LIFE AND YOURSELF?
Ultramarathons teach you that there are probably no limits of what you can do, whether it is running or anything else in life you want to achieve. They also help me to manage my life and keep it in order. I don’t have any time to waist when I train for an ultra but still I am able to do everything that is important.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF TRAINING?
I really enjoy the time I spend on trails and mountains but sometimes I really enjoy a hard treadmill or strength sessions at the gym. I try to enjoy everything about the training routine, and if something starts to feel boring than I probably have to focus more on that to be better at it and then it becomes more enjoyable.

HOW DO YOU FEEL YOU HAVE BENEFITED FROM TRAINING WITH MILE 27?
The constructive training routine suits me a lot and it is so good to have a coach that tells me what to do so I know that I am not wasting any time  My training experience with Andy has been incredible and after just four weeks of training with him for CCC I improved a lot. When I decided to train for UTMF during winter in Iceland I knew that Andy would have all the right training solutions to get the work done in time. The results for me were unbelievable when I started to train in the mountains in early March and I was completely ready and also well rested for UTMF in April.

WHAT IS THE ONE TIP YOU WOULD GIVE A FELLOW ATHLETE TO HELP THEM ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE OF RUNNING AN ULTRA MORE?
Look at it as an experience or a journey rather than a race. Start out slowly and relaxed and you will pass the finish line in your best time possible.

WHAT IS YOUR NEXT RACE?
My next race will probably be Laugavegur Ultra in Iceland, but I will do some shorter trail races before that.