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Interview with Ivana Iozzia
(by Yulia Baykova)

Ivana, Italian champion of marathon, 2005

Born in Como on February 18 th 1973 lives in Lurate Caccivio (CO), a country of around 10.000 inhabitants. It has more times dressed the "maglia azzurra" and it is among the best Italian athletes, particularly in the marathon in which /she has been Italian champion in 2005 and where it boasts a personal record of 2 hours 35.' In her most recent competition during the New Year's Eve in Bolzano , the 32 ^ edition of the Boclassic international competition classified to the eleventh position

How did you start running?
It was in and the enterprise for which I worked it offered 5 tickets for the New York's Marathon. I was very curiousabout it, so on November the 5 th 2000 I was on starting line of my first marathon.

When was born in you the passion for the run?
To say the truth, my sport of origin is the volley, sport that I have practised to competitive level for well 12 years up to 2000, when, after the experience newyorchese in marathon, definite to convert me to the run.

With which society you have begun?
I started with Rovellasca (CO), in 2001 and 2002 in the Polisportiva Gironico (CO) and from 2003 Ienrolled for the Corradini Rubiera (RE).

Do you remember your first competition?
A non competitive competition of "Piede d'Oro, as an approach to the marathon in New York.

Why have you chosen the athletics and not another sport?
I believe that has been the athletics to choose me. As already said, I practised a sport of team and I didn't imagine that one day I would have undertaken a different road. A true fatality. I can say only that with the marathon in New York it was love at first sight.

Do you prefer the training or the competition?
They are two different things. I have a competitive character, love the challenge and the comparison with the avversaries. Nevertheless I am convinced that the competition must be the verificationof what you have daily done in training.

Which typologies of training do you prefer and which don't you appreciate particularly?
I adore long distance training and mountain running, high speed repetitions and middle distances not very much.

What distance do you feel particularly your?
I believe the half marathon, in the middle between fast courses and marathon.

With whom habitually train yourself and how many times a week?
Unfortunately, for logistic and job problems, I am always forced to train in loneliness. Sometimes, on Sunday, I join some friends walkers to race together long distances or a mountain track. I usually make 13 sessions of training a week, doubling every day (according the appointments of job) except Sunday. The first training in the lunch break, 2° in the late afternoon after the job.

Wich is your best feature?
Tenacy.

How many kilometers do you race in average a week?
When I prepare a marathon, I overcome the 200 km, also 215-220 km. weekly. During the rest of the season, in preparation of cross,track or road races 170-180 km. per week.

What gives to yu the run?
A lot, it represents a continuous challenge.

How do you live the eve of a competition?
For nature I am very emotional and therefore I feel particularly the competitions. To the eve of a competition, I look to distract devoting me to the matters of daily routine, or making exercises of German, language that I am studying in spare timefrom a few years.

Wich the competition that you remember with more pleasure and which the worse one?
They are so many competitions that I remember gladly. Every competition, aside from the result, offers always me emotions and new experiences. Nevertheless, the one I remember with more bitterness is the marathon in Florence 2005 run with the disappointing time of 2:41, a time that made no justice to my good condition of the moment.

What relationship do you have with the racing?
I have a good relationship, because I always like to risk and to compare me with the adversary

Wich relationship you have with your trainer?
With my trainer Eugenio Frangi there is a relationship of perfect "sinergia". Together we decide the planning of the competitions and the seasonal objectives that he intends to reach.

What typologies of competitions you prefer mosto
I mostly have a preference for the competitions on road, simply because with track and the crosses I have less experience.

In which competition you believe that you can get the greatest improvements?
Marathon and half marathon

Before a competition there is something that you do or you avoid to do for "scaramanzia"?
I am not superstitious. The only thing that I do is to apply some simple technique of meditation to lower the tension and retain the superfluous waste of positive energies.

Which are your objectives for the season 2006/2007?
To improve my performances on different distances, specially in marathon.

What about your next competitions?
January and February, they will see me instead busy in the regional crosses and in the Italian championship of society (11 February). In concomitance I'm going to prepare for the marathon in Rome (18 March), principal objective of the first part of season 2007.

(translated by Marco Bertona)

(images by Novararunning)