NOTE: Read Part 1 of our UTMB series about the three people running the full UTMB course!
For the second edition of our series on DPMR at UTMB, we chatted with three women who will be toeing the starting line at 2022 UTMB races to learn more about their training and outlook heading into their respective trips to Chamonix.
For an overview of UTMB races and the DPMR members and friends participanting, see our original post from last month, DPMR at UTMB 2022.
Profile 2: Our Women Runners at UTMB 2022
KRISSI POLENTZ (OCC)
How/Why did you decide to want to do this race?
Since I started getting into trail and mountain running, I’ve seen the epic photos, documentaries, & live streams of the UTMB races. It always seemed like an imaginary, fantastical mecca of towering mountains and impossibly expansive views (and still does). When I started seeing people I knew going to race, it became more tangible, and after accumulating enough points I decided to start entering the lottery – why not?
What are your thoughts about the race as you are training for it right now?
Because I am “only” doing the 55km OCC, I bounce between underestimating it as a very palatable distance to me, and being totally intimidated by the immensity of the steep and technical terrain which I have no reference for.
What are your goals for the event?
I haven’t set concrete goals yet, and may not do so until I get into the thick of training and see how this fitness is going to turn into mountain strength. I definitely want to get out there to complete the race and take nothing for granted. And to race without fear.
How are you going about training for it?
I’ve started adding more vert into my training as I transition out of spring ultras and skimo season. I’ll use the Broken Arrow Vk, 11k, & 26k weekend to really kick off this training cycle. In July I hope that between the Oboz trail challenge again and some bigger training runs or trips, I’ll get some good mountain time in. I want to focus on some hill workouts during the week and enjoy mountain adventures on other days. I also plan to go out to Chamonix early and finish my last training block there alongside Steve & Mike.
What do you think your keys to success will be for preparing and racing it?
I plan to put the work in as best I can leading up, but also make sure to enjoy it and not forget why I like running in the mountains. I try to go into races more on the side of undertrained than overtrained, and while I do tend to push the gray area between the two more in the summer, I will still listen to my body first and foremost. The other real key to success in training and on race day will be to eat, hydrate, sleep, and recover without limit.
Have you run at UTMB before? Have you previously completed similar races?
No. I’ve done some more mountainous races like TRT, the Golden Ultra, Broken Arrow, the Volcanic 50k, etc., but nothing near this scale.
Is this your first time racing in Europe or another country?
It’s my first time racing in Europe, and the only other international ultra I’ve done was the Golden Ultra Full Pint in Canada in 2019.
Anything else you’d like to share related to this endeavor?
I’m just really excited to experience the race and be amidst so many friends and the trail community.
STEPHANIE EVANS JACOBS (CCC)
How/Why did you decide to want to do this race?
A few years ago I had some trail running friends that ran in the UTMB Festival and thought that it would be great if I could get in some day. I really had not researched it but one day my husband just for fun went onto the UTMB website to see if I had any points and low and behold I had enough points for UTMB 100. So I started putting my name in the hat for about two years before I was selected. I was originally selected in 2020 but due to the Covid cancellation that year I decided to defer to 2022.
How are you going about training for it?
I really enjoy climbing hills, so one of the key things I do with training is run hills on the Starimaster at the gym. I think that has really helped me to become a stronger hill climber. I also include core and upper body conditioning so I can rely on both areas when my legs get tired. And try to get as much time up on the trails in Tahoe and Truckee not just for the hill work but for acclimating my lungs for elevation.
What do you think your keys to success will be for preparing and racing it?
A great attitude! I really love trail running and that love just keeps me inspired to prepare for the race, and I know once I am in Chamonix, that the beauty of the mountains is just going to excite my soul so much and inspire me to be a part of this great running festival.
Have you run at UTMB before? Have you previously completed similar races?
This will be my first race in the UTMB Festival. I would say running TRT100, TRT50, Castle Peak, and Canyons 100k/50k would be similar races here in the U.S. TRT100,TRT50, and Canyons 100k were my first 100 miles, 100k , and 50 miles races I finished.
Is this your first time racing in Europe or another country?
Yes, but hopefully not the only race in Europe or another country I get to run. I have had my eyes on Cape Wrath 400k in Scotland, Annapurna 100 in Nepal, Inca Trail Marathon in Machu Picchu, and Dublin, Ireland Marathon.
Anything else you’d like to share related to this endeavor?
Just that I am so excited I am one of a few lucky people to get to participate in the UTMB Festival. It looks like such an amazing experience and I can’t wait to be there and run the Alps!
HELEN MINO FAUKNER (CCC)
How/Why did you decide to want to do this race?
I decided I wanted to do this race when I watched the livestream of it last year. I didn’t think I would be racing CCC so soon, but I found out about the UTMB index and that I was able to get in without the lottery and have my entry fee paid for.
What are your thoughts about the race as you are training for it right now?
I’m really excited to get to experience this race and to run up some really big hills!
What are your goals for the event?
My number one goal is to have fun and to be able to handle whatever the day brings. My big goal outside of having fun is to put myself in a position to win.
How are you going about training for it?
It still feels pretty far away at this point, but I’m running a decent amount and using races like Marathon Du Mont Blanc to help prepare and get a feel for racing in Europe.
What do you think your keys to success will be for preparing and racing it?
I think one of my keys to success is having my nutrition and hydration dialed and practicing it during training runs. I think another one is coming back to the reason why I run and that’s because it’s fun. I love racing, but that’s not the reason I run. I love training for ultras and being able to spend long hours outside with the least amount of stuff carried. Races are a celebration of fitness, but not my driving factor in this sport.
Have you run at UTMB before? Have you previously completed similar races?
I have not run at UTMB before! I’ve raced 4 ultras and one of them was a 100k so I would say the most similar would be Castle Peak 100k because of the distance.
Is this your first time racing in Europe or another country?
By the time CCC happens I will have run Marathon Du Mont Blanc, but this will be my first summer racing in another country.
Anything else you’d like to share related to this endeavor?
I’m just really excited, I’ve never been to the alps and I can’t wait to get to run around those mountains. My grandparents are my number 1 supporters and there’s no way I would be able to make this trip happen and be able to race in Europe twice this summer without them. They come to all of my races and are the best crew a gal could dream of.
Next Month’s Feature: The Four Amigos of CCC
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