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Undoubtedly one of Italy’s top athletes, Ivana excels in both marathons and mountain running, proudly wears the Italian national team jersey, and… dreams of the Olympics!<\/p>\n
1480 long socks with third-level compression or Running Track 1495, a black, breathable sleeveless T-shirt\u2014also compression-style for maximum comfort\u2014and the 5050 Twenty-one: this is the race attire of Ivana Iozzia, three-time Italian marathon champion and, in 2015, winner of the Monza 10K Chrono, the Corsa dei Briganti, and the Bormio-Stelvio, as well as fourth at the Italian Mountain Running Championships and 16th at the World Championships (fourth in the team event alongside Alice Gaggi and Samantha Galassi). We met with her to hear about her 2015 training and races: the result is a portrait of a determined, disciplined, \u201cTeutonic\u201d runner, as she describes herself\u2026 a woman confident in her abilities and a champion of girl power\u2026 and how can you argue with that! <\/p>\n
Who is Ivana when she’s not running?<\/strong> When did you start running? Who or what inspired you to start?<\/strong> You’re a marathon champion, but also a mountain runner: which do you prefer to run?<\/strong> What are the main differences between the two disciplines in terms of training?<\/strong> What was your best race in 2015?<\/strong> And which one do you remember as the absolute best of your career?<\/strong> Is there a race you enter every year? Why? <\/strong> And the race \u201cyou still have to run\u201d\u2026 your dream that\u2019s yet to come true?<\/strong> What does it mean to wear the Italian national team jersey?<\/strong> What “role” do female athletes play in Italian and global running?<\/strong> Let\u2019s talk about Oxyburn: Can you tell us about your experience with Oxyburn\u2019s graduated compression clothing? Any improvements, differences…<\/strong> Undoubtedly one of Italy’s top athletes, Ivana excels in both marathons and mountain running, proudly wears the Italian national team…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":72097,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-72094","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-senza-categoria"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nI\u2019m just a regular person, like so many others. I work as a textile designer for a well-known clothing brand. Like most of my fellow amateur runners, my days are always hectic and packed with things to do. It takes a lot of organization to balance work, sports, and family life, so my opportunities for escape are kept to a minimum. By nature, I\u2019m quite introverted; I\u2019m comfortable being alone and need my own space. I hate sloppiness and believe that self-discipline is an essential ingredient for success. Precisely because of my methodical approach and perseverance in everything I do, people call me \u201cTeutonic.\u201d It\u2019s no coincidence that one of my greatest passions is the German language, which I\u2019ve been studying for about ten years now. Jawohl! Life\u2019s ups and downs (two serious family bereavements) have taught me to look at things from a different perspective, with a greater awareness of what really matters in life: I\u2019ve learned to let things roll off my back, especially the trivialities. Life\u2019s real problems are quite different! Distinguishing features: I have an identical twin sister. People often mistake us for each other because of how much we look alike. But don\u2019t worry\u2026 I\u2019m Ivana. <\/p>\n
\nIt was the year 2000. The multinational company Hugo Boss, where I worked, was offering five employees a prize trip to the Big Apple, including registration for the New York City Marathon. Intrigued and excited by this initiative, I applied, and my application was accepted. On November 5, 2000, I was at the starting line of my first 42 km race, sponsored by HB. Wow!! 2h48’29”, not bad for a beginner, right?<\/p>\n
\nRoad running\u2014specifically, the marathon\u2014is the race that perhaps excites me the most. However, I also enjoy mountain running, which has been very rewarding for me over the past three years. I also find it very stimulating to be able to diversify my goals and seasonal training plans. This helps break up the monotony of training a bit. And besides, I have mountain roots on my mother\u2019s side, so\u2026 running + mountains = the perfect combination! It\u2019s just a shame that mountain running isn\u2019t an Olympic sport\u2014or at least not yet\u2026 I\u2019m keeping my fingers crossed that it will become one in the near future. <\/p>\n
\nThese are two disciplines that require different training approaches in some respects, but also share similarities in others. For example, long-distance trail running involves a lot of endurance training, such as the so-called \u201cvery long runs\u201d typical of marathon training. The situation is different for the classic mountain running distance (about 8 km), which, in addition to being a short race, can feature more or less technical trails and rugged terrain with ascents and descents. In this case, therefore, it is very important to focus on specific technical aspects. <\/p>\n
\nItalian Mountain Running Relay Championships in Pian delle Betulle, LC, in late August. Although I didn\u2019t win the team competition, I posted the fastest leg time, finishing ahead of renowned athletes such as former world champion Alice Gaggi, Samantha Galassi, and Antonella Confortola. It was a nice confidence boost ahead of the upcoming World Mountain Running Championships in Wales on September 19. It\u2019s a shame, though, that things didn\u2019t go quite as well at the World Championships, and my 16th-place finish in the individual event didn\u2019t do justice to my current form or my hopes of breaking into the top ten\u2026 a mission that\u2019s not impossible. Especially since I\u2019m at an age where I won\u2019t have many more chances\u2026 <\/p>\n
\nThat’s a good question. There are so many that deserve to be remembered. One in particular is my overall victory at the 2013 Turin Marathon. Winning one of Italy’s most prestigious marathons generated a lot of media attention. <\/p>\n
\nThere are some races I\u2019m particularly fond of, such as the Stralivigno, the Engadiner Sommerlauf, the Monza-Montevecchia, the Tre Campanili Half-Marathon, the Jungfrau Marathon, and the Bormio Stelvio\u2026 Some of them coincide with my high-altitude training camps, and I use them as warm-up races for more important events. If the conditions are right, I sign up for them every year. Why not? <\/p>\n
\nSince dreaming costs nothing\u2026 the Olympics\u2014every athlete\u2019s ultimate dream!<\/p>\n
\nIt’s like a second skin\u2026<\/p>\n
\nWomen\u2019s running has often been subject to prejudice and institutional barriers. However, in recent years we have been witnessing a reversal of this trend, and the rise of women in running\u2014both in Italy and worldwide\u2014signals a comprehensive triumph. Every athletic achievement is also a step toward empowerment, and it is precisely through sports that we women\u2019s pride in demonstrating our worth and our desire to carve out a place for ourselves in history comes to the fore. Of course, we still face media bias in favor of men\u2019s running, and society at large still doesn\u2019t give us the recognition we deserve\u2014not even when we, as women, are the ones upholding our country\u2019s honor. Wives and partners, mothers, working women, homemakers, and athletes. Multitasking women. I may be biased, but\u2026 far from being the \u201cweaker sex\u201d! <\/p>\n
\nI first discovered Oxyburn at the 2013 Tre Campanili Half Marathon. Since then, a strong partnership has developed, thanks to their high-quality technical products that meet the needs of athletes like us. I started wearing Oxyburn compression socks first during training, then in races, and eventually even on transoceanic flights. In addition to comfort, I immediately noticed an improvement in muscle contractility and venous return. As for the apparel, the thermoregulating and breathable shirts are excellent\u2014they protect against the cold and humidity without adding weight or restricting freedom of movement. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"