I had the pleasure of meeting Federica for the first time on a very hot weekend in October 2019. In Baunei, Sardinia, a very tough race was being held: between Franco Collè, Pau Capell and Federica Zuccollo, I never understood what I was doing there as well. Federica runs strong and has been on La Sportiva‘s roster of athletes for a few years. I passed her then several times in the last few months but she was always going too fast for me to stop her for a chat: by the time I crossed the finish line she was home after the third spritz.
When she finished tenth at CCC 2021 in late August, I knew it was really time for her to give me a semi-serious interview.
FZ How did the UTLO go?
SL Ah, good start, but wasn’t I the one who was supposed to interview you? [ride] Anyway, I can’t complain, it was my first ultra really worthy of the name and I didn’t know how my body would react, but we’re here talking about it so good.
We’ve talked about me way too much already: I saw that you’re riding a lot these days, any interesting rides in sight?
FZ Shortly I was thinking of making a trip to Lake Orta, starting from Como. Lately I’ve been pedaling a lot because after CCC, my bandelet got inflamed and I’m trying to rest.
SL Ah that’s right, good, CCC would have been my first serious question! You definitely did a great performance-you were coming from months off after an injury if I’m not mistaken, so I was pleasantly surprised when I saw you pass tenth under the banner.
FZ Yeah, it has been a difficult year. Practically since January I’ve been carrying one injury after another: first an inflamed Achilles tendon, then a quadriceps tear injury that forced me to stop for four months. I started running again at the end of June and basically had a little over a month and a half to get back in shape. I would have liked to try another race as well but in the end I preferred not to risk it and favor the CCC that I had been aiming for for a long time.
With my coach we rushed and loaded a lot, preparing a 100k in 45 days [WHAAAAT?!] is not easy. From the 30th kilometer I had pain in my knee but I held on until the end and now that the season is almost over I am trying to rest and already think about next year.
SL Well, at this point the question about your future plans-although trivial-I have to ask you. 2022 goals?
FZ Actually, the first goal is not so much a race as trying to have continuity in running and especially not overdoing it, which I do all the time [ride].
I can’t deny that I’m very tickled by the UltraDolomites, the middle distance of the LUT. And then at this point I think I wouldn’t mind trying CCC again in an attempt to file a few minutes.
SL I understand then that it is not in your short-term plans to stretch further.
FZ Definitely not for now, I prefer to stay on intermediate distances of 60-100 km. Keep in mind that the CCC was my first 100k and I have yet to figure out if it is a distance that suits me; I really enjoyed the race but a lot depends on the context: the UTMB event is beautiful but I would like to figure out if competing over a similar distance in a less beautiful context is equally in my wheelhouse.
SL Of course if you choose the UltraDolomites you definitely fall on your feet, the route is even more beautiful and varied than Mont Blanc. Okay, now let’s move on to equipment, for we amateurs like to believe that shoes make more of a difference than the leg; your main sponsor is now longtime La Sportiva: if you are not conditioned by a particular track, what is your favorite shoe?
FZ Over the years I’ve tried just about all of them, but my great love is still the Mutant: it has great grip and then – the way I run, which is bad – I love the protective feel on the ankle.
SL So you prefer a more protected and structured shoe?
FZ Definitely yes, but instead I don’t like those shoes with too generous a midsole, at least not in the trail-I need to feel the trail under my feet.
SL In the past two years-partly because of (or because of) the pandemic-many of your colleagues, in the absence of competition, have turned to FKTs. I have seen many athletes who have made a virtue of necessity by approaching this world, while many others consider it just a poor copy of a “real” race. Is it something that attracts you?
FZ Actually yes, with Riccardo [Borgialli ed] a few months ago we were thinking of doing the FKT of the Great Elban Crossing, about 60 km and 3,000 D+. In general I am attracted to any little craziness in the trail world, I love to go outside the lines. For example, here in my area, in Veneto, there are four Strava segments….
SL To be done under the hour!
FZ That’s right, just those; the challenge is to do all four under the hour and then also be able to do all four under the hour in one day. Crazy but good stuff.
SL I know them very well, sooner or later I will try them as well. I am very glad that you are into the more goliardic part of the sport, which is then the part I prefer.
FZ Even before the pandemic I did all four segments, the fact that they were close to home was even more challenging for me.
SL So you are telling me that your name is on the famous Little Dolomites page under the hour? Congratulations! I with 4-5 crazy friends am planning to do the Translagorai [ne parleremo prossimamente qui su Runlovers], but there you have to organize well.
FZ Uh, very nice one: if I’m not mistaken, it’s 80 km to do in less than 24h and especially there are almost no support points, so you have to carry everything with you.
SL Here, don’t get me thinking about it, so let’s get back to you on this journey backwards to get to know you better: what was your first approach to this discipline like?
FZ It happened by pure chance. I played volleyball for many years, shortly after college some friends on the team with me took me to the mountains once and from then on it was like a drug. Among other things, I was coming from a somewhat dark period in my life: I suffered from anorexia for six years, and the mountains were one of the things that most helped me come out of it completely.
SL Instead the first time you put on a bib in the trail world?
FZ It was 2018, it was a short race in my areas, the Red Hare Trail. I didn’t know anything about it, I just randomly showed up there and came in second: that’s when I thought it could become a more long-term commitment. For a year or so I did 20-30 km races but then I realized that I preferred somewhat longer distances where speed is not the only variable that matters, partly because I prefer to take it a little more easy at the start.
SL In fact in Baunei if I’m not mistaken you did the 43k, right?
FZ Exactly, for a while that was roughly my favorite mileage, just before that I had done the 48-kilometer Cortina Trail.
SL Penultimate question. Is there any track or route you would like to try your hand at in the near future? It doesn’t have to be a competition; on the contrary.
FZ During the lockdown I had jumped at the thought of starting on my bike from my home (Vicenza), riding up to the eastern shore of Lake Maggiore, crossing it by boat-only because the idea of swimming across was rejected by Riccardo-and once I got to Stresa leave the bike down and run up Mottarone and then down to Armeno. For various reasons I haven’t been able to do it yet, but I think if conditions permit next year it will be one of my planned adventures.
SL The time has come for the most important question: pizza or carbonara?
FZ I am afraid that if I answered you vegetarian carbonara you would immediately delete my number, throw away the interview you did, and even take away my greeting. So I am compelled to answer you pizza, however, inviting you to seriously consider vegetarian carbonara :)
Stephen dropped out of the conversation.