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Cross Country Season on Flotrack 2013

Team USA Mountain Running with Zach Ornelas

Team USA Mountain Running with Zach Ornelas

Sep 7, 2013 by Justin Britton
Team USA Mountain Running with Zach Ornelas
Zach Ornelas, a 2013 University of Michigan graduate, has had a successful running career from high school through his four years in Ann Arbor. Some may know him from being quite the steepler over the years, or for his eccentric blog (eatrunswag.org) or even for his claim to fame for the one time he embarrassed himself in front of Emma Coburn.

If you don’t know Zach or would still like to find out the skinny on the former Wolverine, I was able to speak with him just days before the World Mountain Running Championships. That’s right, Zach graduated this past spring and finished 2nd at the US Mountain Running Championships in July to secure a spot on the US team, which is racing in Poland on Sunday.



Justin: First off, for those who don't know you, who is Zach Ornelas and what are you about?

Zach: Well, maybe something most people don't know, is I am studying English education and finishing my final semester of student teaching. I am really passionate about education and look forward to a career of teaching with a goal if teaching in inner city schools. In addition to loving my future career, I enjoy running a new trail, reading, coffee, and going on adventures (this summer I took adventures to Colorado, Bonnaroo, New Hampshire, and now Poland).
 
JB: After running for 4 years at Michigan, part of it under Ron Warhurst, you're now on the US Mountain Running team that will be racing at the World Championship in Poland. Did you picture this as you were heading into senior year last year?

ZO: Heading into my senior year last summer I had spent the summer training in Flagstaff and Colorado. While in Flagstaff I ran the snow bowl hill climb for fun. It's a 7mi race where you climb ~3000 feet up to about 10,000ft altitude. I won and really, really enjoyed it, so I think that's where the mountain running seed was planted in my mind. I had a pretty decent senior season at Michigan but outdoor didn't go as well as I expected due to some motivation and exhaustion issues stemming from having a class schedule that caused me to miss practice 3 days a week and train on my own after long, long days in a classroom. So I finished the season and took a nice little break and then came back hungry for a chance to prove myself in racing again. I had been looking at the US mountain running champs online since the winter when I heard about it and I immediately began training for it after my break.
JB: How did you find out/when did you decide you were running at the US Champs?
 
ZO: As I said above, I found out about it when reading about trail races and ultramarathons in the winter. Winning some of those crazy 100mi trail races is a big goal of mine for the future and has been for a while so that's how I stumbled upon it. I actually sent a Facebook message to Jordan Chavez who ran for the junior team last year and is returning this year to find out some more info about the race.

JB: What's training been like for mountain running? Has it changed much from how you were training previously?

ZO: My current training cycle is set up for a peak at the Detroit Marathon at the end of October, so my training has been geared toward that. In order to be ready for both races, I have been doing all of my marathon workouts on the most hilly routes in and outside of town. I did a 90min fartlek as part of a long run workout a little over a week ago on a challenging rolling hills 4.5mi dirt road loop. The training has been way different from what I did for collegiate xc because most of my workouts total at least 17miles with WU and CD these days, often more

JB: Do you get a lot of awesomely off comments, such as "Dude, do you just like climb mountains and sh*t"? What are some good ones.

ZO: I think my favorite came from my friend Carl Stones who runs for Rogue Racing in Austin. He sent me this text right after the qualifying race:

"I see that you've moved from one unrespected event (steeple) to another unrespected event (mountains). Either way I respect both so good job!"

ZO: It's been hard to describe to people what the race is, most people generally say exactly what you said, 'dude do you just like climb mountains and sh*t?' To which I generally reply 'uh, I run them.'
 
JB: Give us what the people want, goals for worlds in a few days. Go!
 
ZO: I set some pretty big goals for myself . Individually, I'd like to be the top American, and a top 10 finish would be amazing. There are some really good US runners in the race such as Max King (2:15 marathoner) and Joe Gray, but I took a close second in New Hampshire and would like to try and be the top guy on the team. As a team, I really think we have a super solid group of guys with a mixture of mountain running veterans and newcomers like myself. A top 3 team finish would win us a medal...and a world champs medal would be pretty radical.

JB: How has Poland been so far? How's the food? The Internet connection?
 
ZO: It's so awesome, I never thought I'd see this country/eastern Europe. This is actually my first ever trip outside of the country to anywhere other than Canada. We spent the first few days in Krakow, which is so beautiful. It's weird to think when you look around that the city has been there for over 500 years. This country is so much older than the US. The food is amazing, if you've never had Paczki look them up, they're a delicacy in Michigan on Fat Tuesday due to the polish population near Detroit but they're everywhere here. It's a polish traditional donut and I had 3 of then yesterday. While pretty expensive in the US, they run about 40 cents in USD here.
 
JB: After the world championships, what are your plans? Continuing in that sector of the sport?

ZO: After worlds I have to prepare for the marathon in Detroit. After I have finished both of these races, I will take a little rest and then decide what I want to do for future races. I will have to choose between trails and the roads and ill plan some big races for 2014. Right now I'm looking at the Austin Half Marathon as my first race of 2014 so maybe ill pay Flotrack a visit!

JB: What's your typical pre-race diet consist of? Are you a health freak?
 
ZO: I need to be a health-freak, there are definitely some things than can be removed (i.e. french fries). In high school I used to be really strict about having pasta the night before my race, but I've realized you're not always near a pasta place out at races. So I try and eat something non-risky yet tasty. Before the Mountain Championships in New Hampshire I had lobster pasta on a boat restaurant in Portland, Maine. That seemed to work pretty well.
JB: What's the last movie you cried to?

ZO: Hmm, I'm actually a bit sensitive when I watch sad movies, fun fact. Can't remember the last movie I cried to, but I had to bite my lip hard to finish the last episode of the Office when I finally finished the season this summer.


JB: Finish this sentence, "If I could roll around in ____"

ZO: "If I could roll around in a snuggie.
JB: Favorite monopoly board game character? (I'm guessing the thimble)

ZO: Haven't finished a game of monopoly since 'nam, it's all about Risk dude.

Zach will be racing at 6:30AM eastern tomorrow on a 13.56KM course in Poland. Look for updates of the race here, if not then on USMRT. If you like his blog, in his most recent post he claims that Mo Farah is the Illuminati, interesting, I know. 

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