Summary of "[EP#57] Anne-Lise Rousset - Interview - Entraînement, UTMB 2024 et fin de carrière"
Interview with Anne-Lise Rousset: Balancing Trail Running, Motherhood, and Veterinary Career
This interview explores the multifaceted life of Anne-Lise Rousset, a mother, veterinarian, and elite trail runner, focusing on her recent decision to end her professional athletic career.
Background and Athletic Career
Anne-Lise is a member of Team Scott and is coached by her husband, Adrien Seguré. She has an impressive racing history, including podium finishes in ultra-distance events such as:
- Diagonale des Fous
- Hardrock
- GR20 (where she holds the women’s record)
She began trail running around 2010-2011, transitioning from multisport raids to ultra trail races. Her passion lies in mountainous, rocky terrain.
Balancing Life and Training
Balancing a demanding veterinary career, motherhood, and high-level training has been challenging for Anne-Lise. Key points about her training and lifestyle include:
- Training approximately nine times per week
- Focus on quality sessions and heavy weight training
- Long runs have become less frequent due to family commitments
- Emphasis on mental recovery
Mental and Physical Challenges
Anne-Lise openly discusses struggles with burnout, particularly highlighted by her withdrawal from the 2024 UTMB at kilometer 70. Despite being physically ready, she experienced:
- Mental strain and loss of motivation
- Anxiety and physical symptoms during the race
- A deeper sense of mental fatigue
Evolving Relationship with Running
Her relationship with running has evolved from intense competition and goal-setting to seeking balance and pleasure without pressure. She reflects on:
- The difficulty of juggling professional ambitions, athletic career, and family life
- The mental toll of ultra-competitive racing
- The increasingly crowded and high-pressure atmosphere of events like the UTMB, contrasted with more solitary races such as Hardrock
Future Plans and Philosophy
Looking ahead, Anne-Lise plans to step back from ultra-distance racing. Her future focus may include:
- Shorter, less demanding events
- Enjoying running without competitive goals
She stresses that trail running should remain a source of joy and passion rather than pressure or obligation. Additionally, she is involved in ongoing projects, including a film documenting this transition phase of her life.
Key Moments and Themes
- Early introduction to trail running through multisport raids and discovery of mountain running
- Rise in ultra trail running with notable podiums and record-setting performances (e.g., GR20 women’s record)
- Impact of motherhood on training volume, mental state, and race participation
- Detailed insights into her training approach: frequent sessions, emphasis on quality and weight training, and reliance on her husband-coach
- Mental and physical challenges leading to withdrawal from the 2024 UTMB, described as burnout and loss of meaning
- Reflections on pressures of high-profile races and the intense atmosphere of the UTMB
- Decision to end her professional career after 2024, seeking balance and a new chapter focused on family and personal fulfillment
- Advice to runners to keep trail running a pleasure and passion above all else
Presenters and Sources
- Interviewee: Anne-Lise Rousset — elite trail runner, veterinarian, mother
- Interviewer/Podcast Host: Name not specified (podcast “Couram Meets” / “Courir Mieux”)
Links to Anne-Lise’s social media and additional content are available in the video description for those interested in following her journey.
Category
Sport
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