My Monday Routine: Anamarija Lampič
Slovenia’s Anamarija Lampič is entering her third biathlon season. The 2021 Cross-country Sprint World Cup winner has gone from novice to the edge of the World Cup podium the last two seasons, with two fifth places. Multiple fastest course times illustrate her ski prowess, but shooting sometimes gets the best of her. Note that in Lampič’s 9th place, two-penalty Canmore Sprint, she skied 14 seconds faster than winner Lisa Vittozzi!
After a 1.5-hour uphill rollerski up the winding road to Pokljuka and an hour of shooting, the bubbly Lampic sat down for a chat about her routine and goals.
Biathlonworld: What time do you wake up on Mondays and the first thing you do after waking up?
Anamarija Lampič: It depends on the week and the weather. I am not the kind of person with a regular wake-up time. I go to sleep early and don't use an alarm clock so it could be 6, 7…or it could be 8! The first thing I do is get something to drink: tea or water.
BW: What is the first app you look at when you turn on your phone?
AL: Instagram.
BW: What makes your breakfast routine perfect?
AL: Some eggs, usually two fried with some good bread that you can dip into the eggs and some good fruit.
BW: Does your early morning regime include stretching, yoga, or a jog?
AL: I am the laziest person in the world with this stretching and everything! But I do some stretching of my back before I get out of bed, because after all the years, I have some back problems.
BW: Is your backpack packed and ready every day or do you throw everything in at the last minute?
AL: My boyfriend and I are exactly the same. Every time especially before camps, we say we will be packed the night before. It never happens! Every time it is the last minute. We would rather get up at 6, throw everything in the bag and leave at 8 instead of doing it the night before.
BW: What is the biggest “Oh I forgot that” when you got to training or a race?
AL: Boots, but it happened when I was a kid. I raced a lot at Pokljuka, about 1 hour from my house. My dad always asked if I had everything and then would take what I missed. One day we got to Pokljuka, and I had no boots. I was blamed for it, of course.
BW: Do you consider yourself a perfectionist when it comes to training?
AL: No, that might be a question for the coaches or teammates. But it does depend on what kind of training it is. If it is intervals, I know exactly the times I want but if it does not work out or like when I miss a few shots, it is no big deal. I do not worry about it.
BW: Beyond your training log, do you keep a personal journal?
AL: Just a training log. I am a boring person when it comes to things like that.
BW: Is there any piece of advice that guides you each day?
AL: I would say that I go through my life step-by-step. I am pretty easy-going. Everything comes when it should; don’t rush. My achievements came at the right time. I do not do too much or not enough; I know my body quite well. If I was giving advice, I would say do whatever you are doing step-by-step and have fun; that is very important.
BW: When the day is over, what do you do to wind down?
AL: Good food, one movie with the company of my boyfriend.
BW: What is your biggest indulgence?
AL: (with a huge laugh), candy. I think all athletes like some sweetness like that and we also need it. Some days it is chocolate on others, it is like chips, something salty.
BW: Are you a picky eater?
AL: I eat everything, but it is a bit funny that I do not eat so much salad or vegetables. I hate peppers, but I love corn and tomatoes and do not like cooked vegetables. I am more a meat, pasta and bread person.
BW: What is the hardest part of being a professional athlete?
AL: It is hard to explain to people that you do not have time when they want to do something. You have a plan for every day and session. It is like you have lunch, want to sleep and they ask, ‘are you a baby?’ It is really best to say, ‘it is not the time, I just do not have the energy.’
BW: What is something very few people know about you?
AL: Depending on the season, I like to go in the forest and forage, like mushrooms or chestnuts now and berries in the summer.
BW: What project is on your “to do” list when you get home from camp?
AL: We live in this hundreds-year-old house that we are working on. Even though my boyfriend does most of the work, doing a little bit of work on this is satisfaction.
BW: What is the biggest lesson biathlon has taught you?
AL: When I was small, I had a lot of heart problems and operations, then I was successful in cross-country skiing. When I switched to biathlon, it was the right thing to do. If I had not done it, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life! It means a lot that I had the courage to switch. In one word, it has given me joy!
Photos: IBU/Christian Manzoni, Jerry Kokesh
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