The Steep Stuff Podcast
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The Steep Stuff Podcast
The Sub Stuff Ep 11 | Matterhorn Ultrax Extreme, Cirque Series Grand Targhee Preview & Cirque Series Alta Race Recap
Get ready for an adrenaline-charged episode of the Steep Stuff Podcast! This week, I, James Lauriello, recount my exhilarating experience at the Cirque Series Alta race, where despite facing technical descents and calf cramps, I proudly snagged a top-10 finish. You'll get an insider's preview of the upcoming Matterhorn Ultraks Extreme race and hear from Jackson Cole, last year's top-10 finisher, as he shares his insights on tackling its daunting 25K course with 2,900 meters of climbing. Later, we set our sights on the Trofeo Kima Sky Race, promising a grueling 52K challenge that will push even the most seasoned runners to their limits.
In this episode, I also reflect on the distinct challenges and benefits of racing at various altitudes, with personal anecdotes from recent competitions, and how racing at different elevations has shaped my strategy and performance. Don't miss the exciting announcement of our upcoming Friday podcast featuring Cirque Series Alta winner Mason Kopi, whose inspiring journey and vision for the sport are nothing short of motivational. As I gear up for the Grand Targi race, which plays to my strengths, your support means the world to me. Tune in for a thrilling ride through the world of extreme trail running and beyond!
What is up guys? Welcome back to the steep stuff podcast. I am your host, james Lauriello, and today we've got a little special episode of the sub stuff coming at you, uh, talking about this week in trail running, um, all kinds of fun stuff for you. I've got a little recap of the Cirque series Alta race that I just raced this past weekend, which was just bananas fun Um, and this upcoming week we've got a lot to talk about. Uh, we've got the Matterhorn old tracks extreme race, part of the world um sky running series, which is happening this Friday, as well as the Trofeo Kima sky race, which is happening the Saturday, another race in this world sky running series. Um, so we've got a little tandem of a little Friday Saturday action for you Um, as well as the Cirque series grand Targi race that's going to be taking place um this upcoming Saturday, the 24th as well. So lots to talk about, lots to uh unpack and kind of break out Um. First thing we'll talk about uh, I'm really excited for Matterhorn old tracks extreme. Um, that race just looks like so much fun um taking place this August, the 23rd 2024. So it's going to be Friday. This Friday at 8.00 AM. It's going to be the 12th stop on the world sky runner series.
Speaker 1:The course itself is 25 K with about 2,900 meters of climbing. Uh, for you Americans out there, that's 15.53 miles with about 9,500 feet of vertical. So it's like a uh, just an absolute bananas course really steep um, really technical, um. It was fun. I had a relatively uh just a really interesting, exciting conversation with Jackson Cole um learning more about this course. He had raced it last year and was obviously a top 10 finisher Um, and just really went like right into just like how technical and how difficult this course is. So this is one of the more fun races, I think, on the series. If you're into super technical, super gnarly terrain, I think this is more for you. This race fills up also like every year I know. I looked at it for this year and it was filled up like right away.
Speaker 1:So very hard race to get into, very hard race to race. Let's talk about course records. Race to get into. Very hard race to race. Um, let's talk about course records. Um, the course record for the men um is three hours 14 minutes 39 seconds, set by William Bofelli, uh, in 2021. And the women's course record was set by Stephanie Kroll, coincidentally also in 2021, with a time of four, oh six, oh one. So just like really long for, especially for 15 miles. Just like a really long, grindy, um very technical, very steep race.
Speaker 1:Um, some of the favorites coming out this year Um, we've got Anastasia Rubstova, who's a kind of a household name in the sky running world series, iris Pressey as well from Scott um Amelia Bershelly from on lead a um Eurostazu from Basque selection, sarah Marie Baker, um unsponsored um. Ingrid mutter from team Scarpa, um Olivia Magnone, anna Marie Pineda from Merrill and Patricia Pieda from La Sportiva, um, so yeah, so really stout women's field on the men's side of the field. Oh man, super excited for this one. Big shout out. We got Mr Jackson Cole, my teammate from team La Sportiva, showing up to throw down. Big shout out to Jackson. We actually have a quote from Jackson. Jackson in quote, says oh man, I am looking so forward to experiencing this race again. He always has the best quotes. Last year was really a big learning curve for this and this made this and it made that sorry, and this year I've made the necessary adjustments. To compete well in a race is technically and engaging and challenging, as all tracks extreme. So we want to wish him the absolute best of luck as he takes on this big race. We also have a Luca Kowiak for the Dina Fit athlete. Showing up Also on the men's side is going to be Lucchetti Pero, team Scarpa and Giancarlo Giano from Team Brooks.
Speaker 1:So the Italians are showing up. Andres Stendl from Team Dina Fit will also be there, as well as the German Marcel Hoesch from Team Terex and Martincel hoche from team terex and martin athmanian from team terex, as well as gustavo botrigo from team merrill. So big shout out to all these athletes. Like I said, what a technically engaging um, an interesting race. Um, best of luck to everyone showing up and throwing down out there. Um, coincidentally, in the same weekend we uh this is another one of those weekends where we get to world sky running series races um, after a kind of a decent size layoff, so had about you know, three weeks, maybe a little longer um off, which has been kind of fun.
Speaker 1:Um, we also have the trophy Como sky race taking place, taking place this Saturday, the 24th of August. It's going to be the 13th stop in the World Skyrunner Series. It's taking place in Navao, messino, italy. Absolutely stunning course, beautiful alpine loop. This race is long.
Speaker 1:This is like I think this might be either the longest or second longest race of the World Skyrunner Series 52K and 4,200 meters of climbing. So it's kind of like a, like a mini speed goat or like a, almost like a. I think speed goat actually has more vertical, I can't remember speaker. It's 11,000 feet, something unlike that ballpark. This might have more vert than speed goat, um, but think of it in in regards to like a speed goat kind of race um, just pretty wild. Um, but way more technically engaging, considering, um, that the course record is about an hour longer for this race than it is for speed goat. Um, yeah, so just to uh, for you Americans out there, 52 K and 4,200 meters is 32.3 miles and 13,779 feet, so pretty crazy.
Speaker 1:Um Course record, coincidentally held by the goat himself. Mr Killian Jornet uh, set the course record for this race in 2018 and a time of 609, 19. Uh, and the course record was shit, was. Um was set by the women in 2022, by none other than one of the greatest female trail runners of all time as well, miss Hillary Girardi. Uh, set the record in seven hours 30 minutes and 38 seconds. Miss Hillary Girardi set the record in seven hours, 30 minutes and 38 seconds. As of me recording this, which was on Tuesday, the 20th. They have not released a kind of like a running contingent list yet.
Speaker 1:I'm sure that'll be coming out pretty shortly, so I don't have much to go on for who's going to be out there and who's going to be showing up to throw down. But I just wanted to give you guys some some information on this race. Like I said, it's going to be the second one of the week for the world sky runner series and definitely no slacker of a course, just absolutely so technical, so long and so steep. Like pretty interesting that, like we got a 52 K Um. Like I said, it's kind of the second, I think the second longest distance um that we've had in the series. So pretty cool. Guys, we've got a race that I'm going to be doing this weekend. Finally, I'm super excited to be traveling out this weekend to Cirque Series Grand Targi.
Speaker 1:I just am getting back now from Cirque Series Alta, still a little sore, still a little tired, still a little beat up. This will be my third race, third week in a row, so I'm a little beat up. Um, this'll be my third, third race, third week in a row. So I'm a little, a little cranky, a little tired getting my uh coming back to life to get ready to throw down Uh, super excited.
Speaker 1:For those of you who have no idea where grand Targi is or what the Cirque series is, cirque series is, uh, this beautiful sub ultra um series of races that are kind of the mountain classic distance, anywhere from like six miles to a little bit less than 10 miles um put on all around the mountain West um, utah, alaska, uh, colorado Um, and this one is going to be in Wyoming. It's the only one of the Wyoming um, only one in Wyoming that they put on in grand Targi, which is just outside of like Driggs, idaho um overlooking the absolutely stunning range of the grand Tetons um taking place this Saturday, august 24th 2024,. This course itself uh, 7.1 miles and it has the least amount of vertical of any of the races out there. So it's going to be a fast one 2,212 feet of vert Um. Most of that vertical is gained in the first two to three miles Um, and then the race is kind of unique because the rest of the race is just a screaming fast downhill of beautiful single track uh and some ski road. So looking forward to it. I can tell you right now it's going to be a fast one. It's going to be a barn burner, definitely ready to compete and ready to ready to ready to do my best out there. So it should be fun.
Speaker 1:The course itself kind of dope. I like it a little bit more because it's a little bit like a lower altitude for me. I live at 7,000 feet, so it's a little bit easier. I don't have to worry you know not that I really worry, but I don't have to really be concerned about have to get running over 11,000 feet. This one's a bit lower. Uh, starts at about 7,800 feet and tops out at about 9,900 feet. Uh, so just South of 10 K. So it's a little bit lower in the altitude range. So I feel like it's going to be a faster course. Um, so with that speediness, um should be a little more intriguing. Um, it should be a faster race. Um, usually this race has ran in about an hour, um, for those upfront. So it should be, uh, should be fast, should be, should be gnarly. So definitely looking forward to it.
Speaker 1:Um, yeah, just got back from Cirque series Alta. What a fun race that was. Um, that race itself was a little bit longer. It was about seven miles. Um, they changed the course a little bit this year so it was closer to like the 2021 course. This was like seven, a little bit more than seven, miles, with about just South of 3000 feet of vertical, lots of ski road climbing. Uh, topped out on Baldy and then bombed down. Um the ascent. Uh, there was this nasty Baldy technical ascent that we can, we can talk about a little bit, um, and then kind of transitioned off to a ski road.
Speaker 1:Um, my race went really well. I had a great race. I was really excited. I finally put something together that I was pretty excited about. Um, I had an absolute dog shit race at Brighton. I and there's no two ways to sugarcoat that Um, this one was a little bit more. This one was significantly more fun for me and, I think, way more in my wheelhouse. Um, I think my skills are a little bit more um, in that running turnover, uh, ski ski roads kind of deal. Like I feel like I do pretty well there. Um, and I can really grind on those steep ski roads where you know a lot of people have to like turn over to hike and stuff like that where I feel like I can actually. Um, I think I have the strength to be able to run a lot of those.
Speaker 1:Um, yeah, took it out hot. Uh, mason copy, who are Kopi I'm sorry it was who was the um eventual winner? Um, took it out with us super hot. I mean, we were screaming um about like high five minute, low six minute grade adjusted pace, probably closer to the high five minute grade adjusted pace, um, and that was a little too hot for me. Um, I backed off a little bit closer into the first mile and just kind of settled into a climb, um, and just kind of like found my groove in miles two and three. Um, I suffered a little bit in mile three.
Speaker 1:The heat was a bit more than what I was expecting, like the. I think the forecast was like 63 degrees, which you would think would be pretty cool. Um, I know that's a Colorado cool in the morning, um, but in Utah when you're at already at like eight or 9,000 feet, that sun is just beaten on you, um, and we just didn't really have a lot of cloud cover. So it was pretty. It was pretty toasty in the early miles, a little humid as well.
Speaker 1:Um, yeah, I had a great race all up until um you kind of broke off the ski road and got onto Baldy um and kind of uh scrambled up the what is that? I think that would be like the South Ridge of Baldy or something like that Um up to the you know nice, beautiful jog up to the Baldy ascent and then you kind of drop off um into this like amazing descent off Baldy, very technical, very loose, very steep Um, you know, I gotta be honest with you, I'm not the best technical descender, far from it. In fact, it's probably like my weakest, weakest um aspect of descending. And uh, your boy, your boy did pretty good. He rolled a few boys, rolled a few dudes up.
Speaker 1:Uh, on the Baldy descent, which I was pleasantly surprised and not expecting to do. Um, I'll tell you what, though I think I went a little too hard, cause I got off that Baldy descent and just could not find my like downhill ski legs. Um, from the Baldy descent, which you like switch situated off the single track, uh, you got onto like a dirt road, um, like a very steep ski road where most people like set their mile PR. I was not setting any mile PR, I was dealing with some calf cramping and yeah, anything below a six minute mile for me was hurting. So I kind of just settled into that descent and just kind of accepted my fate and just did what I could for the final mile and a half down to the finish and, yeah, like I said, I finally felt like I gave one.
Speaker 1:My all was really excited about that. Um, yeah, moves me into, um, into the top 10 for the pro ranking, which I'm excited about for that. And uh, you know, the goal was to kind of just like get in the top five, uh, by the end of the season. So I think we're well on our way to getting that done. And, yeah, hoping for a good result at grand Targi this week. Um, like I said, I think this course speaks more to my skillset as well. Um, love the steep stuff pun intended and I think we're going to get it done. Pretty excited for that. Um, yeah. So I think that's all I got for you guys.
Speaker 1:I'll check in after, uh, after the race to give you guys an update on how that went. And uh, talk about some of the results of all tracks. Talk about the results, um, of this, uh, trophy Okima sky race. Um, and yeah, kind of get into that and, as well as uh, some plans for the upcoming next few weeks. Um, one of the big things that I'm going to be talking about pretty soon um, and getting ready to uh release slash discuss is a, a group run that we're planning for those of you on the front range. We're going to be doing a steep stuff group run um, undetermined on location. We're still working on that. It's not going to be for like another month, um, undetermined on location, undetermined um on what exact day. We're finalizing that now, but there is going to be a steep stuff group run for those in the front range and there's going to be some free giveaways and uh, um, from ultimate direction, they're going to be coming out to give away a bunch of stuff.
Speaker 1:Um, in addition, on that topic of ultimate direction, please, please, please, please, please. Um, this doesn't help me in any way. This is for you guys, this is for the listeners. Um, if you guys are interested in any new gear, if you need a new vest, if you need a new handheld, um, if you need anything, this code steep stuff pod is going to be good through the end of September. Um, go ahead and hop on the ultimate direction website. Treat yourself, get yourself something nice. Um, 25% off your cart. Pretty good stuff. Um, like I said, a belt, handheld vest, you name it. Uh, 25% off. So good deal from UD. Um, yeah, code is steep stuff pod. I'm trying to think of what else. Last but not least, if you guys enjoy this episode or any of the other ones, please hop on Spotify and Apple. Give us a rating and a review. I'd really really appreciate that.
Speaker 1:Um goal is to get this podcast out to the world. Um, I can't do that without more ratings and reviews and kind of grow in this thing, so that would help a lot. Um, and very, very last, those of you in Colorado Springs, I have something very exciting. Uh, some really exciting news Um steep stuff podcast is going to be teaming up with the Pike's peak marathon and ascent. Um, as of yesterday, this is now official, so I feel like I could finally start promoting this.
Speaker 1:On the podcast Um, we're going to be teaming up. We're going to be doing two days Friday, august, september. Sorry, I should know this. Um. Friday September 20th. Um evening, we're going to be doing an elite night. Um, a live panel elite night. Um, I'll get you guys more details as we get closer. But we're going to be hanging out with and talking and interviewing um, an elite panel of athletes for the Pike's peak ascent and marathon. Don't want to give away any names yet, but you can kind of put an idea of who you would expect to see there. Um, some just incredible athletes would be really fun.
Speaker 1:And then the most fun that I'm super excited about is on the 21st, live from the start line the Pikes uh, the Pikes Peak Ascent uh, your boy is going to be at the start line doing some live commentary and discussion on the Pikes Peak Ascent Um, so basically a live podcast. We're going to have some guests on from the North Face athlete team. Just look for a lot of familiar faces and some very famous faces that you might expect to see in the sport. They will be there. We're going to be following the front of the race, of the men's and women's race, commentating on that, talking about, just like, what's going on in that race. It should be a lot of fun. So the vibes are going to be fun. It's going to be electric uh, picture like college game day meets the Pike's peak ascent Um, I expect to see a lot of you there. It's going to be dope. Um, yeah, super excited for that. So, all right, guys, have a great rest of your week. I'm headed off to Wyoming to go race Cirque series grand Targi. Um, I need a nap. Uh, yeah, have fun, guys, have a great rest of your week.
Speaker 1:Um final thing uh, this upcoming Friday uh podcast with none other than Cirque series Alta winner, mr Mason Kopi. Um, this is one you're not going to want to miss. Mason is an absolute good guy, just like a total stud. Um, incredible athlete, incredible coach, incredible human. He's what we want the future of our sport to be. He's got an insane story, um, and just like very uplifting. So definitely tune into that. I think you guys are going to really like this one. This Friday, a personal favorite favorite of mine might've actually been my favorite conversation thus far Um, just cause it was just a great connection and um, he was, yeah, he's, he's going somewhere. Beautiful future this kid has. So, last but not least, uh, that's it. That's all I got for you guys. Have a good week. Uh, wish your boy luck be with me as I take on Cirque series grand target.
