The Steep Stuff Podcast
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The Steep Stuff Podcast
Lauren Gregory - Pre Sunapee Scramble Interview
Lauren Gregory's meteoric rise in trail running has been anything but straightforward. From contemplating quitting mid-season to standing on podiums at major races, her journey exemplifies the rollercoaster nature of elite athletics.
Speaking from Boulder, Colorado—a place she calls home—Lauren opens up about managing an Achilles injury that has forced her to adapt her training. Rather than viewing this setback as purely negative, she's discovered unexpected benefits from cross-training on the bike: "It's nice when the cross-train doesn't take from your soul." Most surprisingly, she's found her hiking ability—previously a weakness—has improved dramatically, potentially giving her an edge on technical uphill sections.
As the conversation shifts to race strategy for upcoming championships at Sunapee and Broken Arrow, Lauren reveals her thoughtful approach to two-loop courses. "The expectation is to make the team; the goal is to win," she says with remarkable clarity. This balanced perspective comes despite the pressure of following up her breakthrough 2023 season, which culminated in podium finishes at Headlands and the Golden Trail World Series final.
Working with coach Ben True, Lauren has fully committed to trail running after transitioning from track. Her training philosophy emphasizes quality over quantity in racing: "I'd rather under race seasons than over race." While ultra distances intrigue her, she respects the progression required, planning to "add an hour every year" to her racing distances.
What emerges is a portrait of an athlete who combines natural talent with strategic thinking and self-awareness. Despite being young in the sport, Lauren demonstrates wisdom in her training decisions, recovery priorities, and career planning that suggests she'll be a force in trail running for years to come.
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What's up, fam? Welcome back to the Steep Stuff Podcast. I'm your host, james Lauriello, and I'm so excited to bring you guys an episode for the pre-Sunnipy Scramble interviews with none other than Lauren Gregory, one of the biggest new names in our sport. Lauren has just kind of exploded on the scene. It was really fun to chat with her. We caught up, as she's in her preparation right now and her build for Sunnipy. We talked a lot about what her build has looked like, dealing with some Achilles issues and how she's been able to supplement a lot of that training on the bike. We talked a lot about training theory. We talked about Sunapee as well. We talked more specifics about the course, what it's like dealing with that humidity and getting through just a super humid day with bad weather usually that Northeast gnarly, if you will terrain and technicality Talked a lot, a lot. Lauren's kind of a new face to the podcast, which has been fun. So I'm excited to do a long-term interview or long-form interview with her down the road, just because there's so much to unpack there and catch up on. But we did dive a little bit into Lauren's background. We got a lot into how she just absolutely exploded onto the scene with the ending of her season last year taking a top 10 finish at Mammoth as well as a podium finish at Headlands, all to kind of cap that off with a second place finish at the Golden Trail World Series final, which should probably give her an absolute ton of confidence going into Sunapee this year to go make another world's team. So yeah, big fan of Lauren just is so excited. She's so young in the sport for what she's going to do.
Speaker 1:This is a really fun episode and, like I said, this one's a little bit longer than some of the other ones, just because we got to explore some of Lauren's background. So, without further ado, I hope you guys enjoy this one. None other than Lauren Gregory. Lauren Gregory, welcome to the Steep Stuff podcast. How's it going?
Speaker 2:It's going well, thank you for having me yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm super excited to have you on. Um, yeah, it's like, uh, I don't know. You're definitely one of the top people that I've been wanting to have on the pod, so I'm glad we were able to make this happen. Shout out to Tom Hooper, uh, shout out to Tom Hooper's, my boy. I love that guy. How's your, uh? How's everything going? How's your week going? How's, how's the boulder life?
Speaker 2:yeah, week's been. Week's been good. Boulder life has been fantastic. Um, yeah, just kind of like really quickly integrating with the community and like seeing old friends and meeting new friends. It's just been like such a good, easy transition back. Um, colorado is home to me, so it feels like a really easy transition. Just being home doesn't feel stressful, everything's familiar, which is cool. Yeah, just kind of getting back in the swing. Still been both cross-training and running and this has been an elite place to cross-train, no complaints. It's nice when the cross-train doesn't take from your soul. It's like actually this was a good day and like I had a really fun time on my bike. So, yeah, that's pretty nice.
Speaker 1:Do you bike a lot or are you just like more so because you were like working back from an injury?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm more like if I'm in full training I enjoy biking, but like it's just not usually a part of my training, maybe if this summer goes well, like maybe it's something I throw in because it works or something. But I'm more of like a traditional running is running and like that's how you get good at running and I just prefer to run. So yeah, but we'll see, it's mostly just been like an injury, like modifying training a little bit.
Speaker 1:I feel that on so many levels, like I'm going through a small injury right now, I don't even know if it's big, it could be small, hopefully it's small, you never know.
Speaker 1:I've been on the bike for the last like week losing my mind and but like it's gravel biking, so I'm like we have a lot of good spots out here today. It was like the first day I had like a like Michelino Sincero like threw me a couple workouts to do and I was like all right, I'll give this a try and I'm like you can actually get in zone four, like you can like really do a lot of good stuff on the bike. Like this is. This is legit, and I had literally bought a gravel bike like three years ago and it had sat in my garage like never really touched it, so yeah you never know like I more.
Speaker 1:You never know. Going forward, I'm like maybe I can do a ton of aerobic volume on this and like maybe I'll just do that for my easy days and run on the other days. Yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 2:And I mean this might be like gaslighting myself, but in my head, like it is good for trail. I would say like my flat running isn't quite what it used to be pre-injury, but on the bright side I don't think I need that as much. So, yeah, and like I've done a couple uphill workouts and like my hiking is better than it's ever been, where I actually like don't feel like I'm slowing down, whereas before usually hiking is where my race just goes out the window not really out the window, but I'm like I can tell like a significant pace change, cause I'm just not a good hiker. But I don't know, maybe it's the biking could be. I think it's the secret sauce, I don't know. I think I don't know, maybe it's the biking.
Speaker 1:Could be. I think it's the secret sauce. I don't know. I think I don't know. We'll see what happens. But yeah, I think the biking might be a blessing. I've heard from a lot of people. It translates well to uphill stuff. So, we'll see. I don't know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, trail kind of brings my runner brain in terms of what you need to do for training, because it do for training, because it's so different from like road and track, like people can get away with doing all sorts of different things. So we'll see, maybe it's the ticket. Like, definitely I've gotten more aerobic volume in than I would usually running, because I just wouldn't be able to handle that much.
Speaker 1:So that's been cool yeah, well, like fingers crossed, hopefully we'll see we're from the hip, so what have you been working through?
Speaker 2:is it like just achilles thing, or yeah, that's the one, the freaking pesky achilles, and it's been. It was like one of those things where I was in denial, like small injury, and then turns out somewhere along the way. I didn't pay attention to it and now I'm still still, uh, dealing with her, but she's calmed down, she's become a she. So, yeah, she's calmed down and, like has been friendly enough to like increase training load and and run more and and, oddly enough, steep climbing doesn't bother it, so we're just grateful for that. I'm like really kind of at the point. It's been like three months and I'm just giving up on trying to understand her so hopefully just race her into submission and and see what happens there you go?
Speaker 1:Have you do? You know Ryan Becker. He's like a, like a savant on Achilles injuries. He's been dealing with this like since he graduated college and he's like yeah, highly recommend. Ryan Becker as a person to know and ask questions about, like he's not a medical professional by any means but he's been able to avoid surgeries like the last, like two years, but dealing with it.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's awesome.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Yeah yeah, there's a lot of resources out there. People have been sending me all sorts of podcasts and stuff. It's an interesting injury to listen to and or like to learn about, but and it's in like such a funky spot that like I'm not too afraid of it. It's not Haglund's and it's not in like an insertion point, so just kind of going with it, yeah, just riding it out, you know.
Speaker 1:Well, outside of that, like what's the stoke level for Sunupian Broken Arrow? I'm sure probably pretty high right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the stoke is definitely high. Um, I feel like nervousness is kind of like intertwined, both Like I'm really stoked because I love racing trail and like I'm super excited to get this thing going. But not having, like maybe a traditional build or like the perfect build that I was envisioning, it definitely like adds a little element of nerves. Um, kind of just trying to like be smart with my injury and then like also be excited to race and like also be grateful that it's like I'm not being stupid and just gonna send myself and like blow up my Achilles. Like I'm in a spot where I feel like still confident that I can go and and race and like give it my best. So it's also gonna be kind of cool to see where I'm at, because I have no idea I haven't raced since february. February was a flat road half, so it'll be interesting. I think I wish it wasn't a us champs maybe, like as a first go, but I think that's kind of everyone's in that boat, unless you did a rando race in april.
Speaker 1:So no for sure, and you know it's an interesting thing too. Like I've thought about this a lot, like do you, is there such a thing as race rust? Is there not, especially for these short races? Like maybe there just isn't, and maybe just taking that time, like really I don't know. I think there's pros and cons to both. I think it just depends on the person you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think, because I have maybe a track more like traditional track background, like rust comes from not being sharp, but trail doesn't like in my opinion I could be completely wrong but it doesn't have that same element of like needing sharpness. You just need mental toughness and like strength, and those things I think can be there as long as you're not over fatigued, like that could be there anyways, you know, and sometimes it's your day and sometimes it's not, and that I don't think always has to come from like oh, I'm just not race ready, or something like that. Cause, also, workouts are sometimes just as hard as races on the trail. So I don't know, that's just my what I'm telling myself.
Speaker 1:No, I think it's fair. I think it's a fair assumption.
Speaker 2:Let's talk about Worlds.
Speaker 1:So the interesting thing with you is you've now run two. Is it correct? Two Worlds, One is a junior.
Speaker 2:One is not a junior.
Speaker 1:And then you've technically represented Team USA. What? Three or four times, three times, four times. I know you were challenged at Stellina as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I got to make a couple junior teams for Cross in high school, which was cool too. So yeah, like there's been some things scattered, so this is not new for you?
Speaker 1:this is not not new at all like senior worlds.
Speaker 2:I guess I made the thailand team but, um, I was pretty under prepared for that. So, like to actually be there and like kind of get a grip of what, have a grasp on, like what training's, like what being a pro is like and this is like the first one I've actually been like okay, I really want to like zero in on this and and like give it my all. So, yeah, maybe the first one with some pressure, okay, oh, pressure let's talk about this.
Speaker 1:You feel a little pressure for this one.
Speaker 2:I you tell me I guess, yeah, I think I don't know. I feel like I saw what I could do last year and I'm still figuring things out. So I'm not like I'm hoping for perfection, but like everybody does, and I'm also trying to remember that like perfection isn't possible and I still, of course, have. I guess I I do always put pressure on myself, and this one us champs does, and maybe I'm kind of like tamping down the pressure for us champs just given the injury, and it's like got to get the job done at the end of the day. So but then, coming into worlds, like I definitely have some things I want to take care of there.
Speaker 1:Very cool, Very cool. I got to ask you. So I mean, maybe this is just a glitch I saw you weren't signed up for the broken arrow ascent. You were signed up for the 23k and you were signed up for the mountain classic at sunop.
Speaker 2:So no, no, broken arrow ascent then no, okay, yeah, I mean I've kind of gone back and forth because it seems like a lot to put all your eggs in one basket for Worlds. But I was at Thailand only on the uphill team and I didn't enjoy that race discipline. Like that's not my strength, in my opinion, and like I felt like almost underutilized for the Team USA, because I'm like I know I could perform really well in the classic discipline because it was like six. I know I could perform really well in the classic discipline because it was like six miles or something, with a lot of flat running and I think I tend towards more like downhill running, so just doing the freaking like hike up to the village, which was cool, but like I just didn't.
Speaker 2:I wasn't like proud of my race and obviously some training. I wasn't like proud of my race and obviously some training, obviously specifically for uphill. But at the end of the day, like I'm a runner and I know I'm good at running, so I'd like to do that and I feel like I'm still so new that I want to under race seasons, then over race, so like everything's to me like another tax on the nervous system that I need to like save for later. So I think I just made the call to to just race Sunapee and then just race Broken Arrow, because then I'll go and now I have to go run Mexico, since I missed Asia. So there's just like I need to give myself some like both times to train, recover and focus for the end of the year. So the ascent just didn't make the cut.
Speaker 1:No, I think it makes sense. You gotta do what you love and want to do, Right Like and also you've.
Speaker 1:You've spent some time in the Northeast, you know the way those Northeast trails work. Like you've raced a bunch out there that race like so much. I'm so upset that I'm not like I literally this injury flared up like two weeks ago or a week and a half ago and I was like there's no way I'm gonna be able, because I was gonna do that with a double blister cannon. I'm so bummed but like it just looks like so much fun and it's gonna be just bananas with how many people are showing up and it's gonna be just like a big celebration of our sport which will be fun yeah, it's such a cool thing, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:And the East Coast trails have their own like unique flair. Yeah, and that's the other thing with the ascent involved. Like I'm interested in the Broken Arrow ascent, I have no interest in those.
Speaker 1:European-style ascents Completely different race.
Speaker 2:Entirely. I've done my fair share of VKs and just been like cool. That was an experience. I'm not really sure what that was, so I don't know. It's like tough Cause. We just don't have that in the U? S unless we go to like Alaska or something.
Speaker 1:I feel, yeah, I feel like our style of mountain running is just so different here versus Europe. It's just a completely different sport and it's funny Cause, like some Americans are like just confused by it, like they're like what, what? Like this is completely different. And others like adapt really well, like some people like joe gray, just like consistently just figures it out yeah, I mean he's you know he's been doing it a long time, you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, true, true, we always like, like, these legends are legends for a reason, and it's not always like smooth sailing. But yeah, no, he's definitely an example of like can pretty, pretty much throw down anywhere, which is cool, all right.
Speaker 1:So we've talked about the race, like, in some degree I got to ask you this because I know the course is a little bit different from 2023. It's going to be a slightly tweaked on the second loop to where it includes like more of a technical climb the second time around. I think of this race almost like, as it's two loops like a, almost like a broken arrow 20 or 48 K right when it's the person leading the first loop generally is not the first in winning the race, so there's a little. It was always carnage in there. Do you have any like, how do you approach these races mentally, especially something like this? Is it they're more strategy going in or is it? You know, I'm just going to go out and do my thing Like, how do you? How do you approach this mentally?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think the first thing that comes to mind is that, like I'm still fairly new to this I mean quite new to this so I think a level of respect is involved, like you know, especially for the two loop courses, because it can absolutely bite on the second loop. So I think for me it's just running at whatever my like I know my limit is, and so maybe it's if it was a one loop course, like perhaps I could over, like top, over my limit and then catch up on a downhill or, like you know, recover on there. But yeah, I think it's just going to have to be like knowing myself and like trusting that I can hold a certain heart rate or like a certain level and descend also on that and do it again. Yeah, so I think it's just going to be to not blow up or mitigate blowing up big time, because I guess if there was nothing on the line, then maybe I would like press the first climb and just try to like blow people up or something like that.
Speaker 2:But I think I think because if I blow myself up then the goals go out the window. So it's like being both smart and strategic to make the team and like also, if you want to win, you have to, you have to be better than everybody else. So, yeah, that comes in that, in that the and I like the classic or like the up down distance because you can be somewhere on the climb but then make a lot up on the descent, or kind of like play to your strengths. And I think that helped me a lot at golden trail was like trusting that I can make up some time on the descent. Or, yeah, and I like the technical trail, so like I just get excited by that.
Speaker 1:So yeah yeah, kind of some strategy, but also more just like doing my own thing it's interesting too, and I almost I like the way you're approaching it too, because, like, being in the race, right, you think about it like we all know how ally goes out, ally's so aggressive, right, and it's like, all right, all right, do, do I follow her, do I go with her? Where? What's on a Gibson going to do there, like, and if Grayson's in the race, we don't really know if that's going to happen. So there's going to be a lot of people with different styles, right. So it's going to be just interesting to see how do it.
Speaker 2:in my opinion, yeah, I feel like, but on the other hand, I haven't quite nailed down what I'm gonna do if you can't tell, but on the other hand too, if you let someone get too far out, then you're never getting back no matter what, like you could descend two or three minutes faster than them, but you're not gonna catch up.
Speaker 2:And also with trail, because it's not like you can see them from a distance all the time. Sometimes you have no idea they're 30 seconds in front of you. So yeah, but I do think the kid, the key, like status goal, is just to not blow myself up, cause you know it's like NCA cross or something, where all of a sudden you're hemorrhaging points in places and then you've kind of like bit, like botched the goal. You know fair enough.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I could ask you so we did talk about a little bit about pressure. I would ask you, given so much success that you had, I would assume that what the expectation is.
Speaker 2:But you, you tell me what the expectation is for yourself for sunupi or moving forward, yeah yeah, um, the expectations to make the team, the goals to win. So yeah, I guess. But also last year, like I had success but I also had like pretty fat l's.
Speaker 1:So I think I'm still like figuring out the consistency thing so I this is where I was gonna go after that question was like dude, you were like a total world beater last year, going into, like even on the lake golden trail world series finals. Like Lauren Gregory, like I have to have her on the podcast. Like this is insane. What clicked for you? I mean, obviously you've always been so good, you've always had consistency and you're very young in the sport, but like what do you think clicked for you? That like should give you enormous confidence going into the season.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's a good question. Uh, I guess all spring I was training on the track and like fit, but just like mentally not in it at all and I think battling that was really hard. And then like making the trials, making the final, and being like so mentally not there and like that sucks so much. So I think part of it was like coming back into my own as a runner because I felt so like disconnected from what I even wanted to do. And so the beginning of the trail season also like did go to Europe, did race Poland, like Poland didn't happen, like just some certain things.
Speaker 2:And like my first time being over in Europe for like four weeks or something, however long we were there, and all of the things that come with that, like being tired, like a training was just I was just tired Like the whole time, we were just moving a lot and like just a lot of logistics to figure out. I think it was just being a noob, you know. So some of that I have to give credit. And then I finally got to race the when we were in Europe at Trofeo Nazago and I told the line not being sick, but turns out I was like um, harboring this fricking stomach virus that hit the next day. So it's like I finally got to race and it was so discouraging Cause I raced like I just felt awful and like race like garbage and I'm like what's going on.
Speaker 2:And then got to come home and like actually reset and I think I just laid on the couch for two weeks and then went to Mammoth, I know, went to Headlands, it clicked, went to Mammoth, did better, yeah. So the rest of the season kind of swung upwards from there. But a lot of factors with like figuring out mentally and then kind of letting training set in, factors with like figuring out mentally and then kind of letting training set in, um, yeah, so I'm glad it ended like that. About midway through the summer I was like do I just need to call it like my year? Just like over right now. So I'm glad I didn't do that, but it was close for sure.
Speaker 1:Isn't it crazy, like you might like, position that you're in in the beginning of the summer and then going into it, you're like you have no idea, obviously, what's going to happen. You have certain expectations of what you think. Obviously, expectations go out the window and then you have the season that you have at the end.
Speaker 2:And it's like, wow, it's a good thing. Yeah, like yeah, genuinely, I almost totally didn't go to finish any of it and like, luckily, my coach has seen my workouts and has been like my coach has seen my workouts and has been like, okay, like you're fit, you know, but like I didn't think so, like I was not in the place where I was like my training's doing well or and it's hard with Joe, cause you don't have like a ton of metrics to compare but yeah, crazy how that works the rest of the season just kind of like swung upwards, but also like lacking that pressure really helped, I think.
Speaker 1:I think I didn't have anything to prove, so yeah, let me ask you this, the coaching aspect of it. You said you're working with a coach. Who's your coach? Who do you work with?
Speaker 2:Ben True, okay, yeah, so he's out in New Hampshire and that's where I do yeah.
Speaker 1:Freaking legend for sure that's such so interesting, interesting, so he can coach for the trails. I mean, I guess fitness is fitness so it's like, obviously there's some more specific stuff you layer in like towards the end of the block but like at the same time.
Speaker 2:That's interesting yeah, and I mean most people maybe don't know this, but he was, um, like pretty much a cross country ski hybrid track person and like maybe leaned more heavy cross country skiing until like after college running. So yeah, he does have kind of, I think, more of that mindset involved, which I do think helps with how he approaches trail training. Yeah, because it's more like a little more similar.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's really interesting. Yeah, it's. I don't know. I think there's so many ways to show up to a race fit. I was just talking to Bailey Kowalczyk and obviously she's working through an injury and we're talking about the cycling aspect, right and hammering the bike, and it's like, well, you can show up really fit doing that. You could show up doing hybrid stuff, I don't know, and there's so many different ways to get to a race and have a ton of fitness. But it's like, how can you apply the specific stuff later into the block? I guess that makes it kind of fun. The science behind it is like I don't know, I'm kind of a geek about it. Now it's fun.
Speaker 2:You know for sure I think it's especially interesting to me on the trail side because on the track people were all doing the same's cut. You go to the track and you're like gosh k's, what an original workout, you know. But like on the trail, people come from so many different training backgrounds and like so many different things they're doing. It's just really cool and then everyone you know kind of throws down in their own way. So it's also, I think, like acknowledging your background, like I'm not to go try to get like loads of ski fitness because I'm just not a skier. So like I also like can acknowledge that running is where I know I can get the most out of myself and like it's my bread and butter. So I do like working with Ben because I feel like he's kind of more on that, on that line of thinking.
Speaker 1:I got to ask you this Moving forward, are you going to be like, more specifically, just dedicated to the trails, or do you think you'll try to do hybrid seasons like trail and track as well? Like what are your thoughts on that?
Speaker 2:yeah, no, like, no more. I think no more track for me. Maybe a 10k like for fun, well, just to like go for it. But yeah, I just, I just I don't see how because in my mind, like trail's my favorite and trail's the one I like want to dedicate the whole year to, and so if it doesn't in my head connect to trail like 5k training, just like people always say, like even it's good for VKs, I don't think that like I I don't know maybe if you're a certain person, but like it's just a completely different.
Speaker 2:Training Like being good at ripping 70s on repeat is like really cool, but I don't really know where that has a place in trail. Like fitness is fitness and that's good, but I'd rather work other systems than just VO2 all the time. Anyways, no more track probably. But I did really enjoy the idea of like a roads block in the winter and spring and then trail summer fall, like that to me was great and I really loved training for the roads this last year or this last winter until my Achilles kind of blew. But in the future I'm really looking forward to like balancing roads and trail like half marathon distance. Um, yeah, cause I think it translates really well and I I like that idea of just getting like really aerobically fit and having there's like really working on threshold and like understanding what that feels like.
Speaker 1:So yeah, it's super smart. Um, I was going to ask you. I completely lost my train of thought shoe, what's the race day? Uh, the race day shoe you're gonna be wearing for sunupu.
Speaker 2:The kiger is most likely okay, the tigers, yeah does that handle really well like I don't know.
Speaker 1:I think of like the north not that I am hopefully gonna make it a sir kellington, but like outside of that. What is like nasty, like muddy northeast stuff, is that like basically what that?
Speaker 2:fruity. Yeah, the tigers are like the best that handle. On technical for sure, it was like hands down and like the everything I don't know. The grip is good, like they're kind of the more aggressive, like closer to the ground shoe. Yeah, I think they're perfect for this, so I'm excited for that.
Speaker 1:We'll see. Okay, all right.
Speaker 2:That's super cool.
Speaker 1:Uh, what's the rest of the? So once we get through broken arrow, are you what's? What's the rest of the season gonna look like outside of like worlds?
Speaker 2:yeah. So I want to do both the golden trail series and worlds. Um, and that's pretty much my only focus is like get the bare amount of races in so I can be in the ranking and hopefully make some money for Golden Trail. So I'll do Broken Arrow, then turn around and go to Mexico, which to me is still crazy that we do like back to back weekend races, like I wouldn't choose to do Mexico if it wasn't up, if I didn't have to get three races in. But we're going to go, try that. And then so Sierras and All, which is an A race for me this year that I'm super stoked for and very nervous for but really excited for. So Sierras and All is like a big focus for me. And then I guess that pretty much just a serious detriment to me and trail in my opinion. So trying to keep it like as bare men as possible.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, I think it's a smart way to do it and I think, like I don't know, if you have the inkling to jump into a race and you can do it, you know, then obviously yeah, but like, as far as I see so many people that like over commit and then end up like really tired by the end of the season and then drop out of stuff and it's like yeah, probably not the best way to do it.
Speaker 2:And I found it the final. Like they have golden trail, so heavily weights that thing. Like you race for no reason. If you just like blow up in the final and that sucks. Like you put all this time and money and energy to go to the freaking Mont Blanc and like everywhere and then if you don't have a good day, like it totally sucks. So yeah, I just think strategically like making sure you're actually like mentally ready to go to, like that's you could be physically fit, but if you're mentally exhausted, like you know that's not, that's no better. So, yeah, just trying to like make sure that I'd rather have finished the season and be like cool, I could keep going where I did that last year, um, but yeah, that's kind of where I'm at and I'm so young in the sport Like I don't know if I have the, the like ability to recover Like some people can.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that is crazy. Like you have so much time, it's. It's kind of an I'm old, I should've brought my cane with me. I'm like 34.
Speaker 2:So you know when.
Speaker 1:I think of like, like people, like being in their like low twenties. Like a couple of my good friends are like 26 and like 28. And I'm like, dude, you have so much time, it is not fair.
Speaker 2:It's very nice to hear in trail, because in track it seems like it's now you know like to be good and in the ncaa it was like just always such a short time to be good. So it's nice to remember that like I have so many years to figure this out and like even this one little blip of injury in the winter like didn't actually like I still have more time to do what I want to do.
Speaker 1:But yeah, I mean, look at joe gray. No, I mean I don't think he would take offense to this, but he's like 41, just been doing it for a long time, like max king's old too, like relatively speaking, and they're still doing their thing, so still throwing down plenty of people yeah, there's plenty of opportunities, like deep into your 40s, which is, I think, that's really cool right yeah all right.
Speaker 1:So I think we got everything, I feel. Oh, the one question I was going to ask you and I was thinking about, I was debating on whether I was going to save this for when we do our long forum but I gotta ask you, are you ultra curious? I, because you're so new to the sport like, does that ever interest you to do the 50ks and up or stuff like that? Or yeah does it really?
Speaker 2:it definitely does. Yeah, probably later down the line, because I really like the like high-end I mean I guess I'll just kind of need that now too, but just like that kind of like high-end performance, like really intense, and I think that's what my system is used to from racing in the NCAA and then doing that on the track like after. So it feels like comfortable to me and I feel like I really respect each hour that gets added to my race. So, like like last year, I didn't race years and all, because three and a half hours is four hours. Wait, you know, four, four and a half hours for women is like that's long for me.
Speaker 2:Like golden trail feels long to me now because it's like a two and a half hour race is a marathon to me, like you know, and I got to respect. I feel like I have to respect that. So eventually, like I'm trying to add in my mind like an hour every year. So this year isn't all, maybe next year it's like Sagama or something. This year's in all, maybe next year it's like sagama or something, and like eventually, occ, I'm just someone, maybe I'm like too cautious or or under confident about it, but yeah, so ultra curious for sure, but like I'd like to build, build, build slowly up to that yeah I'm so excited to chat series and all with you.
Speaker 1:I that's like my bucket list race, like I I need to get out there and do it one year. It it is such a cool race. You know, it's so funny. I talked to everybody about this and, like I think most people don't understand, it starts in a place called Siri and ends in a place called Zanal. Nobody gets that.
Speaker 2:Like it's like, that's the whole thing, yeah.
Speaker 1:And it's like be cool. Uh, we'll chat about that on our next pod, I feel like, yeah, we've got time for that well, listen, I do want to wish you the best of luck going into sunipi. Um yeah, I'm super stoked. Hopefully we'll have a conversation after uh broken arrow and uh yeah, we'll do another pod after that yeah, I would love that.
Speaker 2:thank you, yeah, hopefully out to to Sunapee or can race cannon, cause I think that would be super fun. I wish I could do cannon, but too many races in June.
Speaker 1:I don't blame you. I don't blame you. That course looks gnarly Like I've never been. I've never been to Franconia. My wife's family lives in upstate and it's only like a two hour drive from Vermont. So I'm excited, at least like hopefully everything goes well and I can open up the season at killington. But if I can't make it to canon, it'll be all right next year.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm glad they've thrown it into the series, so hopefully it stays. I gotta tell julian do not get rid of those uh no, yeah, keep some on the east coast, because I like we have a little club out in the east and people are freaking, pumped on it, so like cool, and people send out there like really, like, really good people, so it's cool. I think it'll be sweet to see everybody mixed in.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, for sure, for sure. Well, listen, lauren, I really appreciate it. I wish you the best of luck and, yeah, we'll be in touch, thank, you yeah.
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