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Sophie Wright - Pre Sunapee Scramble Interview
Ever wonder what happens when you take a collegiate mile record holder and unleash her on mountain trails? Sophie Wright is showing us exactly that as she transitions from Western Washington University track star to mountain running phenom. Fresh off her selection to the 2025 Trail Team Elite Team, Sophie joins the Steep Stuff Podcast to discuss her approach to the upcoming Sun of Peace Scramble race.
With a resume that includes the mile record at her university, a top-five finish at the legendary Mount Marathon race, and an overall win at Cirque Series Alyaska, Sophie brings serious credentials to this qualifying event. What makes her story particularly fascinating is the contrast between her track background and her growing prowess on technical mountain terrain. "I've been trying to get out of that mentality from college running where every hard workout is on the track," Sophie explains, detailing how she's focused on accumulating vertical gain and threshold training rather than traditional speed work.
The Sun of Peace Scramble's unique double-loop format presents strategic challenges, with Sophie planning to "stay calm and collected" on the first loop before attacking the more technical second section. Despite never having raced on East Coast trails, her confidence stems from years navigating Alaska's notoriously challenging mountain routes. Her goal? A top-four finish that would earn her a spot representing Team USA, a lifelong dream. "I do want to race hard for everyone who has helped me grow up to be this runner," she shares, capturing the blend of personal ambition and community gratitude that fuels her running. As Sophie prepares to relocate to Colorado immediately after the race, we're witnessing the exciting evolution of a rising trail running star who refuses to place limits on what she can achieve. Subscribe now to follow Sophie's journey and hear more compelling stories from the trail running world.
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What's up, fam? Welcome back to the Steep Stuff Podcast. I'm your host, james Lauriello, excited to bring you guys another pre-Sun of Peace Scramble episode, this one with none other than Miss Sophie Wright, the mile record holder at her university, western Washington University. Sophie joins us just after her selection for the 2025 Trail Team Elite Team. Sophie's got some serious results to back it up. Like I said, not only is she the mile record holder at Western Washington University, but she's also got a top five finish at the Mount Marathon race, as well as a overall win at Cirque Series Alyaska, which is not an easy feat either. Sophie brings a large Alaskan mountain running pedigree with her to the race and I think it's going to be a potential game changer on race day. So it's going to be really fun to see and follow her race.
Speaker 1:This is a fun episode. We talked about just kind of specifics and her build and where her build's kind of been at to get ready for a race like Centipede, kind of inexperience and where that comes from as far as never having raced in the Northeast, but just eagerness to kind of cross over those really tough Alaskan routes to kind of bring that to the Northeast scene, which is going to be fun to follow, as well as travel and all these different things. It was a fun episode, just a quick, short one, just a little pre-race catch up, so hope you guys enjoy this one. None other than Sophie Wright. Sophie Wright, welcome back to the Steep Stuff Podcast. How are you doing?
Speaker 2:Good, good. How are you?
Speaker 1:I'm doing good. I'm doing good. Are you still based in Alaska, or did you come down to Colorado yet?
Speaker 2:I am still up in Anchorage. I leave Saturday for Colorado.
Speaker 1:Wow, the big move. That's exciting.
Speaker 2:It's crazy, and so I'm just soaking up all the Alaska trails. I might do a race tonight, but I wasn't really planning for it in like my training week, I guess. But it's like you know why not while I'm up here.
Speaker 1:So why not? It's so. I'm so excited to get up there. I can't wait to go see what it's all about. I was just talking to David Norris this morning and he was like giving me some like spots on like what to do, where to go and like what it's all about, and I was like, oh, I can't wait, it's gonna be yeah, I totally know it's amazing up here stoke is high.
Speaker 1:How's that? Is it like? Did you guys have like a low snow year, didn't you? So it's like not yeah yeah, like we got.
Speaker 2:I mean, apparently I saw on the news like new orleans got more snow than anchorage this winter, which is like crazy. But then we had like a very late. There was like a big rainstorm almost like a couple weeks ago that like kind of messed up the trails a little bit, but they're like in great condition.
Speaker 1:It's been awesome, super cool, so training is going well then.
Speaker 2:Totally yeah.
Speaker 1:Nice. So the reason we're having a part of this conversation is for we got to be coming up in just a week and a half, which is crazy that we're here, um, doing basically just doing interviews with all the elite men and women. So we're going to just jump into a little bit, dive a little bit into the race, maybe, talk about some strategy and things like that, and and yeah, we'll go from there. So it's exciting, all right. So first question is I got to ask you is like so this is a weird like course.
Speaker 1:Right, it's like two loops, it's this like double. Like first loop is not the same as the second loop. Second loop is a bit more technical. I got to ask you this because I've asked a few people this and I'm just so curious In a double loop course like this, even though it's such a short race, that's like you got to run it like an 800. But is there any strategy going into that? Usually, the person that's leading the first loop is not the person necessarily winning the race at the end. So have you thought that one through at all?
Speaker 2:I have. I've thought with the Tulip course how mentally challenging that could be, and so my approach is just going to try to stay relaxed. The first one and I honestly haven't looked too far into the course map itself, but I get there the Thursday before so I have time to preview it a bit with Andy, which I'm excited about. But I just want to stay like calm and collected, I guess, like the first lap, and the downhill seems like relatively shorter compared to like the uphill, and I feel like downhill is becoming like a strength of mine and so I'm just going to really work that.
Speaker 2:And then the second loop, just kind of like attack it from the beginning and hopefully make some big moves there, cause I know, like I know there's going to be some like very fierce competitors there and I don't want to have like imposter syndrome but like I totally do right now, but I know I can like at least try to stay up with them, and so that's my goal and I want to. I want to put myself in a competitive position from the first lap because with it being two laps, if I do let myself drop back, I I do let myself drop back. I think it's going to be hard mentally to catch up. You know, say, if I get dropped on the uphill on the first lap, and you know, in my head I still, oh, I still have a downhill and uphill in a downhill, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so it makes a lot of sense. I think it and your strategy sounds amazing, like I think that's the way I would approach the race. It makes the most sense just because, like you know, like I don't know, like some of the women I'm not I don't think Grayson's racing, but I'm not totally sure but I know a lot of the styles of a lot of women, like, specifically, it's go out super hard and it's like it's going to be interesting to me to see, like, who holds back a little bit, who goes super hard and you know, kind of like, where that mixes up and who meets who and where who blows up.
Speaker 2:I think the blow ups are going to be epic if they do. Yeah, yeah. And like for me, the strategy of going out super hard, like I don't really want to risk it, I feel like I've done it a couple times in some races and sometimes it goes amazing, like I feel like that's my, my Mount Marathon approach, where it's like I, you know, full on, pretty much sprint to the base of the mountain and then already my heart rate spiking and that works. But for Sudepe I think I should chill a little bit because I don't want to take that chance of totally blowing up right away. Yeah.
Speaker 1:No, for sure, For sure. So Tom Hooper was kind enough to send me some of the pictures of some of the sections and some of the descents are like rooty and gnarly and rocky and just very East Coast, which I feel like a strength of yours, because I know we talked a little bit about the descents. I don't know, alaskan mountain running is gnarly, it's steep, it's technical, it's hard, maybe. I think there might be a good transfer there. I don't know. What do you think?
Speaker 2:Totally, and I was just talking to Denali about that too, because I've never raced or even been on any East Coast trails and so in my mind I was like, oh, they're going to be, you know, pretty tame. But after looking at pictures they seem honestly like right up my alley with like what we're used to here, and I've been like trying to get up, you know, doing some like steeper ascents and descents here, and I think I'm like pretty well prepared for that.
Speaker 1:Super cool. What shoes are you going to be rocking on race day?
Speaker 2:So I just bought yesterday the Salomon. Are they the pulsars, the trails? Like they're new. I don't even know I'm so bad with like the shoe types. Okay, um, but they're very similar to like the, the ones that were discontinued like the S-Lab something or another, I don't know, but they're like very lightweight. They're, like you know, akin to like a trail flat, basically, um, that's what I'm planning on racing on now okay, sweet, all right.
Speaker 1:I'm curious to hear. I mean, I feel like anything with aggressive lugs and that's kind of like grounded is going to perform well. I mean, as long as you're not out there and like alpha flies, I think you're gonna be all right yeah, yeah, and these have like good grip.
Speaker 2:They have like enough cush, but like not too much, and so they still feel like a good racing shoe. So I'm excited cool, cool.
Speaker 1:yeah, I gotta ask you this because, like you're almost in this like really unique and cool position, whereas, like you're not yet sponsored in the sport yet that will happen, but it's the you're still like in this position where you're very new to it and you don't have you don't have anything to lose, so you're playing with house cards. Like what is your expectation, though, with that Cause? Like you could very well play spoiler and like upset and like rock that top four, it's very possible. Like, what is your expectation for this race?
Speaker 2:I, I don't know. I've never had competitors as like competitive as ones you know I'm gonna line up with. And so for me, I do want that top four spot, um, just because, like I hold like very high expectations for myself, but I also don't want to like um, I don't know. I think top 10 would be amazing. Top four is like my ultimate goal, but I'm not going to like limit myself by like making excuses for myself being like oh, this is my first, you know, big race, cause I know I can compete with them, and so I've been like very excited about that, but also like very, very nervous about it.
Speaker 1:I think it's, I don't know. I think it's a very smart way to approach it, just because, like I've spoken to so many people that like man, a lot of folks more on the men's side, a lot of nerves, like a lot of like, not just like confidence, but a lot of nerves.
Speaker 2:I'm like, Ooh, that's not a good way. Trail running for me. It's like if I'm having a good time and just like enjoying it, I tend to race better. And same with like training runs. It's like interesting. I'll like go up and say like, oh, I'm going to do this, you know uphill, like 20 minutes hard or whatever, and then I'll get you know a certain time. And then I'll go back a couple of days later and be like, oh, but today's just a chill day, and end up getting like almost around the same time. And I think, just because I'm like relaxed and I'm not putting that like pressure on myself to like perform well, if that makes sense. And so if I just like relax and have fun, I think like the competition will like come with it, if that makes sense.
Speaker 1:No, I think it's smart. I think it's smart. Yeah, I gotta ask you this, if you do get meet your goal.
Speaker 2:What would it mean to you to represent team usa? That would be like it's been a dream of mine, literally like forever. I think I would like obviously weep. I'd be so excited, I'd be so, so pumped. It'd be amazing and it'd be like a culmination of just like years and years of like training and support and especially, coming from like a smaller town, I just think, think like all of Palmer would be like so, so surprised and so like shocked and just like in the best way it'd be awesome. And it's like I do want to like race hard for everyone who has helped me grow up to be this runner.
Speaker 1:I love that. That's a good answer. Yeah, it's going to be interesting. Like there's a good possibility. Like if I was a betting man which we don't have betting and trail running yet we'll make that happen. But it's if I was a betting, like there's a good probability, like we might get two alaskans. Like we might get you and david norris on the us team, which would be? Which would be dope, be pretty cool.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that would be amazing those europeans ain't ready yeah, yeah. So because david's from like fairbanks, right I think so, yeah, okay yeah, that's cool. That's cool, he's gonna be there. That'd be awesome if we got two alaskans there.
Speaker 1:Yeah yeah, it's got to represent the alaskan trail running world.
Speaker 2:Be sweet yeah, are you going to?
Speaker 1:mount marathon this year. What was that? Are you going back to mount marathon this year?
Speaker 2:yeah, yeah, I'm excited for that, so that'll be nice. I was just previewing the course, which was like a little bit like way too early, uh, last weekend. It's still like the gut. It's like you know. You have the water flowing down with snow and then shale on top, and I was not trying to fall in and into that whole mess, but it was still. It's looking good and I feel like, with it being like not a snowy year, it's gonna be fast and hopefully dry. That's the hope super cool.
Speaker 1:I gotta ask you about training. That's something I kind of glossed over is like how has your build looked to now? Are you all on the trails? Are you doing some track stuff? What have you been messing with in the last few weeks?
Speaker 2:I've kind of taken not like a different approach, but like two years ago when I had kind of like my breakout year where I won Cirque and got fifth at Mount Marathon.
Speaker 2:My focus that year was just spending as much time as I could in the trails.
Speaker 2:And so what I've been doing is I've done like a couple track workouts, but I've been trying to get out of that mentality from like college running of, like you know, every hard workout is like on the track and it's like you know, you go 100%. And so I've been kind of just like I've done like a lot of threshold work because I know that's, like you know, really important for my base, but mainly just like trying to get a lot of vert and making up in my mind like, oh, I'm going to, you know, do three by 10 minutes hard uphill and then work the downhill well. And I think I've done a good job about like building a good trail base and like I feel ready to compete and I feel way stronger than like last time I even talked to you just like being here and focusing on the trails and I'm excited and I think like my base from college running, from track, is going to transfer, like it transferred well into like setting me up good for trail, so I I feel really fit right now.
Speaker 1:Nice, nice, I love it. It's really interesting to me because I'm in almost the opposite place, whereas I came from a soccer background. So obviously we have large aerobic bases but maybe not as much top-end speed as a steeple or anybody that's on the track. So it's like I've been doing more stuff on the track to continue to try and develop and build, build that top end speed just to keep up with you people because you're so fast and so. But like for you guys, I found, like because like Dan Kurtz is a good example, like he just does as much vertical now as he possibly can, I'm just like I guess you guys already have that base that's so well established and so well built that you don't have to continue to build the house and like you just have to do a few things to just like maintain the house, if you will.
Speaker 1:So it makes sense that you know you guys continue to get more vertical and stuff, so it's gonna be fun to follow along. Uh, so you said you go out thursday preview the course, kind of play around on that. I think that's smart trying to. Is it gonna be? And I don't know if you've thought this through and I don't want to freak you out, but I'm just curious about this. The sleep like as far as like you're going from one time zone to another time zone and then a whole nother time zone that's even two hours further ahead, like have you thought that one through or is that more just, we're just gonna see what happens yeah, I think I haven't thought about it, but I feel like I'll just like wait and see what happens, especially with like I'll have a couple days to get used to it and I don't know.
Speaker 2:I feel like I'm just really good about like loading myself up on melatonin and like when I need to go to bed, I'm like, okay, go to bed it works.
Speaker 2:So I feel like, if anything, it'll like play in my favor going ahead in time zones, because if it's like wait, would that make sense. If it's like 10 pm there, like I think seeing the clock I'll be like, yeah, yeah, be six o'clock here, but just like being able to see the clock makes me tired, if that makes sense. Like I'm not like a weird sleeper at all, so I'm yeah, I'm not too worried about it nice, nice, yeah, listen, like I think it's like an old people problem.
Speaker 1:Like when you're like deep in your 30s, like me, like that's those are the things that come. But like when you're in your 30s, like me, those are the things that come up. But when you're in your 20s, you could sleep anywhere, do anything yeah. Must be nice.
Speaker 2:And I try not to stress about sleep, at least the night before, because sometimes I've had it happen when I broke the school record for the mile, I slept maybe three hours the night before, Just because it's not like I had nerves or anything, I wasn't nervous, I just actually couldn't go to sleep. And so I know I can perform well theoretically if I get really bad sleep. So hopefully, not Hopefully I can sleep.
Speaker 1:Are you going to hang out for a little bit in New Hampshire and see what that area has to offer, or are you headed right out after Sunday?
Speaker 2:Well, Sunday I'm going to hang around kind of on my my own, but my sister is actually. She lives in rhode island and so she's gonna drive up and pick me up and then we're gonna hang out for a couple days there you go very cool the northeast is dope.
Speaker 1:I love the northeast, it's fun I've never been up there and I'm so excited yeah, like those mountains are like different, if that makes sense like it's like just it's just older, like everything there is just older and like it's it's just very different from the mountain West. So that's cool. So, listen, I want to. I'm going to get off now. I wish you the absolute best of luck. I'm so excited to follow your race. Um, yeah, I think you're going to have an amazing day and it's going to be really fun to follow.
Speaker 1:So rooting for you and hope to chat afterwards so enjoy and also congrats on your move to Boulder that area Colorado, so it'll be fun to have another Colorado in here.
Speaker 2:So super cool, yeah, totally Well. Thank you so much for chatting.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you too Enjoy the rest of your day. Thank you so much.
Speaker 2:You too have a good one. Bye.
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