The Steep Stuff Podcast
Welcome to the Steep Stuff Podcast, your source for all things Sub-Ultra Mountain Running
The Steep Stuff Podcast
Taylor Stack - Pre Sunapee Scramble Interview
Taylor Stack is redefining what it means to be a young talent in the ultra-competitive world of trail running. Fresh off signing with Brooks and joining one of the most stacked trail teams in the world, Stack brings us inside his journey from self-coached athlete to sponsored professional with World Championship aspirations.
The conversation dives deep into the evolution of Stack's training approach since partnering with renowned coach David Roche. "Coaching myself, I was doing it on vibes mostly," he admits with refreshing candor. Now, he benefits from the perfect balance of scientific structure and personalized programming that honors what works for his body. This coaching relationship has provided both the accountability for those easy-to-skip strides and the objective perspective that's hard to maintain when emotionally invested in your own performance.
As the Son of Peace Scramble approaches, Stack reveals his meticulous preparation for this World Championship qualifier. His strategy for tackling the unique East Coast terrain – "more grassy, wet and root-laden" than his native Colorado trails – and the challenging two-loop course shows his tactical maturity. Rather than locking into a rigid race plan, he'll trust his instincts developed through purposeful training that balances flat speed work with mountain-specific sessions. And when pushed about what making Team USA would mean? "It's kind of the premier achievement in the sport," he says with unmistakable reverence.
Follow along as Stack outlines his ambitious season ahead, including Golden Trail Series races and his ultimate goal of representing his country on the world stage. Whether you're fascinated by the training philosophies of elite athletes or simply inspired by the passion that drives the next generation of trail running stars, this conversation offers a compelling glimpse into what it takes to chase dreams across mountain trails.
Follow James on IG - @jameslauriello
Follow the Steep Stuff Podcast on IG - @steepstuff_pod
Use code steepstuffpod for 25% off your cart at UltimateDirection.com!
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 another Son of Peace Scramble pre-race interview with none other than one of the most exciting young athletes in our sport, mr Taylor Stack. We caught up with Taylor, the newly minted Brooks athlete, just actually about a month after he got back from the Brooks Summit up in Seattle where he chatted about joining his new team and just exciting, and you know what that meant to him. Um, we also talked a lot about race specifics what it was like in the build, getting ready for this race. Um, taylor's on the front range of Colorado up near Fort Collins, so obviously you've got to wait for some of that snow to melt to get onto the trails. Fortunately we've had a pretty mild winter, so there's been some ample opportunities for Taylor to be able to train and get ready for this race. We talked about strategy and what it was like racing a two looped course or what it's going to be like racing a two loops course and kind of the strategy um involved in that. Um, we also talked about dealing with humidity, environmental factors and just all kinds of fun stuff. Uh, taylor's a really exciting athlete in the sport and I'm excited for what he's going to be able to do. Like I said, one of the younger athletes on the sport, so it's going to be fun to follow along as he starts to build his career from here on out. It's going to be fun to see what he's able to do. So, without further ado, hope you guys enjoy this one.
Speaker 1:None other than Mr Taylor stack. Taylor stack. Welcome back to the steep stuff podcast. How are you, buddy, doing good? Yeah, thanks for having me. It's always fun, absolutely, man. Last time I saw you, we were speaking face to face and Estes park. What have you been up to since then? How's? Since then, you signed with Brooks. You've been busy, dude. You've been training hard. What's what's going on these days?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's been good. Yeah, I got the Brooks deal, which has been super fun, and yeah they've been great and yeah, it's been pretty awesome.
Speaker 2:Training's going super well and I think, with uh picking up the sponsorship, it provides a little extra motivation to like train extra hard and attack this year. So, yeah, it's been good living up in fort collins still, um, but doing a good amount of traveling and spending some time in salido where my parents live. That's where I am right now, so just trying to enjoy getting out and training and getting fit and just like seeing cool trails and, yeah, doing your thing, man, you know, I gotta ask you, how was the um, how was the brooks uh like team event that you guys did out in washington?
Speaker 1:that must have been fun yeah, that was super cool.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's like a little north american team camp for all the trail people, uh, with likeS and Canada pretty much. But yeah, I was in Seattle and I've been to Seattle a few times but I haven't had the chance to really explore the trails in the surrounding area too much. I've kind of stayed in the city mostly. But we got to check out some of the cool spots around Seattle and yeah it was cool to seeoks headquarters and like get some updates on product development, what they have going on. And yeah it was fun. And meeting all of the us new signees for the first time got to meet um kind of the rest of the team and yeah it was super fun super cool.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so you finally got, I guess, remy larue, dan kurtz, all those guys. It's so crazy man, like I I've said this on a couple podcasts before but but like I honestly think like Brooks might have like the most stacked uh sub ultra trail team in the world. Now it's kind of wild when you look across like both the European and the North American side it's. It's kind of crazy.
Speaker 2:It is. Yeah, it's kind of nuts and I'm kind of I I'm grateful to even that they even had room for me, because I feel like they're already so stacked and then, you know, on the guy side adding Remy and I, yeah, it's a pretty sweet team we have right now, so it's exciting stuff.
Speaker 1:Big time, big time. All right, let's let's talk training, let's get into some Soonapese stuff Like what is uh, what does the build look like so far? Are you starting to get more specific and like off the roads, Like what is uh, what are you starting to target now that we're getting close to June 1st?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So mostly, like compared to last year, I've just kind of built my mileage up a little bit more and I've been trying to run a good balance of, you know, getting some vert mixed in but also a good amount of flat kind of road slash, track oriented training.
Speaker 2:So I'll do, you know, maybe like one kind of flat fast workout per week, you know, on the track or on the roads or whatever it is. That's maybe a little more geared towards like hitting certain paces and whatnot, um, and kind of speed development stuff, and then also, uh, one, you know, maybe like a hill, um, kind of more trail oriented workout. And I actually this year I started working with David Roach as a coach, so it's been, that's been really good. I think last year I was doing my own thing and I think I did it pretty well, but it's just nice to have, you know, some kind of external structure, um, and there are certain things that, like you know, I'm a lot more motivated to do my strides now that I have someone checking in on me, rather than last year I was kind of just like, oh, I don't need to do strides today.
Speaker 1:Let's unpack this a little bit, Because David is obviously not just a world-class athlete in his own right, but also one of the best trail probably the best trail coach in the world, arguably. What's it like working with him? He's a wild boy. Is he a good motivator? Is he good with conversation, Like? Is he good with programming? Like, what do you like about it? Like, what's kind of your favorite aspect of it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a good question. I think you know it probably varies athlete to athlete. I am someone I don't need, like you know, I don't need to like talk every day and like I don't need that kind of oversight, but for me I just like appreciate having, um, you know, someone kind of a an external party. You know, I feel like coaching myself, like you're so involved with, you're so emotionally involved in your own performance and training, and it makes it kind of harder to look at it objectively sometimes.
Speaker 2:Um. So I think it's it's nice to have someone who can like kind of look at it for what it is, you know, for like kind of a more objective viewpoint, and then, like you know, motivate you or like tell you to maybe like ease back a little bit when like maybe you're trying to push a little bit too hard. And then on the other side, you know like pushing me to like, yeah, maybe do two like bigger long runs this week, when that's not something that I would have written into my own training as much. So, um, but yeah, I mean I think he brings a lot of really positive, enthusiastic energy all the time, which is nice and it makes me feel good Like you get a little dopamine rush every time you see his comments on the log and stuff like that. So, yeah, he's been great. I think that's been a game changer for me this year in terms of just motivation and overall quality of the training.
Speaker 1:So super cool. It's a good transition, right, like I actually transitioned back to like coaching myself this year and I don't know. I feel like having a coach has its pluses, but also like self-coaching has its, like there's different, like I don't know. I think it goes as far with self-coaching as to the to the knowledge level. Right, it's like okay, I understand the mesocycle and like what I can do to like increase this or decrease that and back off in this, whereas, like I don't know, I feel like having someone like David he's just so he knows the stuff so well, and Megan as well just like they know their stuff so well that it like it's all taken care of, you don't really have to worry about it, which is kind of nice.
Speaker 2:Definitely.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and like I, I trust them. You know, like obviously, the podcast they kind of broadcast their deep knowledge and like how they're constantly like looking into scientific papers and stuff like that and staying up to date on like all of the developments in the sport and stuff. And it's like I'm not necessarily doing all that work myself. I coach myself on like vibes mostly. So I kind of have you know, when I'm working with David it's like I have a little bit more confidence that it's actually coming from somewhere, you know, scientific and objective, which is nice. So I think that trust is really important, like, yeah, like trusting that the training is coming from somewhere knowledgeable and objective rather than just like vibes. Vibes are good, but I think me I like having a little more trust in the training.
Speaker 1:So I agree. I couldn't agree more, and especially for someone like you, I think it's it's it's a really smart step as you go to take like kind of that next step in your career. You know you'll be competing for the podium at SUNYP and like there's a lot of like big things you'll probably go on to do this year, and I think like that's the logical next step to help you get there right. Like having those people in your corner makes a lot of sense.
Speaker 2:For sure. Yeah, and you know David has been very receptive to like my input as well, which I think is nice. So it's, like you know, I I think I've learned over the years the type of thing that works well for me, and also like how to balance like other interests other than running into it, and he's very adaptable and like he it's kind of a mixture of like his philosophy and his structure with like what I know works for me, and so I think it's it kind of strikes that perfect balance.
Speaker 1:So very cool. All right, let's talk soon. To be man, are you going out? A few days before you're going out, like, like, what's your plan as far as getting out there, adapting to the I guess you could say humidity and kind of the Northeast situation? Like like, what's? Uh, what's that all about?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think going out on thursday and then the race is sunday, so have like two full days before the race to kind of adapt and, like you know, maybe jog around on the course and get a feel for everything and adjust to the time change too, because going west to east is always a little bit tough, um, rather than the other direction in terms of the time change, because it makes you know you're a little more groggy in the morning and stuff like that. So it'd be good to have a couple of days. But yeah, it's interesting Cause everyone, everyone I talked to, says that like the, the trails back East are like totally different from what we have out here and it's like technical but in a completely different way. So I'm not sure what to expect. But yeah, it'll be nice to go out and like get a lay of the land for a couple of days before the race.
Speaker 1:For sure. No, I think it's a smart way to do it. Dude, that's the East coast Like that. Two hours is like a killer, right. Like I don't know, I'm used to waking up super early, so when you go out in the East coast, it's like you get up at five or six and it's like, oh man, so I feel your pain there. It's, uh, definitely something to get used to. And yeah, as for the technicality, I don't know, like I don't think the course is like. I think there's a couple downhill sections that, like tom showed me in photos, that are like stupid technical, but outside of that it doesn't look too bad. I don't know, it's hard to say. I guess it's a different. It's a slightly altered course from 2023, from what I understand, so it'll be a little bit different.
Speaker 1:Yeah, super nice it'll be interesting, but yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 2:It should be fun yeah, people say like uh, you know, in colorado we have a lot of like really kind of loose rock and like rocky technical and then on that course it's like a little more grassy and wet and like Rudy kind of technical, which is definitely a different vibe. But I don't know, we'll see. I think it's going to be fun. It'll be. It'll be interesting to see how I do on a different type of terrain.
Speaker 1:So, no for sure, for sure, yeah, it's going to be, um, I don't know. I just think the race it's going to be either way, like everybody's going to show up, it's going to be super competitive and, yeah, it's whoever, whoever, whoever the group is, you know as far as kind of where the chips fall. Let me ask you this um, so you'll be a broken arrow as well. If this race goes well for you and you're on the team, are you more wanting to get on the ascent team as well? Or like how? Like, what's your plan for this? Like, what do you? How you are you game planning?
Speaker 2:yeah, it's a good question. You know, obviously the goal for sun and p is to make that world's team and so, um, but then, yeah, the broken arrow, vk. I think you know, either way, I'm gonna run both the vk and the 23 and you know, making both teams would be awesome, um, um. But either way, you know, it's another fun competitive race and, uh, I don't think, yeah, I don't think, whether or not I make the team at sunup. He's going to change the plane for broken arrow, so it's a good answer.
Speaker 1:Now, broken air is going to be crazy too. Man, are you running? You're doing the ascent, are you doing the 23k or the 46k? 23k okay yeah, it's going to be another crazy line because it's a golden trail race. Dude, it's going to be. What is the schedule looking like for this year? After you get past a broken arrow and soon to be like, what are you going to be up to?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so those are the two kind of next big objectives. And then after that the next thing on the schedule officially is going out to Austria for the golden trail, um pits glacier trail race, and then a week later doing Sierras and all after that, um, so those are what I'm signed up for currently. And then, you know, making the world's team would be ideal, making golden trail final top 30 would be ideal, and then we'll see what happens. You know, between obviously assuming everything goes well, um, but between those golden trail races and worlds, there's kind of a big gap. So I might, might, try to squeeze something in there, you know, maybe a little more local, kind of around Pike's peak or like Imogene pass or something like that Kind of kind of leaving it open to how the season plays out.
Speaker 1:So very cool. Let me ask you this what, uh what would it mean to you to make the world's team?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's kind of like as a runner, and especially someone coming from like a track and cross country background, I feel like making that team where you represent the USA, you know, in an international race and you get the USA, you know team kit, the racing kit and everything is kind of like the premier, like achievement in the sport. So I think, um, yeah, I mean it's like it's a total bucket list thing and I think it would be awesome to like get that USA kit and go out there and represent my country. You know, that's what it's all about. So yeah, Super.
Speaker 1:I love to hear it. It's a yeah, dude, what an honor. Like such a I don't know it's, it's a. I feel like it's a bucket list thing for every athlete at this point at a high level. That looks up to something like that and it's like wow, like I couldn't imagine, like being able to represent like team USA Like I don't know, it's pretty pretty bad-ass. I got let's talk strategy a little bit for the race. So like I just got off the phone with it's not like you just have one big climb and then one big descent and you kind of play it off that way. Like this is a climb, descent, climb, descent. You, when I think of races like this, I think of like maybe something like a broken arrow right Like the 46 K. That's a two loop course. Like usually the guy leading on the first loop is not the person winning the race and leading the second loop. Is there any like mental visualization or strategy that you've kind of thought of going into a race like this? Like how would you conceptualize that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think you're right that you know having two loops, you know when it's just one big climb and one big descent, you know it's completely changes strategy because you can kind of blow yourself out on the climb and then just like put, put the pieces together on the downhill. But yeah, I mean, I've heard from people, um, who have done cause I don't know if the old version of of the sun and peak horse was two loops as well. It was, it was okay, yeah. So I think, yeah, I've talked to some people who say, like the second loop is really hard, so you kind of want to save some energy on the first um, which I'm definitely going to be keeping that in mind.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, for me, I think, whenever I start to try to make a very specific race plan and then stick to it a lot of the time it kind of doesn't work out well because you start the race and then things aren't going exactly according to plan and then you start freaking out going exactly according to plan, and then you start freaking out because, like you had this plan, and so for me I'm like I want to just kind of clear my mind and like trust that I've put in the work and like trust my racing instinct and just like feel it out on the day on the course and like see, you know, like if a lot of people are going out super hard and it doesn't feel right for me, I'm going to like trust my gut. But if I'm feeling good on the first loop, then I'm also going to trust that and like trust myself. So yeah, I think kind of just trusting the instinct and not like having too specific of a plan is my strategy.
Speaker 1:I think it's a smart way to approach it. I mean, it's just, it's an interesting thing, like when I put on like my commentator hat and like analyst hat, I think about like the way this race is, like I've talked to mason, I've talked to dan, I've talked to so many people and people are stupid fit going into this race. But it's like I think there's like a lot of strategy that is probably going to have to be brought into just because of how, just like how much hubris and like, I guess, ego like people are going to go out with. And it's like, all right, let's, let's see what happens here, like when it gets to the second you know the second loop, if people can hang on or if people play it smart and can actually make moves on that second loop.
Speaker 2:So it's going to be so interesting to see how it plays out yeah, I mean, there's tons of heavy hitters showing up and I feel like, even compared to last time you know, 2023 it was a world's qualifier but it seems like it's like even more stacked this year with just like a bunch of studs. So, yeah, like there are probably 10 or 15 guys who are talented and fit enough to like have a chance at making that team on a good day, you know, but there are only four spots, obviously. So I think it's just gonna come down to who who has, who has a good day out there and who, like, doesn't make tactical errors.
Speaker 1:And yeah, I think I think, too, this is really interesting. I was going to I wasn't going to bring this up in the interview, I was going to save this for when we did our race preview it's so interesting to me, dude, like how many people I've spoken to I wouldn't say that are like looking past this race. Like I've talked to talk to a few that are like, okay, I'm getting on the mountain classic team and I'm hell-bent to that, but like I've talked to a lot of people that are just like looking past, soon to pee with their eye on broken arrow, and I wonder how much that's going to play a role where, like it might come down to who wants it bad enough to like I actually will play a role with if they're not looking, if they're just there to be there and see what happens and not really looking past it to a broken arrow. So I don't know that that also could be, you know, could be something as well.
Speaker 2:So yeah, yeah, that's interesting. If you, I feel like when it gets really hard in a race, if you have anything in your head telling you like, ah, like I'll have another chance later, so I don't have to like push into that well, right now, chance later. So I don't have to like push into that well right now. Um, that's not a good, you know. It doesn't bode well for your performance. So I'm definitely, you know, like obviously prioritizing broken arrow as well, but I'm I'm not like looking past it. I don't think like you were saying. But yeah, I know a lot of people are doing the 46k at broken arrow to try, you know, as another chance at making the world team. But yeah, it'll be interesting to see that that could definitely play a role yeah, yeah, it's crazy.
Speaker 1:The mental stuff is interesting to me, are you?
Speaker 2:are you nervous at all or are you just going in like completely chill and you know and just gonna trust in the fitness and see what happens I'm trying to manifest the chill, trust, the fitness, but you know there's always a little bit of nerves. Um, it's coming up here and it's like, oh man, two weeks, that's kind of crazy. But it hasn't felt imminent enough for me to like start getting really nervous yet. I think, Um, but also I feel like having signed with Brooks this year, it almost like kind of takes some pressure off because it's like I don't quite have as much to prove now. But yeah, trying to manifest the chill, energy and the trust, but you know, I think you have to have some level of nerves too to perform at the highest level.
Speaker 1:So I love it. I love it. I got to say something to you after the last time we had spoken. Obviously I had Cade on the pod and I'm sure you'd listen to his episode maybe, but he was. I kind of use you as like the uh, the indicator now of like level of competitiveness, because the way he talks about you being like the most competitive person that he's ever met, which was, I thought, was really interesting to me.
Speaker 2:So I use like level one to tell her stack.
Speaker 1:now, that's how I rate things.
Speaker 2:Well, it's funny because he went to high school with Bryce Hopple and he always said like, tells me that like. I'm the second most competitive person he's ever met behind Bryce Hopple, which makes sense. But yeah, I think you know we we hung out a lot and trained a lot together in college and maybe back then I was even a little bit more competitive and I feel like I've matured and kind of chilled out a little bit since then. But yeah, I definitely still feel it a little bit.
Speaker 1:Love to hear it, man. Yeah, all right, dude. Well, I think that's a good spot like spot stop. Let's uh, let's put a pin in this one. We'll chat after the race. I'm looking forward to hearing poster race conversation and, uh, I wish you the absolute best of luck and, dude, I hope you're on that team man. It's going to be pretty fun to follow along.
Speaker 2:Yeah, sounds great, man. Thanks for having me. It's always great to chat, so it's my pleasure, taylor.
Speaker 1:Best of luck, buddy, and, uh, probably talk for broken arrow as well. We'll be in touch.
Speaker 2:Sounds good, yeah, take care.
Speaker 1:Listen up, guys. The Steep Stuff podcast is brought to you by Ultimate Direction USA. Guys, I am so excited UD just dropped their new race vest, six liter, and ultra vest, 12 liter, in two beautiful aesthetic colors. You guys got to check these new vests out. They're dynamic in ways like that you just have never seen from an Ultimate Direction vest Very stretchy, lots of storage, beautiful aesthetic colorways coming to you in a new, like a white and blue and an onyx and green Just absolutely beautiful vests. I think these ones are just like some of the best products we've ever dropped and I'm so excited for you guys to try them out. Hop on ultimate directioncom and use code steep stuff pod Again, that's steep stuff pod for 25% off your new vest. I mean, they're already affordably priced, but 25% off is just going to make it so much more affordable for folks in an already increasingly expensive trail running environment. So hop on ultimate directioncom, get yourself a new vest, a pack or any hydration solution and let me know what you guys think. Thank you.
