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The Steep Stuff Podcast
Lauren Gregory - Post Sunapee Scramble Interview
Lauren Gregory takes us deep into her journey at the 2025 US Mountain Running Championship at Sunapee Scramble, where she secured second place and earned a coveted spot on Team USA. Just a week removed from this performance, Lauren shares the intimate details of a race that demanded everything from her physically and mentally.
The conversation reveals the fascinating chess match that unfolded over 80 intense minutes of mountain racing. Lauren explains how she strategically played to her strengths on technical descents while navigating the relentless pressure from competitors Allie McLaughlin and Anna Dalton. Each athlete brought distinct capabilities to the course, creating a constantly shifting battle that Lauren describes as both exhausting and exhilarating: "I think probably all three of us at one point thought we were for sure going to win."
This championship holds special significance for Lauren as her first trail race following an injury and represents a carefully planned step toward her ultimate season goals. Unlike her previous national team qualification during college years, this achievement marks a deliberate career milestone. "This time it's like this is planned out. This is strategic," Lauren explains, highlighting how making Team USA now carries deeper meaning as she builds toward the World Championships as an "A race."
The conversation also touches on recovery challenges, the unique physical demands of mountain racing, and the extraordinary strength of the women's team representing the United States internationally. For anyone fascinated by elite trail running, race strategy, or the mental aspects of competition at the highest level, this episode offers rare insights from an athlete performing at the pinnacle of the sport.
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What's up, fam? Welcome back to the Steep Stuff Podcast. I'm your host, james Lariello, bringing you an episode today with none other than Miss Lauren Gregory. I caught up with Lauren about a week removed from her second place finish at the 2025 US Mountain Running Championship at the Senepe Scramble. Yeah, we chatted all things about the race, kind of how the race unfolded for her kind of strategy, going in and during the race and just the excitement and what it means and feels like to make another Team USA. So I hope you guys enjoy this one. It's always a fun conversation catching up with Lauren. Without further ado, lauren Gregory. Lauren Gregory, welcome back to the Steep Stuff Podcast. How's it going?
Speaker 2:It's going well. Thanks for having me again.
Speaker 1:I know I feel like we just chatted, but we're chatting again. We got to talk about your amazing performance at Sunapee this past weekend. Congratulations on making it to another world's team.
Speaker 2:It's got to be very exciting like a prelim or something in track where you're more nervous for that than the actual final. So now it's just like the skill parts done and now you just get to like set yourself up for the best day at worlds.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. I know it's so crazy, like lock in. You know you're locked in for another team. You're going, it's gotta be. I know we were talking a little bit but before the you know things got rolling. But I I guess like excitement but also just happy to get it off your back.
Speaker 2:Right, it's done, it's over with right yeah, yeah, you kind of like you get your, yeah, like you get your ticket and you're in, but the goal is to get the ticket. Um, yeah, so it is. It's definitely relieving. And for me that race, well, first trail race of the year, so it was first race post injury. So it was kind of also like where the heck am I at right now? So at least it's nice to go off with some idea, um, to keep building from there.
Speaker 1:Speaking of ticket, did you get that thing on the plane, Like what'd you do with it?
Speaker 2:I think I just left mine in the grass. I definitely did not take that home. Maybe I I love the idea and the concept, but I'm also one of those people that packs the most in as little like space as possible. Like shoes are tighter on the backpack and so, yeah, there's no way like there is not an extra inch in any of my bags, so or like a backpack or a bag. So no, no, I didn't take it.
Speaker 1:I feel like I would have put that thing on my wall. But I guess, like I don't know, a lot of people leave the golden tickets too. They just kind of like whatever about them. So I don't know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I feel like the golden ticket has some clout around it. I think this is the first year I've seen like this us champs ticket, so maybe I wasn't. I wasn't treating it like it was as cool, which maybe I should have, but I think maybe nancy or paul has it at their house now that's true.
Speaker 1:That's true, I'm sure. I'm sure one of them has it. Um, let's talk about the race a little bit. This was an interesting dynamic, like we talked about before. It was a lot of racing from the gun, like being hunted and hunting. Obviously you guys were all in the hunt. It seemed like ali just as particular, like as the way ali races, she's very aggressive, took it out and it seemed like everybody, like you got. You and anna were like fighting to close that gap for the longest time. How did it play out for you? When were the most moves made?
Speaker 2:maybe in the second lap, and maybe talk about that a little bit yeah, I think, um, this, the shifting among the top three made it fun and, of course, like you never know how far back four is. So in my head at one point I'm like, okay, well, this is going to be fighting for that last spot, like in the last bit. But yeah, I think, like what I said my plan was before which I did hold to was that just to run my own style of race. And I think what's so unique and cool about the classic style is it's high intensity. But it plays to different people's strengths, like you can tell in the race how to strategize it for yourself based off of what you're good at and like based off of what your competitors are good at.
Speaker 2:And I feel like Allie is historically like an amazing a front runner and B she presses those steep, like consistent climbs so well.
Speaker 2:And that to me is like not my strength, but it's like, okay, well, how can I still run to my limit and be in striking distance still to capitalize on where I perceive myself to thrive.
Speaker 2:And I think my spot is like those technical descents I just love like kind of letting loose there and like I feel like I can make up ground and or separate in those moments and I feel like Anna was just like the most steady across the board, like maybe didn't press any one part more than either Allie or I, but was so strategic in how she approached each part, like was so even amongst the three components, cause it was also a mix of just a grind climb, technical descents plus like a technical climb that wasn't very steep, just kind of like stair step through the woods and on a blasted alley, and I in that moment so, yeah, it was just like.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's just such like a dynamic, intense race and to be racing that closely for 80 minutes or whatever is like really fun, because you never get a break mentally and you're just always like thinking about the next. But I think probably all three of us at one point thought we were for sure going to win. Like it's like one of those races where you're like I think I have this in the bag and then a surprise hits and you're like what? So yeah, it was really really fun racing and leaves room for improvement in other areas.
Speaker 1:Let me ask you this. So obviously, Anna, you and Allie were pretty close, like very close, it seemed. There was a lot of back and forth. Rina was not too far behind you guys, I think. For a little bit Did she come in contact at all? It seemed like once kind of the elastic broke. You guys were kind of alone and by yourself and it took a little bit for the rest of the field to catch. Did you come in contact with her or anybody else, or was it just you guys?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean it's funny because two things on that one no, I didn't. I don't remember feeling pressure like hearing her that whole time, but I rewatched Hillary McCloy's like Instagram recap video that she made and watching it was like wait, that is different than how I was perceiving it. You're in the race. You're like I don't know my cause, I don't look around especially.
Speaker 2:I think that course is, or that style of racing is so hard and fun in certain ways because it'll open up. Like the whole first loop is pretty open so you can see like the ants marching ahead of you. But then you get into the trees on the second loop and it's like I don't know, you can't see five feet in front of you really, so you don't really know where your competitors are or you can't even really hear them. So I have no idea. But watching that video was so interesting so it's like, oh, okay, that's where everyone was and that's how it shook out behind me or in front of me even. So, yeah, I didn't feel her ever in the race, but yeah, I guess she was there. You know, that's what I'm saying, and like Courtney too.
Speaker 1:Like.
Speaker 2:I feel like.
Speaker 1:Courtney had ran an amazing race as well.
Speaker 2:I was really I mean, I knew I'd run with her out here once before and I just knew she was fit. So I'm like I'm not discounting Courtney, that's the thing is for the split second where I thought okay, this is top three, we're pretty locked in, we're set like no biggie, it's like no, no, no, you can never like settle with that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, she made up a lot of ground on you guys Cause we kept we got through the first lap and I think it was like maybe we got eyes on you guys near the top, like just before, like when you guys the. I guess when you come out of the technical climb or as you're coming out of the technical climb, we can kind of gauge like all right, who's where, and um, on the second lap, and she was not that far behind. I was very impressed on how much she gained and, yeah, it was cool, very cool. Uh, it was such fun, like it was so much fun to follow along. How does it feel feel to you to make another team? Is this like dream come true, super exciting? Like where's your head at on this?
Speaker 2:Yeah, um, I'm not sure if we touched on this the last time, but last time I made the uphill only team um and I was still in college, so there wasn't much forethought that went into that Um, I was just kind of glad I was able to have the fall free to do something more up my alley, um. But this time it's like this is planned out. This is strategic. Like we said, I don't want to do the ascent Like, I just want to do the classic Um and I want to build my year like including worlds as an a race. So it's exciting this time Cause I'm actually like locked in and and like really putting a lot or want to put a lot into it, which is such a privilege to get to do that and hopefully stay healthy and and build towards that. So this is like so much different Cause I'm like okay, like shit's real, like like we're going to get after this and and set myself up where last time it was like ah, the experience, um.
Speaker 2:But also on that, what's been cool to like reflect on the past couple of days and it was so fun getting to run with Allie honestly in the race Um and Anna and I go back to his friends. But Allie was a senior on a junior team that I made and like we connected really well there and I was, I think, before college, like I was just turned 18 or still 17, um. So it's just really cool to like share the team and I was on a team with one of the team to Thailand with her. But really cool like share the team with like such legends and someone I look up to and someone that's still like so strong and dominant in the sport. But yeah, so I don't know, there's just like a lot of like really cool elements to making the USA team Super cool.
Speaker 1:You know it's so crazy too. Like I was talking to Mason a little bit earlier and we both really agreed like dude, the women's team is stacked. Like you guys, they like we're sending, sending a squad, like it's yeah for the.
Speaker 2:For the moment I was running with the three of the or the two of them. I'm like, holy cow, this team's gonna be so good like. This is gnarly. You add grayson in and it's like the euros better be scared yeah and I love team racing, so, yeah, it's like it's such a cool thing that we don't get to do post-college ever is run for your team and run for your country.
Speaker 1:So yeah, how does it? Does this change anything? I know, obviously, for broken arrow, you're not racing the ascent, you're going to do the 23 K, right yeah? So okay, how's recovery going? Are you feeling? Are you sore still, or you pretty much? Back to it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think I'm paying the piper a little bit for not having had race trail or like even gotten in too many trail workouts, just with the injury being kind of lingering and more recent. So, yeah, my body's definitely like girl. What? Even like the nervous system, I think, because there was, like you know, even like the nervous system, I think, because there was, like you know, nerves were accompanying rust busters and there was a lot like kind of of unknowns in my head and I didn't know where I was at. So, even like the nervous system, coming off of that was kind of fritzed.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, the recovery has definitely been a little more intense and it was like rib down soreness, like in the rib cage, the obliques like that course and all of trail really. But specifically that course is so brutal on your body if you're not super prepared or or like fully adapted to that. So I'm excited for that stimulus to kick in later, but currently it's it's still on the come, come back. So feeling better today for the first day. The past two days have been not the best, but coming back.
Speaker 1:Good to hear you're on the mend. I got to ask you this Did you fall at all? We saw some carnage. Man People were slipping and sliding. David Norris lost a shoe and somehow was able to get it back on. Yeah, crazy, right Well.
Speaker 2:I wish I could have watched that. I yeah, that's so crazy. Those are details you don't have any idea of um the falling. I don't think I fell. I know there was probably like a slip or two where you just kind of like brace and hold something or something like that, because that descent, like the descent, would have been so much faster and easier if it was just straight down, which the glades were, but then it made these freaking and so you're like trying to corner and the slope is going the wrong direction and you're like on mud trying to place your feet. So probably some few misses, but you know a fall at that time you're not even like registering it. I don't think I fell, though.
Speaker 1:I love how, like when you're like oh, I don't think so A lot of people have said that like I don't remember doing this or that.
Speaker 2:You're like so close to falling all the time that you're not sure if you ever did or not.
Speaker 1:What? Um, so obviously this, these both men's and women's races went out. It looked like stupid fast. You were right up there, obviously. Did it feel comfortable or did it feel uncomfortable, like? Obviously?
Speaker 2:you know, it looks a little uncomfortable at the front, but you tell me yeah, it felt, um, it felt right on the line, I think, exactly what I wanted to do. Um, the only thing that I think got me was um, just not that like some muscular fatigue towards the top where I was like glad, glad we're topping out, you know, um, but that just comes with being slightly like under-trained at the moment for that particular course. So, yeah, overall I think I ran that um for me the best I could have, I think. Yeah, I don't know how much I would have changed, but yeah, it was. It was not too bad, it was comfortably uncomfortable.
Speaker 1:I like that that's a good saying comfortably uncomfortable.
Speaker 2:I feel like that's just all racing is.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's true, that's true. It's also like I don't know. I always find it funny, like I I asked the question all the time to everybody. It's like, oh, what's your strategy going into this race? And I think about myself and I'm like, am I going to employ in strategy?
Speaker 2:Like usually all that shit goes out the window anyway once you get into the race, like it's hard to you know, you just kind of react more right for me, I feel like when the race gets off the track or off the roads or something like, you're kind of just being as uncomfortable as you can, as you can for that distance or time, like it's such a long race, it's not like you're gonna inject like a 300 meter kick at a specific place. It's like okay, where am I?
Speaker 2:gonna be and place. It's like, okay, where am I going to be? And you're kind of like reassessing as you go.
Speaker 1:Did you, um, did you hit any low points? Like I know, I talked to some people and they're like I wanted to drop out the entire time and it's like, yep, that sounds about right, but like, did you have any points where you're like yo, like this is this is crazy. Like, or did you feel pretty just consistent? Like it's like the way you looked at the finish line along with ali and anna, like everybody seemed very poised, very under control, like not too destroyed yeah, um, I think we talked about this a bit before too.
Speaker 2:Like, to me, part of the strategy was to not go, you know, over the line where you're all of a sudden out the door Cause like there was still the placement on the line. So I mean, I think that was just part of having to be reserved to like secure the spot. I think that was one race where I was neither having fun or not fun the whole time. Like I love the races when you're just feeling good and you're like this is so fun. I'm like loving every minute for like a while. I don't think I ever had that during that race, but it was still like there was never.
Speaker 2:Also, the super low low where you're like I don't think I'm going to get to the line, like I don't know how I'm going to finish. So I would say like resided in that kind of mental middle ground, whereas like I want this to be done but I'm not in need of it to be done. So, yeah, I guess I don't know no to needing to drop out at any point or mental lows. It was just like I got to get through this.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. No, I love it. Super cool, all right. Well, I think we got just about everything. I'm trying to think if there's anything I didn't ask you, I mean, as far as like where you're at now, as far as the build for broken arrow, do you, are you going to do anything in between or just kind of get back to training and just build, build for that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I just keep training. That was one thought that I think was like more positive than negative, but it sounds really negative. But, like during the race, I'm like, wow, I can't wait to like build off of this. You know, like I see where I'm at now and I feel where I'm at and I feel like I know where I'm, what I'm capable of, and it's like, oh okay, I'm not here now, but I'm excited to keep building. So, yeah, it's just build, build, build. Pretty much broken arrows, not even like in the a range. For me as a race, it's like cool, another training stimulus race.
Speaker 1:people get more races under my belt, like it's all building till september and october yeah, yeah, and I mean I feel like the oh wait, I guess august, september, october, like that block between what is it series and all is right around there as well, and yeah, and then worlds yeah so much fun.
Speaker 1:I can't wait to it's gonna be great, yeah, yeah so yeah, so well, listen, congratulations, I'm so excited for you. Um, like I said, we're sending a stout American team, um, so it's super cool to have you on it and, uh, yeah, we'll be in touch. Appreciate it.
Speaker 2:Thank you, yeah, I'm super pumped yeah.
Speaker 1:Cool, cool Well, so I'll get this out. This is going to come out Friday. I'm going to try to get everybody out there at once, as long as I can kind of coordinate interviews. So thank you so much.
Speaker 2:Sweet. Yeah, thank you for doing all this, yeah.
Speaker 1:And congratulations.
Speaker 2:Thank you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, have a great day. See you you too. Bye, listen up, guys. The Steep Stuff Podcast is brought to you by am so excited UD just dropped their new race vest six liter, and ultra vest, 12 liter into 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 into, 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 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.
