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The Steep Stuff Podcast
Jade Belzberg - Pre Broken Arrow VK & 23K Interview
Jade Belzberg has quietly become one of the most formidable forces in North American mountain running, with podium finishes at Broken Arrow Skyrace that have turned heads throughout the elite trail running community. As she prepares to tackle both the Vertical Kilometer and 23K races at this year's event, Jade offers a rare glimpse into the mindset and preparation of an athlete operating at the highest level of mountain sport.
The journey to elite status wasn't predetermined by genetics or family background. "I don't feel like I'm super talented genetically," Jade reveals. "No one runs in my family. I was last at every trail race growing up." Instead, her rise has been built on consistency—80-90 mile weeks with significant vertical gain—and a refreshingly healthy perspective toward competition. Her approach balances ambition with self-compassion: "I know that I can have a strong performance, but I also know that I'm not granted that on any given day."
What makes Jade particularly fascinating is her versatility across distances. Few athletes can excel at both the lung-searing intensity of vertical kilometers and the strategic demands of longer mountain races. This adaptability stems from years of ultrarunning experience dating back to 2014, combined with targeted training for specific events. For the VK, she's learned from past tactical errors: "Last year I charged out way too hard at the start... This year I'm going to hold back a little bit in the hopes that I can overpower some of them in the later stages."
As a dual Canadian-American citizen who has qualified for Team Canada at the upcoming World Championships, Jade represents the global evolution of mountain running while remaining grounded in a philosophy that emphasizes process over outcomes. Her equipment choices (Ultra Mont Blanc Carbons) and nutrition strategy reflect the detailed planning that accompanies high-level competition.
Whether you're a competitive trail runner looking for strategic insights or simply a fan of mountain sport, Jade's perspective offers valuable wisdom on balancing ambition with enjoyment in the beautiful but demanding world of mountain running.
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What is up, fam? Welcome back to the Steep Stuff Podcast. I'm your host, james Lauriello, and I'm super excited to bring you guys another Broken Arrow pre-race episode. This one's going to be for the VK and the 23K, and this one will not disappoint. I am joined by one of the most talented athletes to probably ever race the race, joined by Jade Bellsburg.
Speaker 1:Super excited to get to catch up with Jade and talk to her about her race. Jade has come very close, uh, to hitting some absolute, like crazy, home runs second place of the vk in 2023, which we all know how difficult that is, given how stacked these fields are as well as second place of the 23k in 2024, which is an even crazier accomplishment, as well as the top 10 finish of the vk last year. So, yeah, super excited to catch it, get to catch up with jade to see where she's at in her build and just her excitement and stoke level for those, as well as the top 10 finish of the VK last year. So, yeah, super excited to get to catch up with Jade to see where she's at in her build and just her excitement and stoke level for those races. Yeah, I caught up with Jade. She was already kind of in the truckie area preparing for her race. I know we're recording this on a. I recorded this on a Tuesday and race is going to be well, the VK is going to be, I should say a set sorry is going to be on Friday. So it's fun to get to catch up with her kind of see where the build is, excitement level and just uh, you know what experience she can draw from going into this race and you know what the expectations are for herself.
Speaker 1:So, without further ado, I hope you guys enjoy this one, excited to have Jade back on the podcast at some point in time for a long form one, like I said, one of the most talented, accomplished athletes at this race, possibly to ever do it, given just how high the level of performance that she's put on in the last few years. So, without further ado, and none other than Miss Jade Bellsburg. Jade Bellsburg, welcome to the Steep Stuff Podcast. How's it going?
Speaker 2:It's going well, thank you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so doing the rounds with everyone for the Broken Arrow interviews, super excited to finally have you on the pod and get a chat going. Yeah, you obviously don't know this, but like the reason I messaged you is because you were you were so highly requested to have you on the pod. I had like four people messaged me.
Speaker 2:It's nice to hear. I'm kind of surprised, but that is very nice, you're popular.
Speaker 1:You're popular. How's your?
Speaker 2:how race week kind of going so far. Yeah it's, it's good we got um. We're here in a truckie right now, kind of staying above Donner Lake, um, just cause altitude is not something that I've traditionally been great at, so hoping you know a couple of days beforehand well, it'll be like a week helps me out somewhat, but it's, it's nice to be here.
Speaker 1:I love to hear it. I love to hear it. I got to ask you about this just because I don't want to go too deep into the weeds just right off the bat. But it's so interesting to me that you say something like that about altitude. But you've had so much success in the VK, which is such a VO2-related type of race where altitude matters how you adapt well to it.
Speaker 2:Did you sleep in altitude tents before? What do you attribute to all the success going into some of these races? Um, I dropped out of worlds, uh, in Austria in 2023 because of altitude stuff, so it is something I've struggled with. Um, sometimes I feel like VKs. They're definitely VOT max tests, but they're short enough where it doesn't feel as awful, fair enough, fair enough.
Speaker 1:Well, you, obviously, I mean I appreciate you're, you're so kind and summing it up, but yeah, it's just been so exciting over the last few years to kind of watch your races and, uh, just kind of where everything's unfolded for you. So thanks yeah.
Speaker 1:So let's talk, let's get into broken arrow a little bit. I know this is a core. These courses in particular are not, um, something that's foreign to you. You've raced a lot of these in the past. Um, just maybe talk about like kind of your experience with the race. Maybe talk, talk a little bit about like what, maybe like what's your favorite moment or your favorite moment out of the years that you've raced it?
Speaker 2:Oh, um, I mean, absolute favorite moment was probably the first year I did the triple crown. Um, I was training for Angeles crest 100 and thought it'd be a great stimulus and, uh, it was my dad who came out here with me and he's not into running or outdoors or anything like this and it was still so cool to have him out here supporting me every single day after all of those events. Um, so that was definitely the best moment, uh, in terms of races, I mean I can't really be last year's, probably the 23 K that was. That was a surprise to a lot of people and it was a surprise to myself too. So, both those events, okay, all right.
Speaker 1:What's the so, the stoke I kind of asked you a little bit of this before, but like the stoke level and excitement, like for racing this year, like what are you most excited for going in Cause, I feel like more eyes are going to be on these races this year. The ascent, the 23 K, the 46 K Um, I guess this is the biggest week of broken arrow we've ever had.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it just gets. It just keeps getting more and more competitive. I mean, last year I thought, wow, like this is, these fields are so deep, and somehow this year is even more so, especially with uh, with the uh ascent race, men, um 46 K being the uh team usa qualifiers um, I think there's. I think I'm excited for the race because of that. It's really fun to be racing people I would never have dreamed I could race against in the past. I, if you told me this, like even five years ago, I'd be like there is no way these people would be like hours ahead of me on anything, and so it's pretty cool just to be here as a, as a means of kind of understanding my own progress. I think that's. That's exciting in and of itself.
Speaker 1:That's a good answer. How? How's the build been?
Speaker 2:so far.
Speaker 1:Like how's the taper going? How's the been the training block Like any hiccups or everything been pretty solid.
Speaker 2:It's been really solid. Yeah, I feel pretty blessed too. I I've been completely injury free, uh, in my running career. Um, that's amazing. Yeah, I'm very lucky.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I seem to. Uh, I do quite well, um, doing big races and then kind of like using that as a way to launch myself into further fitness. So I did checking out 50 K, uh, gorge a hundred K till, like burn 50, uh, weirdly, all is a build towards broken arrow. So kind of curious to see how that works this year. I think it's going to work in my favor, but you never know what's your expectation for yourself on race day.
Speaker 2:Oh, I don't think I have an expectation. I've learned not to. I mean, I know that I can have a strong performance. I also know that I'm not granted that on any given day and I don't know how the other athletes are going to show up. I do feel fitter than last year. I feel more confident in myself, but you never know what kind of day you're going to have.
Speaker 1:So true, that's a very healthy way of approaching it. Like I talked to so many people that are like it's when they make it like do or die, and I guess, like for some people that really works for me I don't I don't know if that works so well Like it's more so, just be kind to yourself a little bit more. And it's like and you know, trying to be within my capabilities and see what happens. You know it's like more of that, whereas like man, like going out and like slaying, like I have to be on the podium, it's like that's a high expectation to put out there.
Speaker 2:That's the thing, Like it's such a long way to fall when you don't make it. And I also think that if you do make it, it just builds into further expectation next time, Like okay, I was on the podium or I won this race, that means that I'm supposed to win the next race and I just I don't think that's so great long-term.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, I think so. Like I said, super healthy way to approach it. I want to talk a little bit about Gorge. Like you had an awesome race day out in Gorge. Obviously, you know, you, you didn't get the red, white and blue ticket because you can't take one Right, um. But mixing it up with the Americans, um, and you know, having like seeing the best, I guess in the long course, that we have some of the best that we have to throw out there. Like, how did how did that dynamic play out for you? Like, how was, how was that type of race? Maybe talk about the experience overall.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think that was another kind of surprise race. I should probably not continue to be surprised at myself this many times, um, but it was. It was cool Like a hundred K. A hundred Ks are races that I haven't traditionally felt super strong at, so that was a really nice way to show myself like, wow, I can actually be pretty darn competitive here. Um, I wasn't super focused on like taking those top two spots Cause, like you say, I can't qualify for both team Canada and team USA and at this point I've chosen team Canada, um, but it did give me a lot of motivation going or not motivation, I guess more um it's. It makes me feel quite confident going into worlds, knowing that I can compete against the American team, which you know is obviously very strong.
Speaker 1:I think it's that. I think it's a good way to put it, and forgive me, I wasn't sure if you so I thought you could. I was going off information from from worlds. You, so you could take, you could compete as an American too, right? Or how does? Or just as a kid, yeah.
Speaker 2:Canadian. Yeah, it's kind of confusing. I feel like I confuse everyone. So I'm a citizen of both countries so I could represent both, but apparently there has to be a two-year washout period. So now that I've gone with Team Canada for 2025, if I were to qualify for Team USA I'd have to wait till 2027.
Speaker 1:Super cool. How did you qualify? Did you race the long course or what? Are you specifically racing for worlds in Canada? Just because they don't make that information superbly available, I probably should ask you before we had the interview.
Speaker 2:No worries. Um, yeah. So I won um and set the course record at Squamish 50 K. Okay, and that was the Canadian uh trail running championships. And then I took two seconds at the Canadian mountain running championships for the vertical and then the um classic up down.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay, and that's where Remy and Dan were. Okay, that makes sense.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, that was like that was. You know, I almost went to that race. That's a, that was a sweet like that. The whole setup of that day, like very cool course, very cool, uh, like like just vibe that they put on.
Speaker 2:So yeah, I was really impressed. I'd never uh I'd never run out and go back before, so that was, that was cool and it wasn't an altitude, so I was happy.
Speaker 1:That's true, that's true. Yeah, I gotta ask you one thing You're, you have a lot of ranges and athlete, You're so good at the VK and like some of these shorter, like really high intensity, maybe sub ultra race, if you want to call it, but also like you've had a lot of success, uh, you know, at the ultras and at, oh, maybe some of those middle we would call middle distance races with, like the marathon, maybe that 46 K, if you will, um, distance, like what do you contribute to that success? Would you say more training? Would you say maybe genetics? Like what? What do you think as far as some people just aren't very good at ultras but can be very good at sub ultra? So or vice versa?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a good question. Um, I think it's training at this point. I mean, I've I've been running ultras since 2014. So I feel like I have the like logistical side of the longer stuff figured out. It was just sort of bridging the gap with fitness. I didn't, um, I don't feel like I'm super talented genetically, like no, no one runs in my family, no one's into this. I was lost at every trail or track race that I did growing up. Um, I just think it's like being able to stack a lot of bricks over time and I feel sort of like in the last year or two, I'm finally reaping the rewards of just miles and miles and miles and miles.
Speaker 1:Consistency. Are you a high mileage kind of person?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I've built up to that over time. I'm like 80 to 90 miles a week with quite a bit of vert.
Speaker 1:Okay, that's pretty solid. That's not bad. Do you do a lot of cross-training at all?
Speaker 2:Do you spend time on the bike? Do you ski? No, no, I'll occasionally bike, but I'd rather be doing other things if I'm not running. I'd rather be gardening or hanging out with my animals.
Speaker 1:Fair enough. I see your dog in the background. They're hanging out.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, that's, that's one of our dogs.
Speaker 1:What's uh his or her name?
Speaker 2:That's Cashew.
Speaker 1:Cashew Shout out to Cashew there we go. That's cool. I love uh for the race. That's so cool. We, we bring our dogs everywhere, like we're on a trip right now and I have my, my dogs with me oh that's nice.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we have our um. We brought our three rats as well. They're downstairs.
Speaker 1:So cool. I feel like you gotta, you gotta, travel with the animals. It just makes it more fun.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, for sure. Let's uh, let's talk a little bit about the race for the 23 K, though I'm gonna be probably pretty similar to last year. I feel like a lot of women went out very, very hard and they paid for it at the end, um, so I'd kind of like to play a similar game this year. I feel like it works well for me and I feel stronger on the climbing than last year, so hopefully I can be a little bit closer to the front at that point.
Speaker 1:Sorry about that. How does the? So this is an. The course is funny too. I've never felt like the course is particularly technical. I feel like it's all super runnable. Yeah, do you think that's more? What's more your strength? More obviously with the VK and just your strength and seeing you just crush these VKs and stuff like that, you've had a lot of success. Would you say the climbing is more your strength or the descending?
Speaker 2:I would say climbing, but then last year it was definitely the descent, because that's where I caught five women. This year I feel more confident in my descent, so I almost feel like they're a little bit equal, which is nice. It feels good to be in that place.
Speaker 1:Very cool. What's your take on the fact that it's a golden trail series race? Does that, does that change anything? Like, obviously there's a little more to it. Like, will you race any I was going to get to this a little bit later about like rest of schedule, but like will you race any more golden trail races or?
Speaker 2:Um, yeah, originally that was the plan this year and then I missed signing up for like the official golden trail elite sign up thing, um, and so then they told me, no, you're just on your own. So then I had to go and try to get into every golden trail race unattached to golden trail, and that was a disaster. Um, so I've kind of changed plans and this is so far my only golden trail race of the year. But I do like it in terms of. I mean, now we're bringing like international competition, obviously with joyce there. Last year there there was a lot of good international competition there too, but now it's even more so. Um, yeah, I'm I'm curious to see how it plays out. I've not raced internationally, so that'll be interesting yeah, I gotta ask you another vk question.
Speaker 1:I'm sorry, like yeah vk is such an interesting race, right like I know people think that it's like just like vo2 from the start. But I've heard from so many people like it's so much smarter to almost be a little more conservative and because broken arrow is unique, right like it starts off in that like weird skill with kind of plants and stuff like that and then kind of funnels out onto the road like, and it's always a mass start with a bunch of pandemonium like how do you? Do you kind of hold back a little bit and then save it for once? You hit the top of that to charge fat like, charge more or like how do you approach that strategically?
Speaker 2:Yeah, good question. Um, so last year I think I was a little bit overconfident going in because I had placed second in 2023. And the reason I think that I placed second behind on a Gibson was because, um, the course was changed cause there was so much snow, so we were essentially just like routed straight up a super steep snowshoot. Um, and I think my biggest strength with VKs are climbing very, very hard. I would that, yeah, just more than running as much as I can climb really steep grades, that's what I'm good at.
Speaker 2:Uh, last year, when the course was back to its normal route, I realized there's a lot more actual running involved, including some downhills, and I charged out way too hard at the start, thinking I could just you know that's how the race was going to be, straight up, um, so I think, like at the top of that weird you know first Hill where you're going through all of the um flowers, I was like right with Joyce ahead of Anna Gibson and all the women that would finish eight places ahead of me. Um, so that was, that was a big mistake. This year I'm going to hold back a little bit in the hopes that I can kind of overpower some of them in the later stages.
Speaker 1:I think that's a really smart way to approach it and it's interesting. They keep changing this course. It always starts in the same stupid place, in my opinion. I don't know why they started. I wouldn't say it's a field, but it's like I guess that there's plants there. It's so weird, it's pretty bad. Yeah, it's so strange, and then it's like I said, it's so strange, and then it's like I said, it's mass pandemonium, but it's interesting like that. It was much more runnable last year versus in previous years with, uh yeah, just the ability to kind of get out of that like this in the snow, kind of in that snowshoot, if you will. Um, this one, yeah, I think this year again has another like small descent in there, or like a nice like chunk of a descent, if you will, which is so weird.
Speaker 2:I think it's the exact same course as last year, cause we ran it on Sunday and I was kind of disappointed to see that.
Speaker 1:Honestly, Actually it might be a little bit longer. I think they might. I think it might be a tiny bit longer, Cause does it end on the descent again or no?
Speaker 2:I mean like it still ends in the same, in the same. Yeah, you definitely do the same two descents, but there is a descent right at the beginning which I find weird, and then several very, very shallow grade sections, which is kind of unique to a traditional VK.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I hope they change it back in the next few years to make it more VK-ish Straight up?
Speaker 2:yeah, that's what I want as well. Do you ever do the rut vk?
Speaker 1:because that one, no, I'd really like to, though yeah yeah, that one's proper yeah, I feel like we need more like proper vks and just in north america in general, it would just, it would be much cooler yeah yeah, I'd like to do more yeah, uh, what's the? What's the race day shoe gonna be for both? Do you have like different shoes for different races? Because, or have you? Have you thought that one through?
Speaker 2:yeah, uh, I'm gonna wear the um ultra mont blanc carbons for both races. Okay, yeah, those have been really comfortable for me and, uh, it's nice finally wearing a carbon plated shoe for trails yeah, uh, that's cool.
Speaker 1:I'd maybe talk about that shoe a little bit. I don't think I've ever played around with them. With them Is it very stable. What do you like so much about it, besides maybe the carbon?
Speaker 2:at any moment, and I feel like the latter half of the 23 K, especially like you're kind of coming down that technical descent Um, I really want to be confident in my foot placement there. So, uh, yeah, those have been great. Plus, they're lightweight, which I always appreciate.
Speaker 1:Cool, cool, cool. And what's the nutrition strategy like for this? It's weird. I feel like it's going to be like cold this week, or not cold, but like cool ish.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Does that change the nutrition strategy, especially for the 23K?
Speaker 2:No, it'll be the same. I think I did a 30 gram gel in like the first hour and then a 30 gram caffeinated gel in the second hour. I might bump up a little bit higher this time. I feel like I could have used more. So that's the plan so far. Vk. I might just take a gel, like right before the start, but nothing during cool, cool.
Speaker 1:And then I'd say, for I mean, I'd say for the ascent expectations for that, do you have any like? Is it like? Would it? What would it mean to you to be some of these women like something like that, especially because, like you're, you're very close to you, know, like it's just a good tune-up for you, especially going into something like worlds. And then the 23k, like there's extra high expectations for that too. I would imagine, like how do you kind of put that?
Speaker 2:yeah, um, I try not to get too attached to it just for, like my long-term athletic identity, just feeling good about myself, because you never know what can happen. Um, yeah, I just try to ground myself in the place of being really excited to just being able to compete against these women.
Speaker 2:I mean it's yeah, it is. It is a marker being up with these people because I know what they're capable of, I know what they've accomplished. I think that's really cool, but I'm coming at it from such a different world that I try to hold it really lightly too.
Speaker 1:No, I appreciate that, I like it. I like it Well, listen, Jade. Thank you so much for coming on the podcast. I appreciate it. This will come out in the next few days, starting to get as many of them out there as possible so that way we could do all the previous interviews. So I really appreciate your time and wishing you the absolute best of luck on race day.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for having me yeah.
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