The Steep Stuff Podcast
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The Steep Stuff Podcast
#112 - Jane Maus
Jane Maus' trail running journey embodies perseverance against formidable odds. After multiple extended injury layoffs that nearly ended her running career, she's emerged as one of America's premier mountain athletes. Her remarkable comeback culminated in earning a coveted spot on Team USA for the World Trail Running Championships in Canfranc, Spain this September.
The conversation reveals how strategic racing propelled Jane to success at the fiercely competitive Broken Arrow 46K. Despite rolling her ankle just days before the race, she executed a flawless race plan—conservatively pacing the first lap to stay within the top ten, then maintaining steady effort while others faded. This fourth-place finish, behind only some of the sport's biggest names, secured her selection to represent her country on the global stage.
Beyond race results, Jane offers refreshing perspective on injury management that resonates with runners at all levels. "I thought I was the only one consistently taking time off and working through these things," she shares, "but then talking to other runners and people on start lines—it's extremely common." This realization helped transform her approach to training, embracing quality over sheer volume.
The conversation shifts to her exciting summer plans—training in Wyoming's mountainous terrain while attempting the Grand Teton FKT (Fastest Known Time). This ambitious goal, despite never having climbed the Grand before, exemplifies her thoughtful approach to progression in the sport. She's balancing high-performance racing with adventure, strategically adjusting her schedule to optimize her World Championship preparation.
Her victory at the Cirque Series Snowbird race highlights another dimension of her racing prowess. Competing in her hometown against a stacked field, Jane describes the unique camaraderie she shared with fellow competitor Alexa Jornsten as they pushed each other up the brutal climb. Together they broke the "curse" of the course preview, demonstrating that mental barriers often fall when approached with the right mindset.
What's your approach to balancing competitive goals with adventure? Follow Jane's journey toward the World Championships and beyond by subscribing to the Steep Stuff Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.
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What's up, boys and girls, welcome back to the Steep Stuff Podcast. I'm your host, james Lauriello, and I'm so excited to catch up with you guys and bring you an episode. Another one with Miss Jane Moss, that's right, my La Spritiva teammate is back on the podcast not too long after her fourth place finish at the Broken Arrow 46K. We caught up with Jane because Jane is on Team USA. She's going to be racing the short trail distance, so the marathon distance at Canfrank at Worlds in September, so just around the corner.
Speaker 1:Caught up with Jane, also Not too far removed, also from her first place finish at the Cirque Series Snowbird Race, which was pretty competitive this year. Yeah, jane's been on a heater and she's working on. She's got some things she's working on, um, she's actually I think we can give this away she's she talked about it on the podcast, but she's working on a peak that's in Wyoming right now. Uh, you probably could guess it, it's pretty famous one, um. So, yeah, some good stuff to be talked about there and I think she's pretty excited about it. So, yeah, we caught up, we talked all the things about worlds, her excitement level, um, and yeah, we talked post race broken arrow and just a bunch of stuff. It was a good conversation Always, always fun to have. Uh, always fun to have Jane on the podcast just to talk about things, so super excited. I hope you guys enjoy this one Always, always a favorite of mine, without further ado, jane Moss. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, we are live going here this is uh, yeah, we're keeping it rolling.
Speaker 1:Lots of good stuff to talk about. Um, for starters, you had a great. You know I would call the podium finish hit broken arrow. Even if they just counted as top three, I think they should start counting like top five or top ten as the podium, in my opinion, with how crazy it's gotten as far as competition goes. You also made the short trail team going to worlds. You just won the cirque Snowbird. You're on like a heater right now. What's the excitement feeling like?
Speaker 2:Excitement is very high. Yeah, I feel like I didn't really know what this year would bring. I had a lot of different potential plans going into the year, but right now I'm riding a high, Very excited on how the year's been going and excited to see where it takes me. So it's been a fun past few months and I think it'll be a fun rest of the summer too.
Speaker 1:I know it's kind of crazy. Looking back, I think you and I chatted almost right after Broken Arrow when you had a rough day out and everything was kind of up in the air. You're like I don't know if I'm going to go run gorge and run the a hundred K or if I'm going to maybe focus on you know, shorter stuff. And this was before like you had even signed up for broken arrow. So it's kind of cool to see how things have just like progressed and it's just it's just turned into a really good summer for you so far.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I feel like yeah, cause we tried it after black Canyon, um, and I feel like sometimes the worst races, like I felt really defeated after that and had no idea what my plan would be for the year. But I feel like a lot of silver linings came out of it and my year is totally different than I could have planned and I thought my only chance of like making the world's team like I had a tentative plan laid out would be. I thought my only chance would be for the long course team when I was going to try and race Gorge. But I kind of gave up on that plan. I was like I'm just gonna have have a fun year and race things that inspire me. So this was not in my potential plan.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, I think stoke is reignited after being quite low after last time we talked to people or after black canyon, for sure, for sure you know, one thing I try to remember, like one thing we didn't get into too much from our first episode that I did want to get back in with you is you had a long time of like injury, like from I had talked to and he didn't share too much Um, but one of your former PTs, jimmy Picard, had just mentioned in passing one time when I was talking to him about injury of my own Um cause he had, I think he had listened to your episode and he's like oh, jane, you know I'm so excited for her to finally be having you know like a great season after some years of injury or a sustained period of injury that you had gone through. Is that correct?
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, I found Jimmy 2022, I believe, starting in 2020. That's kind of when I really started spending more time trail running and kind of when I really started spending more time, um, trail running and kind of committing it to it a little bit more. Then I had really chronic right hip and knee issues. That kept me out for two separate periods of like five, six months, um, and right when I kind of felt like I was finding my stride and started to do more competitive races, like injury stuff would just flare up and I would like have to take so much time off, so I got super defeated, um, so Jimmy helped me, uh, with like a strength training routine, um, and even like working with him a lot.
Speaker 2:I still was just like I just couldn't figure out like the root cause of what was going on and I was just continually taking a lot of time off, um, and I like up until beginning of last year I haven't like that's when I really started feeling healthy and that I could start like lining up for races consistently and I'm just like chronic right side things will always be a problem for me. I have a really immobile right ankle, so just things that I will always be dealing with, but I've learned to manage them a lot better and take off time when I need to, so it doesn't lead to like five, six months of time off. So I could like train and race more consistently. But it's really good to be in that spot after just having like so many times of totally giving up on running because I didn't know if, like, I would ever be able to solve these injuries. Um, but Jimmy did play a big role in me like finding a good toolbox and like believing in myself and knowing, like, what load I can tolerate.
Speaker 1:It's interesting, it's funny you say that Like it's kind of something I'm going through right now is like trying to figure out like, okay, what is the balance? Like, what's the balance between breaking yourself or like having like a happy medium where, like you don't have to take time off but also you're able to get sustained, solid training and for the good stuff, but not overdoing it. It's not exactly a defined science, but yeah it's. It's an interesting balance.
Speaker 2:And I've, yeah, and sometimes it can be frustrating, like over the years, of figuring out what works for me, like I was.
Speaker 2:I'm not a super high volume runner and I don't think I ever will be, so I have to be a lot smarter with my training and I feel like, with like working through injuries and trying to train and compete at a high level.
Speaker 2:I thought I was like the only one that was consistently taking time off and working through these things, but then, like talking to other runners and talking to people on the start lines, like it's so extremely common and everyone has these things that they're always working through and you just learn to manage it. Um, and no one's having those ideal training blocks all the time and no one's able to consistently line up to start lines, like whenever they want to. Um, and it's just part of like being in the sport and accepting that this is a very high impact sport and takes a lot of um, takes a lot of load and you have to be smart in the way you're training and racing. Um, but it's like just part of the game and doing everything you can to control that. But, um, yeah, we're all, we're all dealt different, different hands.
Speaker 1:For sure, for sure, it is so crazy I can agree more Like. I used to think like, oh, maybe is this just like a me thing, and then you realize it's like no, everyone's broken in some way shape or form and they're all just trying to figure out how to show up healthy and I mean look at like one of your competitors, or like Ryan Becker was at uh, at broken arrow.
Speaker 2:That poor guy has gone through so much with his Achilles, like just so many different people go through like all these crazy stuff, and it's just interesting, yeah, so let's uh, when you're, oh, when you realize like you're on the start line, like pretty much no one is a hundred percent healthy, it's like, okay, we're, we're managing these little tweaks and injuries and we're hoping for the best on race day.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, that's for sure, that's for sure I got to get into broken arrow. I got to talk about this because this was I got to say I'm not very accurate in my race predictions. Sometimes I'm really good, Like for Sunapee, I was like spot on Broken Arrow. I couldn't have been more off, except for my prediction for you. And I was like, yes, I was like the only thing I had was, like you, either in the fourth spot or the third spot, like somewhere in that mix, and I was like this is this. I got it. I finally got one Um thank you for, by the way. But also I gotta, I gotta give you your flowers for, like, saying like, what an amazingly executed race, Like you just had such a good day out there and I mean it paid off. You were selected for um off a resume spot to go to the world's team.
Speaker 2:Um can you talk a little bit about how the race unfolded for you, just the nerves going in, how you felt throughout the race, and we can kind of go from there. Yeah Well, first of all, thank you for believing in me. Um, the pre-broken arrow race, uh interview that we did, and you predicted me in top five. I 0% believed you, so thank you for that. Um, this was so. I feel like I barely had a training block for this race because I was having a bunch of knee pain and my coach, rick Floyd I talked to him about a month and a half before and he's like, if this doesn't clear up within like the next couple weeks, probably not a good idea to race. So I was just hoping I was doing everything I could to kind of help it clear up. And it cleared up just in time. So I had like a two week specific training block for broken arrow and I raced GoPro games. That was kind of like my one workout of the block.
Speaker 2:Um, and then Monday of race week where I was excited to we were going to. I drove out to Tahoe on Tuesday and I was all excited to head out um and do the race. I rolled my ankle coming out of my car and just in my sandals and my ankle like ballooned and bruised up and I thought I broke my toe. So I went and got x-rays because I was like I just broke my foot, I can't race. Broken hair. I was like limping. Yeah, this was a race week and I was like can't race. I called my coach and he's like chances are you'll be okay. I've seen this like way too many times and I think you'll be fine as long as you can run, like a couple days before the race. So I stayed off of it two days before the race, did a flat four mile run just to test it out and it was pretty good. So he's like you can for sure, line up to the start line race the first lap. If it's in any pain, you probably have to drop.
Speaker 2:So I went into this race honestly pretty bumming, with zero expectations because the block went poorly and I had a bum ankle but I taped it up and actually didn't feel any pain the whole race, um, but I like had goals for the race still. I was like if, if my foot feels okay, like I can still try and race hard, I really have absolutely nothing to lose because I'm at the start line, um. So my goal was for the first lap to stay within the top 10, because this field was super deep, um, and I didn't want to go out too fast, um, especially since there are two laps and I feel like I'm a little bit better at the longer stuff. Um, it's kind of strategy wise. So my goal is to come in the first lap, top 10, and I came in seventh, and then I'm not necessarily like faster than these people by any means, but I I feel like I'm a like a strong, resilient runner, so I can kind of like keep my paces and effort throughout. So then, for the second lap, I was able to pick off a few people and then ended up coming in fourth, which was like me and Rick had talked about that kind of being my strategy, and I was able to pick off a few people and then ended up coming in fourth, which was like me and Rick had talked about that kind of being my strategy, and I was able to execute it perfectly, which, I don't know, was honestly kind of surprising to me that I was able to.
Speaker 2:My second lap was pretty consistent with my first, which was my goal, but that is hard to do Um and not to go out too fast and be able to maintain that for the second lap, um.
Speaker 2:So I did execute my race strategy, I guess, pretty flawlessly. Um, nutrition and hydration went really well during as well, and my coach was actually on course, cause he he coached quite a few of us at broken arrow, which is pretty cool, um. So he was at the top of the first climb in the first lap and then as I came through the first lap he was there, kind of like giving me words of encouragement, kind of telling me where women were at Um. But I really didn't know, cause I haven't done too many super stacked races so I didn't exactly know who I would be able to keep up with and who I would be racing against Um. But I had a few people in mind and I was. I. I surprised myself that I was able to like race with these women and end up coming in fourth place. So it definitely was a confidence booster of a day and I'm thrilled with how it played out.
Speaker 1:So crazy. I was cheering the whole way. I was like, oh my gosh, this is crazy. Jane's going to pull it off. Let me ask you this, because I I didn't look at splits before we hopped on our call. I was danny in sight. Like, did you get close to her at all? Like, were you able? Like, did you see her? Like, or like, were you that close? Oh wow yeah.
Speaker 2:So the first lap, um, I saw her pretty much throughout. Uh, we ran together for maybe what 30 seconds at mile four until she passed me. But I had her in sight and I kind of was like she was in maybe fourth or fifth at that time and I just know she is such a smart 50k racer that I was like if I can stay with her in any realm she's going to run a really smart race. So I saw her and then, coming towards the end of the second lap, she was climbing up and I was about two minutes back but I could see her. And then I saw her again second lap, at the top of one of the climbs, right before I passed Grayson, and my coach was like you're a couple of minutes off of Danny, like you can like go get her.
Speaker 2:So I was decently close to her second half of the second lap and then she ran an absolutely phenomenal downhill for that second lap and ended up beating me my like quite a few minutes and I was shocked. I was like I could literally see her and she beat me by I don't know how much Seven, eight, 11 minutes, something crazy. So she just ran a super fast downhill. Um, but yeah, she was kind of within my sight for most of the race, which was cool.
Speaker 1:Damn, that's crazy. So it's crazy to see how close you guys were were when you finished, because obviously and I think I asked Noah about this too, because it's like when you finished you're the first person off the team, technically right. Were you more excited about your result or were you a little more bummed that you didn't just get yourself an auto spot Like where? Where was your head at?
Speaker 2:I was very excited about my result. Um, I had in no world that I would get top three at this race. Um, so that, honestly, wasn't even my goal. And just the fact that I finished fourth behind these women, um, and under five hours, which I wasn't expecting either. I was just thrilled with my result. I was like, if this gets to me on the team, like amazing. I had quite a few people at the end to tell me cause, it didn't even cross my mind. I was like, well, I missed top three. I'm not on the team. But some people were telling me at the end, like you, just for sure, earned a spot on the team but I didn't get top three. But they were like this weight this race is weighted so heavily but it was pretty much only excitement. I had no disappointment when I came through in fourth place.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I bet I bet I got to ask you some gracing questions Like what did it feel like, especially cause you guys go so far back, like you've been friends forever? What was it like being, you know, in a race with her for the first time in a while? What was it like kind of competing with her? And then now how does it feel that you guys are going to be on a team together, going to compete at worlds?
Speaker 2:It's so exciting. Um, it kind of I don't know it feels like we've come full circle that we both get to compete at worlds together now, cause we've played soccer together since we were in high school. Um, we both got into running after high school. We were kind of like the two in our high school that, like, tried to take running a little bit further. Um, we went to I went to her first trail race with her um, so it's been really exciting to kind of see her on this journey and to get to share this journey with her um. And then when I found out she was going to be a broken arrow too, um, I was very excited and we ran a little bit together at the beginning and I I did think, because she's never done this distance before, I was like this is maybe the only chance I'll ever have to to beat her, just because she might not know the strategy of a 50 K or have nutrition figured out or things like that.
Speaker 2:Um, but she ended up taking off and I I mean, mean, she's just such a strong runner that I was like um, it was fun starting the race with you. I probably will never see her again, um, and I mean she now has the ultra game already figured out getting third at speed goat. So I did tell her. Um, I texted her after. I was like that was my before you figured out the nutrition component. That was my one chance to ever beat you. So I will. I will take that. And now she works with Rick Boyd as well. Um, so he's gonna help her, just take off as an ultra runner as well, um, but it was, I don't know.
Speaker 2:It was really fun getting to share the start line with her and then finishing fourth and fifth too, and both finding out that we made the world's team is like I don't know feels really full circle.
Speaker 1:Special, very special, like such a cool moment, um, especially given just like, yeah, like how long you guys have known each other and just like how how far that goes back. So I very, very cool. All right, so you're on the team now. How long did it like? I asked um, I know Noah found out a little bit later. I, who else did I ask? I'm trying to remember like some people knew ahead of time and some people knew a little bit later.
Speaker 2:It seems like I don't know if they let everybody know at once. Like how long ahead of time did you know? I was told the day of broken arrow that my chances were like 99.9%. So I kind of had it in the back of my head that I think I have made the team, but I didn't know officially until. So they announced it publicly July 15th. That's right. I heard one week before that I got a call and they told me that I had officially made the team and not to announce it until they announced it. So yeah, first week of July I officially found out.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:There's a little time for anxiously awaiting. Like am I going to make the team? Am I not going to make the team?
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, no, I can imagine Like, especially because, like we said, like you and Noah ended up in a very similar position and I had already spoken to Noah, so like he had kind of given me similar, just a similar kind of he's like, oh, I hope so. Or kind of he's like, oh, I hope so. But I don't know, and I'm like you have to weigh broken arrow based off like the way you guys executed your races. It's kind of funny. You're both on the sportiva team too.
Speaker 2:I don't know, I find that kind of you know that's right.
Speaker 1:Um, but like, the way you guys both executed your races was just so like on point, but just the, the waiting game and this, that and the other. See I, I was under the impression originally and I have to correct this publicly because I messed this up and Helen did call me out for it but like, I was always under the impression Thanks, tom Hooper, for your spotty information here that spots would roll down, and I publicly messed that up. Really bad, because I was like, oh, all right, danny already told me she's not going to take care of it. So I was like, oh, it'll just roll down to Jane, easy enough. No, no, no, that's not how it worked. So, um, yeah, I'm glad that it kind of worked out, even though without things rolling down, it still worked out the way it was supposed to, which was great.
Speaker 2:I was unsure about that too, cause I had heard from some people they didn't roll down. But then when I finished I had a few people tell me, like you just made the team, the spot rolls down. I was like I hope they weigh fourth, fifth, sixth places heavily enough that it technically kind of rolls down. Yeah, exactly, well, that's the thing it's technically technically.
Speaker 1:How do you feel? Are you excited? Like, have you changed pretty much all your summer plans now for racing? Now that you've on, you're on this team a little bit Cause I was.
Speaker 2:I had a lot of tentative plans for this year and I really couldn't make a decision of what I wanted to do this year. So I feel like it was good timing that this happened. I'm like, okay, now I have a set decision of what I'm going to prioritize this year. So that's definitely. My focus for the rest of the year is that race Um. I was signed up for Leadville.
Speaker 2:Obviously not doing that, I was back and forth between that as well, because I don't quite feel ready to run a hundred miles, um. So that's obviously off the table Um. But I was going to do a UTMB qualifier in October. I was going to do Kodiak a hundred K. That's too close. Now I won't be doing that Um. So I didn't really have a plan for the rest of the summer um, which makes it all the better that I was able to qualify for this team. So now I kind of have a solid race in the schedule.
Speaker 2:But I did have the idea of spending some time in the Tetons. So I actually got to Wyoming yesterday, so I'll spend August in Wyoming. I feel like it's a good training ground for worlds. I'm going to play around on the grand a little bit, and then I'll do cirque series end of august in targi and then the worlds in end of september. And then I do want to get some sort of utmb qualifier in so that I can race a utmb race in 2026, but I'm unsure what that will look like. Um, so I don't know if it really changed my year's plans or just kind of gave me more of a solid schedule for the year, but yeah, the rest of my summer is looking fun.
Speaker 1:I'm so jealous. Uh, I will see. I actually just signed up for a circuit and target yesterday, so I'll see you out there, so excited to go. I raced it last year. I had so much fun. That course is awesome. Um, yeah, it's so beautiful too, like even like it blows Colorado out of the water. It's so wild, it's so different. Um, like, there's just so much wildlife. It's a cool area, like I really love that.
Speaker 2:That just like zone in general. I have not yet done the target race, so I'm very excited. Um, and I really haven't spent much time in Wyoming at all, so it's like a whole new landscape and super pretty trails. It's so beautiful, I'm excited.
Speaker 1:Are you on the Jackson side or are you on the Idaho side?
Speaker 2:Idaho side, nice.
Speaker 1:That's the better side, yeah.
Speaker 2:That's what I hear. Who knows? Yeah, I'm doing the um. Tomorrow there's a I don't know when this will come out, but tomorrow there's a hill climb at Jackson Hill Resort that I'm signed up for. Oh Rendezvous, yeah, yeah, sweet.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay, nice, nice yeah. There's a lot of like really cool, like little I shouldn't say Rendezvous is a little race, because it's pretty big, like Joe Gray, like there's gonna be quite a few people that like race this race, but like not just that, that they also have on the other side. There's um like good mountain bike races. There's good 50, like there's a lot of like really solid races in the area that they put on.
Speaker 1:So it's there's a lot going on which is kind of nice yeah, but it seems like and you're gonna like rendezvous, that's a sweet course, like that's, that's as fun as it gets up. This like basically just 4 000 something feet and like I think it's like five or six miles, which is is bananas.
Speaker 2:So yes, brutal. Good training for the world's course.
Speaker 1:That's right. That's right. Have you projected any of that course yet? Like, have you looked at anything like just kind of like a topo maps, or try to figure out? Like all right, like what's the vertical relief on this, that and the other? Like how technical is it? Like, do you guys have any like info you're privy on ahead of time?
Speaker 2:I honestly haven't looked at it too much yet. Um, I've looked on the website, talked to my coach a little bit um about like the elevation profile, and pretty much all I know is if it starts with a massive climb, um, and there's just so much climbing in the race and it's going to be steep and pretty techie. I have to get really good at hiking and downhill running, um, which are two things that could use a lot of work for me. But other than that, I don't know too much about the course yet. So it's on. My homework for the next couple of weeks is to do some course practice and I'm going out two weeks early with most of the short course women's team and we're going to kind of pre run the course and scout different areas, which will be helpful.
Speaker 1:Nice project. That's perfect. Uh, back to back to Wyoming. I got to. I still ask you this question just because out of pure curiosity. Is the? I know you said you'd like going to play a little bit on the grand. Is it more just scouting? Is there potentially, potentially you might go for the FKT this year? Like, is there anything, like I don't know anything that like stokes your enthusiasm for that.
Speaker 2:Yes, my goal. Okay. So I've never done the grand, so I can't say. I feel like it's naive for me to say that I'm going for the FKT on it. That is why I'm out here. That's my goal. I'm doing it for the first time on Sunday, so I think that'll give me a lot of insight into, like, how fast I'll be able to do it, how much the exposure gets to my head, things like that. So I came out here with the intention of doing it many times and hopefully by the end of August, giving it an FKT attempt. But I really have no idea if that's in my wheelhouse or how I'm going to do on the grand. I feel like it's within my skill set because there's like a lot of steep running, some technical sections um boulder fields. I feel like it's I'm capable of it if I can stay in a good headspace. So, um, I'm hopeful that I can give it a shot by the end of august at an fkt attempt, um, but I think it'll. It'll depend on how I feel.
Speaker 1:Nice, nice, just don't cut the switchbacks.
Speaker 2:I know I have to every time I have to throw the mistake.
Speaker 1:You know, it's not even that. It's just like I have to throw a little bit of a low blow at some fun at Michelino, just because I can, every time I can, shout out Michelino, we love you.
Speaker 2:I told him I'm doing this.
Speaker 1:I think he invited me to do the gram with him on Sunday, so I'll get some insider scoop, but he was excited and supportive of me trying it. Oh yeah, he's the man. He's like as helpful as it gets with everything and that stuff. Yeah, so cool, all right. So I can't wait to follow along. Hopefully end of August, when I see you at Targi, we'll have uh something more to talk about when it comes to that. So could be, could be good stuff there. Um, let's talk, uh, cirque Snowbird. That is such a hard course. Like there's a lot of vertical in that one. Um, you and Alexa obviously had a great race together, I kind of say.
Speaker 1:One day I talked to Alexa about this cause it made me laugh. You and her broke the curse. Like I've blown up McLean has blown up very few people actually. And then Jackson followed you because Jackson won Alyaska. But like nobody tends to usually do very well because of the way and this is a call out of Steve why do we have to do the course preview the day before the race? What the hell? But anyway, that was like a nobody's really ever done very well until you guys. So there you go. You broke the, you broke the curse.
Speaker 2:Totally. And when we were doing it the day before, we both felt terrible and we were like Steve, this is such a bad idea that you have people do the course preview the day before. We were both like hands on our knees, like we already feel bad, like we both had rough weeks and we're like, and he's like there is a. It is a curse that no one who's done the pre-rate, the preview, the day before, has won the race. So we were hopeful that we could break the curse, which we did. But we were both pretty surprised because we weren't having the best weeks, fatigue and leg wise. But yeah, it was really fun to race against Alexa and honestly I felt like that race was harder than Broken Arrow just because they're so short and steep and fast and I wasn't feeling the best, like my legs just felt really heavy all week. But it was a fun, a fun race. But you're right, those are really hard, especially having to run the preview the day before.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I just wanted to get your take on that, because I thought the same thing and that's funny.
Speaker 2:He said that because, like, the curse curse was real, you guys broke it. That's so cool. Um, we didn't think we would and we were giving steve crap for that. Because we're like, this is I don't know to have people who might do well on the race and make them run the course and all that climbing. The day before we hiked most of it and we're like if you need us to run for camera, just tell us when we need to run, otherwise we're just hiking.
Speaker 1:See, you know what dude I see I felt pressure. I was like man, I feel like I have to run this. So I ran it like, and I'm like. I looked at my afterwards, I uploaded it and it was like high seven minute, low, eight. And I granted I was on the East coast, but it was like high seven minute, low, eight minute grade. Just the pace was like I probably just ran that way too fast. I fast.
Speaker 1:I was like I'm gonna die tomorrow and I was like I should just put my foot down and just be like dude, I'm gonna hike this. I should just hike the entire thing. Yeah, I don't know. It's uh, you live and you learn. But at the same time it's like I don't know, I love the cirque series so much. I'm like this was such a cool honor. I'm like this is such a like I'm never gonna get an opportunity, or maybe not get an opportunity to do this again. So it's like like I got to make it fun. Why not? So yeah, it's fun stuff. Um race must've played out pretty well for you. Obviously you took the dub. Any notes on the race? Anything like that, Like when you come back to snowbird or you think you'll do Alta next year or anything like that.
Speaker 2:Definitely I would love to do Alta. It didn't um line up with my schedule this year, but this was my third time doing the snowboard course. Love that race. It was my first ever trail race in 2016, so it's special to me. Um it.
Speaker 2:I knew this race had a strong women's field, um, and the first mile they changed it for construction. The first mile was, or the first half mile was, downhill on pavement, so it was so fast and the alexa and rachel were ahead of me. I think I was maybe like fifth or sixth woman at that point. They were running sub five minute miles and I was like this is ridiculous. I will not ever be able to keep up with you guys. Um. So I started out a little bit slower and came in like sixth, seventh female starting up the first climb. But then I caught up to the front and me and Alexa ran together for most of the climb up and it was really cool because we were. She would go ahead a little bit and then she would like cheer me on and be like come on, jane, let's go, we got this. So I would pick it up a little bit and then I would pass her a little bit on the climb and then I would cheer her on and kind of bring her along too. So we piggybacked up the climb, um, and it was stressful because we were both breathing so hard, like we were audibly like struggling. We were working really hard but we were running together, um.
Speaker 2:And then I gained a little bit of ground on the climb going up to hidden peak, um, but was running scared the whole time because I could see her. I could see Rachel, um, and I'm a up to Hidden Peak but was running scared the whole time because I could see her. I could see Rachel and I'm a stronger climber, not as much of a descender. So when I got to the top I was like I have to turn it on because anybody can catch me at any moment, and my legs didn't feel great. I was a little bit over caffeinated, so I was like kind of jittery too.
Speaker 2:But the fun thing about the Cirque circuit races is you can just like go as hard as possible from the beginning because it's going to be over and as much pain that you're in, like there's always not too many miles ahead of you, um. So I just I don't know ran as hard as I could from start to finish, hoping that they wouldn't catch me, because you can't really tell on the descent, because I'm not like looking behind me seeing where people are at. So I just sent it as fast as possible and I don't feel like I'm that good of a technical downhill runner like in my training but for some reason in races like you can shut off your brain and just like run really fast downhill.
Speaker 1:That's amazing, what a race. And like, yeah, and like you said, like the women's field, like Rachel T there, like there was an Alexa, like there's a deep group of ladies, like that's a solid, solid field. So I love the fact that like there's no slouch races anymore in the Cirque series, like every one of them, like it doesn't matter, Like which one you pick someone, like there's a group showing up. It's it's never easy anymore, which is kind of cool. I like how competitive it's starting to get.
Speaker 2:Um oh, totally yeah, and snowbird being because I am born and raised in salt lake, I just moved out last year, so my family was there, my sister was there, I had a lot of friends there, so it's just kind of really fun to oh, it's so special when I race in my backyard so crazy.
Speaker 1:Um, all right, so we got targi next on deck. We've got some stuff going on, possibly with the Grands and then obviously Worlds. I feel like this might be a good place to put a bookend on and we can pick back up when I think there'll be a lot of stuff to talk about in August and then at Worlds. So I appreciate you coming back on for a quick little chat. I just needed to get some of the breakdown of Broken Arrow and all that. So I just want to say thank you so much for coming back on for a quick chat and this is awesome.
Speaker 2:Yes, thanks for having me back. It's always fun to chat on this pod.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. Wishing you the absolute best of luck and I'll see you in Wyoming. Should be fun.
Speaker 2:Sounds good.
Speaker 1:Thanks, jay. See you then Appreciate it. Guys, how awesome is Jane for coming on the pod, really appreciate her time and want to wish her the absolute best of luck, both with the rest of what she's got up to as far as projects for the rest of the summer, as well as on Worlds, which is pretty crazy, you know, being the Worlds team. Worlds will represent Team USA. So, before you get going, you can follow her on Instagram. Give her a follow. You can find her at underscore Jane Moss underscore. That's underscore Jane J-E-N-E-M-A-U-S underscore. Give her a follow. Let her know what you guys thought about the episode. I'm sure she would appreciate your kind words, especially as she gets ready to go represent Team USA. So, guys, if you enjoyed this episode and are a fan of the podcast, give us a five-star rating and review. And are a fan of the podcast, give us a five-star rating and review. We really appreciate that. That's how we can continue to tell these great stories of all these amazing athletes. And, yeah, you can get us on Apple, spotify, youtube or wherever you consume your podcast. Thanks so much, people.
Speaker 1:What's going on? It is summer, guys, super exciting Adventures in the mountains, summer races. It's about that time to start thinking about your gear. You know I, uh, I want to say our brand partner, ultimate directions, got you guys covered. Pop on over to ultimate directioncom. Check out a whole quiver of a quiver and, uh, new vests and belts that have just dropped um. Pop on over to check out the new race and ultra vests race vest in a six liter, the ultra vest and a 12 and beautiful new aesthetic colorways. Definitely dynamic and stretchy, cool new materials. Definitely something that can definitely buff out your kit for 2025. On top of that, we did just drop a brand new pole quiver that's compatible for all of these vests. Definitely something you're going to want to add.
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