The Steep Stuff Podcast
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The Steep Stuff Podcast
Kieran Nay - Pre Pikes Peak Ascent Interview
Pike's Peak isn't just a mountain—it's America's Ultimate Challenge. Rising dramatically from 6,000 to 14,000 feet, this Colorado landmark draws over 2,500 runners annually from across the globe, all seeking to test their limits against its unforgiving terrain.
What makes this race truly special? As elite mountain runner Kiern Nay explains, "It's just you're constantly wondering if you're going too hard and if you're going to die." Unlike strategic ultra events where pacing and problem-solving matter, Pike's Peak demands maximum effort from start to finish—a "total red line from the gun to the top." Pull back even slightly, and the mountain makes you pay.
For Kieran, who grew up in Colorado Springs with Pike's Peak as his constant backdrop, the mountain represents both personal history and professional benchmark. After finishing an impressive fifth place in his first competitive trail race there at age 20, he returns year after year, drawn by the mountain's brutal honesty and the race's rich tradition. "You know this is a test against yourself," he reflects, highlighting why this race transcends competition to become something more profound.
The podcast explores Kieran's evolution as an athlete, from focusing on shorter mountain races to embracing longer challenges like the Grand Traverse and Speed Goat. We also dive into his upcoming adventure representing Team USA at the Continental Sky Running Championships in Mexico, where he'll race at elevations exceeding 15,000 feet. Throughout our conversation, Kieran shares insights into high-altitude training, race preparation, and building community among elite mountain runners in Colorado's Gunnison Valley.
Whether you're a dedicated trail runner or simply fascinated by what drives athletes to push their limits, this episode offers a compelling glimpse into the mind of an elite mountain runner and the iconic race that continues to define his journey. Subscribe now and join us for more inspiring conversations with the remarkable athletes who call the mountains their proving ground.
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Going up. It's just you're constantly wondering if you're going too hard and if you're going to die. So, like they say, it's an ultimate mental battle.
Speaker 2:Is that what keeps bringing you back, year after year, the ultimate?
Speaker 1:mental battle. Yeah, I don't care what racers show up, even if somebody shows up better than me. You know this is a test against yourself. Everybody that's out here is doing it and everybody's testing themselves, and it's great.
Speaker 2:It's called America's Ultimate Challenge. Each year, over 2,500 runners flock to Manitou Springs to challenge themselves against the mountain known as Pike's Peak. This year, runners from 46 different states and eight foreign countries have come.
Speaker 3:They all start here and make their way towards the clouds. It's time. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. We are live. I don't know, it's weird, are you? Are you not in monument anymore? No, I moved. I. We're down in all like old Colorado city. Uh yeah, just by like red rocks. I shouldn't tell this on the podcast, but yeah, we're, we're, we are. We are in Colorado Springs now.
Speaker 4:Cool, cool. Um, that's awesome. That's a great spot. Cool trails down there, but yeah, monuments are pretty special.
Speaker 3:It's a special place. Cool stuff, dude. How, how have you been? You've been, uh, you gotta mix it up. This year you did some broken arrow, then you went and got on the podium of grand traverse like you've been doing some some really exciting and fun things, and now we're here talking about pikes. But, uh, how has the shape of the season gone for you so far?
Speaker 4:yeah, yeah, it's been good. I am started the year. I did a lot of like a lot of volume this winter. A lot of stuff on skis and you know, kept more running in during the winter than I normally do Um, which was pretty fun. It was a lot of uh, like two hour pill runs on the treadmill and stuff like that. Um, we still a little bit on the skis and then, yeah, started off I ran at GoPro and Broken Arrow and was kind of sick like good bit of April and most of May. So I really didn't have like the best build going into Broken Arrow, which I feel like I always feel that way. It's like pretty early season but those races weren't great. Pretty early season but those races weren't great. But came back home and kind of went back to the drawing board and had a really, since, coming back from Broken Arrow, had a really good, pretty consistent build into Speed Goat, which is really fun. I think I was like 15th there, ran like a 5.55, which, given my performance at Broken Arrow, I was pretty happy with that because I just didn't have a great race at Broken Arrow. So I was pretty happy with that. And then I ran Grand Traverse like two and a half weeks ago.
Speaker 4:For those of you who don't know, that's a 40 mile race that runs from crested butte up and over uh star pass, across the mountains into aspen. Um, so I live in gunnison and that's, um, you know, kind of the hometown race now and I've lived here for some of my eighth winter and I've never done that race before, so it was cool to get to do like the local race. Um, I think it was uh will murphy showed up. He was like second at black canyon this year. I had no idea who he was, um, so I kept trying to drop him on the star pass climb and he didn't drop and went on to win and break the course record. But I'm pretty happy with a second place finish there. Um, and yeah, I've been mixing up with some longer stuff and excited to come back to Pike's Peak and uh run these sons again.
Speaker 3:Absolutely, man, absolutely. Let's talk about some of the longer stuff.
Speaker 3:I mean it's kind of neat to see you kind of change from, I mean, for always. You'd been for the last, like you know, several years, like it was always a broken arrow 23 K. Broken arrow, vk. A lot of the shorter stuff. Obviously still a broken arrow 23k. Broken arrow, vk. A lot of the shorter stuff. Obviously still race broken arrow this year. But going up to races like speed goat, which is a bit you know, as far as like average wise, it's a much longer race than something like a broken arrow 23k. Um, same with the grand traverse. That's a you know what is it a 40 mile or 30 something, 40 something mile race?
Speaker 4:yeah, it's 40. Of saw myself as doing longer stuff, but for a long time I didn't really have much success, um, and so I just sort of stuck to what I felt like I was really good at um. I mean, I feel like just developing and maturing as an athlete that I've really come to enjoy the, the mastery element of these longer races, where there's quite a bit of um, there's quite a bit of uh like logistics to figure out and there are all these different variables that you're kind of interfacing with and the race itself. A lot of it is about where you're going to spend your effort and controlling for things and problem solving. And I've really enjoyed those races where it's like you have six hours to like work on people and you get to sort of be in this like you know, no one moment is this like particularly hard thing. It's a different kind of racing than what I'm used to, where it's just everything you have redlining for two hours versus like okay, actually I am going to take it a little easier on this climb or this descent and there's a strategy to that Um and then seeing that play out, um. You know, I do think those races can be a little bit more strategic than, say, a VK, where if you let people go off the front, you're not going to see them again.
Speaker 4:Um, you know something like GT. I think I was like ninth place, like 10 miles in and just worked up to the field. Um, and I like those kinds of races where you can have that the space and the time to kind of work on people and the rate limiter is not your like upper end speed, but more around your, your durability and your ability to continue to fuel and to and to move efficiently across terrain over a long distance. I've really enjoyed that transition.
Speaker 3:Interesting. That's so cool. I'm glad you're enjoying it. Man, what, um, what of it like piques your interest? As far as like races go, is there any races that stand out to you, like black Canyon or something like that? They're like oh, I'm doing that next year. Like anything in particular that you're, you're going to go hit.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I want to go to. I think I'm at a point with running where I kind of want to go see cool places and do races. That one I feel like maybe suit me, and and two that, um, I kind of enjoy. I don't really feel a huge drive to to go run like a black Canyon or something like that. Um, we have the San Juan solstice 50 miler which runs out of Lake city and that's a, you know, a backyard race. For me, it's like 40 minutes from the course. Um, you know, something like that would be really cool to do.
Speaker 4:Um, I do want to go to OCC this next year year, so I have some plans to try and qualify into that. I think that would be really cool and I spent some time over there last summer and just really loved the area in the mountains and would love to become more familiar with that landscape. Other than that, I think you know you can live in Colorado but you only have a race in California or in Europe and I think we've got pretty cool mountains here and a pretty cool scene here and just because it's not on a circuit doesn't mean it's not a race that's worth doing. Um, so I, I like the UTMB stuff. Um, I think that there's a good track with that.
Speaker 4:As far as getting exposure, um, and I think you know, given that I'm kind of in this mountain 50 K to 50 mile phase, I think OCC is kind of the the pointy end of the spear and that's where you want to go, um, so I'd love to have that experience. But you know, for the most part, I think I want to kind of see and test myself at races, um, that have some history, that have, you know, a connection to the place that I live in. Um, there's so many cool races in Colorado Imogene pass is another good example, that's another good one. So there's, there's lots of of races, races like that that you know attract a good field and are, you know, big, historic races that are really cool and close to home that you can have a really meaningful experience at.
Speaker 4:And I'd include Pikes Peak in that sort of assessment. So, you know, it's maybe not necessarily just like the longer races per se. You know, I think that those have been kind of cool events to sort of explore. Um, but more races that have some history, that have been around for a little while, um, that you know feel compelling, where the courses are cool and they're in a cool place and it's not uh insane to try and get out there. I love it. I love it. You have a lot of history with Pikes Peak man being from the greater.
Speaker 3:Springs area. I love it. I love it. You have a lot of history with Pikes Peak man, being from the greater Springs area. Um, I know I've asked you this question before, but I feel like, for new audience members who might've not listened to your first episode, can you talk about, like, what makes this race so special to you?
Speaker 4:Yeah, so I grew up in the Pikes Peak area, Um, I, uh, we lived in the Springs for quite a while and then moved up to Monument, which is about 20 minutes North Um, when I was about six. Um, so I spent like the whole, you know, my whole childhood was in that region, Um, looking up at that mountain. It was kind of uh, uh, you know, just a constant presence there up in the clouds. And it's this really unique mountain for colorado where you, you know, you start at 6 000 feet and you go up to 14, and so just the size of the terrain, the fact that it is the highest peak, um for a very long distance, it's very prominent, um has a ton of vertical release. It's this really cool mountain and feature, to begin with, that really defines the city and the surrounding area. Um gives it a lot of its character. Um, and then it was also the first really competitive trail race that I ever did. Um, I knew, probably when I was about 15 or 16, that mountain and trail running was really what I one was was good at, and two, what I what I wanted to do. Um, and and this was at a time when it was not a very popular thing, Um, you know it was. It was not something people were getting into at a younger age, at least in the States. And you know I I did a year on a cross country team here in Gunnison at Western. Um, really, you know, enjoyed that experience, but left that to pursue trail running.
Speaker 4:And the Pice Peak Scent in 2019 was the first real like competitive trial race that I did and I think I was I was 20 years old. I was in third place until the last, like two miles. I think I finished like fifth or something. Um, yeah, I was 20 years old. I was in third place until the last, like two miles. I think I finished like fifth or something. Um, yeah, I was fifth that year. Um, and it was this like really cool thing to go to this race that on this mountain. You know I'd known about it forever growing up to do it, to have success there and to have it be like the launching point of my my mountain running career. Um, it's always been a really meaningful race and it's funny, I really haven't um run particularly faster than that first one. Um, since I started, I think. I think I am like a two 27 that year and I think, the fastest I've ever run on the mountain, it's like two 21. So, um, you know, would love to finally get under two 20 this year. But it's this really cool place that I've come back to year after year and it's, you know, would love to finally get under 220 this year. But it's this really cool place that I've come back to year after year and it's, you know, it's the same course, it's the same mountain.
Speaker 4:Weather and conditions can kind of vary, but for the most part it's this benchmark and that's certainly a race that I would classify as being a lot less strategic. Um, and you know, there's some, some races where I think you can, you can lean on your experience and these other things to kind of maybe fill in some fitness gaps. Um, you know, if there's more technical terrain or there are places where you know you're strong, where you can make some distance and you've got enough time to wear people down, Pikes Peak is not that. Pikes Peak is a total red line from the gun to the top, and you have to go to a.
Speaker 4:Really, if you're going to do well there, it's going to be probably one of the most difficult races you're on. All year been pulled back two or three percent, you're gonna lose a bunch of time on the upper mountain, and so it's this really like honest and brutal race that I think demands everything of you if you want to do well, um, which is really cool and I love going there. I love the, the crowd that it draws and the field that it draws and, you know, in past years it's been very international and you know, people that I've known from racing in europe are telling me it's the highest they've ever been and they're like this is so cool and, um, so yeah, it's, it's a cool thing to be a part of, it's really emblematic of you know the place I grew up and and it's fun to, it's fun to go back every year and give it a shot.
Speaker 3:Dude, that's a beautiful answer, man. I appreciate that. I gotta ask you, as being being a young gun, being a kid growing up here and realizing at a young age do you wanted to get into mountain running? Who were your and this is something I never asked you before like, who were your heroes at a young age in the sport? Like were you, did you like discover Anton? And we're like, yeah, that's so cool.
Speaker 4:But like Matt Carpenter, like were you aware of, like he was, like he was back in the day, Okay, yeah, I remember reading all the Wikipedia articles about Matt Carpenter and his insane Anton Kuprychka blogs, which I don't know if those are still up anymore, but it was all like the crazy training that he would do around the Springs. Um, uh, I remember, like Stevie Kramer and and her, uh, her run and it's funny she, she lives, uh in in this Valley so I see her around occasionally and I don't think she's any of the way up, but, um, it was this really. Yeah, I think you know, growing up there, like, um, Joe Gray was also someone who I knew when I got into running. Um, you know, I just I knew who he was from mountain running and team USA and times on the incline and things like that and um, it was really cool, Like I remember that first summer that I really pursued trail running, like he and I basically had the same schedule and got to know him a bit and he was a you know, it's really one, just an incredible athlete to look up to and to like this really, you know kind of great, great like mentor and it's really gracious with a lot of things.
Speaker 4:And, yeah, I mean, Colorado Springs is a is a great place to. There's definitely people I'm forgetting in this list. The springs is a. It's a really great place to to grow up. If you're into mountain running, Um, cause it really there. There are a lot of really, really great athletes who base out of there.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's such a special place man. This race is so special. I think that's like one of the things that I just want so much for the race in the few, in that I just want so much for the race in the few in the next few years. It's like how do we just continue to build the fan base and get the community involved and get people excited about you know what this race is and the tradition and the history here, and because it's already like one of the most iconic races on the planet, um, but it's, it's. I think the I want that zagama slash like series and all level people on the course cheering with cowbells, you know, like we.
Speaker 4:That's what I want to see, oh, I'd love to see that and you know you could. If you could arrange to get like, uh, have the city sponsor it and have like free tram rides up and, you know, like fan zone and, you know, lowering the barriers to access, I think that you could maybe get more people out there. Um, it's hard to replicate that European culture of mountain sports and endurance sports and the way they care about it. It's it's just different, um, but it would be so cool to see, you know, have that whole golden staircase just be lined with people you know, grabbing chainsaws and stuff.
Speaker 4:Like you get, uh, the greats in europe, uh, sierra's and all being being one of them, um, you know, it's a it's. That's a crazy atmosphere. It'd be cool to see anything close to that in the states, although I will say, like, speed goat had a pretty good atmosphere. They had a free tram up to the top, um, that big sky tram, and so I think when you don't charge people to get up there, you're gonna have more people up there, and I think that that kind of creates a bit of that atmosphere. So, if you have any sway with the city of colorado springs, maybe, uh, if we can get some tram rides up, we'll see.
Speaker 3:I'm not that influential yet.
Speaker 3:Maybe maybe, maybe in another year, but that I mean, I don't know, maybe people on the board uh are. So that's something that I hope to do in 2026. Like, that's what I want to see is like some sort of I have maybe two of them, one on the golden stairs and then one on, like at, like bar camp, like, make bar camp, like a giant party and just go wild. That'd be awesome. Yeah, that would be cool. Um, all right, let's talk performance wise and pikes itself. Last year you ran yourself eighth place, ran two, 2643. You've had some amazing finishes at this race, like you. You have really, like you're, very consistent on this mountain. What do you expect for this year? Uh, I know it's always hard to tell, cause it's. You know, it's always hard to tell, like, where fitness is and how you feel you've been running a lot of longer stuff. So how, um, how have you tweaked, maybe tweaked in this build, uh, for something that's a little bit more short, um and a little bit more high octane.
Speaker 4:Yeah. So I guess the context for this would be I was initially signed up to do the marathon because it would have fit in a lot more with GT speed goat style training, and I haven't run the marathon since it was 2021 and like a four, four or one or something. So it'd be really cool to go under four in that race. It'd be really cool to go under four in that race, um, but I am on the team for the continental sky running champs down at uh Redo Volcano in um, mexico, um in like Pico de Orizaba National Park, um, and that's like three weeks after the ascent, um. So I kind of made the decision that doing the marathon was going to be, at least for me. You know, I know some people who are doing that, but I know if I run the marathon as hard as I can, I'm going to be pretty useless for at least two weeks and I kind of want to have a quality build um going into Mexico, cause that's a big race, super high altitude, um altitude and traveling and putting a lot into to making that happen. And so Pike's peak this year is certainly more of a workout, or maybe workout to see race, if I had to categorize it. So I haven't tweaked too much. I mean I ran GT. I think I took like three days off, kind of jogged back, had like an easy like a half week of like easy volume and then I've been doing some like shorter hill repeats um, you know like one to two minute hill repeats uh, with like longer, like hour-long uphill tempos um, also kind of sprinkled in these past like two weeks um. So trying to get on like the specific grade because pikes is very, very runnable and I think it's easy. The 14ers around here are a little steeper and it would be easy to get into like big hiking shape um, which I don't think really helps you at pikes. Um, so we'll see. I mean had a great long run three weeks ago, gts, 40 miles and most of it it was above 10,000 feet Um, and a lot of it's above the tree line. You're spending a couple hours running above the tree line and running pretty hard. So you know there's a bit of stimulus there. Um been sleeping up high on the weekends. You know 10, 11,000 feet when I can Um and other than that kind of training through this race. So we'll see.
Speaker 4:Like last year I was coming off Sears and all and everything was super fast, uphill, focused and specific, and I ran what I would consider a pretty average time for me, um. You know, I thought if any year I was going to have a breakout, it was going to be last year, um, just given training. And so this year things are a lot less specific, doing more volume and kind of longer stuff. And, who knows, maybe that'll be it, or I'll run the exact same time and I'm just a two 20 to two 25 guy, no matter what, which is a fine time to be consistent at Um, but I'd love to to get under two 20. That'd be a. It'd be a really cool thing to be able to do that this year. So we'll see what happens. It's not the goal race for the year. I've got, you know, two other races after it, so it is kind of more of a workout for that race down in Mexico, um, but yeah, that's kind of what I've been doing for it.
Speaker 3:So I love it. I love it. Talk about the sky running race. Um, like, how did the app look like? How, how did you get selected for it to be on this team? Um, talk about like, what it's about, cause it is like a, it's a, it's a, it's a championship. That's correct.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah. So it's not the first time I've run it. I didn't know that Bartrell was the Continental Championships that year, I think it was like ninth, but I do think it's becoming a bit more of an event. I know that Skyrunning has really tried to kind of rally and rebuild. That said, like these teams are not super supported it's not the same as, like you know, the mountain running world champs team that's going off next week. It's not the same as, like you know, the mountain running world champs team that's going off next week. So it is.
Speaker 4:I'd say it was a little bit more of. They were looking for people, especially with everyone's schedules and seasons being pretty filled out. And my coach was connected with Travis Lavin, who I also know he lives out in Reno and he's kind of been the point person for the team. She reached out, was like you should consider doing this. And then I also know he lives out in Reno and he's kind of been the point person for the team. She reached out and was like you should consider doing this. And then I was like, okay, sure I'll do it. And flights down to Puebla were only like $500.
Speaker 4:So it was pretty easy to pull the trigger on that, um, so I'll be going down there the second weekend in October, um, and that is a 40 K, so it's about's about 20 miles, um, and it gets up to a little above 15 000 feet, um, two big climbs.
Speaker 4:It's actually a very similar profile to the pikes peak marathon, um, so it's like a like a higher altitude pikes peak with slightly less mileage, um, and a lot of like kind of high, high altitude running between these two volcanoes, um, which should be super cool and it's part of the world and I've never been to, so I'm excited to get down there and experience that. And, and it's technically a us team, so that's uh, that's pretty cool. It's certainly not at the level of, like, the mountain running team, like a fully supported kind of thing, um, but it's still a cool opportunity and, um, you know, I've got some some friends in Mexico from racing on golden trail years and years ago, so it'd be fun to see Abraham or Juan Carlos, any of those guys, um, we'll see who who shows up, and that should be really fun. And I think Pikes Peak is probably about as good of a training run as you could have for something like that around here.
Speaker 3:So, so cool. It's perfect for the build. Man Like Pikes Peak works amazing for something like this. Yeah, yeah, awesome dude. I love to hear it. Man, I'm so excited to follow along in this race and hear more about it. Like it's, I've heard amazing. I've been to Mexico. I've never been to like Mexico city or down to the orizaba area and it's definitely high on my list like that, just culturally, food why like everything about mexico is so cool?
Speaker 4:so I'm so jealous, I'm really excited to. I've never been um excited to go down there and then, uh yeah, going down to chile and argentina for the bar loche utmb race in november. So those are kind of the two a races this is out to the race, um, yeah, it's all it's all about.
Speaker 4:I need to branch up on my spanish, and by that I mean learn any spanish, um, but yeah, so that'll be kind of the the rest of the season. So pike's peak fits in. This is more of a workout in the primer, but also getting to come back to, you know, a local race. That means a lot to me and then you know I I've only missed means a lot to me. And then you know I, I I've only missed one year since that first year I ran it because I was injured, um, and it's just cool to show up and you know, you know the same volunteers from year to year and it's people that I grew up with and you know it's cool to to come back and still have that connection to that place, um, so yeah excited for it.
Speaker 3:Well, last question Um, you have a new resident in the Guddison Valley. Uh, mr Brian Whitfield. Have you guys been able to do you guys has he been a training partner since he's been out here? Um, yeah, yeah, definitely. Yeah, yeah, so so cool.
Speaker 4:We were uh friends in college on the mountain sports trail running team here at Western Um and then he was living in Colorado Springs for awhile. Um, I've been here for almost eight years now, um, and he moved back, uh in June and we're actually he's actually working at the university. We work in the same department, so we're coworkers now.
Speaker 2:So, funny.
Speaker 4:I love that. You know we'll. We'll wake up early on a weekday and go drive up to CV South and run a big loop or something and then come back down, get in the office and, you know, have a meeting or something. So it's really cool working together and training together.
Speaker 4:And Brian is one just a great person and two like probably one of the most talented athletes I've ever met. I mean, he's an incredible runner and just so strong and his ceiling is so high his ability to go from like on the couch having run in two weeks to like world-class shape and like a six, six. You know 10-week block, um is is pretty singular, um, so he'll be racing this weekend. We've been doing some workouts and some runs together, um, you know, our training overlaps a little bit and we'll try to do like long runs and stuff, um, but yeah, great to have him here and excited to keep training together and you know um, he's a great addition.
Speaker 4:So we've got a good little group here between Jacob, dewey and Brian and myself the three of us, you know all good friends, all known each other forever and we train together quite a bit and so it's cool to like try to be creating a bit of a training group here in the valley for upper level mountain runners. I mean, there's a lot of great people here, like um bosh walio. He won gt last year. Um cam smith obviously lives in the valley, joan de leon lives in the valley. So we've got like some heavy hitters and it would be fun to kind of organize a bit more of like a, like a crew for that you know um gunnison cowboys or something like that.
Speaker 4:Yeah, something like that, yeah, yeah I've had ideas knocking around my head about that for years and years and years. It'd be really cool to get a little group together and do some media stuff. And you know, then it's tough because you always have the question of, like, everyone's training is so different and so, like, how do you really get it to be like a group thing? But you know, I think organizing a, a run once a week where everyone shows up, something like that, would be really awesome.
Speaker 3:So so cool, so cool. It's a cool place, dude. I love it. Well listen, karen, wishing you the absolute best of luck on race day, man. I hope it's an amazing day for you. Um, definitely, um, yeah, I'm just gonna be cheering you on and I can't wait to learn more about this race, uh, in October, and wishing you the best of luck at that as well.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and wishing you the best of luck at that as well. Yeah, appreciate it. Thanks so much, james, and yeah, we'll see you out there and hopefully it's a good day and we get under 220. That'd be really awesome.
Speaker 3:Absolutely, man Appreciate you. Thank you, man Yep.
Speaker 4:Thank you.
Speaker 3:We'll see you next time.
