The Steep Stuff Podcast
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The Steep Stuff Podcast
Christian "Slim" Allen - Pre 2025 World Trail Championship Interview
Christian Allen takes us deep into the rugged heart of the Pyrenees as he prepares to represent Team USA at the World Mountain Running Championships. The reigning US Mountain Running Champion opens up about the wild, technical trails of Canfrank that barely resemble paths at times—"They stuck flags into a bunch of rock that you're just hiking up. It's really steep."
Fresh off his stunning victory at Broken Arrow, where he outpaced legends Kilian Jornet and Joe Gray, Allen reveals the strategic approach that's transformed his running. "I've been working with David Roach and he definitely focuses on running economy and turnover more than when I was coaching myself," he explains, crediting this shift for his breakthrough performances despite coming back from a six-week injury layoff earlier this season.
Beyond the physical aspects of elite mountain running, Allen shares how his family and faith provide deeper meaning to his athletic pursuits. The father of two recounts touching moments of his children's involvement in his racing journey, including his son's disappointment after a fourth-place finish: "He was super mad and just in the worst mood ever... he said he hated the guy that won the race because he beat daddy." These personal insights reveal the human side of a champion who balances world-class athleticism with fatherhood and spiritual purpose.
As Team USA looks toward potential gold at the World Championships, Allen's confidence is measured but unmistakable. "I think we can definitely podium. I don't see why not, and everyone in the back of their mind is shooting for gold." His preparation, mindset, and journey exemplify what it takes to compete at the highest level of mountain running while maintaining perspective on what truly matters most.
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Follow James on IG - @jameslauriello
Follow the Steep Stuff Podcast on IG - @steepstuff_pod
Use code steepstuffpod for 25% off your cart at UltimateDirection.com!
It's time. Thank you, Ladies and gentlemen, we are live. Christian Allen. Welcome to the Steep Stuff Podcast. How's it going, man?
Speaker 2:Good man, Thanks for having me on.
Speaker 1:Dude, I'm so excited to finally have a chat with you. I feel like we've been I tried to put this together pre-Broken Arrow and a few other times and I'm glad this is perfect timing for pre-World. So I feel like you're the. I think I texted you. I was like, dude, you're like my, my white whale, like I haven't all people like I still haven't gotten you on yet. So I'm glad we were able to do this. Man, it has been a hot minute. Yeah, um, dude, so you're over, obviously in the greater confrank area Now. You just kind of got in a few days ago. Maybe talk about your experience so far. I know it's been kind of a bumpy ride. I think it was like 30 something hours it took you to get out here. Maybe talk about just like what the travel has been like getting out there and how you're feeling so far.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, it was a little bit of a long day. I didn't sleep a lot on the flight I just can't sleep on flights or trains all that much but also when I left Utah, I left Utah like 9.40am, so most of the travel here was like daytime back home, uh. But then when I got here it was like 7 30 am, um, and I was like I was told by a friend that like the train system was pretty chill and easy and they were right for the most part, but the only problem was like to get up to can frank. There's only two trains a day and so there's like one early in the morning and then there's one late at night. And I got it there. I got to like Barcelona at 730. But the only way I could get up to Canfrank was taking the train that didn't get there until, like I think it arrived at Canfrank station at like 745pm. So I was like, oh boy, I've already like had this long travel day and it looks like I'm just going to be awake all day. Like I was expecting to get like a run-in and all this stuff. But I had all my bag I was carrying around, or my big bag I was carrying around and whatnot. So it was just a long day of travel there, a lot of like trains and then sitting around waiting for the next train because they weren't super like lined up, probably just because it's a smaller, more rural area.
Speaker 2:But now that I'm here it's been great. In a smaller town that's not. That doesn't have a lot either. Actually I'm just in canfrank, but not the canfrank estacion. Estacion has like a few grocery stores, smaller grocery stores and some, um, just places to eat. But my like little city, which is only like five kilometers down the road, only has like one restaurant and no, uh, no ATMs. No, no restaurant. I mean uh, no, uh grocery stores. So just uh, at the whim of public transportation here, which are not the most frequent. But it's nice, it's been good Chill, the running has been great. So I can't complain. The running is great, nice, nice.
Speaker 1:It's funny man. I was talking to Michelino and he was kind of joking around. He's like dude, there's a lot of a lot of siestas here. He's like you can't grab dinner till like eight or nine o'clock, which is kind of crazy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they definitely have a different timeframe here. It's like we're coming from America where, like you just expect grocery stores to be open like all day until like 11 PM and they like are open for a smidgen here and then they close and then they open later. It's just kind of weird hours, but it's the European way, yeah.
Speaker 1:What do you think of the trail so far, anything that sticks out to you Like? As far as being different, I've heard a lot of folks tell me I haven't really like looked too much into the vertical course but just the trails in general.
Speaker 2:I've heard it's lot more wild than maybe other parts even of europe and definitely like different than the us yeah, I think the pyrenees are definitely a bit rugged, for sure, a little more rocky, uh, technical and a weird way of just like the trail isn't super, maybe groomed like rocky grassy not really much of a trail at all. Um, luckily, the vk course looks super nice, like super fat, fast. Um, geez, fat and flat and fast, uh, blending the two words. Um, there's like a lot of switchbacks and it's like a really mild gradient which I think will really suit me. I prefer like more runnable VK, so I'm super excited for that. Um.
Speaker 2:Today, though, I actually was just kind of meandering the trails off by my place and I ended up like getting on the 70k course, I believe um looked, which looks super sweet, but then there is a part you get up to the top and I swear there's like not really a trail. They stuck flags into like a bunch of a rock side that you're just like hiking up. It's really steep. So it does look like some of the courses for these other races is a little more like technical random. It kind of looked like the 70K course, like there really wasn't even a trail for a while. You just kind of like pick your route up like a rocky hillside and then you get up to the top of the super cool peak and then you go down the backside and then it turns into more of a trail. So I can definitely see where that kind of idea is coming from.
Speaker 1:Yeah, crazy, man, crazy. I love this kind of I mean, we'll see what happens in 20. What is it? What would it be? 2027. But I like that we do them in Europe. I think Europe is just I don't know, the trails are very steep, very rugged, very different. I feel like that's just a good all-around spot for just mountain running in general.
Speaker 1:Um, I want to switch gears a little bit and talk about the team. Um, it's obviously yourself, tyler, uh, joseph gray, have you been able to kind of connect with other members of the team? I know like cam has been really good as far as like putting together camps and stuff like that and being like making stuff like very cohesive. Um, how has it been as far as communication goes for this team? I know joe is, uh, just from knowing joe very well and just knowing his leadership style and stuff like that, I know he's very big on like game planning and stuff like that, pre for pre-worlds races and stuff like that. So have you been able to connect with these guys and kind of discuss it so far?
Speaker 2:no, not too much. Uh, I mean, maybe I'll see him out here soon. I do do know, like Joe and and Cam and Tyler a little bit. Cam, I probably know the least, but we have crossed paths a bit over the last two years and it's been fun to race him a bit more this year and see him do so well. Last year I was on a team, a US team with Tyler and Joe, which was fun. We did a VK in Kiavenna so I got to know them a little better then. But yeah, they're all great guys and I'm excited to kind of get to know them a little bit more this trip and hopefully have some good game plans on how to roll things out.
Speaker 1:Sweet man, how has training been for this one? Have you approached things a little bit differently? I've seen some of your stories. I didn't lurk you too much on Strava, but I've seen some of your stories on the track and just doing more track-based workouts and stuff like that. Has that been a little bit? More of the approach is just working on turnover and speed for a race like this.
Speaker 2:Um, I think just training in general has been a little different. I've been working with David Roach and he definitely focuses on running economy and a turnover a little bit more than I did the previous year when I was kind of coaching myself Um, and I think they both have worked out really well. Like I was a little hesitant, like maybe my climbing skills wouldn't be as fine tuned as I was hoping because I just wasn't doing as many hill workouts, but the hill workouts I have done and just the overall vert on recovery um has been really great and I've been able to push a few segments and get some improve my times on it from previous years. So I still feel really strong. Yeah, I'm just strong and excited and I think things will go well.
Speaker 1:Awesome, awesome, let's kind of shift gears. This is going to be your third? I think this will be. Was this the third time? Because I know you challenged Stelina and I know last year you represented Team USA, your 2024 mountain running champ. So will this be your third time running the stars and stripes?
Speaker 2:um, fourth, maybe four uh, I did make a. I made a world uh cross team last year okay uh, I think three trail and and yeah, three trail and one cross country.
Speaker 1:What does that mean to you, dude? To represent your country abroad?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, I love it. I think it's a really cool opportunity, um very grateful for the country I live in and the freedoms we enjoy and just uh what America stands for in general, and I I it's really cool and means a lot to me.
Speaker 1:So what is going to be your expectation for this team? I mean, I feel like I feel like, across the board, we're sending, in my opinion, just looking at utmb indexes, entry indexes, knowing a lot of these guys and gals, I feel like we're sending a squat dude. What is your expectation for race day? Um, as far as just like what, what you think we can do, as far as, uh, performance wise, yeah, I think we can definitely podium.
Speaker 2:I don't see why not, and I think there's definitely like everyone in the back of their mind is shooting for that gold. You know, I think we got a lot of awesome individuals that could fight for individual golds, but I also think collectively, as a team, I think we can all fight for that gold. Podium, um, and everyone looks super fit and it'll just be great to leave it all out there. I think the best part is I know everyone's going to leave it all out there and give it their all and, uh, kind of you know, push for each other. So it'll be fun to see how we uh match up against others in the world yeah, I don't know if my eyes deceived me.
Speaker 1:I'm kind of go take this back to the vertical race that you last you raced last year. I think you were dude. Were you running an alpha flies or something like that?
Speaker 2:I thought I saw you in no, I call it the the tiger fly. Uh, or, sorry, not the cut. Jeez, I caught the streak trail is what I called it. It was a streak fly that I had them dub up and just put a trail bottom on. Uh, the streak flies like a, a workout sheet using collars.
Speaker 2:That's non-plated, just a lightweight uh trainer I don't even know if I call it a trainer like just a lightweight workout shoe, uh, so they put just a little trail bottom on it. I use it for kia vena. I use it because it's so lightweight and in vks I just care about like light weightness and snappiness. You know, I don't really care about the stability of a shoe because you're typically not having to worry about that all too much, um, and the shoe is phenomenal for that. But the trail bottom they do have on it is just kind of a generic uh rubber. So it was like a little slippery at kia vena because it was like wet and on like stairs, like stone stairs, but it's great for stuff like that. I worked for the previous year at uh broken arrow vk as well, so I've used it twice now it's it's a good shoe what do you think will be?
Speaker 1:uh, race day shoe.
Speaker 2:Then you got a something special planned uh yeah, there's a shoe that nike's been kind of working out like hopefully come out with, I think, in the next year. It's like a rendition of the Kyger. That's what I used. I've used it a couple times for some Golden Trail World Series races and that's probably what I'll go to for this one. Just real lightweight, snappy. It's a great shoe.
Speaker 1:Nice, are you? I mean, I assume you definitely were invited because you're in the ranking for the golden trail world series final. Are you going to hang out in europe and then race, uh, in a few weeks at the final, or?
Speaker 2:yeah, yeah, I'll be out there for that, so hoping to be a little more fine-tuned and fresh and ready to rip. But I'm excited. I'll be just chilling out here till then.
Speaker 1:So nice man, nice get to. You're gonna stay in spain or you're to kind of explore. What do you got planned?
Speaker 2:My wife and kids and I are going to head over to Milan after this race. I think the Monday after Worlds is over, so we'll chill here through the whole Worlds thing and then we'll take a hopper flight over and spend the next two weeks or so in northern Milan.
Speaker 1:So, on the topic of being a dad and in the sport, um, as a professional, like how do you approach? How does that? How does that like how, what is your why? Basically, is your why a little bit different? Because you're a dad and it's you know, it's not just for you, it's for your family and it's just a different kind of thought process like how does that affect your why?
Speaker 2:um, that's a good question. I don't know if it affects my why too much, but I do feel like the support and and, um, I guess just the support of it like really changes. Like I like my family's very supportive and helpful and like, uh, my oldest son has like gotten really into like watching me run and stuff and he wants to run. And when I go out for a run, my my second kid, boston or Miles, would be like I want to come run with you. I was like dude, I'm going out for like two hours you can't follow me. And he's like no, I want to go running. And so I'll have to like run up and down the street a couple times with him before I head out, because he really wants to go running with his dad. So it's been super fun. Um, but yeah, I like I definitely run, I think, for a bigger picture than just myself. Like that adds to the why for sure, like my wife and my kids supporting me and them cheering me on. Um, after broken arrow, uh, when I won the vk, my oldest son, miles, was super stoked. But then the next day, uh, he's like hey, like go win the next race. I was like, yeah, I'll win it for you. And then I took like fourth and then I saw him after the race and he was like super mad and just in like the worst mood ever and I was like what's going on, bud? And he's just like you like didn't want to talk to me. And then like an hour later, my mom sent a text out to our family because she was there. He's like Miles was in a really bad mood. He said he hated the guy that won the race because he beat daddy. And we had to like take a moment to explain to him like you can't win every races and and stuff. So it was a real funny, funny, like learning experience with them. And he like got over it. But he's definitely like it's fun having that.
Speaker 2:Why for my kids, I guess like cheering me on and wanting me to do well, and when I'm in the hurt I'm like okay, like I gotta keep going, like uh, for better or worse, I've had some races, more 50ks, where I passed my family, like oh, I'm gonna drop out now, and then I pass them and then they're like they're cheering me on. I was like, oh, my gosh, I gotta keep going. And then I keep going and I I ended up like dnfing in that race or something, and the other one like I ended up finishing but they ended up pulling my uh bib. So I've like kind of dnf 250ks. But both times I was like dude, I'm like gas, like I have no energy, I gotta stop. Now and then, like I passed my family, like oh, I passed my family, like oh, keep going. I was like oh gosh, I got to keep going. So, but definitely I think they like cheer me on and root for me and it definitely gives me like a deeper why and meaning to why I'm running uh other than just myself.
Speaker 1:So I can ask you also about your faith. I know it's very important to you. Can you talk a little bit about um like how, not not just how that factors in your why as well, but just your, that importance to you as a person and just maybe outside of running or running?
Speaker 2:yeah, totally. Um, I think it shapes me a lot. My faith and my, my faith and my family, I think, go hand in hand, uh, but we just we firmly believe in in god and a loving, a loving god, a heavenly God, a heavenly father to us, and he gives us talents and gifts. And, uh, my journey in life has definitely been like a lot different than I expected, but, uh, it's awesome to like look back on and see God's hand and like shaping me and molding me and building me into the man I am now.
Speaker 2:Uh, and father, husband, friend, a runner, and, um, obviously like as a loving heavenly father, husband, friend, a runner, and obviously like as a loving Heavenly Father, like I think he wants us all to succeed, but sometimes succeeding is a little different than we expect, and so it's just like having the humility to like really turn to God and say like, hey, it's like your plan, your road for me, and like, obviously, in the moment it's hard not to be frustrated when things don't go your way, whether it's an injury that puts you out for a couple months or like just a bad performance.
Speaker 2:But I've had multiple times in my life where things haven't really made sense in the moment and then I'm able to reflect on it maybe a few years uh into the future and once I get to that point and see like, oh, wow, like God really was shaping me and helping me, build me in a certain way, or I was able to take experiences from certain trials and uh setbacks I've had in the past to apply them into future ones. And so, um, yeah, I I think my faith and just being a Christian and trying to be the best follower of Christ that I can be uh has really helped me grow as a person and grow as a runner and take all these experiences and uh, hopefully use them for a better good amazing, amazing.
Speaker 1:I appreciate that answer very candid. Yeah, um, let's. I want to shift gears a little bit and talk about um. You were dealing with a stress reaction. Uh, earlier in the season, kind of leading into sunopee, I actually was on the live stream and got to call your race at sunopee. Which dude, you took it out hot.
Speaker 1:I was, I was like damn, this is, this is amazing. What did it mean to you to kind of like, I think, what did you? You dropped out of Sunapee, I think, if I remember correctly, and then yeah, and then it was crazy because I also did you know race previews for Broken Arrow and stuff like that. What did it mean to you to kind of have that dropout coming back from injury and then turn it around and then absolutely snap like, hit one out of the park at the ascent of Broken Arrow, like what was that?
Speaker 2:as far as meaning goes, yeah, I mean I think this kind of goes back to the support I have from, like, my family, my friends, my wife, my coach. David Roach has been amazing to work with, leading up into Centipede. I think I'd only ran on the ground like twice. I had been doing like uphill treadmill running, but like just purely on the ground where I do descent and whatnot. I'd only ran twice. My stress reactions took way longer than any other stress reaction I've had in the past. I had completely no running for like six months and every time I thought about trying sorry, six weeks, not six months Every time I thought about trying I'm sorry, six weeks, not six months um, every time I thought I was gonna try running david's like hey, I think we can give it a go it was like I was like, oh my gosh, like my I don't know why, but my shin is just still like aching and throbbing, like I'm not even like running or trying to run, so we had to keep pushing that off. And then, obviously, with like a us championship on the line, I'm like I gotta give it a go. Like I, it's my first chance to make a world's team.
Speaker 2:In the past I've been in college, um, and I had some like pretty good, like just uphill treadmill workouts. It's hard to really like correlate that, you know, with like being on a treadmill versus normal terrain and whatnot, and obviously I'd had like zero downhill running, um, leading into that race. Like the week before I did one one run where I ran, like I think I climbed like 1500, maybe 1600 feet. So I obviously dissented that much too and I could not believe how sore I was from like just a pathetic amount of elevation dissenting like. For me like well, usually when I'm in my bulk, like 1600 is like a recovery day. I'll do before like a speed flat workout the next day and it doesn't take anything out of me. But like it got me pretty sore for a couple of days because I had done really zero dissenting. So I was definitely like a little nervous but I was like okay, like I feel like I've had some decent like some pretty hard workouts on the bike using Zwift and then also just like a few uphill treadmill workouts.
Speaker 2:And we went out there and obviously things did not like. I was like talking to david and he we were kind of the plan was like to go out with the guys and see how things are going um. And then the second lap really take things out if I'm feeling good on that second climb. And we went on that first climb and like we were kind of just running with the pack. But then I kind of started to push a little bit, cause I was like I got to see if I can break these guys, especially with this, how wet and crappy the conditions were.
Speaker 2:I knew, like, with how tentative I'd be running on my shins, I was afraid to like really pound on the downhill. But, um, props, to like all the guys around me, like they were, I was like hoping, slash, thinking maybe I could break them or like maybe I'd just be in a little better uphill shape, but like they stuck right with me and then, like they took off ahead of me and then I was like probably five meters back from like, uh, the guys that were up in front and I was like, oh gosh, like this is, this is not going to be great if I can't even like I'm not. I mean I was like five meters or 10 meters off them, uh, off the three guys at the top of the peak I think it was Cam Mason and Tyler Tyler actually and I was like, oh man, like if I'm not even like quite with them on the uphill, like this down, it was going to be a disaster, cause I know I'm going to really struggle. And so, yeah, then we went into the second lap and my shins were kind of like starting to bother me with that real steep downhill and I was like, yeah, I'm not gonna catch these guys on this uphill, my legs just aren't working, they're just not moving. So, um, I I climbed part of the first hill and my I just couldn't move and I was like, yeah, let's just call it here.
Speaker 2:And it was like easy to like, I think get in a slump, be like, oh, shoot, like I'm really not this biking hasn't translated I'm not as fit as I was hoping. You know, like a lot of doubts crept in my head but my coach, david, and my wife were very supportive and like still, uh, be like. No, like this is good, this is a good stimulus, kind of a rust buster. Like things didn't go how we were hoping, but like with how limited running you've done, like we couldn't have expected anything super crazy. And then, luckily, I was able to get I think it was like maybe three weeks in between then and broke in the arrow or so and I was able to get in some better training, some more.
Speaker 2:Um, stim is uphill and downhill, uh, and the shins progressed a bit more after I started running and so, um, yeah, it was very fortunate. Like it was hard, because I think you always have those doubts in the back of your mind like lining up, like, oh, am I really as fit as I think? Like last race didn't go super well. Um, I did like a little segment push close to my house and broke a previous record that I hadn't been able to get in a while. So I was like, okay, like things are coming around, so just small little wins here and there and then just trying to have the confidence and trust in my training and, uh, my coach really helped with that and then, yeah, it was kind of, I think, the turning point for the of the season. I've been real healthy and everything's gone pretty good since amazing.
Speaker 2:For the most part.
Speaker 1:No, I mean, dude, you've been hitting it out of the park. I got to ask you about, um, just the performance of broken arrow, in the sense where, um, obviously it's super kind of chaotic start. You know, it's this mass startup, this weird ski Hill kind of thing. There's no particular trail. Obviously they changed the course as well. Uh, kind of last second on you. I mean, dude, you broke the race wide open like joe was not catching you. You, you had some like actual, like serious time on a lot of these guys. How did the race just? I'm out of pure curiosity, how did the race unfold for you? How did you even assert position to get in front of a lot of folks? Like, how were you able to kind of pull that off?
Speaker 2:yeah, um, one of the hesitancies, I think, coming from son of p to there is like, uh, david, was really like let's work on running economy like we know you got some good uphill fitness from your biking but like let's do running economy. And in the back of my mind I was like no, I need to like do some more uphill training. Like I wasn't able to keep with these guys, even on the uphill, like I mean, I was like right there with them, but I was like I should be able to break these guys like I think with my, my talent kind of being more in the uphills, like I should be able to break away from these guys and push hard, but I wasn't able to. But he's like no, like we got to first like just turn, having ran such little in the last little while. Like we got to get your running economy and efficiency back. So so I did quite a few like flat workouts and then I think, like leading into the race, I did like my first like bigger uphill workout and honestly I was just like climbing on the off days.
Speaker 2:But so, going to that race, like if you look at the profile of it, it starts off extremely steep, but then it kind of levels out and gets pretty flat, relatively speaking, and then it has a little bit of another climate, flattens out again and then it has like the climb again. And David was just like yo, like we know you're really fit, like you've had some good flat workouts, your turnover and efficiencies coming, so like the plan was go out like don't go out too relatively hard, uh, on that first like steep climb, you know it's not super long, and then once you hit that road like really open up things. And so I think by the top of that first like ski hill climb, I was maybe I don't know 15th or 10th or 15th somewhere around there and some of the guys had a decent lead, like probably 20, 30 meters or so. But as soon as I hit that like my, my like turnover and all the workouts I've been, I just like chewed up everyone. I just like sped past everyone and no one was really moving, um, and I think like not going out too hard helped me not get too lactic, and then I took off and then that's when I caught up to like Killian and Killian was like kind of chilling there and obviously he had an absurdly long like travel day the day before he was telling me about like travel day.
Speaker 2:The day before he was telling me about, um, but like I remembered, we kind of got side to side and then he like surged a little bit and I matched it and then I kind of like surged a little bit because I was like trying to get a feel of like how he was feeling and I went.
Speaker 2:But then he didn't really like go with me and I was like, oh man, like he must be hurting or just real tired from the travel day before. So then I just kept pushing the throttle and luckily, like that's where it gets like real flat there for a while and I just kept pushing. Like we hit a little punchy climb again for a sec and like kind of dug into that. And then once I hit the flat again, I really opened up and got that turnover going again and just kind of broke away from the pack. So, um, it was nice to have those kind of like that workout. So in the stimulus I had previously leading up to that to get that turnover going, um, and then I just try to keep the throttle going to the finish.
Speaker 1:But yeah, dude, all right. So I gotta ask you this this might be a weird question, but what was it like to beat two of the greatest mountain runners to ever do it? Probably two, I mean two goats literally in joe and killian. Was that a little weird?
Speaker 2:uh, I mean, yeah, they're both amazing talents.
Speaker 2:It's super fun to be able to race against them and, having done it a couple of times, like, obviously, like they're kind of a little older in their careers, so it's amazing to see how fit they are at such a ripe age.
Speaker 2:But I like, I feel like if I want to be the best, I got to compete against the best and and have the faith that I can beat the best. And like, competing against people like Phil, mon and Patrick, and now Hazim and and Remy and all these other guys in golden trail has given me like some confidence and like and also, I guess, humility, going up against these people to like understand, like where you can push and where you should hold back and and play your strengths, but also, um, if you don't swing for the fences, you'll never know if, if you can. So, uh, yeah, I just kind of try to rely on my strengths and uh and push when I can and just give it my all, and it's super fun to compete against the best. I try not to shy away from competition. I try to get to the races where the best will be there, because you know, um, iron sharpens iron and the more I can be around them, the better I'll get. Dude Amazing.
Speaker 1:All right, we're kind of limited on time here. I want to get to a couple ending questions. Uh, first one is where did the namesake slim come from?
Speaker 2:from yes, uh. So I served a religious mission for two years in Japan. Um, and missionaries tend to get a little fat on their mission not all missions, but some missions where they get fed by members a lot. They just kind of get bigger and stuff and I was always just kind of like a skinny guy in general, coming out of like high school being a scrawny runner and so like people just kind of started calling me slim and uh, and then I was known for calling all my friends on my mission slim and and it just kind of stuck Like I was like the ultimate slim. I'm sorry I got to apologize.
Speaker 1:I'm like no, I know there's flies where there's a bajillion flies.
Speaker 2:It's like fly galore here in Europe. I think the window system they've made here is phenomenal, where you can open the windows and prod them in both directions, but I can't believe that. Uh, insect, what do they call those?
Speaker 1:um, oh my gosh like a screen kind of thing screen.
Speaker 2:Yes, like window screens haven't made it here in europe yet. It's like hot because there's no ac, so you gotta leave your window open and then all you know is like a bajillion flies are flying around your house all day.
Speaker 1:But do you put like product in your hair, because they're very interested in the hair.
Speaker 2:I think that could be uh I don't know, I just use this powder stuff because I hate like the texture you feel when you have stuff, so it keeps it fluffy but it keeps it real like that's how you keep it up like I mean dude.
Speaker 1:This is.
Speaker 2:These are the questions the audience wants yeah, I try not to put like any crazy products. I hate when it feels all grimy or sticky like pomade or uh matte finish stuff, so I just use like this powder stuff I came across and it works great wow, well, the secrets of the hair, we all.
Speaker 1:It's amazing. All right, last question um, this is serious blood. What would it mean to you to come home with a medal, especially at a world championship like this?
Speaker 2:Oh, I'd be stoked. Yeah, I mean, it's like one of my big dreams and goals over the next couple of years. With the way training's gone, I think I just got to trust in the training and I'm going to get one more good, solid push in tomorrow and then just really focus on recovering and feeling fresh. Pushing tomorrow and then like, just really focus on recovering and feeling fresh.
Speaker 2:Um, I think I've had a bit of times over the last few years like maybe coming into races a little too overcooked.
Speaker 2:I think, coming from a college background where like there's really only one or two races that matter in this season, a lot of times you kind of train through the races. I've kind of, like absentmindedly, done that into these races, even even though, like every race is really important, whether it's the golden trail race or something. But I sometimes go into races like, oh, I can do a workout early in the week and I'll be fine for the race, but it's like then you get a little overcooked or something. So I think just coming in real fresh and then confident in the training, like it would be a dream of mine. I think like I definitely have a decent chance if I like I'm feeling good and I push the right way, but, um, the course looks like very favorable to the kind of course I would enjoy, and so I'm excited to go out there and could be against the best and obviously the reigning champ and Patrick and and my other amazing teammates, so it'd be awesome.
Speaker 1:Yeah, dude, it's going to be so much fun to follow along. Um, oh dude. Yeah, dude, it's gonna be so much fun to follow along. Um, oh dude. One last question I've been meaning to ask you about for the acg, acg stuff, just because the last last nike athlete I had on was liam and it was just before the acg stuff dropped, so you couldn't really talk about it that much. Can you just maybe talk?
Speaker 2:talk a little bit about this transition that nike trail has kind of gone into acg and just kind of some of these changes that have been made lately totally, yeah, um, obviously, the brand like like kind of was like looking at themselves or nike as a whole and was like yo, we got two different apartments that are kind of like, you know, butting heads or like kind of competing against each other.
Speaker 2:It's like why don't we take acg and nike trail and combine them together and put the resources and the efforts together and make this really great band? And they want to become like a very competitive brand when it comes to outdoors in general, like competing with like the black diamonds or other like that just provides, uh, pinnacle gear to like runners, hikers, outdoor goers. Obviously running is going to be like the pinnacle of that, like the top of the spear, but they really just want to make quality, high performance gear for like running to outdoors stuff, and so it's been really cool to see them like kind of put the resources together and provide a little more support for us, I think also going forward. So it'll be super cool to see how the brand shapes and grows, going forward Super cool.
Speaker 1:I appreciate you being candid and being open about that. One more thing before we go Did you see some of these good memes with you, Some of these good memes coming out of Chabonier? I was like dude, this is amazing.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, my friend Liam was out there with me and he like showed me one. I have an Instagram time limit and I don't know the password to it, so I don't spend too much on it. My wife knows it that way. You know, I'm not sitting there mindlessly scrolling or wasting my life too much, but I think my time had just ran out. The day that your boy, scott Jerk, had posted one and Liam was just like dying laughing. He's like yo, have you seen this? I was like what are you talking about? And he like showed me on his phone. And then I saw a few others like kind of come through the friends had sent me over the days. So, yeah, it was pretty funny, good stuff.
Speaker 1:Good stuff. Well, Christian, I'm wishing you the best of luck on race day, man. I hope you guys bring it home for team USA and I hope you have an amazing day out there and a great trip. And good luck at the golden trail final as well.
Speaker 2:Hey, thanks Sam, I really appreciate you having me on.
Speaker 1:Absolutely man. Thank you you.
