The Steep Stuff Podcast
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The Steep Stuff Podcast
Lindsay Allison - Pre 2025 World Trail Championship Interview
When Lindsay Allison submitted her application for the US Mountain Running World Championship team, she never expected to be selected. "When I got the call I was like, 'What? Are you sure? Me?'" she shares with genuine surprise in her voice. This unexpected honor comes at the perfect moment in her season—just as she's hitting her stride after overcoming early-season challenges.
Our conversation explores Lindsay's fascinating journey through a summer of unexpected hurdles and triumphant breakthroughs. After battling persistent nausea that severely impacted her performance at Speedgoat, Lindsay discovered she might have been over-consuming electrolytes. "I think my sweat rate changed throughout the summer," she reflects, highlighting how our bodies' needs evolve with adaptation. This experience serves as a powerful reminder that even elite athletes continue learning about their bodies through careful observation and experimentation.
Perhaps the most profound shift in Lindsay's season came when she intentionally disconnected from training technology. As a self-described "type A" athlete, she found herself overwhelmed by data from multiple devices. Her decision to run without her watch for several weeks proved transformative: "It was so liberating... I just felt free." This digital detox allowed her to reconnect with the pure joy of running, making decisions based solely on feel. Her subsequent performances at the Telluride Mountain Run and The Rut—both technically demanding mountain races with significant vertical gain—not only provided perfect physical preparation for Worlds but also rekindled her passion for mountain running at precisely the right moment.
As Lindsay prepares to represent Team USA in Innsbruck, her humble approach and genuine excitement for the experience shine through. With plans to race UTMB Bariloche in Patagonia afterward, she's embracing every opportunity this remarkable season has presented. Join us for this candid conversation about finding balance between data and intuition, overcoming mid-season obstacles, and the unexpected paths that lead to representing your country on the world stage.
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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. Lindsay Allison, welcome back to the Steep Stuff Podcast. How's it going Good? Thanks for having me. Yeah, excited to talk worlds Excited to have you back on. I can't believe. A few months ago we did pre-speed go. We've talked about a bunch of things and here we are. We're in the end of September and we're going to Can Frank. Here we go. It came really quick. How's the season been shaping up since then? I know, speedgoat, we talked about that a little bit, but you just got back from what looked like a really fun podium finish at the rut. Talk about that a little bit.
Speaker 2:Talk the 28k, your experience there and yeah, yeah, um, I get back up a little bit. So speed goat wasn't a great day for me, had a lot of nausea, um, out of nowhere. But, um, I feel like ever since then I've actually been on this like upward trajectory, which has been really nice and, um, actually really timely. I feel like usually in September I'm pretty burnt out, but because I feel like I had a little bit of a bumpy start to the season or the summer at least, I have like so much fire and excitement now in like mid-September, so that's been honestly a nice surprise and definitely an upside. So, yeah, I actually did, actually did the Telluride Mountain Run, like about a month ago now, and that was like a really, really fun experience. Love that course, love that race. So that kind of like kicked off the better streak for me.
Speaker 2:And then, yeah, I just got back from the rut last weekend. I've been there like six years. I love that race, just really awesome vibes. The course is super technical, very brutal, um, but I feel like it was the perfect um. The 28k, I think, also has all the best stuff, like it's the steepest and most technical parts of the course, um, and felt like it was a really good prep for Worlds, like one last tune up, not too long that it's. You know that it compromised anything, but yeah, I thought, I thought it was a really nice way to have a good experience, like really positive vibes. I knew I knew going in that would be the case. And then, yeah, and also just a nice bonus, you know, extra race before worlds.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, amazing. I'm glad you had such a good experience. I like, like I said, it's such a great race. Do you want to rewind a little bit? Talk about the nausea, because I know you were pretty open about it on Instagram. You put up a post and talked about it a little bit. It's amazing to hear that you're on the other side of it. I've heard a lot. You're not the only one. I've heard a few athletes talk about this with like nausea and stuff like that. Do you have an idea as to like what you thought it was like maybe feeling related or like what could it be.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I don't know, but my best guess is I think I was over salted and I think it happened like before the race. Because so the experience I was having this summer was that I would get nauseous, like almost every run and like, from the start, like it didn't seem like something I was doing during, it seemed like something was just off. And then the reason I like noticed it more recently was actually in TMR, the Telluride race, I, despite it going well, I was actually really nauseous for the first, like two hours Um, and before, like all these races and in my day to day, I'd been drinking like more electrolytes um than usual, not than usual, I guess. I actually think I've I stayed relatively constant, but I wonder if my body, like my sweat rate, changed or um, something shifted throughout the summer which would make sense, like you're adapting. I feel like my sweat rate changed or um something shifted throughout the summer which would make sense, like you're adapting.
Speaker 2:I feel like my hours go up in the summer. It's way warmer, like the winter's freezing here. I I don't know exactly what happened, but um, I've stopped doing that and that's kind of when I've stopped taking electrolytes, really, um, and I've seen like a drastic improvement and at the rut I had no nausea and I did not take any electrolytes. So I'm just going to go with that theory and, um, yeah, I think I mean it's really interesting, because I feel like this uh, someone has said it before like last year was the year of carbs, this year is the year of hydration, and I do feel like everyone's been talking about hydration, getting sweat tests, salt stuff, but I feel like maybe we don't know as much as we think we know. Like yeah, I don't know how sweat rate changes over time and so I don't know, but that's my best guess.
Speaker 1:If you don't mind me asking, do you still use that cool monitor you were telling me about? Yeah, I still.
Speaker 2:no, I still have it.
Speaker 1:I almost bought one the other day. Oh, you did, I almost did. I still love it.
Speaker 2:I need to use it, but I just I haven't For a while. When I was like struggling a little bit earlier in the summer, I felt like I just had too much data going on, like between my aura ring and between my heart rate monitor and everything. I just I like took an intentional step back from all the data. Like I didn't use my watch for a couple of weeks, which was really nice actually. So with that, like I didn't use the H drop, which is the sweat test monitor, and then since then I've been like a little bit wary of I've still I've added things back in like I'm using my watch again and my aura ring, but, um, yeah, I've, just I don't have a good excuse for I haven't used it to test that theory, but sometimes I think I think I'm someone who I'm a very type a and I think I can over index on data. So part of me is like you know, I need to go back to the roots of like running's running and Simplify it.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So If you don't mind me asking because I just went through something very similar, but mine was more cramping related Are you a salty sweater?
Speaker 2:I'm not, I'm pretty average. But I'm wondering if I'm like less than average. Now I don't know.
Speaker 1:I just got a sweat test and I did the precision one and I found out that I was like an extremely salty sweater, like 1500 milligrams or something like that.
Speaker 2:It was like super salty. Yeah, you could even see from my hat like I'm covered in salt.
Speaker 1:Um, but yeah, no, it's just like in that with potassium. I guess potassium like the I don't know like I was under doing potassium as well yeah, like a few things that I was like huh, so I don't know. Yeah, it's, this is the year hydration, like I've. It's really blown my mind. So, yes, crazy stuff. Um, to piggyback off one thing you said taking a break from using your watch. Can you talk about the positives of that, because I think there is a lot of positives coming from, from doing that yeah, um.
Speaker 2:So I'll be honest, I still use strava app, but I but I didn't look at it and I think like I would end it at the end. But, um, yeah, for like a week or two I just didn't use my watch and I ran purely on feel um, and it was like so liberating, like I just felt like, like I mentioned like I'm pretty type A, I'm very data driven, and so to just like remove even the temptation from looking was like exactly what I needed. I feel like it just felt, yeah, because I'm always like, oh, you know, I'm usually trying to run easier, I run pretty easy on my easy runs, but even just like, oh, I feel good, I'm, I'm usually trying to run easier, I run pretty easy on my easy runs, but even just like, oh, I feel good, maybe I'll go a little faster, like, oh, I feel bad, maybe I'll go a little slower. I just think having that freedom for a couple of days was was super, super useful for me.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. Now that I appreciate you being candid for that Cause I think a lot of folks can take something away from that, from simplifying it and getting back to why we love running. I think that's just totally, really important. Um, let's shift gears to tmr, like that is such a cool race. I know you've run it a couple years. Um, I know it's very special to you, especially living in the telluride area. Um, talk about the 40 mile. Like that's a full-on mountain race. People say and and the 24 mile? I've heard both of them are kind of just bananas yeah, so I think, yeah.
Speaker 2:So I the one thing I really like about the Toleran mountain run is that those distances are like not contrived, like it's 24 miles, because that's the cool route, you know, like they're not trying to make it a marathon or a 50k. So I really appreciate that. Um, but yeah, the. So I think actually the 24 mile has all of the like most epic stuff. I think it's actually pretty similar to the rut where like the shorter distance packs the punch and then the longer one has a little more running, that type of thing. But yeah, the 24 mile has basically three climbs. It's about 9,000 feet of vert and it's 24 miles and it has this really epic ridge line in the middle of it. It's like a mile, um a mile of ridge, which is like unheard of in a, in a us mountain race at least, um, and it's just like super incredible and beautiful. So, um, that's like the core of the race.
Speaker 2:And then the 40 mile. You sort of like do some extra running. It's really runnable for probably like five to seven miles after the 24 branches off. But then you do like one last climb straight at the ski resort at the end, which is super brutal. I have never done the 40 mile. I've always done the 24 because I think it's the best.
Speaker 2:But yeah, it's so cool to have such an epic race like right in our backyard and it totally showcases, um the like, how cool the telluride running scene is, and I also think, like the rut is also a really incredible mountain race. Um, I'd say those two are probably the the most like mountain race of anything in the us. Um, but the thing that's unique about the telluride mountain run is that it's like not, it's in the backcountry, like there's really, if you do the 40 mile, there's a tiny bit on the ski resort, but the 24 is like purely just running in the back country and I feel like that's that's really unique to the us, or you know, that's like I think that's pretty much. Well, that's probably not true, but of the like big mountain races, I feel like it's one of the only ones that has a lot of back country right in the race.
Speaker 1:So cool it's. Um, can you talk a little bit about how like these were? Would you agree that these were great stimulus, uh, or stimuli for, I guess, getting ready for worlds? Both the brought 28 K or yeah it was 20 K.
Speaker 2:I'm losing my train of thought.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the rut 20 something K and the TMR 24 mile which we would agree that these were. I mean, is that kind of the plan Like maybe you and Rick put together for the do these races and stuff like that and getting ready for worlds?
Speaker 2:Yeah, um. Well, so actually originally I wasn't going to do either of them. Um, my whole summer totally changed when I found out I made the world's team um, cause I was planning to do CCC, so, um, but once I I was originally so I was going to do CCC. Then I decided after I made the world's team, oh, maybe I'll just do OCC. But then after that like month of nausea and just feeling not like myself, um, I just wasn't, I didn't feel ready to go to Chamonix. I wasn't really excited about it and I was mostly just worried, like I just didn't feel the stoke that I usually feel and it just didn't make sense for us to go and then go back to Worlds a couple weeks later. So I ended up skipping that.
Speaker 2:But then telluride mountain run um, actually ended up fitting in like perfectly because it was right around the same time as occ, but um at home. And then, uh, helen mino faulkner, who's also on the team, she was actually going to do it, um, and she pointed out that the profile is actually like almost identical to the world's course. The world's course is just like three miles longer and 3000 feet more, I think, but like the rest of it is very similar. So it actually was the perfect stimulus in my opinion. And then, yeah, she came and she absolutely crushed it. But I think, like having the races, usually it brings a couple really good people, but it's typically pretty small. Um, but this year we had like a really awesome women's field and, um, I think, yeah, knowing it was a really good stimulus for worlds, and then also being pushed by a ton of really awesome women was, um, made it even better. Um, and I mean Helen ran like a 50 minute course record. I PR'd by over 40 minutes. Like it was just a really awesome experience. So that was that was perfect.
Speaker 2:And then, um, but also like still low key, you know, I think it really brought back a lot of joy for me. Like it was key, you know, I think it really brought back a lot of joy for me. Like it was, yeah, it's just so awesome to race in your backyard and like even to share it with someone like Helen, who she stayed with us for a week after, and like sharing our space, and just it really like revitalized my love of the mountains, um, which was like a perfect, perfect for for the rest of this block. And then I'd say the rut is like very similarly, very steep I'd say it's more technical than the Telluride race, but so that was a really good reminder and practice stimulus, I think. And, similarly, like it brings an awesome field.
Speaker 2:Every year there's always like local Montana crushers that show up and are awesome, and then you know, claire Rhodes was there and I so, yeah, just like being. I feel like both those races were awesome stimuli, surrounded by great communities. So, yeah, I feel like my stoke has been revitalized by by those two for sure.
Speaker 1:I love it, so you're ready to go Like it's it's time. Like it's yeah, you're, the stoke seems high. Yeah, Um what does it mean to you to represent the stars and stripes this year?
Speaker 2:Oh it's, I feel super honored. Um, I never I did not expect it, to be honest, like I, um, I put my resume in just cause I was like, well, why not? Like the only way you don't get something is you if you don't even apply. Um, and when I got the call I was like, I was like what are you sure Like me? Um, so, yeah, I feel like extremely honored.
Speaker 2:It feels, um, you know, I've been, I've been doing these races for like eight years, which feels like a lot for for the sport. I know it's not as much as a lot of people, but um, yeah, when I first started, you know I I knew about world races. I feel like they were a little bit bigger, like back 10 years ago, and then they kind of died out and now they're kind of coming back again. Um, so I feel like they were a little bit bigger, like back 10 years ago, and then they kind of died out and now they're kind of coming back again. So I feel like I'd heard about them, especially living with Andy Wacker, like he's he was all over the world.
Speaker 2:So I feel like it was something that was always in my head, but like never in the sense of oh, I could do that someday. Like it really just felt like wow, that's so special, like I you know what a cool experience those people get to have. But I really don't think I ever imagined that it would be me. So, yeah, for this to happen is I feel like that was. It's just such an honor to even get to the start line that I feel like yeah, yeah, I already feel like the experience is going to be great just because of that. But yeah, it's. I mean, anytime you get to represent the US, I feel like that's so cool, and especially for our sport. Where, like this is it? You know we're not in the Olympics or anything like that. So it just yeah, it's, it's really an honor and I'm really excited to be there with such an awesome group of people. Like this year is really stacked and it's going to be really fun to be over there with everybody. I think it's amazing.
Speaker 1:How do you feel? I mean, obviously you got to bond with Helen. You know Helen, I'm sure you know most of these women on this team, if not all of them. Have you guys had conversations offline talking about the team and the team dynamic and things like that? It seems like I don't know, like Cam has really done a lot as far as, like the mountain classic team and some stuff with the vertical as well. Like how has the dynamic for this team kind of played out at all?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, I think it's been really great.
Speaker 2:I think part of I mean this is like a kudos to Rick Floyd, our coach coach but like five or six women on our team are coached by rick, and I think, um I don't know whether it was intentional or not, but I feel like he doesn't coach very many people, which I think a makes him an excellent coach, um, but it also, like creates this bond with the people, the other people. That, um, I think, is really special. So it's really cool because I already feel really connected to a lot of them. And then, um, I also know taber for, like from many years, and she's awesome too, and so, um, I'm really excited to be with, be on the team with those girls. And then, um, there has definitely been a little bit of communication.
Speaker 2:Um, I think, like, four of the six of us are staying together before the team time starts or the like, when we all go to the same hotel, basically, but, um, so I think that'll be really fun, and I know a couple of them are over there already like scoping the course together and, um, they've been really awesome. They're like, oh, we can send you videos, we can, we'll tell you how it is. So I think, yeah, I mean the camaraderie intro running has always been great, but I think you, they've been really awesome. They're like oh, we can send you videos we can, we'll tell you how it is. So I think, yeah, I mean the camaraderie intro. Running has always been great, but I think you feel it on like another level when you're going to compete together.
Speaker 1:Like it's really special, like this is like a and not to mention like this is. I mean, if you're looking at utmb indexes, itra index, it's not to put, like you know, uh, expectations on things, but like this is very well good chance, like you guys could medal, like it's super within the cards. Um, how does like you kind of gave me the look there, like how does that? How does that feel to think about? Like, oh my god, I could be coming home with like a, a gold medal or a silver medal from like the pinnacle, like championship of our sport. Like what would that mean to you?
Speaker 2:yeah, it's crazy. I haven't thought about it very much. Um, I mean, that would be a dream come true, obviously. Um, I think it's a really strong team. I think, um, I feel like they picked people who are really comfortable in the mountains and like I think that's always a tricky part about doing the the race selection, since a lot of our U S races, especially in the right timeframe, are not that mountainous, so, but I really feel like the team is like really well suited as a whole for for this course. So I'm really excited to see what happens.
Speaker 2:I also feel like I have I have no idea, like I don't know how to set my expectations for this race, because I feel like I've never raced such a deep fields, especially internationally. Um, so you know, it's like is top 10, the goal? Is top 50, the goal is top 100, the goal? I have no idea. Hundred, the goal? I have no idea. But, um, but yeah, I'm excited to, like, you know, do put everything I have out there and yeah, if that means that we're coming home with a metal, that would be awesome. But, um, I'm really just excited for the experience in general.
Speaker 1:Yeah it's. I mean it's so cool, like that's, that's a memory, like that's a like a life moment memory, pretty dope. I got to ask you a gear question Like what's the? Obviously you've seen the course, maybe in photos or videos, the whole thing, but like it's hard to tell until you actually step foot on it. What's the shoe? I know you've kind of talked about the Ultra Olympus before, like what do you think the race day shoe is going to be?
Speaker 2:I think the ultra Olympus two, seven, five is going to be the shoe. Um, yeah, I've like. It's pretty new. I think it came out in July, maybe, Um, but I'm obsessed with it. Like it. It has this really nice balance. Like it it feels like a super shoe foam I don't think it is, but it feels like it Um, and the grip is like it's so good.
Speaker 2:It's a Vibram sole, but for whatever reason you know, I don't really understand Vibram Like they have so many different versions, Like every shoe feels like it has a different version of Vibram. So I, for whatever reason, though, like the pattern that this shoe has. I've never felt grip like this before and I've tried a lot of shoes. So and that's genuine I really feel like this shoe is awesome. So I think that's going to be the shoe. I really liked the carbon shoe too, but I'm always a little bit worried with carbon shoes that I'll like beat up my legs too much, especially for these longer events, Cause I think this it's going to take like six hours probably 's a long race, yeah yeah, so yeah, I think the the olympus 275 is going to be the shoe and I'm assuming vest as well, not not a belt or definitely vest.
Speaker 2:We have a lot of required gear actually. Yeah, it's like the utmb gear basically, um, and then I will be bringing poles.
Speaker 1:I'm a pole lady.
Speaker 2:Every time you just got to use the poles. So yeah, I think that's the plan.
Speaker 1:I like it. I like it. What's I mean? This is always a hard question to ask and a lot of people don't think about this. Usually, the goal is obviously the thing in front of you, but what's next after this?
Speaker 2:Maybe some downtime, or like. I actually do have an answer to this, um, well, so first I'm flying directly to a work trip, so that's going to be fun, um, but uh, next is I'm going to do the UTMB Bariloche Patagonia race. Um, hoping to get a CCC spot for next year, since that was my original goal, um for this year. And then obviously things have gone not to plan in the best possible way. So I'm really but I'm really hoping to do that next year. So I'm going to go to Patagonia, which I think will be really cool, um, and then after that I have no plans. So really cool, um, and then after that, I have no plans. So nice, nice, um, but yeah, probably we'll head back to big alta next year it's probably going to be the next, like big, I really liked that race this year.
Speaker 1:so I think I'm gonna race it. I will see you guys there yeah, I really want to do the 28k. I think that's yeah, definite for next year it's a really good early season.
Speaker 2:I feel like it's like a ton of, but still pretty runnable, so I feel like it's you can definitely train for it in the winter, but it's also a good wake up for the legs.
Speaker 1:I love it. I love it. I'm so stoked to hear more on that Patagonia race as well. Um, lindsay, I want to wish you the best of luck. I want to give you some time back. I know it's a busy afternoon, so thank you so much for coming on. I really appreciate it and, yeah, I hope it's an amazing day for you guys. I hope it's awesome and everything you want it to be, and more so. Enjoy safe travels and we'll definitely chat after.
Speaker 2:Yeah, thanks so much. Thanks again for having me on. Yeah, no problem.
Speaker 1:Thank you, we'll see you next time.
