September 23, 2025 • 31 mins
Courtney Coppinger takes us inside her journey to the Mountain Running World Championships in this candid conversation about mental resilience, team camaraderie, and the pursuit of excellence on the international stage.
From Colorado's high altitude training grounds to the pristine trails of Europe, Courtney shares the rollercoaster of emotions that define an elite athlete's preparation. "Nothing felt really shiny and nothing felt really good," she admits about her final training block, before describing how arriving in Europe instantly restored her confidence: "The stoke immediately came back because sea level, 60-degree temps, perfect trails... I had a run yesterday and it just all came back and I'm like, yep, you're fit, you're ready."
Her recent performances validate that preparation. At the World Cup Finals in Slovenia, Courtney made a pivotal mental shift, deciding to race aggressively from the start rather than working from behind. The result? A breakthrough third-place finish that transformed her self-belief. Similarly, at the A-Basin Cirque Series race, she pushed through early suffering to claim second place, reinforcing valuable lessons about race strategy and recovery.
What truly shines through is Courtney's deep appreciation for team culture. She speaks passionately about the pre-World Championships camp organized by teammate Cam Smith, where Team USA members formed meaningful bonds. "There were no egos, everybody was just super excited to get to know each other," she reflects. This team-first mentality extends to her Brooks teammates, who have become her closest friends in the sport. "I literally was tearing up because I didn't know that I was going to sign with you guys and find two of my best friends," she shares, emphasizing that these relationships transcend running achievements.
Looking ahead to the World Championships, Courtney's confidence in Team USA is unwavering. "This team, it's just these girls on this team... I couldn't pick a better group of four sub-ultra classic style racers," she declares, believing they have excellent medal potential. With a month in Europe planned after the championships, Courtney's passion for the sport, her teammates, and the adventure of it all promises to carry her through the biggest race of her season.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
It's time.
Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.
(01:00):
We are live.
Courtney Coppinger.
Welcome to the Steep Stuffpodcast.
How's it going?
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Great, yeah, it's good to be here.
We're in Europe, just likeprobably all of us, and enjoying
my life.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Yeah, yeah, what were you doing earlier?
You were crewing right forsomeone.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Yes, I am actually currently in the middle of a
whole day crewing and cheeringon at the Wild Struble race by
UTMB in Kranz Montana,Switzerland.
My partner's brother is runningtoday, right now and then I
also jumped in and helped crewAaron Clark, who I'm sure you
know.
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah she just pulled off secondplace in the 70K and she just
(01:43):
finished an hour ago and now I'mhere.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Wow, what a what a day.
Oh my gosh.
How were uh, how are youfeeling?
I know you just raced what aweek and a half ago at Cirque
Basin.
Obviously some travel.
What are?
How's the body feeling pre-raceand what's the stoke level like
for you?
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Yeah, I mean I think I'm feeling really good.
I started getting to this placeafter a basin where I was like,
uh, needing like to come off ofthese high stimulus weeks of
training.
So the the point of a basin wasit was wrapped in like a 20 day
kind of hard training block andI didn't like rest for a basin.
(02:24):
A basin was supposed to be aworkout.
Hit it hard after, after what Icalled my hardest workout on
the trail ever, three days, twodays before that, um, and I like
did a basin, tried to do alonger on the next day, you know
, came off it next last, thislast week, and was like, oh my
gosh, like I need a little bitof encouragement in my training
(02:44):
because I just feel like I'm init, which I feel like a lot of
people probably were at thatpoint, and then being, you know,
in Colorado, like elevation,and then I'd go back to Boulder
and it'd be still 85, 90 degrees, I just felt like everything I
was doing was really average andnothing looked really shiny and
nothing felt really good wasreally average and nothing
(03:06):
looked really shiny and nothingfelt really good.
Um, but I knew like the pointof my training block was like,
okay, stay true to you and don'tcompare yourself to others Like
whatever works best for you.
You know you might me and mycoach work well together.
And so I was just like reallytrying to hone in on that and
stay true to that.
And then I was like, okay,really looking forward to Europe
, I'm coming to Europe, I get toEurope and, yeah, the Stoke
(03:27):
immediately came back becausesea level, 60 degree temps,
perfect trails, not technical,you know climbing, amazing stuff
.
And I had a run yesterday andit just like it all came back
and I'm like, yep, you're fit,you're ready, you're going to do
it.
But I kind of got away fromthat for a few moments where I
was like, oh, am I even fit, amI even ready?
(03:48):
And had that, like you know,two week out like freak out.
But you know, now we're likewhatever 10 days or less than 10
days, I'm feeling really good.
So, yeah, that was a longwinded way answer to say the
stoke has returned.
I think I needed to get toEurope for that and get excited.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
I love to hear it.
I love to hear it.
I'm glad things.
Yeah, it can be tough in someof those training blocks trying
to.
It's funny you say somethinglike this it didn't look shiny,
or this didn't look shiny andyou need something to.
I feel like there's thoselittle mental gains in training
if you have a really good dayout.
It just gives you a little bitof a boost.
So it's uh, it's interesting tohear.
(04:27):
It's um, yeah, I feel likeeverybody kind of goes through
it, which is kind of cool.
Um, all right, let me shiftgears a little bit.
When are you headed out, areyou?
Uh, you're in crowns montananow.
When do you head out toconfrank?
Speaker 2 (04:38):
um on monday, monday, flying to barcelona training up
yeah, have you.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
um, I feel like it's kind of cool for the mountain
classic distance because itseems like the short trail and
the long trail are just kind ofgnarly and really wild, Whereas
like there's actually been racesbefore on the um on the actual
like track for, or course Ishould say for, the uptown Um,
have you been able to like seeit in video or preview it or
kind of like?
(05:04):
Do some due diligence on it,kind of before pre-race?
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Yeah, I mean, there's definitely videos out there.
And then now I have my littlefriends, my little Sims, out
there, you know, recarrying thecourse for me that may or may
not be doing those races orother races, but are running
that course and it's exactlywhat I thought basically, like
so fast, um, treadmill, uphill,treadmill style, um, yeah, which
(05:29):
is so different than the shortand long, and so I think it'd be
really fun.
That race suits me really well.
Um, and then the technical longtrail, short and short stuff
will be really fun.
We'll suit me well forspectating.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Fair enough.
It kind of sucks that it's likethe last day is the up-down,
whereas if you're in thevertical or if you're even in
the short trail, you kind of geta little bit of time to go
spectate, which you can spectateas well too.
But you also still have thislooming idea in the back of your
mind that you have to go to thedepths of your soul in a few
days, which is good, yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Although I think we have it best because everyone
will be finished.
The classic is the mostspectator friendly because
there's several parts wherewe're going back and looping and
so everyone's going to be outthere.
So the energy for that race, Ithink, is going to be so high
and I run off energy really well, rather, like I won't be.
I'm trying not to be nervous orlike get in my head before, so
I'll just go out and support myteammates that week and then I
(06:25):
think everyone's going to gowild on Sunday because it's the
last day.
So that's how I'm framing it.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
You know what's crazy too, and like I'm not setting
any expectations at all, I justknowing the women on this team
like there's a there's, there'sa probability of a metal there.
So I feel like, you know, froma meddling perspective and just
from just in general energyperspective, that makes it
really special.
I think it's going to be a veryspecial day.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
I think it will very 50, 50.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
Some people have changed stuff and some people
seem to be very um, you know, dowhat brought you here in a lot
of ways.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Yeah, I mean, uh, yes , we changed things.
We went really specific forthis race, uh, for like an eight
week training block, um inColorado.
You know, I like was reallypurposeful of like changed my
race schedule around for thesummer and travel schedule so
that I was in Colorado doing thework, um, and we picked out
really specific workouts, reallyspecific routes, that um, that
(07:38):
were similar to the course, um,because basically it's like two
20 minute climbs that like, uh,you know, 13.5% grade or
something averaging.
And so we just found segmentslike that in Boulder and just
like rep them.
Um, the hardest workout that Ihad mentioned before, that I did
before a basin, was a circuitthat we created, um in Boulder.
That was it's basically like amile and a half and half of it's
(08:01):
uphill, half it's downhill, atthe exact gradient, um, as the
world's course.
And I did three of those all outand I mean I was shattered by
the third one, but, um, yeah, Ijust wanted to get really
familiar with that type of grade.
And then I think it's reallyspecial to be training at
elevation and in Boulder, whereit's sneaky fitness, it's like,
(08:21):
yeah, we're at 6,000, 5,500 feet, climbing up to 7,000 every day
or more, um, and so, like thoseefforts felt really hard and I
think I'm going to come downhere and then I'm going to be
like locked in at that gradientand like it's going to be
feeling a little bit easier, um,just to move a bit faster than
I was in Colorado.
So I think I'm really excitedfrom that specific training
(08:43):
block, uh, to to see what thatyou know how that executes on
race day and we also did wechanged the race schedule a bit
to do races that were similar tothe style of racing.
So I went over to Sylvania anddid the world cup weekend, the
finals weekend, which was twodays of racing One was an uphill
race and the second was aclassic and then did a basin,
(09:05):
which is more classic style, andso being able to get on courses
like that where you're runningsimilar paces and similar
efforts for similar time youknow they're all about an hour
to hour and a half races thatwas really helpful too to be
like, oh, okay, I'm going tocome here and be ready and
excited for that.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
So cool.
Can you talk a little bit aboutthat Slovenian race?
I know, like the trail team wasout there, andy was out there,
there was a good, like Americanrepresentation.
What did you enjoy more?
Did you like the up down or thevertical Like?
What was the style like, yeah,talk about that.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Yeah, I mean, I had not raced any of the world cup
races and this was the final, soreally stacked with some
awesome European competition,who I will see again next
weekend in Confranc.
And I was a little bit nervousbecause I'd never done a true up
uphill hill race.
And so the uphill was day oneand I finished and you know I
(09:56):
hung in there, I got eighth.
I was like really proud ofmyself.
The goal was top 10.
And, um, yeah, I felt like Icompeted well and like moved
well, um, but I was reallyexcited for the next day because
the next day had downhill at abit more, yeah, like runnable
grades, less hikey stuff and um,and so I was really looking
forward to that.
(10:17):
Plus, I am somebody that is areally heavy responder to a two
day stimulus, so having the raceon the second day usually meant
I felt better that day, um, andI feel like that's my advantage
as, as an athlete, is a lot ofyou know, some people don't
respond well to that and a lotof people probably stepped on
the line tired on Sunday, um,whereas I was like ready to
(10:38):
chomp down and like that Sundayrace was the big uh mindset
shift and kind of career shiftfor me, because this whole year,
and really for a lot of mycareer, I've raced from the back
and just been like, okay, I'mgoing to work my way up.
Uh, the Shemorna Gora race was,you know, like the course
records like 48 minutes, so it'sfast, you don't have a lot of
(11:01):
time to make decisions and youhave to, like, put yourself in
the race if you want to be inthe race.
And so the gun went off andwithin the first five to six
minutes I had made the consciousdecision.
I was like I'm going to go forit today, like I'm going for it
and like that's my decision, I'mnot thinking anything else.
And so I battled it out with,uh, you know, some really
excellent competition and itultimately came down to, like me
(11:21):
and two Kenyans that were likekind of going back and forth and
, um, yeah, by the end I waslike this is crazy, like I am
now running at the top and withthese girls that I a year ago,
two, three, four years ago wouldnever have thought I could.
Um, and I, and I started to feelmy strengths come through in
that classic style racing right.
It was like I could really makeup ground on the runnable
(11:43):
uphills and the and the techiedownhills and, and I was just
stoked on it and so it was coolto see me finish third in that
race, coming off the eighthplace finished the day before
and, um, you know, it was justreally cool.
Like a lot of the Europeanswere like dang and I was like,
yeah, I like this, this is mystyle, so it was a really cool
(12:03):
weekend.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
You know what on that topic and congratulations, by
the way.
Just amazing performances allaround.
But for you being likeresponding really well to two
day stimulus, is that like fromyour track and field background,
or is that genetic Like?
What do you?
What do you think that is?
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Dude, I don't know, you should bring Matt again on
the podcast, for that he's.
He's really good at nerding outon all this stuff.
But, um, I I don't know.
I just think some athletesrespond better and some don't.
I noticed it at first when Idid started doing stage racing.
Um, I had run trans Rockies andit's, you know, like a six day
(12:37):
stage race, and I kept feelingbetter every day and everybody
else not a lot of other peoplestarted feeling worse, but I
noticed other people werefeeling good too, and I'm like
this is weird.
Um, and so I'm actually reallylooking forward to, like you
know, obviously, worlds is oneday, but the golden trail final
the schedule just came out andthe female prologue is Friday
and the female final is Saturday, and so I get that double
(13:00):
stimulus, which I'm like, yes,let's go.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
So cool, so cool.
Um all right, let's shift gearsto a basin.
Uh, was that I get you knowwhat?
I didn't even think about this.
Was this your first Cirqueseries race or second?
It was.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Yeah, they had reached out after Sonopene.
We're like, hey, we'd love tohave you in a race.
And I was like, why have Inever done one of these races?
They're so up my alley, yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
So much fun, right Like it's just it's a giant
party, especially a base, and Ifeel like that's while I hate
the high altitude component ofit, cause it's just like kind of
brutal, um, and it's the most,I would say that's probably the
most runnable course.
But that said, like so much fun, so much stoke, you had
obviously another podium finishthere.
(13:42):
What did you think?
What was your takeaway fromthat?
Obviously, you said it was likea you know more of a workout
for you, but maybe talk aboutthat.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Yeah, I mean I finished the race.
Well, I'll back up the first 30to minutes.
I literally, for the first timein like a year, year and a half
, like I haven't.
I haven't had this mindset fora long time.
But I was like, should I juststep off the course?
Should I quit?
This feels so bad, um, and theclimb was only like I don't know
(14:14):
50, 55 minutes and I felt liketruly poop for 40 of the minutes
.
And then I kind of came aroundand then I started.
I was in like six or sevenplace.
Truly, I was like, well, this isthe point, you know, just a
hard workout, whatever minutes.
(14:36):
Like my body kind of relaxedinto it or I don't know what
happened.
I just felt better.
And so then I started movingand then I could see Alexa and
she was in second and I couldsee Rena in first and I was like
, okay, I guess now I have torace this because I'm in the
race, um, and so I caught Alexaand then jammed out on the
downhill, which was really fun,and I crossed the finish line
(14:57):
and Matt actually my coach hadcome and watched and I like ran
right to him and I was like Ireally feel a difference by
being rested versus not rested,like that was an insane
difference.
And of course we're at reallyhigh altitude, so that's another
difference.
But you know I had done GoProgames, which was at high
altitude, and I had raced twicein one day there and and done
(15:19):
fairly well and did not feelthat in my legs because I had
been rested.
And you know he was like, yeah,that's the point, and I had
written in my Strava, I thinkthat day like curse you, matt,
but you're also genius, becauseI know I was going to come off
of this and get really fit.
And it's true, you know, like Iwear an aura ring and it's been
cool to see even the like bio,like the data, the biomarker
(15:41):
data, like kind of uh, respondreally well to some high
altitude stimulus and like a bigtraining block.
So I know it was like worth it.
And and I have said like maybefive or six times that I'll
never do a basin again, but Ihope no one's listening.
That is on Cirque series,because the race but it was so
(16:02):
hard.
I don't know it was so funthough, so yeah, good vibes.
I mean, just felt horrible, sonext time maybe I'll rest for it
.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
I gotcha, I gotcha.
Is there a chance we see you in2026?
Maybe I mean, depending on whatthe schedule looks like at some
other like Cirque races, justbecause I don't know.
I love the mountain classicdistance and to me I think, from
in the purest form, I think,the Cirque series, I can really
bring it as far as like thepremier North, like if you want
to race mountain classics, likethat's the way to do it in North
America.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
It's so true.
Yeah, absolutely, and yeah,you're right.
Race directors, now that you'relistening, I do would love to
go back and do more um, but I doalso want to, I think, do more
the world cup races too, becausethe european classic style
racing is like really cool too.
It felt like a glorifiedcross-country race where there
was just like so many people oncourse cheering.
Cirque series is really coolbecause there's so many people
(16:50):
on course running um, but theeuropean ones really bring out
the people so I want to do alittle bit of both next year,
for sure and prioritize that fanbase.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
That's what we need in the states.
More is like we got to figureout this fan base situation.
Yeah, I think it's coming.
As the sport continues to growand as we get more um, just more
media, more everything in thespace, I think we'll have more.
This is like a topic I've beenlike asking everyone about.
It's like how do we get a fanbase, like get the people out
with it?
I don't necessarily know aboutthe chainsaw situation and then
screaming la la leon, course,but like something american,
(17:20):
like something cool, I don'tknow.
We'll figure it out.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
Yeah, yeah, definitely, as the numbers
increase, and then, like justsigning up for races, it'll come
yeah, yeah, all right, let meshift gears back to worlds.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Um, I've asked you this question before.
I'm not sure if your why haschanged, or what your approach,
or if your approach to it haschanged, but this is not your
first time representing theStars and Stripes in general,
but also but it is your firsttime North American wise, for I
guess mountain runningrepresenting the Stars and
Stripes.
What does that mean to you?
Speaker 2 (17:50):
I mean, I think it, I , the, the team that we're
bringing is by far the best teamwe've ever brought.
And so what it means to me islike getting to be part of this
movement where one like thissport is mattering and people
are noticing and getting to dothat and represent, representing
your country, while bringinglike a team that you believe in
(18:13):
is like so rad.
And so I think I'm just superexcited to like really put away,
like I'm thinking like there'sno, there's no other expectation
other than like getting the U Sto be the best that they can be
.
And so you know, like theroommate list just came out and
(18:33):
and the team housing stuff, andI'm just like looking through it
.
I'm like just came out and inthe team housing stuff and I'm
just like looking through it.
I'm like I know personally mostof these people and it's just
going to be so cool to cheerthem on as one team together,
and so and I know everybody elsefeels the same and that
sentiment and um, you know like,yeah, of course I cheer for my
friends when I'm out, but, likeyou know, in the states and in
normal times, normal racing, I'mcheering so hard for my Brooks
(18:56):
teammates and we have a reallygood team camaraderie there, and
so now it's just really cool tolike get to put all that
together in a way that's like,oh, these are the best of the
best of all the brands in the U?
S and so yeah, and just reallylooking forward to having that
team culture and atmosphere andand knowing that we can up-level
a lot of the Europeans.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
I love it, who'd you get as a roommate.
Oh, anna, did you really?
I'm so stoked.
Oh, let's go All right, cool,cool, cool.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
Yeah, it was funny.
I was talking to Noah yesterdayand he got Michelino and I was
like good luck, nah, shout outMichelino.
Anyway, no, one of the thingsthat was really cool to me.
One of my favorite humans inthe sport, just one of my
favorite humans in general, isCam Smith, and I love to see Cam
(19:45):
take on this leadership rolewhere he helped put together
this camp for you guys andeverybody came out to the camp
in BV.
Can you talk about thatexperience and just how special
that was from a team buildingperspective?
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Yeah, well, I had never met Cam before either and
I had heard that he wasincredible and you know, it
proved to be true.
He was so intentional on it ina way that didn't feel forced or
like super structured, but itwas like we're intentionally
putting time together to hangout, and I thought it was just
really cool how there was noegos, everybody was just super
(20:19):
excited to get to know eachother.
I had never met Mason either,and he is a hoot and a half and
like I feel like I just bondedwith all of them so deeply and
and yeah, and then, like evengetting to share that with, you
know, my Brooks teammates,taylor, sydney and Anna, who I'd
already been close to, I feellike we only grew, got to grow
closer and strengthen that teambond too, and so, yeah, I don't
(20:42):
know, I think it was really coolthat we got to make the time to
do that and put that together.
And I, you know other likeEuropean countries I noticed
they like have little team campswhere they all like bring
everybody out and the U?
S doesn't do that, um, which isokay, Um, but I think it was
cool that cam took that nextstep to be like, hey, yeah,
(21:03):
let's do that, and so I think heshould.
That will be paving away for thefuture, right, like we should
definitely always do that andtry to increase that camaraderie
, because now I'm going over andknow Cam and Mason so much
better, and Tyler I had nevermet Tyler too, and even his
family and wife, who was goingto be over there too, and it was
just super cool to be like, ohyeah, okay, now I have even more
(21:24):
people that that I know, thatyou know are in my corner and
already family.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
Yeah, no, it's so.
I mean, I think it's like yousaid, it's so special and I
think that camaraderie and justlike the team building aspect of
it, I think that like thatcohesiveness, like really will
make a difference it's one thingto just show up and get to meet
everybody and say, hey, youknow, good to see you and stuff
like that, but it's anotherthing to actually get to spend
time with one another and bond.
I think that that will createsomething special on race day.
Um, I want to talk about brooks.
It's really cool that likethere is such representation
(21:57):
from the brooks team here, likeon the like, not just in the
North American world scene butalso abroad, to like Remy LaRue
and others, like there's astrong Brooks presence like at
worlds.
Can you talk a little bit aboutthat?
I know there's been massiveinvestment really like in the
over the last few years intothis like sub ultra and just
short trail category, but it'sreally shown this year.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
Yeah, I think, like sub old, the Brooks sub ultra
team is really popping off.
I mean, of course, the ultrateam too, um, but they had
historically been or you knowother people similar, like
podcasts or even competitorsthat have said like, wow, it's
(22:48):
really cool to see you guys allout here and crushing it, um and
it, and it seems like you guyslike each other, you know, um, I
had a even a lot of likefriends kind of asked me, like
you know a little coy, like hey,like you know, like is Brooks,
you know, accepting any otherpeople?
Or, uh, I would love to be partof Brooks.
(23:09):
It seems like a cool, like acool team and and it's really
cool to be able to stand hereand say, yeah, like there,
that's like the best team I'veI've had in my professional
experience, uh, running and ityeah, and I think I had a call
last week or a week before withour sports marketing person and
he, you know, I, we basicallyreflected on the year and I I
(23:32):
literally was tearing up in thecall because I said and I didn't
know that I was going to signwith you guys and find like two
of my best friends, like Sydneyand Ana, have become so close
and people that I I hold verynear and dear to my heart now
and, um, it's really cool tolike see that come through, like
in more than just running Right.
It's like these are people inHillary too, I mean, I've gotten
(23:54):
really close with her and somany others but like,
specifically, to have reallyclose friends on a team where
you're like want their bestinterests.
And it's like I felt it atSunapee, where we stood up, we
stood on line and we looked ateach other like let's go get it.
You know, it wasn't like, oh mygosh, like I'm going to like
try to beat Ana or whatever.
(24:14):
It's like, no, like Ana, I wantyou winning this thing and I'm
going to be like right there topush you.
And and that's kind of whathappened and that's what I want
to happen next Sunday is like,yeah, I do believe that Anna
could go and win this wholething.
Um, and I hope she doesn'tlisten to this and I hope this
doesn't give her pressure, but,um, you know, but like, I really
believe in her and I want to bethat teammate that can help and
(24:37):
roommate and best friend thatcan help her.
Get here there, you know.
And so, yeah, I don't know, I'mjust such a person that is so
centered around friendship andBrooks has given me that and
they've done a really good jobto foster that with like team
camps and team accommodationsand making sure that it's a
place that everybody you knowfeels like they're bringing
(24:57):
something to the team.
I asked Jordan a bit like whyhe invested in the people he
invested in and why they kind ofdid this specific set of
contracts for these sub ultrapeople, and he was like we just
wanted the right people.
It wasn't about where wethought you could perform, we
(25:17):
wanted the right people, and Ithink that that speaks volumes.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
Amazing it's.
You know there's so much to sayto that.
I think the most importantthing too is like, yeah,
running's great and running'slike the reason we're all here
in a lot of ways, but at thesame time, like I think like the
friendships and like that's thestuff you'll have for the rest
of your life.
You know, like those are theexperiences with the people that
really matter.
It's not so much the running'sgreat, but like it's.
(25:43):
It's not an afterthought, butthe friendships are probably the
most important part, in myopinion.
Speaker 2 (25:48):
Yeah, and those are the.
These are the girls and guysthat are going to pick me up
after a hard race or a hard dayand be like hey, like I believe
in you, and when I hear them saythat, to me it means more than
like anything else.
You know, I'm like okay, yeah,you're right, I'm, I'm better
like or I can you know, whateverit is so so cool, so cool.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
So are you hanging out in Europe until the golden
trail final then?
Speaker 2 (26:09):
Oh yeah, here a month .
Speaker 1 (26:10):
I'm so jealous man, what do you got like any
specific places you're going totry and hit and like see and do?
Speaker 2 (26:23):
or like what's the?
What's the plan?
Yeah, so we'll do Pyrenees fora bit, obviously for Worlds, and
then go hang in Barcelona withmy parents for a few days, send
them back stateside and thentrain up to uh France to visit
Jess and Jim.
Actually, um, one of my bestfriends and so I visited them
last year.
Um, around this time we did weactually all did Wild Struble
and then I went up to them inBeaufort and visited them.
So go back there and then goover to uh Lake Garda area.
(26:47):
My partner's actually aparaglider and there's really
big paragliding obviously all inEurope, but he's doing a
specific course over Lake Gardaand so I'll hang there for a bit
and scope out the course and Iknow a lot of, a lot of like us
are doing the same kind ofmigration pattern and so, um,
hang out with, with friends andand, like I don't know, I'll go
(27:08):
on trail.
It was like sprinkles on topfor my year.
It's like fricking mid Octoberand I started racing in April,
so it'll be fun, but like, yeah,I'm, I'm, yeah, it'll be, it'll
be good, do you, uh, is thatprobably the plan after October?
Speaker 1 (27:23):
then Big rest, relax and reset for next year.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
I really need to.
I need to think about it.
I you know, like it's kind oftime of the year too where
you're thinking about next yearand talking contracts with
whatever and trying to figureout what my plan for the next
like right now.
Like I, this year has given methe opportunity to now think two
(27:48):
, three, four years ahead interms of running, and so now I
like really need to set a timeto think about that and kind of
go to the drawing board.
I think worlds has been a priorsuch a priority that I haven't
been able to really think pastthat in Golden Trail Final.
But I'm sure something willappear and I'll figure it out.
I won't say too much.
(28:11):
But there also might be areally cool project that we're
working on with Brooks for earlyDecember.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
So that's all I'll say.
All right, cool, cool.
I, like you planting the seed,appreciate that All right.
Last question, maybe the mostimportant one what would it mean
to you to win a medal with thisteam?
Speaker 2 (28:31):
Oh my gosh, I mean this team, it's just these girls
on this team are I couldn'tpick a better group of four sub
ultra classic style racers?
Like I really could not.
And so I know that, like Iliterally know that the other
three could go and winindividual titles.
I don't personally like believethat I could, and that's okay,
(28:53):
Like that's a whole otherconversation, but do I think it
can be like behind them andsupporting them and like right
there and be in the top mix ofpeople?
Yes, and so it was really coolfor me to be like in such belief
that they could go out and dothat and us three collectively,
or us four collectively, goingto get a medal.
Like like I have never been sosure of a team and yeah, and so
(29:18):
that's what it means to me isjust like I don't know like
everything, because this thebest, this is the best group
that I could put together forthat and, honestly, the best
course for this group.
Like I'm like oh my gosh,Lauren, Allie, Anna, what, this
is perfect for us.
Let's go girls.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
Killers, just killers , it's going to be.
I can't wait.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
Yeah yeah, it's a killer team and I'm just so
lucky to be part of it so cool.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
Well, Courtney, I'm wishing you the absolute best of
luck.
I hope you guys have an amazingday out there.
Um, yeah, that's all I'll putit at Like, I'm just so excited
to follow along and I'm such afan no-transcript.
It's time.
Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.
(01:00):
We are live.
Courtney Coppinger.
Welcome to the Steep Stuffpodcast.
How's it going?
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Great, yeah, it's good to be here.
We're in Europe, just likeprobably all of us, and enjoying
my life.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Yeah, yeah, what were you doing earlier?
You were crewing right forsomeone.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Yes, I am actually currently in the middle of a
whole day crewing and cheeringon at the Wild Struble race by
UTMB in Kranz Montana,Switzerland.
My partner's brother is runningtoday, right now and then I
also jumped in and helped crewAaron Clark, who I'm sure you
know.
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah she just pulled off secondplace in the 70K and she just
(01:43):
finished an hour ago and now I'mhere.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Wow, what a what a day.
Oh my gosh.
How were uh, how are youfeeling?
I know you just raced what aweek and a half ago at Cirque
Basin.
Obviously some travel.
What are?
How's the body feeling pre-raceand what's the stoke level like
for you?
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Yeah, I mean I think I'm feeling really good.
I started getting to this placeafter a basin where I was like,
uh, needing like to come off ofthese high stimulus weeks of
training.
So the the point of a basin wasit was wrapped in like a 20 day
kind of hard training block andI didn't like rest for a basin.
(02:24):
A basin was supposed to be aworkout.
Hit it hard after, after what Icalled my hardest workout on
the trail ever, three days, twodays before that, um, and I like
did a basin, tried to do alonger on the next day, you know
, came off it next last, thislast week, and was like, oh my
gosh, like I need a little bitof encouragement in my training
(02:44):
because I just feel like I'm init, which I feel like a lot of
people probably were at thatpoint, and then being, you know,
in Colorado, like elevation,and then I'd go back to Boulder
and it'd be still 85, 90 degrees, I just felt like everything I
was doing was really average andnothing looked really shiny and
nothing felt really good wasreally average and nothing
(03:06):
looked really shiny and nothingfelt really good.
Um, but I knew like the pointof my training block was like,
okay, stay true to you and don'tcompare yourself to others Like
whatever works best for you.
You know you might me and mycoach work well together.
And so I was just like reallytrying to hone in on that and
stay true to that.
And then I was like, okay,really looking forward to Europe
, I'm coming to Europe, I get toEurope and, yeah, the Stoke
(03:27):
immediately came back becausesea level, 60 degree temps,
perfect trails, not technical,you know climbing, amazing stuff
.
And I had a run yesterday andit just like it all came back
and I'm like, yep, you're fit,you're ready, you're going to do
it.
But I kind of got away fromthat for a few moments where I
was like, oh, am I even fit, amI even ready?
(03:48):
And had that, like you know,two week out like freak out.
But you know, now we're likewhatever 10 days or less than 10
days, I'm feeling really good.
So, yeah, that was a longwinded way answer to say the
stoke has returned.
I think I needed to get toEurope for that and get excited.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
I love to hear it.
I love to hear it.
I'm glad things.
Yeah, it can be tough in someof those training blocks trying
to.
It's funny you say somethinglike this it didn't look shiny,
or this didn't look shiny andyou need something to.
I feel like there's thoselittle mental gains in training
if you have a really good dayout.
It just gives you a little bitof a boost.
So it's uh, it's interesting tohear.
(04:27):
It's um, yeah, I feel likeeverybody kind of goes through
it, which is kind of cool.
Um, all right, let me shiftgears a little bit.
When are you headed out, areyou?
Uh, you're in crowns montananow.
When do you head out toconfrank?
Speaker 2 (04:38):
um on monday, monday, flying to barcelona training up
yeah, have you.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
um, I feel like it's kind of cool for the mountain
classic distance because itseems like the short trail and
the long trail are just kind ofgnarly and really wild, Whereas
like there's actually been racesbefore on the um on the actual
like track for, or course Ishould say for, the uptown Um,
have you been able to like seeit in video or preview it or
kind of like?
(05:04):
Do some due diligence on it,kind of before pre-race?
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Yeah, I mean, there's definitely videos out there.
And then now I have my littlefriends, my little Sims, out
there, you know, recarrying thecourse for me that may or may
not be doing those races orother races, but are running
that course and it's exactlywhat I thought basically, like
so fast, um, treadmill, uphill,treadmill style, um, yeah, which
(05:29):
is so different than the shortand long, and so I think it'd be
really fun.
That race suits me really well.
Um, and then the technical longtrail, short and short stuff
will be really fun.
We'll suit me well forspectating.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Fair enough.
It kind of sucks that it's likethe last day is the up-down,
whereas if you're in thevertical or if you're even in
the short trail, you kind of geta little bit of time to go
spectate, which you can spectateas well too.
But you also still have thislooming idea in the back of your
mind that you have to go to thedepths of your soul in a few
days, which is good, yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Although I think we have it best because everyone
will be finished.
The classic is the mostspectator friendly because
there's several parts wherewe're going back and looping and
so everyone's going to be outthere.
So the energy for that race, Ithink, is going to be so high
and I run off energy really well, rather, like I won't be.
I'm trying not to be nervous orlike get in my head before, so
I'll just go out and support myteammates that week and then I
(06:25):
think everyone's going to gowild on Sunday because it's the
last day.
So that's how I'm framing it.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
You know what's crazy too, and like I'm not setting
any expectations at all, I justknowing the women on this team
like there's a there's, there'sa probability of a metal there.
So I feel like, you know, froma meddling perspective and just
from just in general energyperspective, that makes it
really special.
I think it's going to be a veryspecial day.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
I think it will very 50, 50.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
Some people have changed stuff and some people
seem to be very um, you know, dowhat brought you here in a lot
of ways.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Yeah, I mean, uh, yes , we changed things.
We went really specific forthis race, uh, for like an eight
week training block, um inColorado.
You know, I like was reallypurposeful of like changed my
race schedule around for thesummer and travel schedule so
that I was in Colorado doing thework, um, and we picked out
really specific workouts, reallyspecific routes, that um, that
(07:38):
were similar to the course, um,because basically it's like two
20 minute climbs that like, uh,you know, 13.5% grade or
something averaging.
And so we just found segmentslike that in Boulder and just
like rep them.
Um, the hardest workout that Ihad mentioned before, that I did
before a basin, was a circuitthat we created, um in Boulder.
That was it's basically like amile and a half and half of it's
(08:01):
uphill, half it's downhill, atthe exact gradient, um, as the
world's course.
And I did three of those all outand I mean I was shattered by
the third one, but, um, yeah, Ijust wanted to get really
familiar with that type of grade.
And then I think it's reallyspecial to be training at
elevation and in Boulder, whereit's sneaky fitness, it's like,
(08:21):
yeah, we're at 6,000, 5,500 feet, climbing up to 7,000 every day
or more, um, and so, like thoseefforts felt really hard and I
think I'm going to come downhere and then I'm going to be
like locked in at that gradientand like it's going to be
feeling a little bit easier, um,just to move a bit faster than
I was in Colorado.
So I think I'm really excitedfrom that specific training
(08:43):
block, uh, to to see what thatyou know how that executes on
race day and we also did wechanged the race schedule a bit
to do races that were similar tothe style of racing.
So I went over to Sylvania anddid the world cup weekend, the
finals weekend, which was twodays of racing One was an uphill
race and the second was aclassic and then did a basin,
(09:05):
which is more classic style, andso being able to get on courses
like that where you're runningsimilar paces and similar
efforts for similar time youknow they're all about an hour
to hour and a half races thatwas really helpful too to be
like, oh, okay, I'm going tocome here and be ready and
excited for that.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
So cool.
Can you talk a little bit aboutthat Slovenian race?
I know, like the trail team wasout there, andy was out there,
there was a good, like Americanrepresentation.
What did you enjoy more?
Did you like the up down or thevertical Like?
What was the style like, yeah,talk about that.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Yeah, I mean, I had not raced any of the world cup
races and this was the final, soreally stacked with some
awesome European competition,who I will see again next
weekend in Confranc.
And I was a little bit nervousbecause I'd never done a true up
uphill hill race.
And so the uphill was day oneand I finished and you know I
(09:56):
hung in there, I got eighth.
I was like really proud ofmyself.
The goal was top 10.
And, um, yeah, I felt like Icompeted well and like moved
well, um, but I was reallyexcited for the next day because
the next day had downhill at abit more, yeah, like runnable
grades, less hikey stuff and um,and so I was really looking
forward to that.
(10:17):
Plus, I am somebody that is areally heavy responder to a two
day stimulus, so having the raceon the second day usually meant
I felt better that day, um, andI feel like that's my advantage
as, as an athlete, is a lot ofyou know, some people don't
respond well to that and a lotof people probably stepped on
the line tired on Sunday, um,whereas I was like ready to
(10:38):
chomp down and like that Sundayrace was the big uh mindset
shift and kind of career shiftfor me, because this whole year,
and really for a lot of mycareer, I've raced from the back
and just been like, okay, I'mgoing to work my way up.
Uh, the Shemorna Gora race was,you know, like the course
records like 48 minutes, so it'sfast, you don't have a lot of
(11:01):
time to make decisions and youhave to, like, put yourself in
the race if you want to be inthe race.
And so the gun went off andwithin the first five to six
minutes I had made the consciousdecision.
I was like I'm going to go forit today, like I'm going for it
and like that's my decision, I'mnot thinking anything else.
And so I battled it out with,uh, you know, some really
excellent competition and itultimately came down to, like me
(11:21):
and two Kenyans that were likekind of going back and forth and
, um, yeah, by the end I waslike this is crazy, like I am
now running at the top and withthese girls that I a year ago,
two, three, four years ago wouldnever have thought I could.
Um, and I, and I started to feelmy strengths come through in
that classic style racing right.
It was like I could really makeup ground on the runnable
(11:43):
uphills and the and the techiedownhills and, and I was just
stoked on it and so it was coolto see me finish third in that
race, coming off the eighthplace finished the day before
and, um, you know, it was justreally cool.
Like a lot of the Europeanswere like dang and I was like,
yeah, I like this, this is mystyle, so it was a really cool
(12:03):
weekend.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
You know what on that topic and congratulations, by
the way.
Just amazing performances allaround.
But for you being likeresponding really well to two
day stimulus, is that like fromyour track and field background,
or is that genetic Like?
What do you?
What do you think that is?
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Dude, I don't know, you should bring Matt again on
the podcast, for that he's.
He's really good at nerding outon all this stuff.
But, um, I I don't know.
I just think some athletesrespond better and some don't.
I noticed it at first when Idid started doing stage racing.
Um, I had run trans Rockies andit's, you know, like a six day
(12:37):
stage race, and I kept feelingbetter every day and everybody
else not a lot of other peoplestarted feeling worse, but I
noticed other people werefeeling good too, and I'm like
this is weird.
Um, and so I'm actually reallylooking forward to, like you
know, obviously, worlds is oneday, but the golden trail final
the schedule just came out andthe female prologue is Friday
and the female final is Saturday, and so I get that double
(13:00):
stimulus, which I'm like, yes,let's go.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
So cool, so cool.
Um all right, let's shift gearsto a basin.
Uh, was that I get you knowwhat?
I didn't even think about this.
Was this your first Cirqueseries race or second?
It was.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Yeah, they had reached out after Sonopene.
We're like, hey, we'd love tohave you in a race.
And I was like, why have Inever done one of these races?
They're so up my alley, yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
So much fun, right Like it's just it's a giant
party, especially a base, and Ifeel like that's while I hate
the high altitude component ofit, cause it's just like kind of
brutal, um, and it's the most,I would say that's probably the
most runnable course.
But that said, like so much fun, so much stoke, you had
obviously another podium finishthere.
(13:42):
What did you think?
What was your takeaway fromthat?
Obviously, you said it was likea you know more of a workout
for you, but maybe talk aboutthat.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Yeah, I mean I finished the race.
Well, I'll back up the first 30to minutes.
I literally, for the first timein like a year, year and a half
, like I haven't.
I haven't had this mindset fora long time.
But I was like, should I juststep off the course?
Should I quit?
This feels so bad, um, and theclimb was only like I don't know
(14:14):
50, 55 minutes and I felt liketruly poop for 40 of the minutes
.
And then I kind of came aroundand then I started.
I was in like six or sevenplace.
Truly, I was like, well, this isthe point, you know, just a
hard workout, whatever minutes.
(14:36):
Like my body kind of relaxedinto it or I don't know what
happened.
I just felt better.
And so then I started movingand then I could see Alexa and
she was in second and I couldsee Rena in first and I was like
, okay, I guess now I have torace this because I'm in the
race, um, and so I caught Alexaand then jammed out on the
downhill, which was really fun,and I crossed the finish line
(14:57):
and Matt actually my coach hadcome and watched and I like ran
right to him and I was like Ireally feel a difference by
being rested versus not rested,like that was an insane
difference.
And of course we're at reallyhigh altitude, so that's another
difference.
But you know I had done GoProgames, which was at high
altitude, and I had raced twicein one day there and and done
(15:19):
fairly well and did not feelthat in my legs because I had
been rested.
And you know he was like, yeah,that's the point, and I had
written in my Strava, I thinkthat day like curse you, matt,
but you're also genius, becauseI know I was going to come off
of this and get really fit.
And it's true, you know, like Iwear an aura ring and it's been
cool to see even the like bio,like the data, the biomarker
(15:41):
data, like kind of uh, respondreally well to some high
altitude stimulus and like a bigtraining block.
So I know it was like worth it.
And and I have said like maybefive or six times that I'll
never do a basin again, but Ihope no one's listening.
That is on Cirque series,because the race but it was so
(16:02):
hard.
I don't know it was so funthough, so yeah, good vibes.
I mean, just felt horrible, sonext time maybe I'll rest for it
.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
I gotcha, I gotcha.
Is there a chance we see you in2026?
Maybe I mean, depending on whatthe schedule looks like at some
other like Cirque races, justbecause I don't know.
I love the mountain classicdistance and to me I think, from
in the purest form, I think,the Cirque series, I can really
bring it as far as like thepremier North, like if you want
to race mountain classics, likethat's the way to do it in North
America.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
It's so true.
Yeah, absolutely, and yeah,you're right.
Race directors, now that you'relistening, I do would love to
go back and do more um, but I doalso want to, I think, do more
the world cup races too, becausethe european classic style
racing is like really cool too.
It felt like a glorifiedcross-country race where there
was just like so many people oncourse cheering.
Cirque series is really coolbecause there's so many people
(16:50):
on course running um, but theeuropean ones really bring out
the people so I want to do alittle bit of both next year,
for sure and prioritize that fanbase.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
That's what we need in the states.
More is like we got to figureout this fan base situation.
Yeah, I think it's coming.
As the sport continues to growand as we get more um, just more
media, more everything in thespace, I think we'll have more.
This is like a topic I've beenlike asking everyone about.
It's like how do we get a fanbase, like get the people out
with it?
I don't necessarily know aboutthe chainsaw situation and then
screaming la la leon, course,but like something american,
(17:20):
like something cool, I don'tknow.
We'll figure it out.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
Yeah, yeah, definitely, as the numbers
increase, and then, like justsigning up for races, it'll come
yeah, yeah, all right, let meshift gears back to worlds.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Um, I've asked you this question before.
I'm not sure if your why haschanged, or what your approach,
or if your approach to it haschanged, but this is not your
first time representing theStars and Stripes in general,
but also but it is your firsttime North American wise, for I
guess mountain runningrepresenting the Stars and
Stripes.
What does that mean to you?
Speaker 2 (17:50):
I mean, I think it, I , the, the team that we're
bringing is by far the best teamwe've ever brought.
And so what it means to me islike getting to be part of this
movement where one like thissport is mattering and people
are noticing and getting to dothat and represent, representing
your country, while bringinglike a team that you believe in
(18:13):
is like so rad.
And so I think I'm just superexcited to like really put away,
like I'm thinking like there'sno, there's no other expectation
other than like getting the U Sto be the best that they can be
.
And so you know, like theroommate list just came out and
(18:33):
and the team housing stuff, andI'm just like looking through it
.
I'm like just came out and inthe team housing stuff and I'm
just like looking through it.
I'm like I know personally mostof these people and it's just
going to be so cool to cheerthem on as one team together,
and so and I know everybody elsefeels the same and that
sentiment and um, you know like,yeah, of course I cheer for my
friends when I'm out, but, likeyou know, in the states and in
normal times, normal racing, I'mcheering so hard for my Brooks
(18:56):
teammates and we have a reallygood team camaraderie there, and
so now it's just really cool tolike get to put all that
together in a way that's like,oh, these are the best of the
best of all the brands in the U?
S and so yeah, and just reallylooking forward to having that
team culture and atmosphere andand knowing that we can up-level
a lot of the Europeans.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
I love it, who'd you get as a roommate.
Oh, anna, did you really?
I'm so stoked.
Oh, let's go All right, cool,cool, cool.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
Yeah, it was funny.
I was talking to Noah yesterdayand he got Michelino and I was
like good luck, nah, shout outMichelino.
Anyway, no, one of the thingsthat was really cool to me.
One of my favorite humans inthe sport, just one of my
favorite humans in general, isCam Smith, and I love to see Cam
(19:45):
take on this leadership rolewhere he helped put together
this camp for you guys andeverybody came out to the camp
in BV.
Can you talk about thatexperience and just how special
that was from a team buildingperspective?
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Yeah, well, I had never met Cam before either and
I had heard that he wasincredible and you know, it
proved to be true.
He was so intentional on it ina way that didn't feel forced or
like super structured, but itwas like we're intentionally
putting time together to hangout, and I thought it was just
really cool how there was noegos, everybody was just super
(20:19):
excited to get to know eachother.
I had never met Mason either,and he is a hoot and a half and
like I feel like I just bondedwith all of them so deeply and
and yeah, and then, like evengetting to share that with, you
know, my Brooks teammates,taylor, sydney and Anna, who I'd
already been close to, I feellike we only grew, got to grow
closer and strengthen that teambond too, and so, yeah, I don't
(20:42):
know, I think it was really coolthat we got to make the time to
do that and put that together.
And I, you know other likeEuropean countries I noticed
they like have little team campswhere they all like bring
everybody out and the U?
S doesn't do that, um, which isokay, Um, but I think it was
cool that cam took that nextstep to be like, hey, yeah,
(21:03):
let's do that, and so I think heshould.
That will be paving away for thefuture, right, like we should
definitely always do that andtry to increase that camaraderie
, because now I'm going over andknow Cam and Mason so much
better, and Tyler I had nevermet Tyler too, and even his
family and wife, who was goingto be over there too, and it was
just super cool to be like, ohyeah, okay, now I have even more
(21:24):
people that that I know, thatyou know are in my corner and
already family.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
Yeah, no, it's so.
I mean, I think it's like yousaid, it's so special and I
think that camaraderie and justlike the team building aspect of
it, I think that like thatcohesiveness, like really will
make a difference it's one thingto just show up and get to meet
everybody and say, hey, youknow, good to see you and stuff
like that, but it's anotherthing to actually get to spend
time with one another and bond.
I think that that will createsomething special on race day.
Um, I want to talk about brooks.
It's really cool that likethere is such representation
(21:57):
from the brooks team here, likeon the like, not just in the
North American world scene butalso abroad, to like Remy LaRue
and others, like there's astrong Brooks presence like at
worlds.
Can you talk a little bit aboutthat?
I know there's been massiveinvestment really like in the
over the last few years intothis like sub ultra and just
short trail category, but it'sreally shown this year.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
Yeah, I think, like sub old, the Brooks sub ultra
team is really popping off.
I mean, of course, the ultrateam too, um, but they had
historically been or you knowother people similar, like
podcasts or even competitorsthat have said like, wow, it's
(22:48):
really cool to see you guys allout here and crushing it, um and
it, and it seems like you guyslike each other, you know, um, I
had a even a lot of likefriends kind of asked me, like
you know a little coy, like hey,like you know, like is Brooks,
you know, accepting any otherpeople?
Or, uh, I would love to be partof Brooks.
(23:09):
It seems like a cool, like acool team and and it's really
cool to be able to stand hereand say, yeah, like there,
that's like the best team I'veI've had in my professional
experience, uh, running and ityeah, and I think I had a call
last week or a week before withour sports marketing person and
he, you know, I, we basicallyreflected on the year and I I
(23:32):
literally was tearing up in thecall because I said and I didn't
know that I was going to signwith you guys and find like two
of my best friends, like Sydneyand Ana, have become so close
and people that I I hold verynear and dear to my heart now
and, um, it's really cool tolike see that come through, like
in more than just running Right.
It's like these are people inHillary too, I mean, I've gotten
(23:54):
really close with her and somany others but like,
specifically, to have reallyclose friends on a team where
you're like want their bestinterests.
And it's like I felt it atSunapee, where we stood up, we
stood on line and we looked ateach other like let's go get it.
You know, it wasn't like, oh mygosh, like I'm going to like
try to beat Ana or whatever.
(24:14):
It's like, no, like Ana, I wantyou winning this thing and I'm
going to be like right there topush you.
And and that's kind of whathappened and that's what I want
to happen next Sunday is like,yeah, I do believe that Anna
could go and win this wholething.
Um, and I hope she doesn'tlisten to this and I hope this
doesn't give her pressure, but,um, you know, but like, I really
believe in her and I want to bethat teammate that can help and
(24:37):
roommate and best friend thatcan help her.
Get here there, you know.
And so, yeah, I don't know, I'mjust such a person that is so
centered around friendship andBrooks has given me that and
they've done a really good jobto foster that with like team
camps and team accommodationsand making sure that it's a
place that everybody you knowfeels like they're bringing
(24:57):
something to the team.
I asked Jordan a bit like whyhe invested in the people he
invested in and why they kind ofdid this specific set of
contracts for these sub ultrapeople, and he was like we just
wanted the right people.
It wasn't about where wethought you could perform, we
(25:17):
wanted the right people, and Ithink that that speaks volumes.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
Amazing it's.
You know there's so much to sayto that.
I think the most importantthing too is like, yeah,
running's great and running'slike the reason we're all here
in a lot of ways, but at thesame time, like I think like the
friendships and like that's thestuff you'll have for the rest
of your life.
You know, like those are theexperiences with the people that
really matter.
It's not so much the running'sgreat, but like it's.
(25:43):
It's not an afterthought, butthe friendships are probably the
most important part, in myopinion.
Speaker 2 (25:48):
Yeah, and those are the.
These are the girls and guysthat are going to pick me up
after a hard race or a hard dayand be like hey, like I believe
in you, and when I hear them saythat, to me it means more than
like anything else.
You know, I'm like okay, yeah,you're right, I'm, I'm better
like or I can you know, whateverit is so so cool, so cool.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
So are you hanging out in Europe until the golden
trail final then?
Speaker 2 (26:09):
Oh yeah, here a month .
Speaker 1 (26:10):
I'm so jealous man, what do you got like any
specific places you're going totry and hit and like see and do?
Speaker 2 (26:23):
or like what's the?
What's the plan?
Yeah, so we'll do Pyrenees fora bit, obviously for Worlds, and
then go hang in Barcelona withmy parents for a few days, send
them back stateside and thentrain up to uh France to visit
Jess and Jim.
Actually, um, one of my bestfriends and so I visited them
last year.
Um, around this time we did weactually all did Wild Struble
and then I went up to them inBeaufort and visited them.
So go back there and then goover to uh Lake Garda area.
(26:47):
My partner's actually aparaglider and there's really
big paragliding obviously all inEurope, but he's doing a
specific course over Lake Gardaand so I'll hang there for a bit
and scope out the course and Iknow a lot of, a lot of like us
are doing the same kind ofmigration pattern and so, um,
hang out with, with friends andand, like I don't know, I'll go
(27:08):
on trail.
It was like sprinkles on topfor my year.
It's like fricking mid Octoberand I started racing in April,
so it'll be fun, but like, yeah,I'm, I'm, yeah, it'll be, it'll
be good, do you, uh, is thatprobably the plan after October?
Speaker 1 (27:23):
then Big rest, relax and reset for next year.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
I really need to.
I need to think about it.
I you know, like it's kind oftime of the year too where
you're thinking about next yearand talking contracts with
whatever and trying to figureout what my plan for the next
like right now.
Like I, this year has given methe opportunity to now think two
(27:48):
, three, four years ahead interms of running, and so now I
like really need to set a timeto think about that and kind of
go to the drawing board.
I think worlds has been a priorsuch a priority that I haven't
been able to really think pastthat in Golden Trail Final.
But I'm sure something willappear and I'll figure it out.
I won't say too much.
(28:11):
But there also might be areally cool project that we're
working on with Brooks for earlyDecember.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
So that's all I'll say.
All right, cool, cool.
I, like you planting the seed,appreciate that All right.
Last question, maybe the mostimportant one what would it mean
to you to win a medal with thisteam?
Speaker 2 (28:31):
Oh my gosh, I mean this team, it's just these girls
on this team are I couldn'tpick a better group of four sub
ultra classic style racers?
Like I really could not.
And so I know that, like Iliterally know that the other
three could go and winindividual titles.
I don't personally like believethat I could, and that's okay,
(28:53):
Like that's a whole otherconversation, but do I think it
can be like behind them andsupporting them and like right
there and be in the top mix ofpeople?
Yes, and so it was really coolfor me to be like in such belief
that they could go out and dothat and us three collectively,
or us four collectively, goingto get a medal.
Like like I have never been sosure of a team and yeah, and so
(29:18):
that's what it means to me isjust like I don't know like
everything, because this thebest, this is the best group
that I could put together forthat and, honestly, the best
course for this group.
Like I'm like oh my gosh,Lauren, Allie, Anna, what, this
is perfect for us.
Let's go girls.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
Killers, just killers , it's going to be.
I can't wait.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
Yeah yeah, it's a killer team and I'm just so
lucky to be part of it so cool.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
Well, Courtney, I'm wishing you the absolute best of
luck.
I hope you guys have an amazingday out there.
Um, yeah, that's all I'll putit at Like, I'm just so excited
to follow along and I'm such afan no-transcript.
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