June 18, 2025 • 19 mins
Meet Oakley Olson, a rising star in the trail running world who's breaking barriers between collegiate track and mountain racing. Fresh from her NCAA steeplechase season and now a Trail Team Elite selection for 2025, Oakley joins us just days before tackling both the Vertical Kilometer and 23K races at Broken Arrow Skyrace.
Oakley's story is remarkable – from showing up at her first trail camp in worn-out road shoes to finishing top-10 at the US Mountain Running Championships within months. Speaking from the Trail Team camp in Grand Lake, Colorado, she shares how this supportive community transformed her understanding of the sport. "I had no idea what Broken Arrow was, what a running vest was, or what trail running shoes were," she laughs, describing her bloody-legged introduction to mountain terrain just a year ago.
When the conversation turns to race strategy, Oakley reveals a mature approach beyond her experience level. Drawing from her NCAA racing background, she plans to start conservatively at Broken Arrow rather than getting caught in the frantic early pace. "I'd rather be the hunter than the hunted," she explains, a strategy that served her well at Snowbird last year against seasoned professionals.
Most powerful is Oakley's motivation – she runs for her two younger brothers who have Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Wearing a lime green ribbon on her shoes, she pushes through difficult moments by remembering their daily struggles. "When it got so hard, the only thing that got me through was thinking about my two younger brothers and how that's how they feel every day walking up a staircase," she shares with heartfelt emotion. Her family will be waiting at the aid station atop the Vertical Kilometer, making a potential Team USA qualification even more meaningful.
Listen now to this inspiring conversation with an athlete whose genuine passion, strategic intelligence, and heartfelt motivation are quickly making her one of trail running's most compelling figures. The future of American mountain running looks brighter with Oakley Olsen on the scene.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
What is up, fam?
Welcome back to the Seep StuffPodcast.
I'm your host, james Lauriello,joined today for another
pre-Broken Arrow Sky Raceinterview.
This one's going to be for theVK and the 23K.
I'm joined today by one of themost talented young women to
enter our sport, possibly ever.
Super excited for this oneTrail team elite selection for
(00:22):
2025, miss Oakley Olsen.
You guys might be familiar withthat name.
Oak was the 2024 collegiatenational champion as well as a
top 10 finisher at the 2024 circseries snowbird race.
That was the us mountainrunning championship in 2024.
Super excited.
I caught up with oakley,actually while she was out at
grand lake in colorado with thetrail team.
(00:44):
They were having a one of theirmany camps that they'll have
this year for team building andtraining, so it was just really
special.
I get to talk to her about youknow kind of how that camp was
going and just like the stokeand enthusiasm level out there,
which I know was extremely high.
This is exciting race forOakley.
Oakley is, you know, like Isaid, kind of very new to the
scene as well as already hadsome you know, pretty crazy
(01:08):
success at the high level.
Oakley is a steepler andactually the reason she was not
at Sunapee was because she hadqualified for NCAAs, so
competing at the very highestlevel at the collegiate side.
So it's going to be really funto see how this race shakes out
with Oakley, as she's coming inwith a ton of fitness, so it's
going to be very fun to followalong.
I hope you guys enjoy thisepisode, wishing Oakley the very
(01:29):
best of luck on her race.
So, without further ado, missOakley Olson.
Oakley Olson, welcome back tothe Steep Stuff podcast.
How's it going?
Speaker 2 (01:38):
It's going good.
How are you doing, James?
Speaker 1 (01:39):
I'm doing good, excited to catch up and chat.
I know it's been kind of a wildlast few weeks for you and only
getting crazier.
Now.
It seems like you got a coolbackground out there.
You're out at the trail teamcamp, which is pretty sweet.
Maybe catch me up on what'sbeen going on the last few weeks
.
I know you qualified for.
I don't know how the wholesystem works.
Maybe I'll let you tell mewhat's going on.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Yeah, so about man, probably five weeks ago I had my
team conference championshipsat the WAC, so the WAC
championships at University ofTexas, arlington, and it was
pretty historic for myuniversity because we took home
the men's and women's titlestogether for the first time in
school history.
So that was really awesome.
And then I had the opportunityto go to NCAA West regionals for
(02:22):
the steeplechase.
So I had to qualify and be top48, the top 48 athletes in every
event per gender get to go tothat race.
So I got to race at college A&Mand or college station Texas
A&M, but it was amazing.
It was really hot, really humid, as everybody always warns you
about, but it was such a coolatmosphere.
And then now I traveled toGrand Lake and this is where we
(02:46):
have our trail team camp thisweek and then I'm getting ready
for Broken Arrow here coming upsoon.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Super exciting.
Well, a lot of part of theconversation is like a Broken
Arrow preview episode, if youwill, for the women and men
contenders.
So this is like one of thoseones where we do pre-race
interviews, so maybe before weget going or we get sorry, I
know you just got to the trailteam camp but maybe talk about,
like, what they're going to bedoing this week I know there's
team photos or you're runningaround, it's going to be, it's,
you know, team building, it'slike all kinds of fun stuff but
(03:14):
maybe talk about, like what they, like, what Andy the mad
scientist has planned for youguys this week.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Yeah, andy is really the mastermind behind it all.
This is such a special week.
I look forward to it every year.
I mean, last year is my firstyear, so I guess I looked
forward to this week all year.
But it's just a really uniqueopportunity for a bunch of
athletes that are looking tobreak into that professional
scene to come together, supporteach other through networking,
through advice.
I had no idea what Broken Arrowwas.
Last year when I came here.
(03:40):
I had no idea about the USChampionship Snowbird.
I had no idea about the USChampionship snowboard.
I had no idea about what arunning vest was or what trail
running shoes were.
I don't know if, like you, everheard, but I showed up last year
in like New Balance 1080s thatprobably had like 500 miles on
them and then we ran up likeMount Ida and it was like the
ugliest thing that anybody hasever seen.
I got some good like picturesout of it from our photographers
(04:02):
because, like my legs realbloody from just like not being
able to run up the mountain.
But I feel like this wholeexperience is what gave me the
confidence and resources goinginto the US championships to be
able to place top eight in likethe women's overall race.
So what Andy's doing herereally is like the foundation to
trail running.
It's super exciting, it's newand it's going to show in about
you know this this year at theWorld Championship for Team USA,
(04:25):
and then also in years to comehow much stronger we're going to
show up as a country because ofthe support he's creating at
such a young level.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
I love it, man.
I'm so excited.
I mean, obviously you weren'table to compete this year at
Sonipi, but you are going to bea perennial contender for years
to come on Team USA, which I'mso excited for, where your
career is going to take you.
First up, we got Broken Arrow.
It's going to be wild.
It's going to be bananas.
Everybody's going to be there.
(04:53):
It's a serious race.
Obviously, I should havechecked before we even started
this interview.
It's been a wild day.
You're on the start list for theAscent right and then the 23K
or just the Ascent 23K and thethought I got it right.
Okay, yeah, what's the stokelevel for that?
The ascent's gonna be likeprobably the most competitive
race ever assembled on americansoil when it's all said and done
absolutely like what's theexpectation?
I know you've been on the trackfor a while now and you're kind
(05:17):
of you know.
Start you tell me what?
Would you?
Have you been able to get onthe trails at all, or has it
been all track work?
Speaker 2 (05:22):
so the fitness I would imagine is probably crazy
high yeah, you know, last yeargoing into us champs, I really
didn't have a strategy there.
It wasn't quite an ascent butit was a pretty technical trail
race.
I kind of just used mysteeplechase training going into
it and a couple trail runs.
So that's been the approach sofar.
I'm really thankful for thiscamp and the timing of it,
because we're going to do somepractice trail runs that are
(05:44):
going to kind of like simulatewhat the VK is going to be like
and what the 23K is going to belike, so I'm going to get a good
, I guess, grip at what it willbe like at Broken Arrow.
But it is definitely going tobe the most competitive race.
I saw Ali Ostrander postedabout it and then you just
interviewed Andy Cornish.
I love her so much and so, justlike so many women that are so
(06:06):
talented to all show up together, I'm so stoked.
It's going to be so great.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
That's going to be fun.
I think it's like you know, foryou guys to it.
you know, from a teamperspective it's good team
buildings, I'm sure everybodywill be out there and you'll get
to kind of get an idea and likesee who's who and that's how
they.
I think it's just a goodexperience all around for you
and it's going to be fun.
How do you place expectationson a race like this?
I know you're obviously, youknow, a D1 super competitive
(06:30):
athlete like and you've had alot of success.
I mean, you've already gottentop 10 and the US mountain
running champs and you are thereigning well, technically just
removed reigning collegiate.
I don't know who the newcollegiate national title holder
is, but you are the last, thelast one, so how does it work?
For you Like what?
What's the expectation you puton a race like this?
Speaker 2 (06:49):
That's a great question.
Um, last year I didn't have anyexpectations, so I think I
exceeded all of my expectations,which is pretty exciting.
But this year, especially withthe Ascent being a Team USA
qualifier, it's been my goalsince 2020 to make it back on
Team USA because I got to run onthe U-20 junior team and that
kind of sparked this wholejourney of me going into trail
(07:09):
running, definitely to just makeTeam USA again.
And then the other expectationsgoing into it is to hang with
those pro athletes.
I'm not a professional athlete.
I'm coming from the NCAA, whichat this point, half the girls
in the NCAA are running protimes.
It's pretty impressive, but Idefinitely have a lot of respect
(07:29):
for all the women showing upthat.
I've been doing this and havebeen going to Broken Arrow for
years, have been on Team USA.
I've been doing this and havebeen going to Broken Arrow for
years, have been on Team USA.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
I've been to World Championships, have been doing
the Golden Trail World Series,so I'm excited just to race
alongside them too as well.
I'd say maybe let's talk aboutthe Ascent more than the 23k,
because I think I'm probably themost curious about that because
it is technically the biggerrace, even though 23k is the
Golden Trail.
It's hard to say what's eventhe bigger race, even though 23K
is the golden trail.
It's like hard to say what'seven the bigger race at this
point.
But what is your?
So?
This race is starts out stupidfast.
People go out like it's.
(08:03):
It's dumb how fast people goout and it's like straight up a
hill and it's like like a, likea kind of a treacherous ski hill
, if you will.
That's like 35, maybe morepercent grade.
There's like plants in themiddle of the thing.
It's so weird.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
And then it kind of funnels out like what is?
Speaker 1 (08:18):
uh, I guess like what was your.
How are you?
How are you gonna race thisthing like, are you gonna start
out conservative or go like, orjust go just straight out the
gate like crazy, like what'syour expectation for that?
Speaker 2 (08:30):
such a good question.
I last year noticed it was kindof a similar thing at snowbird
the.
The race went out really fast.
The first mile I I told myselfnot even to look at my watch
because I was like I don't wantto see the number.
I was like I don't, I don'teven want to see it because we
haven't even started climbingyet.
And I think the strategy for melast year at Snowbird is so many
people went out so hard and inthe NCAA you know I've raced at
(08:53):
the National Cross-CountryChampionship meet I know what
that's like to get swallowed upin a pack and to like see the
leaders go out.
And for me I felt like I workedthe best, like once we got to
that middle ground, once thelactic acid started hitting
people because I hadn't gone outquite as hard, that's when,
like, my mental toughness camein and my physical toughness was
able to match it.
So I think I'm going to try anddo a similar approach this year
(09:15):
, like I'm going to be in thattop third of the race pack but
I'm no, I'm not going to lead it, like that's not going to be my
position this year.
Um, but kind of similar to,yeah, what I've been doing in
the NCAA, where I'd rather bethe hunter than the hunted, so
maybe being a little bit moreconservative.
That first third and then goingat it from there.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
I think it's really honestly, I think that's the
smartest way to race a VK.
I mean, that's what kind oflike I've seen from like Mika
and even Taylor Stack and I werejust talking about this like
where I mean people just go outso fast, everybody blows up and
a lot of them come back to you.
So once that, once it seemslike it, it starts to funnel out
and it's more.
I think it like it comes offlike ski hill and more on a road
(09:58):
section.
I feel like once that funnelsout, you can actually like start
hunting people if you're notlike completely gassed or blown
up at that point.
So I think it's a smart way todo it, in my opinion.
Um, yeah, so there's alwaysstrategies to like racing some
of these vk courses.
It's so weird.
And then there's like adownhill section too, which is
weird yeah it kind of goes downum, yeah, I don't.
What are your thoughts on this?
Like, you absolutely belong.
You've raced some of the bestwomen the United States has to
(10:20):
offer last year.
Like, are you intimidated atall with some of these ladies?
Are you like no, I'm going togo, I'm going in, I'm going for
a spot.
Like, how does that kind ofwork with you?
Because, like, anna Gibson is aUS mountain running champion
now.
Now, like, yeah her and ali andlike I know lauren's not going
to be there, but like her andali seem I don't want to say
unbeatable at this point, butlike I would be intimidated to
(10:41):
race them like how does thatkind of?
How does that feel for you?
Speaker 2 (10:44):
yeah, as a new athlete in the sport, I feel
like there's definitely stilllike a little bit of imposter
syndrome when you're on thestarting line.
But thankfully I've had so manymentors through the trail team
like I talked about, and AndyCornish, rachel I I'm going to
butcher her last name, toma Jack, I can't say it right to my
check.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
Yeah, I couldn't spell it.
Don't ask me to spell it.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
And then, um, even Grayson Murphy, like some of the
biggest um women in this sport,have just taken me under their
wing, given me advice over theyears, and so I feel a little
bit more confident going intothis now.
But it's honestly just becauseof how supportive and how
amazing they are, because Iwould be terrified I would be
absolutely terrified looking attheir resumes, um lining up
against them, but I'm justexcited.
(11:26):
Now I'm going to definitely begoing for a spot.
I you know I've worked reallyhard in college for four years
and it's been on my mind everysingle practice, so it's really
exciting, especially coming offof steeplechase, which I feel
like in the NCAA, it's crazyhard.
We're running seventies overfive hurdles a lap and then
girls are falling and it'severywhere and it's just like a
trial race.
(11:47):
So I feel like it's been likethe perfect preparation.
I've had to go against somepretty amazing athletes.
I had to race Lexi Holiday umat the NCAA West race and she's
a phenomenal track athlete.
So it's going to be what it is.
I feel like once you're on thestarting line, we're all equal
and it's a race to the top.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
I love it.
I love it.
Let me ask you this whathappens if you have the day that
you're looking for, like if you, if you make team USA?
What would that?
What would that mean to you?
Speaker 2 (12:12):
Oh my gosh, such a great question.
My mom and my younger brotherare actually going to be at the
aid station on the top.
They're volunteering and sothey decided to volunteer at the
top and throughout high school,college and now post-college,
looking at this trail runningcareer, I've always been running
for my two younger brothers.
(12:33):
My motto is kind of like runfor those who can't, because my
two younger brothers haveDuchenne muscular dystrophy,
which is a rare muscle disorderwhere they, um, don't have this
protein called dystrophin.
So usually their lifeexpectancy for young boys are
like their early twenties andsometimes, um, that means boys
are in a wheelchair by the ageof 12.
And so sorry I might get chokedup talking about this, but, um,
(12:56):
yeah, I've just.
I've always run with like a limegreen ribbon on my shoes for
them, and snowbird went as wellas it did, because when it got
so hard, the only thing that gotme through was thinking about,
like my two younger brothers andhow that's how they feel every
day walking up a staircase, solike, why can't I run one more
mile?
Why can't I push a little bitharder?
Like I get to do this.
They don't get the choice likethey have to endure that every
(13:19):
day, and so for me, if, if Ihave the day that I'm hoping for
and I do qualify for team usa,I'm just.
I'm just gonna run up to themand probably cry and just see my
younger brother, cooper, and mymom, who have been like my
biggest supporters through thisall, and just thank them,
because I wouldn't be herewithout them.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
Oh, my God, that's a beautiful.
You choked me up.
Oh man, I, um, I it's going tobe interesting, right, like I.
I don't know, like how, how thefield's going to shake out and
how they, but I think either wayit's going to be super fun fun
race, super fun to follow along.
And broken arrow how are yougonna like, are you saving it
for the 23k?
(13:56):
Or are you like are you gonnago obviously gonna go all out
for the vk?
What's your strategy on that?
Is it like let me, let me crushmyself on the vk and then crush
myself at the 23k on sunday?
Or how are you gonna kind oflike, do those back-to-back
races?
Speaker 2 (14:11):
you know, I had the perfect preparation at our whack
conference.
My coach put me in the 15, 5kand steeple in three days, so I
had prelim and finals for the 15and then I had a 5k and a
steeplechase, and so I feel likeI'm just ready to crush it,
like I've been told I'm I'm toointense my entire life and this
is when it's gonna pay off Ilove it I love it.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
What's the new trick?
Have you, like, figured out thenutrition thing for the 23k,
because it seems like peoplehave epic blowups in that race?
Are you?
Are you?
You got the jell situationfigured out and you know, I
don't know I'm.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
I'm definitely gonna have to talk to andy about that
at camp because I um, sorry, Idon't know, my phone just wigged
out for a second.
I got the Mount Tipinogos FKTlast summer for just like for
fun, cause I was living in Provoand I wanted to do it and I
honestly didn't have thenutrition down yet.
I put like Gator light in my uh, my vest, so I drank that and
(15:08):
then I had like two rice crispytreats and I feel like it did
pretty good.
I ran 16 miles and it was likeunder three hours.
So I'm like I'm.
It's looking like it's asimilar type of run to the 23k,
but I'm gonna definitely ask himbecause I know that there's
probably a better strategy thanrice crispy treats and Gatorade,
but like it's worked in thepast.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
So well, hey, you know what you don't know what
you don't know.
So listen, rice crispy treats,all the way man go for it?
Speaker 2 (15:34):
yeah.
Will they sponsor me for this?
Speaker 1 (15:35):
yeah, let's, let's get the listen.
I think one of these likehonestly, I think in a few years
you might be one of the biggestnames in the sport like that's
my prediction.
I think we got to start gettingthe rice crispy uh, the rice
crispy train rolling here likethere we go that'd be great.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Yeah, that'd be a sweet sponsorship.
Nerd gummy clusters I feel likewe always use them at this camp
.
I think andy cornish actuallytaught me about those she's
funny.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
I really I gotta say I thoroughly enjoyed our podcast
.
Like she's a.
She's a cool human, very cool.
I'm glad you talked about herand that's the reason I had her
on, so very cool.
He's amazing.
Yeah, she is.
She is all right.
So what do you got plannedafter this for the rest of the
summer, like once Broken Arrowis done?
Like how you got any otherraces you're going to do, or
like kind of just keeping itopen, or what do you got planned
(16:18):
?
Speaker 2 (16:19):
Well, hopefully I've got you know Worlds in Spain on
the calendar after Broken Arrow,and then there's another race
in Slovenia.
I believe it's something to dowith Team USA that Andy Wacker
has been talking to us about, sothat's definitely on my
calendar.
And then I kind of have a crazyfun adventure that I'm going on
.
I'm actually going to beworking as a humanitarian worker
, um a leader for thisorganization, so I'm going to
(16:41):
uganda for a month.
That'll be cool, yeah.
So a little bit of a crazyadventure in the middle of it.
But then, yeah, squeezing in asmany other races, I'm going to
try and make a cirque seriesrace again.
I'm not not sure which one yet,but I just loved my experience
so much last year that I'd bereally sad to not do one again
this year.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
Sweet, sweet.
I love it.
Oakley, I'm so excited.
Listen, I'm wishing you theabsolute best of luck.
Have fun out there with thetrail team and have a blast of
broken arrow.
It's going to be really fun tofollow the race and going to be
cheering for you the whole way,so appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
Thank you yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:14):
Have a great rest of your day.
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This is few weeks of our sport,so it's wild, thank you.
What is up, fam?
Welcome back to the Seep StuffPodcast.
I'm your host, james Lauriello,joined today for another
pre-Broken Arrow Sky Raceinterview.
This one's going to be for theVK and the 23K.
I'm joined today by one of themost talented young women to
enter our sport, possibly ever.
Super excited for this oneTrail team elite selection for
(00:22):
2025, miss Oakley Olsen.
You guys might be familiar withthat name.
Oak was the 2024 collegiatenational champion as well as a
top 10 finisher at the 2024 circseries snowbird race.
That was the us mountainrunning championship in 2024.
Super excited.
I caught up with oakley,actually while she was out at
grand lake in colorado with thetrail team.
(00:44):
They were having a one of theirmany camps that they'll have
this year for team building andtraining, so it was just really
special.
I get to talk to her about youknow kind of how that camp was
going and just like the stokeand enthusiasm level out there,
which I know was extremely high.
This is exciting race forOakley.
Oakley is, you know, like Isaid, kind of very new to the
scene as well as already hadsome you know, pretty crazy
(01:08):
success at the high level.
Oakley is a steepler andactually the reason she was not
at Sunapee was because she hadqualified for NCAAs, so
competing at the very highestlevel at the collegiate side.
So it's going to be really funto see how this race shakes out
with Oakley, as she's coming inwith a ton of fitness, so it's
going to be very fun to followalong.
I hope you guys enjoy thisepisode, wishing Oakley the very
(01:29):
best of luck on her race.
So, without further ado, missOakley Olson.
Oakley Olson, welcome back tothe Steep Stuff podcast.
How's it going?
Speaker 2 (01:38):
It's going good.
How are you doing, James?
Speaker 1 (01:39):
I'm doing good, excited to catch up and chat.
I know it's been kind of a wildlast few weeks for you and only
getting crazier.
Now.
It seems like you got a coolbackground out there.
You're out at the trail teamcamp, which is pretty sweet.
Maybe catch me up on what'sbeen going on the last few weeks
.
I know you qualified for.
I don't know how the wholesystem works.
Maybe I'll let you tell mewhat's going on.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Yeah, so about man, probably five weeks ago I had my
team conference championshipsat the WAC, so the WAC
championships at University ofTexas, arlington, and it was
pretty historic for myuniversity because we took home
the men's and women's titlestogether for the first time in
school history.
So that was really awesome.
And then I had the opportunityto go to NCAA West regionals for
(02:22):
the steeplechase.
So I had to qualify and be top48, the top 48 athletes in every
event per gender get to go tothat race.
So I got to race at college A&Mand or college station Texas
A&M, but it was amazing.
It was really hot, really humid, as everybody always warns you
about, but it was such a coolatmosphere.
And then now I traveled toGrand Lake and this is where we
(02:46):
have our trail team camp thisweek and then I'm getting ready
for Broken Arrow here coming upsoon.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Super exciting.
Well, a lot of part of theconversation is like a Broken
Arrow preview episode, if youwill, for the women and men
contenders.
So this is like one of thoseones where we do pre-race
interviews, so maybe before weget going or we get sorry, I
know you just got to the trailteam camp but maybe talk about,
like, what they're going to bedoing this week I know there's
team photos or you're runningaround, it's going to be, it's,
you know, team building, it'slike all kinds of fun stuff but
(03:14):
maybe talk about, like what they, like, what Andy the mad
scientist has planned for youguys this week.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Yeah, andy is really the mastermind behind it all.
This is such a special week.
I look forward to it every year.
I mean, last year is my firstyear, so I guess I looked
forward to this week all year.
But it's just a really uniqueopportunity for a bunch of
athletes that are looking tobreak into that professional
scene to come together, supporteach other through networking,
through advice.
I had no idea what Broken Arrowwas.
Last year when I came here.
(03:40):
I had no idea about the USChampionship Snowbird.
I had no idea about the USChampionship snowboard.
I had no idea about what arunning vest was or what trail
running shoes were.
I don't know if, like you, everheard, but I showed up last year
in like New Balance 1080s thatprobably had like 500 miles on
them and then we ran up likeMount Ida and it was like the
ugliest thing that anybody hasever seen.
I got some good like picturesout of it from our photographers
(04:02):
because, like my legs realbloody from just like not being
able to run up the mountain.
But I feel like this wholeexperience is what gave me the
confidence and resources goinginto the US championships to be
able to place top eight in likethe women's overall race.
So what Andy's doing herereally is like the foundation to
trail running.
It's super exciting, it's newand it's going to show in about
you know this this year at theWorld Championship for Team USA,
(04:25):
and then also in years to comehow much stronger we're going to
show up as a country because ofthe support he's creating at
such a young level.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
I love it, man.
I'm so excited.
I mean, obviously you weren'table to compete this year at
Sonipi, but you are going to bea perennial contender for years
to come on Team USA, which I'mso excited for, where your
career is going to take you.
First up, we got Broken Arrow.
It's going to be wild.
It's going to be bananas.
Everybody's going to be there.
(04:53):
It's a serious race.
Obviously, I should havechecked before we even started
this interview.
It's been a wild day.
You're on the start list for theAscent right and then the 23K
or just the Ascent 23K and thethought I got it right.
Okay, yeah, what's the stokelevel for that?
The ascent's gonna be likeprobably the most competitive
race ever assembled on americansoil when it's all said and done
absolutely like what's theexpectation?
I know you've been on the trackfor a while now and you're kind
(05:17):
of you know.
Start you tell me what?
Would you?
Have you been able to get onthe trails at all, or has it
been all track work?
Speaker 2 (05:22):
so the fitness I would imagine is probably crazy
high yeah, you know, last yeargoing into us champs, I really
didn't have a strategy there.
It wasn't quite an ascent butit was a pretty technical trail
race.
I kind of just used mysteeplechase training going into
it and a couple trail runs.
So that's been the approach sofar.
I'm really thankful for thiscamp and the timing of it,
because we're going to do somepractice trail runs that are
(05:44):
going to kind of like simulatewhat the VK is going to be like
and what the 23K is going to belike, so I'm going to get a good
, I guess, grip at what it willbe like at Broken Arrow.
But it is definitely going tobe the most competitive race.
I saw Ali Ostrander postedabout it and then you just
interviewed Andy Cornish.
I love her so much and so, justlike so many women that are so
(06:06):
talented to all show up together, I'm so stoked.
It's going to be so great.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
That's going to be fun.
I think it's like you know, foryou guys to it.
you know, from a teamperspective it's good team
buildings, I'm sure everybodywill be out there and you'll get
to kind of get an idea and likesee who's who and that's how
they.
I think it's just a goodexperience all around for you
and it's going to be fun.
How do you place expectationson a race like this?
I know you're obviously, youknow, a D1 super competitive
(06:30):
athlete like and you've had alot of success.
I mean, you've already gottentop 10 and the US mountain
running champs and you are thereigning well, technically just
removed reigning collegiate.
I don't know who the newcollegiate national title holder
is, but you are the last, thelast one, so how does it work?
For you Like what?
What's the expectation you puton a race like this?
Speaker 2 (06:49):
That's a great question.
Um, last year I didn't have anyexpectations, so I think I
exceeded all of my expectations,which is pretty exciting.
But this year, especially withthe Ascent being a Team USA
qualifier, it's been my goalsince 2020 to make it back on
Team USA because I got to run onthe U-20 junior team and that
kind of sparked this wholejourney of me going into trail
(07:09):
running, definitely to just makeTeam USA again.
And then the other expectationsgoing into it is to hang with
those pro athletes.
I'm not a professional athlete.
I'm coming from the NCAA, whichat this point, half the girls
in the NCAA are running protimes.
It's pretty impressive, but Idefinitely have a lot of respect
(07:29):
for all the women showing upthat.
I've been doing this and havebeen going to Broken Arrow for
years, have been on Team USA.
I've been doing this and havebeen going to Broken Arrow for
years, have been on Team USA.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
I've been to World Championships, have been doing
the Golden Trail World Series,so I'm excited just to race
alongside them too as well.
I'd say maybe let's talk aboutthe Ascent more than the 23k,
because I think I'm probably themost curious about that because
it is technically the biggerrace, even though 23k is the
Golden Trail.
It's hard to say what's eventhe bigger race, even though 23K
is the golden trail.
It's like hard to say what'seven the bigger race at this
point.
But what is your?
So?
This race is starts out stupidfast.
People go out like it's.
(08:03):
It's dumb how fast people goout and it's like straight up a
hill and it's like like a, likea kind of a treacherous ski hill
, if you will.
That's like 35, maybe morepercent grade.
There's like plants in themiddle of the thing.
It's so weird.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
And then it kind of funnels out like what is?
Speaker 1 (08:18):
uh, I guess like what was your.
How are you?
How are you gonna race thisthing like, are you gonna start
out conservative or go like, orjust go just straight out the
gate like crazy, like what'syour expectation for that?
Speaker 2 (08:30):
such a good question.
I last year noticed it was kindof a similar thing at snowbird
the.
The race went out really fast.
The first mile I I told myselfnot even to look at my watch
because I was like I don't wantto see the number.
I was like I don't, I don'teven want to see it because we
haven't even started climbingyet.
And I think the strategy for melast year at Snowbird is so many
people went out so hard and inthe NCAA you know I've raced at
(08:53):
the National Cross-CountryChampionship meet I know what
that's like to get swallowed upin a pack and to like see the
leaders go out.
And for me I felt like I workedthe best, like once we got to
that middle ground, once thelactic acid started hitting
people because I hadn't gone outquite as hard, that's when,
like, my mental toughness camein and my physical toughness was
able to match it.
So I think I'm going to try anddo a similar approach this year
(09:15):
, like I'm going to be in thattop third of the race pack but
I'm no, I'm not going to lead it, like that's not going to be my
position this year.
Um, but kind of similar to,yeah, what I've been doing in
the NCAA, where I'd rather bethe hunter than the hunted, so
maybe being a little bit moreconservative.
That first third and then goingat it from there.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
I think it's really honestly, I think that's the
smartest way to race a VK.
I mean, that's what kind oflike I've seen from like Mika
and even Taylor Stack and I werejust talking about this like
where I mean people just go outso fast, everybody blows up and
a lot of them come back to you.
So once that, once it seemslike it, it starts to funnel out
and it's more.
I think it like it comes offlike ski hill and more on a road
(09:58):
section.
I feel like once that funnelsout, you can actually like start
hunting people if you're notlike completely gassed or blown
up at that point.
So I think it's a smart way todo it, in my opinion.
Um, yeah, so there's alwaysstrategies to like racing some
of these vk courses.
It's so weird.
And then there's like adownhill section too, which is
weird yeah it kind of goes downum, yeah, I don't.
What are your thoughts on this?
Like, you absolutely belong.
You've raced some of the bestwomen the United States has to
(10:20):
offer last year.
Like, are you intimidated atall with some of these ladies?
Are you like no, I'm going togo, I'm going in, I'm going for
a spot.
Like, how does that kind ofwork with you?
Because, like, anna Gibson is aUS mountain running champion
now.
Now, like, yeah her and ali andlike I know lauren's not going
to be there, but like her andali seem I don't want to say
unbeatable at this point, butlike I would be intimidated to
(10:41):
race them like how does thatkind of?
How does that feel for you?
Speaker 2 (10:44):
yeah, as a new athlete in the sport, I feel
like there's definitely stilllike a little bit of imposter
syndrome when you're on thestarting line.
But thankfully I've had so manymentors through the trail team
like I talked about, and AndyCornish, rachel I I'm going to
butcher her last name, toma Jack, I can't say it right to my
check.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
Yeah, I couldn't spell it.
Don't ask me to spell it.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
And then, um, even Grayson Murphy, like some of the
biggest um women in this sport,have just taken me under their
wing, given me advice over theyears, and so I feel a little
bit more confident going intothis now.
But it's honestly just becauseof how supportive and how
amazing they are, because Iwould be terrified I would be
absolutely terrified looking attheir resumes, um lining up
against them, but I'm justexcited.
(11:26):
Now I'm going to definitely begoing for a spot.
I you know I've worked reallyhard in college for four years
and it's been on my mind everysingle practice, so it's really
exciting, especially coming offof steeplechase, which I feel
like in the NCAA, it's crazyhard.
We're running seventies overfive hurdles a lap and then
girls are falling and it'severywhere and it's just like a
trial race.
(11:47):
So I feel like it's been likethe perfect preparation.
I've had to go against somepretty amazing athletes.
I had to race Lexi Holiday umat the NCAA West race and she's
a phenomenal track athlete.
So it's going to be what it is.
I feel like once you're on thestarting line, we're all equal
and it's a race to the top.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
I love it.
I love it.
Let me ask you this whathappens if you have the day that
you're looking for, like if you, if you make team USA?
What would that?
What would that mean to you?
Speaker 2 (12:12):
Oh my gosh, such a great question.
My mom and my younger brotherare actually going to be at the
aid station on the top.
They're volunteering and sothey decided to volunteer at the
top and throughout high school,college and now post-college,
looking at this trail runningcareer, I've always been running
for my two younger brothers.
(12:33):
My motto is kind of like runfor those who can't, because my
two younger brothers haveDuchenne muscular dystrophy,
which is a rare muscle disorderwhere they, um, don't have this
protein called dystrophin.
So usually their lifeexpectancy for young boys are
like their early twenties andsometimes, um, that means boys
are in a wheelchair by the ageof 12.
And so sorry I might get chokedup talking about this, but, um,
(12:56):
yeah, I've just.
I've always run with like a limegreen ribbon on my shoes for
them, and snowbird went as wellas it did, because when it got
so hard, the only thing that gotme through was thinking about,
like my two younger brothers andhow that's how they feel every
day walking up a staircase, solike, why can't I run one more
mile?
Why can't I push a little bitharder?
Like I get to do this.
They don't get the choice likethey have to endure that every
(13:19):
day, and so for me, if, if Ihave the day that I'm hoping for
and I do qualify for team usa,I'm just.
I'm just gonna run up to themand probably cry and just see my
younger brother, cooper, and mymom, who have been like my
biggest supporters through thisall, and just thank them,
because I wouldn't be herewithout them.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
Oh, my God, that's a beautiful.
You choked me up.
Oh man, I, um, I it's going tobe interesting, right, like I.
I don't know, like how, how thefield's going to shake out and
how they, but I think either wayit's going to be super fun fun
race, super fun to follow along.
And broken arrow how are yougonna like, are you saving it
for the 23k?
(13:56):
Or are you like are you gonnago obviously gonna go all out
for the vk?
What's your strategy on that?
Is it like let me, let me crushmyself on the vk and then crush
myself at the 23k on sunday?
Or how are you gonna kind oflike, do those back-to-back
races?
Speaker 2 (14:11):
you know, I had the perfect preparation at our whack
conference.
My coach put me in the 15, 5kand steeple in three days, so I
had prelim and finals for the 15and then I had a 5k and a
steeplechase, and so I feel likeI'm just ready to crush it,
like I've been told I'm I'm toointense my entire life and this
is when it's gonna pay off Ilove it I love it.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
What's the new trick?
Have you, like, figured out thenutrition thing for the 23k,
because it seems like peoplehave epic blowups in that race?
Are you?
Are you?
You got the jell situationfigured out and you know, I
don't know I'm.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
I'm definitely gonna have to talk to andy about that
at camp because I um, sorry, Idon't know, my phone just wigged
out for a second.
I got the Mount Tipinogos FKTlast summer for just like for
fun, cause I was living in Provoand I wanted to do it and I
honestly didn't have thenutrition down yet.
I put like Gator light in my uh, my vest, so I drank that and
(15:08):
then I had like two rice crispytreats and I feel like it did
pretty good.
I ran 16 miles and it was likeunder three hours.
So I'm like I'm.
It's looking like it's asimilar type of run to the 23k,
but I'm gonna definitely ask himbecause I know that there's
probably a better strategy thanrice crispy treats and Gatorade,
but like it's worked in thepast.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
So well, hey, you know what you don't know what
you don't know.
So listen, rice crispy treats,all the way man go for it?
Speaker 2 (15:34):
yeah.
Will they sponsor me for this?
Speaker 1 (15:35):
yeah, let's, let's get the listen.
I think one of these likehonestly, I think in a few years
you might be one of the biggestnames in the sport like that's
my prediction.
I think we got to start gettingthe rice crispy uh, the rice
crispy train rolling here likethere we go that'd be great.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Yeah, that'd be a sweet sponsorship.
Nerd gummy clusters I feel likewe always use them at this camp
.
I think andy cornish actuallytaught me about those she's
funny.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
I really I gotta say I thoroughly enjoyed our podcast
.
Like she's a.
She's a cool human, very cool.
I'm glad you talked about herand that's the reason I had her
on, so very cool.
He's amazing.
Yeah, she is.
She is all right.
So what do you got plannedafter this for the rest of the
summer, like once Broken Arrowis done?
Like how you got any otherraces you're going to do, or
like kind of just keeping itopen, or what do you got planned
(16:18):
?
Speaker 2 (16:19):
Well, hopefully I've got you know Worlds in Spain on
the calendar after Broken Arrow,and then there's another race
in Slovenia.
I believe it's something to dowith Team USA that Andy Wacker
has been talking to us about, sothat's definitely on my
calendar.
And then I kind of have a crazyfun adventure that I'm going on
.
I'm actually going to beworking as a humanitarian worker
, um a leader for thisorganization, so I'm going to
(16:41):
uganda for a month.
That'll be cool, yeah.
So a little bit of a crazyadventure in the middle of it.
But then, yeah, squeezing in asmany other races, I'm going to
try and make a cirque seriesrace again.
I'm not not sure which one yet,but I just loved my experience
so much last year that I'd bereally sad to not do one again
this year.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
Sweet, sweet.
I love it.
Oakley, I'm so excited.
Listen, I'm wishing you theabsolute best of luck.
Have fun out there with thetrail team and have a blast of
broken arrow.
It's going to be really fun tofollow the race and going to be
cheering for you the whole way,so appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
Thank you yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:14):
Have a great rest of your day.
What's up, guys?
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you name it.
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(17:36):
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(17:57):
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Like I said, it's summer, it'sBroken Arrow Week.
It's crazy.
The vibes are high, the stokeis high.
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You're going to need ahydration solution.
Like I said, go to UltimateDirection.
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(18:18):
you are all set out the door.
So, guys, enjoy your week.
It's Broken Arrow week.
Go crazy, go wild.
Guess what?
Next week is TrailCon and thenwe are in Western States.
This is few weeks of our sport,so it's wild, thank you.
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