The Steep Stuff Podcast

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The Gorge Waterfalls 30K brings a rare mix of speed and strength: runnable trail, road sections where pace changes can stick, and late climbs that punish anyone who goes out too hot. We’re in Hood River with Alexa Aragon for a pre-race conversation about stepping up to 18 miles, testing her limits against a deep women’s field, and using one early-season start line to guide an entire summer of trail running goals.

We talk training through an unusually warm winter, when less snow means more time on the trails and fewer ski days. Alexa explains why she treats this race as a learning opportunity, how she thinks about course prep without fully scouting, and what terrain fits her best right now. With a road and track background as a former Notre Dame steeplechaser, she also breaks down where speed can matter on a course like this and why steep grades are still a key focus in training.

Then we get into what’s new off the course: Alexa shares that this will be her first sponsored race, representing Mammut and La Sportiva (footwear), and why it matters that a brand supports her student adventure club, not just her racing. We wrap with a look ahead to Broken Arrow, Minotaur, Sierra Zinal, and the Cirque Series, plus the mindset she’ll bring to the start when the pace gets spicy early.

If you’re into trail running race strategy, pacing for a 30K, and the real decisions athletes make before a big day, hit play. Subscribe for more conversations like this, share it with a running friend, and leave a review with the one question you want us to ask Alexa post-race.

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A five hour push across Boulder’s Flatirons sounds like a hard trail run until you add exposed scrambling, solo climbing up to 5.7, and the kind of off trail linkups where every boulder wants your ankles. We sit down with Caleb Hardaway, a new La Sportiva mountain running athlete, to unpack how he set the FKT on Jerry Roach’s Top 10 Flatirons linkup and why that time was built months before the clock ever started.

Caleb walks us through the route’s moving parts: choosing a clean style, climbing and downclimbing efficiently in running shoes, and treating navigation between formations as its own technical discipline. We get into the projection process that makes serious Fastest Known Time efforts possible, including rehearsing cruxes, studying video beta move by move, comparing GPS tracks, and learning when “fast” starts to feel unsafe. It’s a conversation about performance, but also about judgment, restraint, and earning confidence on steep terrain.

We also zoom out to the bigger mountain athlete picture: why Caleb isn’t motivated by racing, how van life and bartending shifts create training freedom, and what he’s eyeing next around Longs Peak and Rocky Mountain National Park. Plus, we nerd out on gear details that actually matter on rock, from sticky rubber to resoling shoes for better traction on the Flatirons.

If you’re into mountain running, scrambling, FKTs, Boulder climbing culture, and the messy human side of big goals, you’ll want this one. Subscribe, share the episode with a friend who loves steep terrain, and leave a review so more mountain athletes can find the show.

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A great trail race isn’t a distance on a flyer, it’s a line you cannot stop thinking about. I sit down with Connor and Alice, the founders and race directors behind Mountain Tiger, to unpack how a “run it because it’s beautiful” mindset turned into one of the most talked-about mountain races in Donner Summit, California near Lake Tahoe. We get specific about what makes their course work: a point-to-point route that links two ski areas, hits four summits, and avoids the usual trap of adding awkward mileage just to land on a round number. 

We also go behind the curtain on race directing. Connor and Alice share the real workload that shows up long before bib pickup: permitting across multiple partners, the stress and joy of race day, and how they build a tight community feel by keeping it one day and one distance. Then we nerd out on the brand itself, from the Smilodon-inspired “Mountain Tiger” name to the punk and metal design language that helps the event stand out in the California trail running scene. And yes, we talk about the free finish-line tattoos and why runners went all in. 

Big news closes it out: Mountain Tiger Diablo is coming to Mount Diablo State Park in the Bay Area on October 10, 2026, aiming for a steep, direct, short mountain race around 12 to 13 miles with roughly 4,000 feet of gain. We also dig into their inclusion goals, equal prizes for men, women, and non-binary finishers, plus a free women’s training program with San Francisco Running Company designed to bring more women and non-binary runners to the start line. If you love mountain running, community-first events, and California trail races that feel different on purpose, this one is for you. 

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Big Alta didn’t just crown winners, it showed how quickly short trail racing in the U.S. is leveling up. Rachel & James break down a heat-impacted weekend where the 28K delivered a course record and the 50K produced tight battles that came down to execution. Rachel shares what the Big Alta course feels like at speed, why the exposure changes everything late, and how she approached racing while pregnant, chasing smart goals and still competing hard.

From there, we go global with skyrunning and the World Skyrunner Series, starting with the Trans Gran Canaria Marathon and then jumping to Rachel’s trip to Chile for the Andes Mountain Sky Race. We talk real logistics and real terrain: travel delays, mandatory kit, high-altitude starts around 9,000 feet, and a mountain environment that turns “only 35K” into an all-day effort. We also dig into why South American athletes deserve more spotlight and how these races reveal a different skill set than fast, smooth trail formats.

We wrap with a packed preview of Calamoro and the Gorge Waterfalls 30K and 50K start lists, then pivot to trail running sponsorship moves that made waves. Salomon’s additions of Grayson Murphy and Tove Alexandersson, plus Arc’teryx signing Jane Maus and Kyle Richardson, spark a broader conversation about what brands value and how the sport treats athletes through life changes. Finally, we get into Sierre-Zinal separating men’s and women’s starts and why that small shift could dramatically improve fairness and flow on singletrack.

If you like smart race recaps, skyrunning results, and the behind-the-scenes forces shaping trail running, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave us a review.

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Breaking news with a human pulse: we sit down with Kyle Richardson to unpack his move to Arc’teryx and what it means for the future of mountain running, creative projects, and the gear we trust on steep ground. From FKTs to film, Kyle’s vision thrives where art meets endurance, and this partnership gives him the tools, team, and runway to make it real.

We dive into why the fit works beyond logos. Kyle describes a culture where designers, marketers, and athletes are climbers, skiers, and runners first—people who obsess over fabrics, construction, and performance in wild weather. He shares how he’ll help shape the running line from the ground up: daily-driver Norvans, faster Silence models, and winter-ready platforms, plus ideas that bridge running, scrambling, and approach use. Think precise materials, durable builds, and lugs that make sense at pace. Pinnacle gear, built for the real mountains.

Kyle also opens up about a training shift that balances steep strength with run economy. Expect more flat, faster work, smarter fueling, and strength sessions that target stability and coordination under a coach’s eye. The goal is durability and range—being able to race hard when it matters while keeping space for long creative projects. He teases an early-season bike linkup in Tuscany, a Scotland traverse that stitches peaks by pedal and foot, and a fall project with a strong artistic lens, possibly in Japan. The throughline is clear: process over outcome. The daily craft—photos, notes, metronome miles—builds a body and mind ready for both podiums and poems.

If you love mountain running, product design, or the creative life that sits between them, this conversation delivers depth and direction. Hit play, then tell us what you want to see Kyle build or attempt next. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves steep stuff, and leave a quick review—it helps more curious runners find the show.

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The NCAA doesn’t last forever, but the hunger to train, compete, and belong to a team doesn’t magically disappear at graduation. That’s where Grace Strongman is right now: a Colorado School of Mines standout, a materials engineer, and one of the newest additions to Trail Team Elite, stepping into trail racing with equal parts confidence and curiosity.

We trace Grace’s story from growing up in Kansas City in an all-sports household to discovering cross country in high school, nearly quitting on day one, and then getting pulled in by the people around her. She explains how coaches shape identity, why the running community matters, and how trails became a source of peace after her coach used them as a way to keep her effort under control. From there we get into what it’s like choosing a school based on engineering first, finding the right fit at Mines, and treating training like a long science experiment across events from the mile to the 10K.

Grace also opens up about the real balance of elite running and a demanding materials engineering schedule, plus what she wants professionally, from research to the possibility of coaching. Finally, we talk trail racing goals and the shift from track pressure to the more open, community-driven world of short trail, including her plan to debut at Broken Arrow 23K and longer-term dreams like Moab, Pikes Peak, and eventually racing in Europe. If you care about trail running, post-collegiate running, endurance mindset, and the engineering side of performance, this one hits all of it. Subscribe, share this with a runner who’s in a transition year, and leave a review with the biggest change you’ve faced after a season ended.

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A stress fracture can either end your momentum or teach you how to build a career that actually lasts. I’m joined by Elise Coates, fresh off being named to the 2026 Trail Team Elite squad, and her story is a rare blend of high-performance ambition and real-world perspective. She’s the only Canadian on the new elite squad, based on Vancouver Island, and she’s chasing the tricky middle ground where track speed meets mountain durability.

We get into how a soccer background turned into an obsession with racing tactics, why the 800 hooked her early, and how injuries forced her to slow down and rebuild. Elise opens up about testing herself in mountain running and trail racing, including the hard lessons from Defy De Couleur and the quad-destroying reality check of Meet The Minotaur. If you care about training for steep trails, a vertical kilometer, skyrunning, or simply learning how to transition from track training to trail running, her approach is honest and practical.

Then we shift into the side of the sport most people ignore until it’s too late: athlete branding and sponsorship. Elise breaks down her pivot from a physics degree into media work, community runs, creative direction, and what she calls “activations” that actually bring people together. We also talk big dreams like the Olympics, Golden Trail Series level racing, and how to map a season when you want both fast track results and real trail strength.

Subscribe for more conversations like this, share this with a runner who’s building their own hybrid path, and leave a review if you want more guests who go deep. Which matters more for you right now: speed, strength, or community?

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You can feel the moment a runner starts to outgrow the track and get pulled back toward the mountains. That’s where we meet Paul Knight, newly selected for the 2026 Trail Team Elite and fresh off D2 Indoor Nationals, where a strength-focused block for the 10K unexpectedly sharpened his 3K and 5K speed too. We dig into what that kind of fitness means when you’re eyeing trail racing and skyrunning, where the pace changes constantly and the terrain demands more than clean splits.

Paul grew up in Durango, Colorado, with the San Juan Mountains as his backyard and Hardrock 100 as part of the local summer rhythm. He explains how early trail days, big climbs, and fast descents built both confidence and an aerobic base, and why one of his most “committed” seasons on paper felt flat when he stopped trail running. The through line is motivation: when training is enjoyable, consistency follows, and consistency is the real superpower for endurance athletes.

We also get practical about the muddy middle between NCAA running and the pro trail scene. Paul shares why Trail Team Elite felt like the right bridge, how mentorship and community shape opportunities, and how he’s thinking about race choices like Broken Arrow now while keeping an eye on bigger dreams like Hardrock and UTMB. On top of it all, he’s pursuing a master’s in bioengineering at Colorado School of Mines and trying to picture a life that blends biotech work with racing.

If you’re into trail running, mountain running, skyracing, or the transition from collegiate running to trails, you’ll leave with a clearer map and a bigger sense of what’s possible. Subscribe, share this with a running friend, and leave a review with your bucket list race.

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A re-release with a purpose: we’re celebrating Zach Erickson’s selection to the 2026 Trail Team Elite and unpacking the gritty, honest road that got him there. Zach grew up in Idaho Falls chasing every ball sport, found running in middle school, and lived the BYU dream—until a chronic hip injury benched him for a year and eventually cut him from the roster… twice. What followed wasn’t a comeback montage; it was a mindset shift. He let go of fear, built gratitude into his daily training, and said yes to trails on a nudge from Christian Allen.

That curiosity changed everything. Zach showed up as a total unknown at the US Mountain Champs at Snowbird and finished third. He followed with a collegiate national title at Sunapee and a podium at the Pikes Peak Ascent, proving he’s built for steep, sustained climbing and high altitude. We dive into why trails fit his physiology better than the track, how cycling translates directly to uphill power, and what he learned from a humbling weekend at Broken Arrow. He shares altitude confidence built on a Peru trek to 15,000 feet, the value of course scouting, and why vertical races may be his sharpest blade.

We also pull back the curtain on life inside an elite NCAA program—the allure and the pressure—and how trying to hang with national champions on rep one can derail long-term progress. Zach talks gear on a budget, hand-me-down super shoes, and segment hunting on Utah’s canyon climbs. He’s eyeing LOTOJA, the 200-mile Logan-to-Jackson ride, not as a detour but as targeted base work for mountains. Plus: triathlon chaos, ocean swims that humbled him, and the joy of stacking new skills even when you’re a beginner.

If you’re navigating injury, searching for your best event, or just hungry for a grounded, practical take on mountain running, Zach’s story delivers. Hit play to learn how to turn setbacks into fuel, build real climbing strength, and set goals that motivate without crushing you. If you enjoy the show, subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a training partner who loves big climbs.

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A Harvard biologist who loved salamanders, a Wisconsin grad-year racer chasing deeper fields, and a Montana transplant who found her stride on steep, technical trails—Maya Rayle's story is a study in smart risk and joyful grit. We sit down to chart her rapid rise from track speed to mountain savvy, including a breakout podium at The Rut 28K and a fresh selection to the Trail Team.

Maya unpacks what it’s really like to be recruited to an Ivy through likely letters, how she balanced organismal and evolutionary biology with Division I training, and why choosing the right coach changed everything. Then we head west: landing in Missoula, discovering a community of world-class mentors, and learning to respect vertical gain, dial in fueling, and keep curiosity front and center. Hear the practical shifts that mattered most—steep sessions on Sentinel, long mountain days, and replacing mind-numbing cross-training with backcountry ski tours, XC skiing, and gravel rides that build aerobic depth without draining stoke.

We also preview what’s next: a spring rust-buster, the rugged challenge of Mount Sunapee, and the stacked field at Broken Arrow 23K. Maya shares how she’s treating 2026 as an exploration year—testing distances, seeking steep profiles, and staying open to a Europe start line. Along the way we spotlight the Missoula crew—Jen Lichter, Adam Peterman, Erin Clark, Jackson Cole—and how training alongside people who care raises your ceiling. If you’re eyeing technical trail races or trying to protect joy while building fitness, this conversation delivers hard-won lessons on community, nutrition, and the art of loving vert.

If this story fires you up, follow Maya at maya_rail on Instagram, hit subscribe, and leave a quick review so more trail runners can find the show. Which mountain range should Maya explore next? Share your pick and join the conversation.

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