With Pace

"Inventor of the mountain bike" is a mantle Gary Fisher resists, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a more deserving owner of the title. In this colorful chat, Gary tells Payson about the humble beginnings of the "klunker" and the first company he started called "Mountain Bikes." He describes why the bike can solve many of the world's problems, and where he hopes it will lead us next. While discussing his early life, Gary takes us up close and personal with some of the biggest names of the 1960's hippie movement, including what it was like to witness the Altamont incident involving The Hell's Angels and The Rolling Stones. And of course, they discuss the intricacies of mustache maintenance, when even Payson is forced to admit that Gary's legendary facial hair cannot be rivaled. 

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: [email protected]

Angela is a Canadian triathlete and Red Bull athlete. She's won the North American Ironman championships, and completed the event in under 9 hours three times--including her improbable 8th place finish in the 2018 Kona World Championships after a year-long battle with Lyme disease. Angela caught up with Payson at Red Bull headquarters over the winter where they were participating in a training camp together. They talk about some of the highlights from the camp that pushed the boundaries of sports science, how Angela developed such an incredible capacity for suffering, her trajectory as a pro which included a stint living in a tent, her amazing comeback from Lyme disease and why giving up wasn't an option, her non-profit "I Race Like a Girl", and more. 

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: [email protected]

Tommy Caldwell is considered by most to be the greatest big wall free climber of all time. In 2015 he and his climbing partner Kevin Jorgeson were the first to complete the "Dawn Wall" in Yosemite National Park, which is thought to be the most challenging free climb in the world. But Tommy's adventure experiences span far beyond that, from being held hostage by a rebel militia in Central Asia, to an injury that should have ended his climbing career, to accomplishments that have repeatedly redefined what was possible in the sport. Payson met Tommy at his home in Estes Park, CO to get inside the mind of one of the worlds greatest adventurers. They discuss Tommy's unconventional childhood, what it's like spending seven years trying to climb a single route, and how his career has changed since becoming a father.

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: [email protected]

Sepp Kuss, Howard Grotts, and Chris Blevins are three of Payson's best friends, and also some of the most accomplished professional cyclists in the world. All three Durango, CO natives, Payson moved to their hometown when he was eighteen, and enjoyed having them as teammates, friends, and competitors during some their most formative years coming up through the pro ranks. After winning multiple national titles on the mountain bike, Sepp Kuss moved to the road, where he enjoyed a meteoric rise. Now riding for ProTour outfit Team Jumbo-Visma, Sepp enjoyed enormous success in 2018, winning the Tour of Utah and completing his first grand tour, the Vuelta a España. Howard Grotts is an Olympian, World Championship medalist, World Cup winner, many time national champion, winner of the Cape Epic, and member of the Specialized Factory mountain bike team. His teammate, Chris Blevins though a few years younger than the other three has racked up a national title list in the twenties and also medaled at the World Championships. With Payson the current defending XC Marathon national champion, Howard current XC national champion, and Chris current STXC national champion, all three mountain bike titles were represented at this very laid back, fireside chat. It was a relatively typical offseason night for the four cyclists that involved a good number of brews, only this time it was caught on a recorder. 

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: [email protected]

Kate Courtney is the defending XCO Mountain Bike World Champion, many time national champion, and a Red Bull athlete. At just 23 years of age, Kate has already reached superstar status in a sport that often doesn't see athletes reach their peak until later. Tired from a long day of testing at a Red Bull training camp, Payson caught up with Kate as they sat on the floor of a hotel room. They talked about work ethic, gender equality and what we can do to promote further progress, the challenges of maintaining strong personal relationships while traveling constantly, her superstar mechanic Brad, and finally some surprise questions from a few of her fans.

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: [email protected]

Camille Leblanc-Bazinet is a Canadian professional CrossFit athlete, Red Bull athlete, entrepreneur, and health advocate. She was crowned "fittest on earth" in 2014 after winning that year's CrossFit Games. Payson sat down with Camille in Boulder, CO last winter to talk the incredible demands of her sport, the unexpected outcomes of success, how she learned to find work/life balance, why hormone replacement (doping) following a particularly demanding CrossFit Games was never an option, a few tips for your health goals, and much more. 

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: [email protected]

Reggie Miller is a hall of fame basketball player and Olympic gold medalist, best known for his precision three-point shooting. Today he is a commentator for TNT, father, and passionate mountain bike rider. Reggie and Payson sit down in his oceanside Malibu home and chat about why you should never trash talk Michael Jordan, how growing up with the greatest female basketball player of all time was instrumental to his success, parenting, state of the union in the NBA, his heroes, what it was like to be part of The Malice at The Palace, why he’s so crazy for mountain biking, and much more. 

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: [email protected]

Juli Furtado’s story is one of incredible triumph and unbelievable struggle. As one of the most hallowed names in cycling history, Juli pedaled her way to possibly the most dominant streak the sport has seen, in a mere six years winning multiple world titles in both downhill and cross-country, five national titles, three World Cup overalls, and a trip to the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. But at 29 a Lupus diagnosis forced her to an early retirement. Just a handful of years prior while at the top of the skiing world, a similar scenario had played out. Since those days of glory, Juli has kept a low profile, even amidst launching the successful Juliana brand of bicycles. It was only in the last couple of years that she began opening up about her dark childhood and struggles with depression. Juli manages to bring a razor sharp wit to this challenging topic, and offers important insight as to how best to support those that might be struggling.

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: [email protected]

Imagine you’re 22 years old and inside the walls of a Vladivostok prison cell. Your only human contact is a one-eyed Russian guard named Igor. With 3.4 million followers on Instagram, chances are good you see Chris Burkard’s images on your phone regularly--but do you know what goes in to capturing them? As one of the most highly regarded photographers in the world, Chris has made a name for himself by beautifully capturing moments from some of the wildest and most remote corners of the globe. An incredibly capable athlete in his own right, he often has to endure incredible discomfort, challenges, and misadventures to find these moments. In the second episode of The Adventure Stache, Payson sits down with Chris and gets inside the head of one of the hardest working and toughest adventurers he’s met. Chris tells us about where his famous work ethic comes from, and how at 19 he was willing to put everything on the line and live in poverty in the name of chasing a dream. He talks about his love for ultra-distance riding (he’s just getting warmed up when he hits 100 miles), the double-edged sword of social media, and why putting his camera away is the most important step to getting “the shot".

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: [email protected]