Alpine Start

Pascal Egli is a swiss mountain runner and ski mountaineer for Dynafit. He has won a number of skyraces in Europe, the US and South America. He is a lecturer at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim and has earned a PhD degree in glaciology from the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. 

Rachel Pohl is many things: a professional artist, an entrepreneur and an outdoor athlete. Originally from Bozeman, Montana, her and her husband recently relocated to the Lofoten Islands in Norway. Rachel has carved out a niche for herself in the outdoor industry, expanding her portfolio beyond painting to encompass merchandise, apparel and projects like her most recent Teton Dreams Collaboration with Rumpl Blankets. Rachel has also developed a sizable presence on social media, where she shares many aspects of her life: from the recent move, to her artistic work and development, to the personal growth she's devoted to. We talk about (nearly) everything under the sun: pursuing a career as an artist, following the path that's aligned with your dreams, the power of slowing down, moving accross the world and so much more. Rachel is one of the most introspective, kind and intelligent people I've met and it was a pleasure to speak with her. Enjoy! 

Hadley and I talk about growing up in the Tetons, competing on the Freeride World Tour, transitioning to filming, greiving loss in the mountains, moving to Europe, letting creativity shine through and much more. Hadley joined the Freeride World Tour in 2015 for two seasons and later made her on-screen debut in the Teton Gravity Research film Tight Loose. She's since pushed her skiing in the backcountry of British Columbia, Alaska, Norway and the French Alps. She now lives in Chamonix, France and is supported by sponsors like The North Face, Smith and Line Skis. Find her Discourse here. 

John Croom is a former professional track cyclist for Team USA. He is an 8X National Champion, Pan American Games Champion and National Record holder. Additionally he's is a coach and the owner of the Chaney Windows and Doors UCI Track Trade team. He is now pursing a career as a professional sailer on the American Magic team, competing for America's Cup.  

Scott Johnston is the co-author of Training For The New Alpinism and Training For The Uphill Athlete. He was a co-owner of the coaching buisness, Uphill Athlete, and now owns the Evoke Endurance coaching buisness. Scott has a background as an elite athlete himself, spending time at the Olympic Training Center as a swimmer and competing as a cross country skier. He earned his degree in Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics, slightly different than the traditional Exercise Physiology degree of many coaches, though clearly not a hinderance. He coached high level cross country skiers for about 15 years, producing many Olympic skiers and National Champions. He then began to coach alpinist Steve House. From their partnership, came their first book and later the creation of Uphill Athlete. Scott and I talk about the writing of the above books, his coaching philosophy, training for endurance sports, his move from Uphill Athlete to Evoke Endurance and more. 

Welcome to endurance dispatch with Nikki Larochelle and Grace Staberg. Find conversation on the latest happenings in the mountain endurance sports world, ramblings on the future of sport and plenty of "origins unclear" banter. We hope you enjoy! In episode one we talk about changes to the Skimo World Cup for the 22/23 season, dating in mountain towns, race schedules and much more. Nikki also recently recorded a short for the Dirtbag Diaries (found here ) that we'll be talking about next time. Give it a listen! 

Niki is a 25 year old professional mogul skier from Cadro, Switzerland. She competed on the World Cup for about 10 years with her first World Cup start in 2013. During the 2015/16 season, she won the overall standing of the European Cup. She also qualified for the World Championships in Deer Valley in 2018. She successfully rehabbed three severe injuries and is now retiring from professional skiing. She is now studying Leisure Management at University with hopes to later work for the Swiss Ski or Olympic Federation.

Adam Campbell is a professional mountain athlete for Arcteryx, with podium finishes at the Hardrock 100, CCC 100K, Ultra Trail Mount Fuji and the Squamish 50. He now calls the Canadian Rockies home and has also competed for the Canadian National Skimo Team. We also discuss Adam's background: from growing up in Nigeria to racing as a professional triathlete in a bid to make the Canadian Olympic Team. We talk about Adam's development as a trail runner and his changing relationship to the sport after a severe accident in 2016 while attempting the Horseshoe Traverse. Adam is also incredibly vulnerable in talking about his journey with grief after facing the tragic loss of his wife, Laura Kosakoski, in an avalanche in 2020. Adam has faced more adversity in the mountains than most will in a lifetime, but he has continued to use his platform to help others navigate grief and mental illness.

Brendan is the creator of Semi-Rad.com, a freelance writer and illustrator. His art has long held the hearts of those who love getting outside to work hard but don't take themselves too seriously. He's also a contributing editor at Adventure Journal and a columnist at Outside. He's written books like "I Hate Running and You Can Too" while also logging 100 mile finishes, running 52 marathons in 52 weeks and other feats of human endurance.

Mike has had incredible longevity as an athlete and has won the Bear 100, finished 2nd at the Hardrock 100 3 times, finished 3rd at UTMB in 2012 and been the first American male at UTMB. He's also been on the US National Skimo Team and holds the North American Men's 24-Hour Vertical Ascent Record. We discuss Mike's development as an athlete, race directing at Run the Rut and the future of the events space, his motivations in the mountains, protecting our mental health and much more.

Leah Lange joins us from her home in Bozeman, Montana to discuss her career as a professional nordic skier with the BSF Pro Team. What she liked, why she ultimately left, and what she's up to now. We also discuss our race together at the TransAlpine Run and what comes next for Leah.

Alayna is a nordic skier for the SMS T2 Elite team and joins us on an afternoon off of summer training. Originally from Minnesota, she skied for the university of Vermont and earned her degree while doing so. We talk about her development as a nordic skier, traditional training for cross country athletes, role models in sport, balancing competition with school and other passions, staying healthy, rebounding from things we may perceive as falling short and much, much more.

Jake is the Director of Programs at Protect Our Winters. He first joined the Athlete Alliance in 2012 while pursing a career as a professional snowboarder. He then worked as a writer and photographer on the subject of sustainability and climate in the snow industry. Now as the Program Manager at POW, Jake engages the community of CEO's, athletes, ski resorts, and international chapters in systemic political solutions to the climate crisis.

Hannah Allgood is a Sports Medicine PT from Colorado Springs, Colorado. This Spring, she won the Gorge Waterfalls 100k in a very competitive field. She has recently signed on as a Dynafit athlete with big goals at races like CCC in August of 2022. We talk about her evolution as a runner, the process of partnering with a sponsor after her win at Gorge Waterfalls and her evolving relationship with food and her body. We also discuss the takeaways from her work as a Physical Therapist and how she approaches her own training, coached by Megan Roche.

TJ David is a Colorado-based endurance athlete, professional skier and owner/coach at Microcosm Coaching. His relationship to the brand marketing and content creation side of being a professional athlete has evolved over time, as has his athletic identity.

Abby was a D1 distance runner at Princeton and CU Boulder, turned pro triathlete, turned pro runner for adidas, turned free agent. She also works for Gaia GPS and Outside Inc, is Co-Host of the Outspoken Podcast and is the picture of integrating creative lives and careers with running and sport.We talk about collegiate running culture, the competitive mindset, what it means to make running your profession and the existential questions that seem fairly universal.

Mike Ambrose is the Product Line Manager for Salomon and has worked on projects like the recent Ultra Glide trail shoe. For the past three years, he has been living in Annecy to work at Salomon HQ and just recently relocated back to Utah. Mike himself is also a runner, competing in races like the Leadville Trail 100, Marathon du Mont Blanc, Black Canyon 100k and more. While living in France he summited Mont Blanc and did the TMB, among many other adventures. Mike and I discuss innovations in trail running gear/apparel/footwear, the process of designing a shoe from the conception of an idea to the marketing of the product, the direction the market is heading, how to become a global brand and much more. I'm thrilled with how much insight Mike offered into his job, the direction our sport may be taking and the joys of running in gear that simply works well.

A professional skier, experienced mountaineer and paraglider, Teague offers his perspective on big goals, risk management, decision making and the beauty of the environments we recreate in. We also discuss overcoming mental and physical adversity, goals that keep us looking forward and more.

Lindsay is arguably the best female OCR racer out there. She's won the Spartan World Championships 3 times, and is the only one to have been able to do so. She has an incredible number of podium finishes in OCR and has also been competitive as a runner, mountain biker and nordic skier. This year, she's decided to shift her focus away from solely OCR and will also be doing sky races and gravel events like Unbound. Her performances are impressive but so are her laid back attitude, passion for sport and balance in life and training.

Dakota is a professional ultrarunner, with wins at notable races like Transvulcania, Pikes Peak Marathon, San Juan Solstice 50 Miler, Broken Arrow Skyrace and the Lake Sonoma 50 to name a few. He's also placed 2nd at the Hardrock 100 and will be returning in 2022. While his results are impressive, so is his commitment to using his platform to spur positive environmental change. Dakota started the Footprints Running Camp to develop leaders in climate action and is partnering with organizations like Protect Our Winters and the Kilian Journet Foundation to do just that. Dakota and I discuss his career as a professional runner, his passion for environmental advocacy, his current path to become a mechanical engineer and much more.

The co-founder of Strafe Outerwear, John Gaston has established himself as one of, if not the most, dominant American skimo racers. With multiple National titles, World Cup finishes and Grand Course races to his name, Gaston has helped pave the way for American skimo racers both domestically and abroad. We discuss all things skimo: from gear considerations, to "offseason" training, to how we can develop the sport in the states.

Oberalp North America operates the Salewa, Dynafit, Wild Country, Pomoca, and Evolv brands in the U.S. and Canada. Herr and I discuss his work with the brand, industry trends, marketing to different consumer bases and his own personal evolution as a skier.

Katie and Germain both have top-10 finishes at UTMB and have won races like the UTCAM, MIUT and the Swissalpine Marathon. Together, the pair traversed from Cervinia to Chamonix in 3 days along the summer Haute Route. The project, which they completed in 2020, was documented by On Running in a production called “Taming Giants”. Among other skimo races, the two have raced the Pierra Menta, and this winter Katie raced 2 Skimo World Cups for the USA. We talk about navigating a career as a professional athlete when your partner is doing the same, training in the mountains throughout the seasons, the ties between skimo and ultra-running and much more. 

Originally from Lago di Garda, Davide Giardini's athletic background ranges from FIS skiing to pro triathlon where he achieved 4 pro wins, dozens of podiums, and a World Championship top 10 representing Team USA.  After retiring from pro triathlon in 2018, Davide got into the local skimo scene and has since achieved top performances domestic races. In 2021, Davide founded the Boulder Skimo Club to introduce more people to ski touring and unite the local uphill community under one voice. 

Rory Kelly is one of America's most beloved skimo racers in the humor department. A former Cat-1 cyclist, he's incredibly fast on skis and has notable performances in World Cup skimo races, at the Skimo World Championships and in teams races like the Belle Etoile, the Pierra Menta, the Grand Traverse, the Power of Four and more.  In addition, he works as a software engineer at NCAR in Boulder. 

Alex was the first American woman to finish TDS this year, holds the unsupported Wonderland Trail FKT and has completed the Mount Rainier Infinity Loop. She's a jack of all trades- from epic mountain adventures to throwing down quick times on trails to make it atop the podium. Based out of Portland, OR she's also a dog mom and dietician/sports nutritionist who works primarily with endurance athletes. In the nutrition realm we talk about fueling for performance and joy, eating enough and common pitfalls she sees with athletes. We also discuss TDS, how to keep stoke high with packed race calendars, the dichotomy of social media, why having amazing sponsors matters and much more. 

We discuss Rea's approach to endurance sports, the sport of OCR, her wins at the 24-hour races in Sweden and Telluride, her 24-hour vertical record attempt last year and why she loves being a multi-sport athlete. We also dive into how the pandemic was the impetuous for her recovery from an eating disorder and  the pressures of being an elite athlete. We also talk Olympic dreams and her future in skimo.

Sean Van Horn is an incredible athlete, but mostly he's an incredible human being. He holds the second fastest time on the Nolan's 14, nearly broke the North American Men's 24 hour vertical record and has some impressive race results including 4th at the JFK 50 miler this year.  With a background as a professional cyclist, he is now an ultra runner and skimo racer.  In attempting the 24 hour record attempt, Sean decided to open up about his struggles with mental illness and raise money for the Aspen Strong Foundation.  He's continued to inspire with his candid, often brutally honest, openness about mental health. Among other things, we cover his experience this past year with Overtraining Syndrome, his perspective on living with chronic pain and mental illness, his relationship to sport and the stigma around eating disorder. 

What is it like to race in Europe as a young pro-cyclist? How did TrainingPeaks metrics like TSS become industry standard? How can data inform training? What is the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in performance? Is there a connection between training transparency and clean sport? Join me in discussing these questions and more with co-founder of PeakwareHolding and TrainingPeaks, Dirk Friel. 

Olof Hedberg is the Head Coach of the Summit Nordic Ski Club and Director of Applied Sports Science at Silicon Valley Exercise Analytics. He also has experience racing professionally as a nordic skier and adventure racer.  ⁣Olof has a tremendous breadth of knowledge on anything and everything from youth nordic coaching, to approaching development programs like businesses, to exercise intelligence and individualized training for high level athletes. ⁣ ⁣ We discuss how his professional racing experience and MBA have allowed him to help grow SNSC tremendously in the past few years. We dive into developing high caliber, elite athletes with a focus on longevity and health. Olof shares his take on the ever present, “skiers are built in the summer” sentiment and how this relates to a system heavily reliant upon training camps + post-grad programs. We also dive into the promising future of US nordic and the startup Olof works for in the realm of exercise analytics. ⁣It was fascinating to learn a bit more about nordic development programs and I love that there are so many pillars we can take from the training of elite nordic skiers to apply to training for skimo and mountain running. 

Cam Smith is one of the best Skimo athletes in the US, he's also one of the best humans on the scene. He holds the course records at the Gothic Mountain Tour, Power of Four and Grand Traverse Ski. He's also competed for the US at World Championships and in various Skimo World Cups. Lest we forget his performances at the Pikes Peak Marathon and Run the Rut this summer. Cam and I discuss skimo specific training, being intentional in sport and life, Olympic dreams and more. 

Risi and I talk about his duties as a race director, how to break into the outdoor industry, setting yourself apart as a marketable athlete and the future of skimo courses in the states. As the COSMIC race director and the Senior Marketing Manager at OnX Backcountry, Joe has ample perspective to draw from.

Mike and Eva Hagen join me to talk about a wide range of topics. We cover Mike's time coaching the Army World Class Athlete Program and their current youth running team that takes much from the European club model. In addition, we talk about Eva's European roots, the mountain lifestyle and what they think makes successful athletes.

Join me in talking with Jaime Brede about the future of skimo, her career as a professional in Xterra triathlon and road cycling and both youth and masters coaching. 

Jill Seager is a Physician Assistant who moonlights as a badass endurance athlete. She's won skimo races like the Audi Power of Four and has taken her talents to the mountains on objectives like the Grand Teton and Mount Rainier. 

One of the pillars of our community, Nikki is an endurance athlete, graphic designer and all around badass. She has amazing insight on risk assessment, motherhood and infertility, the future of skimo and much more. In addition to being a great human, Nikki also has many notable athletic accomplishments including 3rd at the High Lonesome 100, traversing the Mosquito-Tenmile range in 2018 and being a member of the US National Skimo Team. 

Meet Helen Cospolich, the only person I run with on a regular basis and one of my all time favorite life-chat partners. Helen was a professional Ultrarunner for Nike and the North Face. She finished 7th at UTMB, 3rd at Hardrock, 11th at Western States and won the Leadville 100. She's truly mastered the game of balancing life and sport and is humble as all get out. 

Joe Howdyshell is the Head Coach of the US National Skimo Team and founder of the Summit Endurance Academy. He joins us today to discuss the inclusion of Skimo in the 2026 Olympics, the pillars of endurance training, and balancing training stress with life stress.