Conversation Pace with FRE

This week on the Conversation Pace podcast, we get a High Lonesome 100 recap with our teammate, Taylor Bacon. Taylor completed her first 100 mile race and we go through all of the nitty gritty details with her. You’ll feel like you, too, are running 100 miles! From the struggles of walking on a “runnable” dirt road to a dancing unicorn that pulls you out of a low point (and was not a hallucination...

Braden Nicholson and he is, a 2x NCAA National Champion and 7x All-American from NorthCentral College, a top DIII program located in Naperville, Illinois. Braden has incredible range. He has run 8:07 for 3k, 14:06 for 5k, 29:18 for 10k, and 1:04 in the half marathon. He just wrapped up an incredible NCAA career, winning two national titles—one in dramatic fashion after a competitor wasdisqualified...

On this weeks bonus episode of Conversation Pace we check back in with Adrian Macdonald and hear all about his Western States experience, how he is recovering and his random early return to running because of an opportunity to run with donkeys! If you didn't hear his pre-race thoughts check out Episode 43 first. Adrian finished Western States in 20:14:25 in 35th place. While wildly impressive...

Rachel Conhoff is a two-time national record holder for the U.S. Virgin Islands in the 1500-meter and 3000-meter steeplechase, with times of 4:25 and 10:54, respectively. In this episode, we discuss Rachel’s athletic journey- from running a sub-6-minute mile in the schoolyard as a kid, to moving to the States to compete at the Division III level for Ursinus College in Pennsylvania, and ultimately...

Dr. Elijah Flenner is a staple of the Fort Collins trail running community. He has completed many ultramarathons, including Quad Rock 50 miler, Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB), Western States Endurance Run, and High-5 100. He recently started a coaching business, Ridgeline Rhythm, combining his love for supporting the running community, using his experience to help others, and diving into the sci...

Adrian Macdonald is a decorated ultra-distance runner sponsored by On Running and based right here in Fort Collins, Colorado. A competitive runner since high school, he transitioned to mountain, ultra, and trail racing in 2020 and has since established himself as one of the top 100-mile athletes in the sport. His major victories include back-to-back wins at the Leadville Trail 100 in 2021 and 2022...

We are so thrilled to chat with Alicia Monson today and get to know her a little better. She grew up in Amery, Wisconsin and ran for the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she earned Big Ten titles and won the 5,000m NCAA Indoor Championship. Alicia moved to Colorado in 2020 to join the On Athletics Club as a professional runner. She competed in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and holds the 5,000m and...

Lydia is a Strength and Conditioning Coach at Indiana State University, where she oversees the NCAA Division I cross country and track, swim and dive, and basketball teams. She is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and holds a master’s degree in the field. Originally from California, Lydia moved to Fort Collins for her undergraduate studies. In this conversation, we discuss the benef...

Taylor Stack won an NCAA steeplechase title at Western Colorado University and, after a break from competition, signed a professional contract with Brooks following a 4th-place finish at Broken Arrow. Sydney Petersen competed for Colorado State University and, after steady collegiate growth, placed 7th at Broken Arrow and also signed with Brooks. In this episode, you will meet these inspiring athl...

Taylor Bacon, Sophie Seward, and Courtney Bouchet sit down for the battle of the 50ks and recap a weekend of racing. On April 12th, Sophie raced the Mad City road 50k in Madison, Wisconsin, which served as the Road 50k US Championship race. The next day, her Front Range Elite teammates Taylor Bacon and Courtney Bouchet raced the Gorge Waterfalls trail 50k just outside of Portland, Oregon. They all...

This week we return with Shalaya Kipp for part II of a double episode. We dive deep into her research studies, spanning from the ground reaction forces of the steeplechase to the energetics of super shoes. Shalaya also discusses her more recent work investigating the impact of sports bra tightness on breathing energetics, how much work an athlete is doing to breathe during exercise. Other topics d...

This week we sat down with Shalaya Kipp for part I of a double episode. We discuss her journey making the 2012 Olympic team in the steeplechase after a full collegiate season, running through two pregnancies and postpartum, and how many ways running has weaved its way through her life. Bonus, you’ll hear about Shalaya’s favorite waffle recipe! Stay tuned for episode II where Shalaya discusses her...

Bonus Episode! Today on Conversation Pace with Front Range Elte we are wrapping up Women's History Month chatting with our own Fort Collins Olympian, Libbie Hickman! Libbie was a standout distance runner who represented the United States in the 10,000 meters at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Over the course of her career, she competed in three World Championships- the 5,000 meters in 1995 and 1997, and...

This week we chat with Tyler McCandless- mostly about his upcoming 10k at The TEN, put on by Sound Running on March 29 in San Juan Capistrano, CA. Tyler McCandless moved to Fort Collins a few years ago but has been in the running scene for quite some time. He has a personal best of 2:12:28 in the marathon. His athletic journey began on the soccer field at the age of four, but his path shifted when...

This week, we sit down with Maggie Shafer to talk about how she and her partner decided to go for baby number four, how she’s balancing training during this pregnancy, and the lessons she’s learned from each of her pregnancies when it comes to running and training. It’s wild to think how much things have changed in just a short time. When AnnMarie had her kids, pregnancy often meant the end of a r...

Taylor's first 100 miler! And its an epic one. The High Lonesome 100 is a rugged, high-altitude race that weaves through the Sawatch Range of the Colorado Rockies. With over 23,500 feet of climbing and a high point of 13,150 feet, this course is no joke. Taylor talks about how she got into the race, her mindset leading up to this undertaking, and her training plan of course. The joy in her voice i...

5280 Distance Project is a elite and sub-elite running team dedicated to pushing the limits located in Denver, CO. Their team brings together athletes who want to set big goals and push themselves across a wide range of distances from the mile to the marathon and even ultra-distance events. They compete on the roads, track and the trails, and are committed to fostering a supportive, high performin...

Today's guest is Carmen Pelar Graves. She is a three-time Olympic Trials qualifier in track and field, specializing in the 3000-meter steeplechase, where she holds an impressive personal record of 9:32. Recruited to Roanoke College for soccer, she discovered a talent for track and field, competing as a sprinter and jumper before gradually transitioning to longer distances. Her dedication paid off...

Dani is an elite runner and high school cross country coachin Fort Collins, Colorado. Originally from Bloomington, Indiana, Dani ran collegiately at Indiana State University where she was a 2-time conference champion and thentrained with Team Indiana Elite for three years. During this time, she coached at a high school in Indiana then collegiately at Western Michigan and Indiana University Purdue...

We're thrilled to kick off 2025 with big plans and exciting adventures! Join Sophie and AnnMarie as they dive into what's ahead, including coaching athletes of all levels, exciting new additions to the 5280 One Mile, and a look at their personal goals for the year. Links to what we discuss: Coaching request 5280 One Mile Registration

Andy ran for University of Colorado and was a Four-time All-Big 12 Performer and a two-time cross country All-American. Post collegiately Andy has represented Team USA 17 times, placing 2nd in 2015 and 3rd in 2014 in the Mountain Running Long Distance World Championships. He is a four-time trail national champion. Andy is the founder of The Trail Team, a Boulder, CO based team who strives to incre...

This week on Conversation Pace with FRE get an inside peek into pre-race preparation and thoughts about Club Cross Country Nationals, along with post-race results and highlights. We had a blast recording this and hope you enjoy listening. This episode is brought to you by 5280 Mile- stay tuned for registration opening Jan 1, 2025 along with some awesome prizes and changes to train and run the mile...

Ben Randall is a Master's of Science graduate student within the Journalism & Media Department at Colorado State University—currently finishing his Thesis on cis-gendered male endurance athlete’s relationship with communication and nutrition. He completed his B.A. in Journalism & Media Communication--also from CSU--from 2019-2021, specializing in science communication, podcasting, and publ...

Taylor is a Soil Science PhD student at Colorado State University studying sustainable land management and renewable energy. She started running in 6th grade when her mom founded her elementary school’s Turkey Trot and she joined the middle school cross country team shortly after. Over adventure filled runs with her cross country team, she fell in love with running (and met her now partner Alex!)....

Anna has been on fire and we had to chat with her again to dig deeper into her story and athletic career at CSU. You can listen to more of her backstory on Episode 19. Anna is a first year grad student at Colorado State University studying journalism and media communication and running track and cross country. She grew up in North Carolina before graduating from high school in Michigan, where she...