Professional mountain biker Payson McElveen sits down with some of the biggest names in sports and adventure to get an inside look at what sets them apart. With no script, the casual conversations are as diverse as the guests, with topics ranging from harrowing tales of survival, to debates on current events, to everyday tips and tricks and everything in between. As Payson travels the world for his two-wheeled day job, listen in as he rubs shoulders with and learns from some of the most inspiring athletes, entrepreneurs, academics, and others as they chase and inspire greatness.
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Quarantine Companion #2 with Rahsaan Bahati
In this episode of Quarantine Companion, Payson and Justin are joined by cyclist Rahsaan Bahati, whose twenty-year career in criterium and track racing included ten national championship titles and multiple appearances on the USA Cycling Worlds team. They talk about his career and transition into activism through his creation of the Bahati Foundation, which works to promote the health and education of inner-city youth through cycling, and his current role as Social Impact Manager for Zwift. Other topics include his childhood in Compton, his unlikely introduction to cycling, and how he became one of Justin’s closest mentors when Justin was an aspiring teenager. They also swap favorite jokes, discuss Rahsaan’s time as a member of the controversial Rock Racing team in the 2000's, and share some opinions about his unconventional quarantine essentials which include airplane simulators and Zombie Dust. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Quarantine Companion #1 with co-host Justin Williams
In this first installment of Quarantine Companion, Payson is joined by co-host Justin Williams to lay the groundwork for this new limited series. They talk about how they’re getting by in the age of social distancing and lockdowns, including what books they’re reading, what snacks they’re consuming, how they’re maintaining motivation to train, and what their daily schedules and workflows look like. They also give some hints about what’s in store for future episodes of Quarantine Companion, including big name guests, shoe choices, and maybe even some listener-included push-up challenges. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Brook MacDonald, downhill mountain biker
Brook MacDonald is one of the best downhill mountain bikers in the world and has snagged multiple podium spots on the UCI World Cup circuit since he began racing professionally in 2011. Known as “The Bulldog” for his fearless, full-throttle racing style, Brook is no stranger to injury, and 2019 saw the most brutal setback of his career so far. At Mountain Bike World Championships in Quebec in September, he fractured his spine in two places and lost feeling in his legs, leaving his future on and off the bike uncertain. In this interview, Payson sits down with Brook to talk about the injury and how the crash itself was just the beginning of a grueling saga that left him on the mountain and without sufficient medical help for nearly five hours. They talk about his recovery process and celebrating the little victories, which other athletes he’s taken inspiration from during this process, and why he isn’t afraid to start racing again. They also talk about his love of road racing and its importance in his training, and why you might be seeing him at the Olympics in the future in a completely different cycling discipline. A New Zealand native, Brook also shares some of his favorite (explicit) Kiwi slang, and why driving in the U.S. has a steep learning curve. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Justin Williams round 2, road cyclist
Justin Williams returns to the podcast after appearing for the first time in episode 48 with Kate Courtney and Colin Strickland. In this episode, he and Payson confront some controversial topics, including the death and legacy of basketball superstar Kobe Bryant, social media backlash, and why we should accept the shades of gray in the lives of influential public figures rather than choose to only see black or white. They also swap stories of their worst racing experiences, including a food shortage in Uruguay and fermented mare's milk in Mongolia, and Justin tells Payson about winning a cross country race in Belize that has special significance for his family, and the time he won a professional road race on a borrowed women's bike. Justin's cycling career started in his early teens and has included multiple national titles, including both the road and criterium races at the Elite National Championships in 2018. As one of the small number of professional cyclists of color, he has prioritized inclusivity and representation in a sport that still lacks diversity. In 2019, he and his brother and fellow racer Cory Williams founded their own team, Legion of Los Angeles, which seeks to elevate the careers of cyclists from diverse backgrounds. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Larissa Connors, mountain biker
Larissa Connors is a two-time winner of both the Leadville 100 mountain bike race and Belgian Waffle Ride. Payson caught up with her at her home in Orange County, California in February to talk work/life balance, over-training, and why she has unfinished business in Leadville. They also talk about why she’s glad she doesn’t live near any of her toughest racing competitors, how she manages to maintain her infant daughter’s breastfeeding schedule while training for races and working full-time as a math teacher, and how her work in the classroom allows her to find a consistent source of self-worth that is so elusive in the unpredictable world of professional cycling. Known for her love of extreme physical challenges, Larissa also has a few cautionary tales up her sleeve, including the time she did five 100 mile mountain bike races in less than six weeks, and her first (and last) experience at La Ruta de los Conquistadores in Costa Rica when she nearly died of kidney failure and found herself alone in a rural hospital in the jungle with nothing but the kit she was wearing and a very limited understanding of Spanish.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Sarah Bidgood, nuclear nonproliferation expert
Sarah Bidgood is a leading nuclear nonproliferation expert and Director of the Eurasian nonproliferation program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. As a specialist in US-Russia cooperation in nuclear security, she has written books, appeared on news outlets such as CNN, and presented her research at the United Nations in Geneva. In this conversation, Sarah and Payson talk about why the US-Russia rivalry is still so contentious decades after the Cold War, the advantages to working at a think tank rather than in a government position, why some countries are racing to arm themselves with nuclear weapons while others voluntarily renounce theirs, and what the best case scenario is for denuclearization in a world that has already seen destruction on a mass scale from atomic bombs. They also talk about why the “us vs. them” mentality in relation to our supposed adversaries is no longer relevant in today’s world, and why it’s in America’s best interest to denuclearize in spite of its desire to retain its global standing. Making a cameo appearance in the interview is Sarah’s husband and mountain bike mechanic Brad Copeland, who jumps in to ask a few of his own questions, and Payson asks for Sarah’s opinion of professional sports. Sarah is speaking in her own individual capacity in this interview. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
"The Mid South" Q&A Special: Payson answers your questions
Following Payson’s win at the historically muddy “The Mid South” gravel race, many asked for a Q&A episode giving a look inside the race. In this episode, Payson responds to the questions you've been submitting over the past few days about the race, including why he chose to use slick tires for one of the muddiest races on record, how he kept his head in the game and managed to catch the lead group after early setbacks, his power, heart rate, calorie, and other race data, and his thoughts about the scarcity of live coverage of the women's race in relation to the men's. He also addresses the elephant in the room that many of you brought up in your questions: how he felt about competing in the race during the escalation of COVID-19, and whether or not he would have done things differently in hindsight. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Nik Hawks: veteran, entrepreneur, athlete
Nik Hawks is an entrepreneur, athlete, and veteran (Navy SEAL). Among his many pursuits, he is a paraglider, writer, podcaster, Red Bull athletic performance consultant, and founder of a paleo dessert company. In this conversation, Nik talks to Payson about why it took him three tries to complete the Leadville 100 ultramarathon, choosing between health and athletic performance in regards to diet, what it’s like working within the individually-minded world of elite athletes as opposed to the team-oriented world of the military, why he loves being underestimated by strangers, and his distaste for being pigeon-holed as a Navy SEAL. He also opens up about his struggle reintegrating with civilian life which led to a close brush with suicide, and how transitions such as his are not unique to veterans, and are actually universal. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Tyler Jewell, Red Bull athlete performance coach
Tyler Jewell is an athlete performance coach at Red Bull, and has been instrumental in helping athletes reach the heights of their sports and come back from injuries. In this conversation, Tyler talks about his early career as a two-time Olympic snowboarder, why he doesn't necessarily like the word "talent", how years of persistent relationship building was key to creating a successful coaching career, and why he often favors on-the-spot training plans rather than the industry standard ones. He also talks about how his dyslexia diagnosis as a child helped him realize the importance of different modes of learning, and how this experience still resonates in his approach to coaching athletes. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Hans Rey, mountain biking icon
Hans Rey is a pioneer of extreme mountain biking and a former trials riding world champion. After retiring from professional competitions in 1997, Hans forged a new path as an adventurer, traveling the world with camera crews and journalists to document his explorations by bike. To date, these experiences have taken him to over 70 countries and landed him over 400 magazine covers. Because of this, Hans is considered by many to be the original content athlete, paving the way for a modern generation of riders whose accomplishments and fanbase are won through their pursuits off the race circuit in more unconventional arenas. In this conversation, Hans tells Payson about creating content in the 80's when riders had to strap cameras to their chests and carry VHS recorders in their backpacks in order to film their rides, why he thinks social media influencing is headed for a decline, and his friendships with some of rock ’n roll’s most iconic musicians who happen to be avid mountain bikers. He also tells a few stories from his many adventures, including sneaking into Egyptian pyramids, getting special permission from the president of Peru to ride on Machu Pichu, and being possessed by spirits in a cave in Borneo. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Chris Burkard on his record setting bike lap of Iceland
In the summer of 2019, acclaimed photographer Chris Burkard set a new record in the WOW Cyclothon in Iceland, completing the 844 mile ride that traverses the perimeter of the country in 52 hours, 36 minutes and 19 seconds. In his second appearance on the show (he appeared previously in Episode 2), Chris does a deep dive on his record-breaking effort, which included 45mph crosswinds, zero sleep, unicorn hallucinations, and nine hours of torrential rain. He talks about why he puts himself through such grueling hours on the bike even when he isn’t training for an event, why getting out of your comfort zone even when you have a career as multifaceted and exciting as his is so important, burning 35,000 calories over the course of his ride, and why he made the deliberate choice to not document his experience. He also talks about how cycling facilitates a unique and exhilarating closeness with landscape, and how that relationship is the motivating factor behind his seemingly limitless drive for the sport. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Justin Williams, road cyclist (with Colin Strickland and Kate Courtney)
Justin Williams is a professional cyclist who has raced both domestically and internationally. He’s won multiple national titles, including both the road and criterium races at the Elite National Championships in 2018. As one of the small number of professional cyclists of color, Justin has chosen to prioritize inclusivity and representation in a sport that still lacks diversity. In 2019, he and his brother and fellow racer Cory Williams founded their own team, Legion of Los Angeles, which seeks to elevate the careers of cyclists from diverse backgrounds. Payson caught up with Justin on a recent trip to Los Angeles, where they were joined by racers and former Adventure Stache guests Kate Courtney (Ep. 5) and Colin Strickland (Ep. 31). The conversation was free flowing and off script, with Kate and Colin jumping in to ask Justin questions, and Justin turning the tables with some questions of his own. They talk about how all four of them have found their own unique space within the vast world of cycling, why representation matters, what Justin and his team are doing to increase female participation and equal pay, and when to say “hell no” to sponsorship deals. Justin also shares his first run-in with Colin’s particular set of racing skills, and Colin explains why his winning strategy has more to do with perspective and analysis than it does with fitness. Kate shares her thoughts on the dangers of equating amateur athletes with pros, and Payson, Justin, and Colin settle the great Aero Bars debate once and for all. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Johnny Collinson, skier
John Collinson is a big mountain freeskier whose accomplishments in the sport have earned him multiple podiums on the Freeskiing World Tour and awards for his frequent appearances in Red Bull and Teton Gravity Research films. Equally skilled in the tricks and style of free skiing and in the speed and scale of big mountain skiing, Johnny is known for his versatility and range. In this conversation, he and Payson talk about how a recent knee injury has helped him discover an affinity for a whole new kind of athletic achievement, how diet influences his training, and why he chooses diversity in rehab workouts over specifics. While Johnny is primarily known for his abilities going down mountains, his accomplishments going up them gained him widespread public attention in his early years. He tells Payson about his mountaineering career, which dates back over decades when he climbed including what it was like to climb Mount Rainier at age four, how he became the youngest person ever to climb the Seven Summits at the age of 17, and why he’s glad he never got sponsored for it. They also talk about his childhood traveling around the mountains in the west with his parents and older sister Angel in a ’79 Ford Econoline van, and how an unfortunate incident with a piece of cheese led to some youthful innovations in the disposal of unwanted food on family hikes. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Reilly Brennan, transportation investor
Reilly Brennan is an early stage investor in the transportation industry and a lecturer at Stanford’s School of Engineering. As cofounder of Trucks, a venture capital group that funds the future of transportation, he has played a crucial role in the development of self driving car technology and other advances that will modernize the way we move from place to place. In this conversation, he explains to Payson how transportation touches every part of life, the thousands of decisions that go into evaluating young entrepreneurs, why he invests in the person over the idea, and how he uses the principles of cultural anthropology to assess the potential of the teams that pitch to him. As an avid sports fan, Reilly also has thoughts on the changing landscape of the industry, including the ways in which social media is making athletes more powerful than their sanctioning bodies, why young athletes shouldn’t wait to secure sponsors or results to start creating a personal brand, and what the NBA is doing right. Early in his career, Reilly was a member of the Le Mans-winning Corvette C5-R program, and watches car racing closely. He talks about why NASCAR isn’t what it used to be, why Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was the last of the great NASCAR drivers, and why the commoditization of the sport deliberately robs drivers of their personalities. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Angel Collinson, free skier
Angel Collinson is one of the most accomplished big mountain freestyle skiers in the world. Throughout her career, she's won two championship titles at the Freeskiing World Tour, and was the first woman to be awarded Best Line at the Powder Video Awards in 2016. Angel is perhaps best known for her many appearances in Teton Gravity Research’s (TGR) annual ski films, which have featured some of her most spectacular and daring runs. When Payson interviewed Angel last week at Red Bull headquarters, she was still recovering from a thousand foot tumble down an Alaskan mountain that led to a second knee surgery and extensive rehab. In this conversation, they discuss her injury, how she has maintained her legendary positivity throughout the lengthy recovery process, her close relationship with brother and fellow professional skier John Collinson, and how leaving a promising academic career in Environmental Law to pursue skiing gave her an even more powerful voice as a lobbyist for environmental change in Washington and beyond. They also go in depth on Angel’s complex feelings about the post-#MeToo era and how she thinks the pendulum might have swung too far. And just in case the conversation was in danger of getting a little too serious, Angel tells the story of when her dad lowered her headfirst into an outhouse toilet by the ankles. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc