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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Christian Williams, Payson's coach
Christian Williams and Payson have been working together for over a decade, ever since Payson was a junior racing in local and state races in Texas. Over 20 years of coaching, Christian has led over a hundred riders to national podiums, and been the director of the Garmin development team and the USA Pan American Games team. In addition to his coaching, he's raced for over 35 years as well. In this conversation, he and Payson discuss why their relationship has lasted for so many years when most coach/athlete relationships last only months, the training methods Christian uses for pros and non-professional cyclists, doping, and why former pros don’t always make the best coaches. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Tiffany Cromwell, road cylist
Tiffany Cromwell is an Australian road cyclist who rides for Canyon-SRAM. Her many accomplishments include stage wins at the Gira d’Italia and victory in the Belgium Spring Classic Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. She and Payson caught up this summer at Steamboat Gravel (SBT GRVL) to talk about her early introduction to the world of professional cycling, starting her own fashion line, how she’s hoping to turn her passion for travel into a post-cycling career, and what she wants to see change in women’s road cycling. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Carson Storch, freeride mountain biker
Carson Storch is a freeride and slopestyle mountain biker, best known for his participation in the Mountain Bike Freeride World Tour and Red Bull Rampage. He and Payson caught up in L.A. only a few days after this year's Rampage to talk about the event and its challenges. They discuss the behind-the-scenes build process that can make or break a good run, and the alliances and politics involved with it. They talk about techniques Carson uses to keep his cool during such a high stakes competition, and why he keeps his gym regimen to a minimum. They also do a deep dive into Carson's experiences filming the 2018 film North of Nightfall in which he and three other big mountain freeriders were taken on a month-long filming expedition to Axel Heiberg, an uninhabited island in the High Arctic that is home to one of the world's largest glaciers and is experiencing some of the most rapid repercussions of climate change. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Ted King and Payson McElveen interview each other
Ted King is a former professional road cyclist and current gravel racer. Ted's diverse interests off the bike are nearly too numerous to count, but include hosting his own podcast (King of the Ride), co-owning a maple syrup based nutrition company, Untapped, and founding the acclaimed gravel event Rooted Vermont. Before his gravel racing career, Ted was a professional World Tour road racer with Liquigas, during which time he raced the Tour de France and was a key domestique to Peter Sagan. Payson caught up with Ted at the media launch of Big Sugar, a new gravel race in Bentonville, Arkansas. Short on time, they decided to interview each other during the discussion and upload the conversation to each of their shows. They discuss their favorite podcasts, their love of the off the bike hustle, why Ted retired from world tour racing at the tender age of 32, and how he feels about the professionalization of gravel racing. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Ned Overend and John Tomac, mountain bike icons
Ned Overend and John Tomac dominated professional mountain biking during its hay day of the late 80’s and 90’s in a rivalry that is permanently etched in off-road racing history. Their battles defined the sport for nearly a decade, and were made even more memorable by the diverse and dynamic technological advancements of the time. One year ago, Payson got Ned and John together for a rare one-on-one conversation, which they recorded at Tomac's 800 acre ranch in Cortez, CO. They talk about what it was like to see the sport change due to drug use, and ultimately be forced in to retirement because of it. They reminisce about unique bike set-ups and the limitations of early race bikes, what their relationship was like when they were at the peak of their careers, and how mountain biking has changed in the decades since. They also discuss Tomac’s current work with his son, Eli, one of the best motocross racers in the world, and Ned’s continued age-defying career on the bike that is still giving some of the best racers a run for their money. Payson also reached out to some of the biggest names inspired by Ned and John, to see what they wanted to ask their heroes. As such, questions from Geoff Kabush, Todd Wells, Travis Brown, Alison Dunlap, and Carl Decker are featured throughout the conversation. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Ellen Noble, cyclist
Ellen Noble is a four-time cyclocross national champion and world champion silver medalist. In this interview, she and Payson go deep on gender equality and the #MeToo movement, talk about their favorite books, and lighten the mood with a few breakfast recipes. Ellen has been an outspoken advocate of gender parity within cycling and in the broader world, and is the founder of #bunnyhopthepatriarchy, a movement intended to highlight and reduce gender inequities in the cycling world.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Jake Murray, American Ninja Warrior
Jake Murray is a professional ninja, best known for his multiple appearances on the hit reality competition show American Ninja Warrior. He's been on the show for the past four seasons, and his speed and creative flair make him a crowd favorite each year. Payson sat down with Jake to talk about how a person from South Dakota becomes a professional ninja, the one type of fitness that gives him a competitive edge, and why his love for Kevin Bacon finally got him cast on the show after years of unsuccessful attempts. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Mark Twight, mountaineer, Part II
In their second conversation on The Adventure Stache, Payson and mountaineer Mark Twight sat down in Mark’s Non Prophet headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah to pick up where they left off in Part I. They discuss Mark’s use of male group dynamics to get major results in his work as a Hollywood trainer on some of the biggest action and superhero movies of the decade, the fear of underachieving, and why Mark is totally fine with the dangers of Everest’s overcrowding problem. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Colin Strickland, cyclist
Colin Strickland is a gravel, cyclocross, and road cyclist who shot to prominence in 2016 when he dominated the 2016 Red Hook Criterium fixed-gear series in Brooklyn. Since then, he’s won back-to-back titles at Gravel Worlds and taken the win at this year’s Dirty Kanza 200, becoming the first person to finish the race in under ten hours. Payson caught up with Colin in San Francisco last month, the morning after they competed in Red Bull Bay Climb, to discuss his achievements and varied career. They talk about their love of off the bike tinkering, their experiences attending the same tiny private school in Austin, TX from kindergarten through high school, and Colin’s unconventional Dirty Kanza strategy that baffled his competitors and brought him a decisive victory. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Mark Twight, mountaineer, Part I
Mark Twight is a former pioneering mountaineer, climber, photographer, author, podcaster, and Hollywood trainer. During his climbing career, he made multiple first ascents of some of the most challenging routes in the world, and achieved the fastest known times (FKTs) on Denali and Mount Hunter in The Alaska Range using bold, innovative training and climbing methods. His lightweight, single push approach to alpinism solidified his legacy as a pioneer of the sport, and changed the face of mountaineering. Following his retirement from climbing, Twight founded Gym Jones, a private training facility where his success with professional athletes and military personnel led him to training actors for nine different Hollywood movies. He defines his current project--NonProphet--as the intersection between art and action but it is difficult to assign a title to what he does. Now he works as a writer, podcaster, speaker, and photographer. Payson caught up with Mark in Moab, UT to attempt to scratch the surface of Mark's career. They discuss radical approaches to breaking speed records, Mark's legendary 60 hour ascent of Denali, and why a balance between hubris and humility is key to achieving anything great. In the process, they realized there was just too much to talk about, and came back for round two a few months later. Part II of their conversation will be published next week. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Kelly Halpin, mountain runner and artist
Kelly Halpin is a mountain runner with multiple fastest known times on some the toughest and most remote routes in the country. She specializes in solo, unsupported challenges in and around her home territory in Grand Teton National Park, and often combines her running with professional level rock climbing. In addition to running and climbing, Halpin is an accomplished snowboarder and horseback rider, and has worked as an artist and illustrator for companies such as ESPN, Powder Magazine, and Red Bull. Payson visited Kelly in her home in Jackson, Wyoming where they talked about art, the precautions required for solo wilderness adventures, the best type of saw for cutting off dead bison heads, and the time she literally ran into a black bear on an afternoon run. They recorded this episode directly after returning from a neighborhood rosé party, so at times the conversation style may seem even looser than normal.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Lynsey Dyer, skier
Lynsey Dyer is a professional skier and filmmaker from Jackson, Wyoming. Following a career in competitive big mountain skiing, Lynsey went on to become a trailblazing star in many backcountry films, eventually moving on to directing and producing award winning films of her own. Especially of note was "Pretty Faces", the first and only all-female ski film. Lynsey has also been a commentator for ESPN, starred in a reality TV show on Bravo, presented Ted Talks, and been awarded Female Skier of the Year by Powder Magazine multiple times. Payson sat down with Lynsey in her home to discuss her incredible dedication to setting a good example for young women (she's turned down opportunities with Coca-Cola, Mountain Dew, and Playboy recently), the challenges of navigating all-male film shoots, the oxymorons and environmental challenges of her career, and her observations on why men are in desperate need of good role models. Lynsey also hosts her own podcast, "Showing UP."Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Loren Mutch, roller derby World Champion
Loren Mutch is a skater with the Rose City Rollers, one of the best roller derby teams in the world. In 2014, she was crowned Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) MVP, and went on to help her team win back to back world championships in 2015 and 2016. Earlier this summer, Payson caught up with Loren at her home in Portland, Oregon where they got philosophical about social media, discussed the type of training required for such a unique sport, and connected over tattoos and a shared love of basketball. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Tim Johnson, cyclocross icon
Tim Johnson is a former professional cyclist, most known for his multiple cyclocross national titles and world championship medals. His career also included a stint on a World Tour road team, where he had to face tough decisions at the height of the doping era that nearly made him quit the sport. Payson and Tim were teammates as part of a collection of Lululemon athletes for BC Bike Race, where Payson had the chance to better get to know an icon of the sport he’s looked up to for years. Between stages six and seven, the two sat down to discuss stories from both the high points and low points of his career, his position as development director at USA Cycling, how he helped Tejay Van Garderen and Mike Woods in their last few workouts before this year’s Tour de France, why he’s so silly, and his never-ending love of the sport. This episode has some stronger-than-usual language. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc
Grand Poobear, Esports speedrunner
Grand Poobear is a Red Bull e-sports athlete and one of the top competitive video gamers in the world. With thousands of followers on Twitch and Youtube, he earns a very handsome living while simultaneously raising over a million dollars for charity through live events and streams. Payson caught up with Poo at his home in Vancouver, Washington to discuss the grind of esports stardom, why failure is 99% of the job, and how a nearly fatal snowboarding accident took him out of traditional competitive sports and brought him into gaming. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc