Caitlin Smith 2015 Interview

We last interviewed Caitlin Smith exactly three years ago, right after what she considered a disappointing 50 miler at North Face Championships. Sarah and I caught up with her again this week to chat about her recent run at World 50k Championships in Qatar where she struggled with diet and jet lag and didn’t finish as planned.  Of course, in the interim of the interviews, she won TransRockies with Magdalena Boulet, finished second at Way Too Cool, won USATF Trail 50k Championships, and has re-qualified for the Olympic Marathon Trials in February. I love a race report that begins with “I learned a lot on Friday” and can’t wait to see how she does at trials next year, in addition to maybe dipping her toes back into 50 milers. Go for it Caitlin!   In this podcast with Caitlin Smith, we discuss: * How travel affects performance and why slumber parties are bad. * The importance of staying calm during a race. * How she trains for so many distances and terrains concurrently. * Why she does hill workouts on a treadmill despite living close to some incredibly hilly trails. * Race nutrition and consequences of ignoring it. * How assisting in childbirth affects her ultra attitude. * Who pays for travel when competing for USA and the unique way she financed her trip. Episode Notes: * Sponsored by Mendocino Coast 50k.  If you’re in Northern California in April of 2016, definitely check out the course.  Redwoods, rivers, singletrack, ferns, oceans…Looks like more of a scenic course than a PR course, and that’s just fine with me. * Caitlin’s blog is right here and here’s a link to her art page on Amazon. * Sarah and I chat about the PED issue briefly, but will save the meat of the conversation for a roundtable discussion on the subject planned for later. * The Thai place in Oakland will remain a secret. * Intro music is back, so sue me.  Outro music: No Holding Back by Matt Flaherty.