With Pace

Keegan Swenson joins Payson one week after setting a course record at 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo. They talk about his pivot toward endurance racing after narrowly missing out on a spot at the Olympics for XC, and how he managed to beat out stiff competition to take the top step at 24 HOP in spite of it being his first 24-hour solo race. He talks about how his XC training informs his endurance racing mentality in good and bad ways, and the gravel rookie who he thinks is the rider to beat in the upcoming gravel Grand Prix. He also talks about whether he has plans to dip a toe into road racing now that he's jumping into the gravel scene, and his no-holds-barred racing mentality. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

Ted King joins Payson to talk about The Mid South, the unofficial kickoff of the 2022 gravel season. They discuss this year’s course, the weather forecast, and where they think the race fits into the bigger picture of gravel. They discuss of the depth of both the men's and women's fields and choose their podium favorites and a few dark horses. They also talk about how they’re feeling as they gear up for a packed 2022 schedule and how Ted is fairing after two broken bones five months apart curtailed his 2021 season. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

Remi Gauvin is a professional enduro racer from Squamish, BC who has made numerous podiums and top ten Overall Series finishes in the Enduro World Series. In this conversation, Remi talks about how riding dirt jumps in Jordie Lunn's backyard as a kid fueled his passion for cycling. He talks about finding early success as a downhill racer and working on an oil rig to support his cycling career, at one point working 56 days in a row on night shifts in temperatures around -30ºC. He talks about why he transitioned to enduro, the different skillset required for downhill, and what it’s like dating a fellow pro racer (2017 Downhill World Champion, Miranda Miller). He also talks about his tips for fast descending and the Youtube channel he created with Miller and teammate Jesse Melamed to highlight the community and skill-building of pro riding. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

Jesse Melamed is an enduro mountain bike racer who is currently ranked #3 in the world for that discipline. In this conversation, he talks about growing up in Whistler, BC, his love of skiing, and his relationship with his teammate and competitor, Remi Gauvin. He talks about the mixed response he received from fans and sponsors when he won the 2020 Enduro World Series which had several notable absences from riders due to the pandemic. He also talks about why big miles on the road is the best form of training, why filming and editing his own content has remained a priority in spite of a busy race schedule, and the bike touring trip he took from Texas to Louisiana this winter.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

Lance Haidet is a professional road and cyclocross racer who currently rides for L39ion of LosAngeles. In this interview, he tells Payson about racing mountain bikes as a teenager in Bend, OR  and going on to win U23 Road Nationals for Aevolo under the leadership of Mike Creed. He talks about why he's decided to jump into the gravel racing scene for the 2022 season with the Lifetime Grand Pre, and how he juggles multiple disciplines while getting an engineering degree at CalPoly. He also tells Payson about why he decided to join L39ion in 2020, what he thinks of the backlash the team receives, and how they've changed road cycling in the US. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

Sam Pickman worked as an engineer for Specialized for 11 years before joining Allied Cycleworks in 2016. As one of the brand’s first employees, he has been instrumental in developing their unique designs and manufacturing process. In this interview, he tells Payson why he chose to move his family from the Bay Area to northwest Arkansas to work for an as yet unproven brand. He talks about why Allied’s “made here” ethos creates a higher performance product: by designing and manufacturing all their bikes and components under the same roof, they’re able to explore and test more innovative designs than a brand that outsources their manufacturing to other factories. He talks about his own creative process, how some of Allied’s most successful designs were developed, and goes through the steps of how a bike is made. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

Marley Blonsky is the co-founder of All Bodies on Bikes, an organization that seeks to make the cycling community more size inclusive. In this conversation, Marley talks about the longtime lack of inclusive sizing in cycling, from clothing options to equipment, why she recently decided to leave her job in corporate America to move to focus on growing her role in the cycling community, and why she views the word "fat" as neutral rather than derogatory. She also talks about ignoring criticism in favor of positivity, her program sponsoring non-traditional athletes to race at SBT GRVL, and her new database matching companies to plus size gear testers around the world. Links to topics mentioned in the episode:All Bodies on Bikes Resources All Bodies on Bikes + SBT GRVLAll Bodies on Bikes Film Plus Size Wear Testing DatabaseMarley's former careerInstagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

Cam Wurf started his athletic career in rowing, where he represented Australia at the 2004 Olympics, and went on to compete in road cycling for WorldTour teams including Cannondale-Liquigas. After retiring from the sport in 2015, he started racing triathlons, attaining 5th at the World Championship in 2019, and setting a World Record for the bike leg of the race. In 2020, he was lured back in to professional cycling at the highest level when Ineos Grenadiers came calling. He now leads an unprecedented dual career as a WorldTour cyclist and Ironman triathlete. In this conversation, Cam talks about why he's never wanted to be defined by one sport, the training camp with Chris Froome that brought him out of retirement, and why he isn't afraid to call himself "the original ruiner of gravel." Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

Since leaving her career as a professional cross country mountain bike racer, Gretchen Reeves has worked as an accountant for athletes and self-employed people from the outdoor industry. In this interview, she offers some financial best practices for athletes just starting out, those who are already established pros, and anyone who wants to get more value out of their income. She talks about the ways self-employed people often overlook significant deductibles, how to set yourself up for a comfortable retirement, and mistakes she often sees people make in their financial planning. She also tells Payson about her career racing for Tokyo Joe's in the late 90s and early 2000s and her subsequent adventure racing career, which included the 2020 Eco-Challenge in Fiji. She talks about what it was like being on camera for the race, which was hosted by Bear Grylls and streamed on Amazon Prime.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

In 2021, Ashton Lambie became the first person in history to ride 4000m in under four minutes. He completed the distance in 3:59.93, surpassing the previous record held by Filippo Ganna, the current time trial world champion. This was Ashton's third time to break the world record, which he had first held in 2018. He went on to win the individual pursuit at the Track World Championships two months later. Given this history, it is perhaps surprising that Ashton grew up racing gravel in Nebraska before discovering his talent for track racing. In this interview, Ashton tells Payson about his history in gravel and decision to break the four minute barrier on the track. He tries to explain the specific pain that a rider experiences at that speed, and the bike setup that allowed him to average 62km per hour (38.5mph). They also talk about his complicated relationship with gravel's competitive trajectory, and why he's decided to race the Grand Prix after spending years on the track. He also talks about his recent move to Houston where his partner is training to become a NASA astronaut. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc