Katie Schide, the 2024 UTMB champion, shares her exhilarating journey of breaking the course record in tough conditions. She discusses her goal-setting strategies, the rigorous training and recovery involved in tackling the WS/UTMB double, and her fearless racing approach. The conversation dives into her mental focus during UTMB week, her ambitious sub-22hr goal, and insights on navigating sponsorship expectations. Katie also reflects on the emotional landscape following major races and her innovative techniques for peak performance.
Katie Schide's strategic pacing and mental preparedness were key to her historic UTMB victory, showcasing her composure under race pressure.
Her meticulous planning between Western States and UTMB highlighted the importance of recovery and adaptation in achieving peak performance.
Deep dives
Historic Performance at UTMB
Katie Schide achieved a historic victory at the UTMB, breaking the women's course record with an impressive time of 22 hours and 9 minutes under challenging conditions. Her performance exemplified not only physical endurance, but also strategic racing and mental toughness. The significance of her achievement is underscored by the depth of talent in the women’s field, which motivated Schide to aim for a sub-22 hour finish, highlighting the evolving competitiveness in the sport. This remarkable feat positions her among elite company, making her one of only a few athletes to succeed in such an arduous race.
Strategic Preparation for a Double Season
The preparation for competing at both the Western States and UTMB involved meticulous planning and listening to her body throughout the season. Katie emphasized the need to balance recovery from Western States with the specific adaptations required for UTMB, an approach that paid off as she returned to the mountain terrain. Her training has shifted to incorporate leg speed, which has been an area of growth for her, allowing her to tackle the faster segments of the UTMB course with confidence. This focused approach resulted in a naturally flowing transition from one race to the next, illustrating her methodical preparation.
Energy Conservation Strategies
During the bustling race week leading up to UTMB, Katie Schide implemented intentional strategies to conserve energy and maintain focus. She opted to stay outside of Chamonix to escape the chaos and demands of a crowded race environment. Clear communication with sponsors regarding her availability for media engagements helped set expectations and protected her time for mental preparations. By prioritizing race day over promotional activities, she could preserve her energy for the competitive challenge ahead.
Fearless Racing and Composure
Katie's racing strategy exemplified a fearless approach, setting an aggressive pace early in the race that allowed her to maintain confidence in her abilities. Documenting previous race splits gave her valuable data to combat second-guessing during the race, enabling her to assess her performance against her own benchmarks. Her composure throughout the race was evident, as she focused on maintaining a relaxed demeanor, which ultimately contributed to her speed and endurance. This balance of taking calculated risks while remaining calm helped her navigate the difficulties of a demanding ultra-distance race.
Today we are joined by the 2024 UTMB champion, Katie Schide, the champ is here to recount the glory of her course record breaking day, running 22:09 in tough conditions, it was truly a historic performance and I’m honored she’d come on and share all about it.
We talk about the goal setting around the WS/UTMB double, the recovery and training in between the two world class races, we talk about how Katie cultivates focus and preserves energy during UTMB week, we talk about her sub-22hr goal, the rationale behind it and the strategy to attempt to achieve the mark, we talk about her fearless racing strategy, her composure, her improvement over time at the race the conditions of the day and the strange attrition in the fields, we talk about Katie’s incredible season, and a lot more.
Thanks to Katie for being willing to come on, hope you enjoy the episode.