Leah Yingling returns to the 2023 Western States 100 after inserting sixth final yr. Within the following interview, Leah talks about how she plans to race somewhat extra aggressively this yr, her new sponsor Lululemon, how she’s prepared for no matter circumstances the course will ship, and what her personal greatest race may appear like.
For extra on who’s racing, try our in-depth ladies’s and males’s previews. Observe together with our WS 100 dwell race protection on Saturday.
Leah Yingling Pre-2023 Western States 100 Interview Transcript
iRunFar: Meghan Hicks of iRunFar. I’m with Leah Yingling. It’s a few days earlier than the 2023 Western States Endurance Run. Hello, Leah.
Leah Yingling: Hello, Meghan. Thanks for having me.
iRunFar: Yeah. So the final time iRunFar interviewed you was solely 14 months in the past, after the 2022 Canyons 100k, however I really feel like rather a lot has occurred for you. Do you are feeling like that?
Yingling: I really feel like that. Yeah. 100%. I really feel like 2022 was the largest yr of my extremely working profession thus far. And plenty of life happenings within the meantime. So, I really feel like Canyons Leah is a very completely different model than Western States 2023 Leah.
iRunFar: I really feel like there’s a whole lot of floor to cowl on this interview, however I wish to begin with Western States. Final yr, you earned your Golden Ticket at Canyons. Two months later, you turned again up at Western States, took sixth in your first go at this occasion. Clearly, you’re again. What brings you right here a second time?
Yingling: Yeah, I really instructed myself once I bought into Western States that I used to be like a one and completed Western States runner. [laughs]
iRunFar: So hello, good morning. Right here we’re.
Yingling: Yeah. And you understand, the tides turned, and I got here again for another spherical. So, I believe it was you understand, Western States is difficult. It’s onerous to not come again to after you’ve gotten the expertise the primary time. Like there’s this a part of you that wishes to maintain enhancing, needs to expertise it once more, needs to expertise completely different circumstances, and desires to expertise the aggressive nature that’s Western States. And I believe from a feminine ultrarunning perspective, the game is getting quicker and quicker and extra aggressive. And I believe we’re seeing that with the sphere this yr. So yeah, I wish to compete. I wish to be towards one of the best, and I wish to expertise the power that’s Western States. So possibly I’ll be two and completed, however ask me on Sunday.
iRunFar: There’s something you understand, there’s a whole lot of ultras on the market the place you’re like, I am going for the journey. You’ve gotten this superb expertise. You’re like, Okay, now I can transfer on to a different journey. This race is just not like that for lots of people. What are the, I imply, you talked in regards to the particular type of tangibles of your expertise with the race and girls’s competitors, however this occasion, this place the place we’re, what’s it you suppose that makes folks come into it 20 occasions, 10 occasions? Two occasions?
Yingling: I believe it’s a pair issues. A, I believe similar to, how historic the occasion is. I imply, this was the primary massive race that I had ever heard of. It was the primary race on my radar that I used to be like, I want to do this sometime. So, I believe that hype, that power, and simply the historic nature of the occasion retains folks eager to expertise it. The volunteers, I imply, like this yr on the whole, the quantity of effort that the volunteers and Craig [Thornley] put into the course to revive it to the state it’s in at the moment. I imply, that’s superb. I don’t suppose you will discover volunteers fairly so invested like they’re at Western States. So I believe it’s simply the entire neighborhood round it’s particular. That you must expertise it, and I do know those who attempt for years and years and years to get in. There’s one thing that retains them placing their title within the lottery yearly and it’s simply… this race, the neighborhood on the whole…
iRunFar: Is value it.
Yingling: It’s value it.
iRunFar: Alright, so again to you. After Western States final yr, I believe your subsequent race after that was the Path World Championships within the fall in Thailand.
Yingling: Yeah, yeah. That was an expertise of a lifetime. I instructed myself I might cease my season there, and I didn’t obey myself. And ended up making an attempt to do Quad Dipsey within the fall, and that didn’t go as deliberate. So, the World Championships ought to have been the place I put a pin in it for the yr, and it was an unbelievable race, interval. I believe like, all of the photographs folks noticed of it, all of the video seize from that occasion like, did it justice. It was unbelievable. The race was so impossibly onerous and humid. And what a cool expertise it was to be on Crew USA with the exceptional ladies and men that bought to characterize USA that day. Very completely different course than I’ll be seeing right here Western States this yr, however…
iRunFar: No jungle right here.
Yingling: No jungle, no logs, no snakes.
iRunFar: I used to be going to say hopefully no snakes. [laughs]
Yingling: Hopefully no snakes.
iRunFar: Okay, so 2023 and Leah brings a completely completely different world for you. You’re sporting the Lululemon emblem in your shirt proper now. Inform us about that sponsorship and inform us in regards to the arrival of Lulu to path working.
Yingling: Yeah, it’s actually thrilling. And one thing that like, I didn’t actually foresee, and I don’t suppose lots of people foresaw. But it surely’s a extremely good thing for the game, on the whole. I began chatting with the corporate again in December once I was type of at a transition interval in my sponsor trajectory, and simply needed to be embraced as a human. I bear in mind telling my husband Mike [McMonagle], “I don’t care what the subsequent yr brings. I simply wish to really feel supported as a human, and I wish to really feel part of one thing larger.” And I believe that’s what Lululemon is absolutely doing. They’re integrating us in such a manner into like, their involvement and their curiosity in path and extremely working, and making us really feel like we’re a part of one thing. We’re innovating. We’re a part of the conversations. They usually’re occupied with us from an emotional degree, a bodily degree, psychological degree, like, every thing. They need us to carry out our greatest, really feel our greatest, but additionally really feel like part of one thing. I believe there’s a lot worth in that, and I believe that’s once I personally can present up one of the best so actually excited.
iRunFar: Talking of being part of one thing, what and who composes the Leah crew for 2023?
Yingling: It’s a whole lot of my similar crew from final yr.
iRunFar: Okay, okay.
Yingling: So my husband Mike shall be main the cost, whereas additionally most likely making an attempt to take an image or two on the market.
iRunFar: So he’ll have the digicam hanging on his neck.
Yingling: Precisely. After which, my associates Demetri and Theresa from Salt Lake Metropolis, they’ll be pacing and crewing. After which I even have one of many people from Lululemon named Peter on crew, getting the firsthand expertise of crewing and ultrarunning, and every thing that’s 100 miles for the primary time.
iRunFar: The highs and lows in between.
Yingling: Yeah, after which my pal Matt Mitchell shall be pacing me the final part and good pal Anna Fisher from Salt Lake, so, deliver it. Oh, yeah, my mother. My dad was right here final yr, and he ran me across the monitor. So this yr, I instructed my mother she’d higher be prepared for 300 meters.
iRunFar: Let’s go, Mother. That’s a warmup on Saturday night time.
Yingling: Let’s go, Susie.
iRunFar: Susie! So, Saturday. You’re from Salt Lake Metropolis. The Wasatch Mountains in Utah had a record-breaking winter. We’re a good bit of snow behind us. I’m guessing you’re going to really feel comfy with the unsure excessive nation circumstances this yr.
Yingling: 100%, yeah. I used to be really hoping for like, the snowiest yr doable.
iRunFar: You’d like this to be snow.
Yingling: I need this all to be snow. The snow, the warmth, I like robust circumstances. And Salt Lake Metropolis was simply, we bought slammed by winter. So, a whole lot of our excessive stuff really hasn’t fairly melted out but. So, did a whole lot of my path working this yr on snow. So, no stranger to it. I want somewhat bit extra of it. And I’m actually excited to see what these circumstances are. I believe I’m any person that may keep fairly simply comfy, calm, and assured on these circumstances. So, that’s what I plan on doing on Saturday.
iRunFar: Yeah, staying cool, staying calm after which seeing what the later circumstances and miles deliver?
Yingling: Precisely, yeah. I like to regulate the controllables to the Nth diploma. I’m an enormous planner. So, yeah, I’m simply going to type of do my factor on the market. I believe final yr, I performed it actually conservative. And I imply, it performed out nice for me. I believe at the moment I stated like, that was one of the best race of my life. So, I felt like each race I completed final yr, I stated that. So hoping I can type of proceed that trajectory this yr. I believe there’s a number of areas the place I can positively enhance, and put myself within the race somewhat bit extra. And I do know that’s a difficult factor for me to do. However I believe that’s what is going to get me type of the place I wish to be within the area this yr.
iRunFar: Effectively, that’s what I needed to ask you to finish this interview was that you simply ran 18.5 hours final yr. You completed sixth. It was on the warmer finish of the spectrum, tougher circumstances. Like, these are some credentials to be pleased with. However, in fact, you don’t stroll away from 100 miles with out considering of like, I may have completed this somewhat higher. What’s it you’re going to be engaged on Saturday?
Yingling: Yeah, I believe feeling extra comfy competing and hanging with my fellow feminine opponents. It’s very easy for me to take a seat again, and simply financial institution on carnage all through the day. However I believe we’re seeing as an entire that there’s much less carnage as these races get extra aggressive.
iRunFar: No one’s coming again anymore!
Yingling: So my technique isn’t working as properly anymore.
iRunFar: [laughs]
Yingling: So, I believe simply testing myself somewhat bit placing myself within the combine. So as an alternative of being, you understand, twenty fifth at Robinson Flat, hoping to be extra at the back of that high 10 and work my manner up via the remainder of the race. Hopefully charging from the river, like I did final yr. I really feel like that labored very well for me. So, banking on my pacers to deliver me there.
iRunFar: Push you onerous.
Yingling: Precisely.
iRunFar: What’s your greatest day like? If 97% of issues go proper, what does your greatest day appear like?
Yingling: For me, I believe that’s having what I might take into account like a wonderfully executed race. Getting every thing out of myself from the begin to the end. Like, with the ability to cost from Robie Level, with my neighborhood surrounding me. I believe having like, what I might take into account greatest day is having all people on the market like, part of it. And, that’s actually particular. I believe this occasion is particular. I hope to come back again though I stated needed one and completed, two and completed. We’ll see.
iRunFar: [laughs] Okay, so we began this interview with possibly two and completed, however already in like 5 minutes we’re at possibly subsequent yr. You need the choice.
Yingling: Yeah. I need the choice. So yeah, I believe if I’ve my greatest day like, I’m capturing for a podium place and I believe simply working sensible, maintaining it composed, and having enjoyable will deliver me there.
iRunFar: Superior. Leah Yingling. Good luck to you in your second journey from Olympic Valley to Placer Excessive Faculty, and I stay up for seeing you in 2024.
Yingling: Thanks, Meghan. Me, too.
